Adris Varela

Letters to my Alcoholic Father

Dear dad, I'm currently 5 years old and living with you in a one-bedroom apartment after you and mom got divorced. You walk me to school everyday and we when we go grocery shopping you always buy me a doll. We always walk by a house that has a dog with one green eye and one blue eye, I love him. Our apartment is pretty small, just one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Sometimes we go out to parties at your friends house where I sleep while you party. These have been your friends since you were my age, they're like my uncles and I know they'd never harm me but I just don't feel like a party is a good environment for a little girl my age and I don't like how you drive after each party, it's like you forgot how to drive in a straight line during the party, so silly. One day you were sleeping after partying a lot and you wouldn't wake up the next day, I was so bored. One of your closest friends and his wife came to get me while you were sleeping and said they were taking me to my mom's house. I couldn't tell you at the moment or say bye cause you were sleeping but I went with mom and I couldn't understand why they took me there, but when I grow up I'll understand.