Kach Wilfred is the middle child and only son in the Wilfred family. Growing up he had to battle his sisters for toys, bathroom time, and attention. Being the only boy, one would think Kach was treated special or even spoiled. Well, think again. Life for Kach was quite the opposite – or at least in his eyes. Whenever his father noticed he was spending a lot of time around his mother and sisters, he’d yell derogatory phrases at Kach like “Get from around there. Do you want to grow up to be a sissy?” and “I guess you’ll be knitting and starting your period too.” Kach felt self-conscious and only hung around his female relatives when his father was not around, which was often. Since Pete Wilfred owned his own business, his time with the family was limited. But he tried to make dinner every night, and have family time after church on Sundays. He kept his word on most occasions, but there were times when he missed a dinner here or there because of something urgent. Continue reading “Cold, Hard Kach”
Category: The Wilfreds
This Christmas
Monica Wilfred-Sullivan and her husband, Chay, live in a posh mini-mansion on the outskirts of Atlanta. They have no children, but adore their cherished tan and black Norfolk terrier named Toto (after Monica’s favorite movie the Wizard of Oz). Chay is a corporate executive for a major department store, while Monica is a hospital administrator. Time is often spent in offices or at home on conference calls in front of the computer. Quality time for the couple is a quick bit to eat at breakfast and a kiss before they hit the sheets at night. The routine has gone on for so many years that Monica has forgotten when it began. When the holidays roll around, it’s just like any ordinary day. This year, Monica wants something different for Christmas. She is still hyped about her reunion with her family at Thanksgiving and wants to carry that spirit through til….well she just didn’t want it to end. And why should it?
Sitting at her desk at work, Monica gazed out of her office window. The sky looked an eery gray – like rain. She reached into her desk to make sure there’s an umbrella. There was. Monica’s always prepared for the worse. This day’s no different. She rose, but continued to look out of the window. As she looked down, she saw a beat up tan Volvo stationwagon speed up to the emergency entrance. The driver door opened with a frantic man trying to exit, but it appeared that he’s struggling to get loose from his seatbelt. The passenger door opened, and a right leg emerged. Then the left. The occupant was also having a hard time getting out. By this time, the male driver was on the passenger side trying to help. With success, Monica could now see that it’s a pregnant woman. A part of her felt excited for the couple and the birth of a new baby. The other part felt envious.
Continue reading “This Christmas”
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A Thanksgiving Narrative
The Wilfred family was known for their chain of grocery stores from cities to small towns in southwestern Virginia. The chain’s claim to fame was favorable deals with farmers for fresh meats and produce at prices that were affordable to customers. Their initial catchphrase was “food so fresh you’d think you were in the farmer’s garden”. Years later it would be changed to a shorter version – “fresh from the farmer’s yard to your table”.
The patriarch and head of the business, Peter, passed away 10 years ago – leaving a trail of chaos from the business to the family. It would be the family end that caused the most trouble, separating siblings, Felicia, Kach, and Monica like oil and water. The disagreement began with who should run the business after Peter passed away. Then it was about how to deal with the mounting debt Peter had with the business. And when the company went belly up, fault was passed around along with hurtful comments and insults about issues so personal, they won’t be included here. Continue reading “A Thanksgiving Narrative”
Melanie V. Logan 