apartments the plaster on the side walls would come clean off and lay on a pile of rubble on the carpeted floor. I would sweep up after one of his episodes as he sat sullen in a drunken stooper in the living room or bathroom floor often after vomiting everywhere.

Things got worse though as time passed. One night he got so out of hand that he just lost control and began screaming at the top of his lungs and started smashing everything that was in his path and unfortunately that also meant me. I’m not sure why this particular night he decided to cross wires with me, but he did. When he got into one of his ‘hissy fits’ I’d just go and sit in one of the other rooms but not on this occasion. He stormed into the spare room and slapped me hard across the face, only the slapping didn’t stop.