Ellen

Ellen's Perspective:

I remember when I spilled that hot coffee on my grandfather's hand. It was a morning like any other. My mother had just woken me up to feed me and get me ready for school. We were at my grandparents' house; my father was unemployed and spent his days at home, drinking cold beer. They say alcohol changes a man, and that was something I didn't believe until that moment. My father and my grandfather were very close, and during that difficult time, they both turned to drinking. When I stepped into the kitchen, I found my grandmother crying on the floor, and my grandfather and father drinking at the table. The smell of alcohol emanated from their mouths, their tired eyes as they laughed. But only one thing crossed my mind: Why aren't they helping her?

I was too innocent to think and imagine that not everything is perfect, and I discovered that with hot coffee. I sat at the table, still watching my grandmother crying, not knowing what to do.