Just Deserts

Oscar Hernandez was a tired lonely old man. He lived by himself, in a big decrepit run-down two-story house on the northern outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas. Since his wife left him about 20 years ago, and took his children back to California, he started drinking more than usual. He just did not care anymore. Everything Oscar loved and cared about was gone, and he felt no joy from anyone, or anything. He was not a mean-spirited angry man, he was just bitter and sad, and did not understand why the world frowned upon him the way it did. He thought the world was against him in some way. His once beautiful old Victorian house was in need of serious repairs. It needed new paint, the old paint was faded and cracking falling off in chips that littered the perimeter of his house, The steps up to the front porch were falling through long ago attacked by termites, it had plumbing issues, and his home had many roof leaks letting in so much water during the heavy Fort Worth storms that rolled in from the West that it was beginning to ruin and warp its wood floors, but he no longer cared. He did not have the strength, willpower or motivation to keep it up. This house was a shell of his former life, and he hated it for reminding him of what he was, and what he lost. The house pretty much looked exactly like Oscar felt, it was the winter of 1987, and Oscar was 55 years old.

Oscar’s neighbors tended to ignore him for the most part, because of his bad attitude that he displayed whenever he had contact with the people in his neighborhood. Over the years, as he grew more and more a hermit, he became bitter towards everyone and everything. The neighborhood kids were scared of both Oscar and his house, they would tell stories to each other about how the house was haunted by Oscars murdered wife and kids that the old man buried in the basement. They also whispered about how Oscar was eating pets and small animals from the neighborhood when they disappeared.

This of course was not the case, but kids have good imaginations, and a story told enough times tend to take on a life of its own. Oscar also neglected his yard as much as his home, the grass was tall and brown from the Texas sun, bushes were overgrown, and the trees needed pruning. Oscar’s reputation in the neighborhood was one of an angry, mad, old man who was better left alone and avoided. As the area around Oscar’s house grew and flourished, the old house he once cherished was neglected more and more. When the homes in the area were being decorated for the holidays, Oscar’s house remained the same dark, and scary house he let it become. Most nights only one window would have a dim light showing through old dirty curtains.

Oscar’s days were the same no matter the day of the week. He had no reason to care what day of the week or month it was, after enough time his days just rolled into each other in time in some way lost all meaning. He had a routine and kept to it. From the time he got up in the mornings until he stumbled to his bed at night Oscar's routine varied little, he rarely left the house and when he did it was just to go to the grocery store or to pick up a bottle of ten high. Although he lived in a big house, he only occupied a few rooms on the main floor. The Living room was filled with old dirty furniture. His sole form of entertainment was an old black and white TV that he had for many years the antenna long ago broken off and replaced by a wire coat hanger with tinfoil on it that he would turn and bend as needed to get the best reception. He had many years ago moved his bed into the living room so he would not need to climb the stairs to go to bed. The kitchen was a mess, the windows were filthy, dirty dishes piled up in the sink, the stains on the floor, and counter tops were dried and permanent. His bathroom was no better, he used a small half bath on the ground floor. The basin, once sparkling white porcelain, was now a dirt-colored dripping mess with years of rust stains around the drain. The toilet was no better. It was stained with human waste, and the stains on the floor were a testament to Oscars many drunken attempts to make it into the bowl while swaying from side to side. Whenever someone knocked on his door, he would either ignore it, until they went away, or answer it half dressed, and stinking of body odor and cheap whiskey. He was not a polite man anymore and would more times than not slam the door on whoever it was who was unfortunate enough to knock.

Oscar was not always like this, he was born and raised in Southern California, the son of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States as migrant farm workers searching for the American dream. His parents raised Oscar as best they could to be an American, not to shun his Mexican heritage, but to embrace both and become an American who was proud of his heritage his family and his values. Oscar was an only child and was well known and liked by the other people in his neighborhood. Oscar joined the Boy Scouts when he was old enough and very much enjoyed the patriotic activities, he took part in. Being a scout allowed him to participate in 4th of July parades and doing good deeds around the community.

When Oscar was a student in high school, he met a beautiful Hispanic girl named Valerie. He was immediately struck by her beauty and charm. She had beautiful curly black hair, and a tight pink sweater that accented her natural curves. The first time Oscar approached Valerie and spoke to her he came across as very dumbfounded since he was so stricken by her, he had forgotten all the words he had practiced for several days before approaching her. Oscar and Valerie hit it off pretty well, and as time went along, they drew closer and closer and more in love. Many lazy afternoons were spent strolling through the park, sharing sodas at the local 5 and 10 store, and talking about what they both hoped would become a beautiful and fruitful life together.

Growing up in Southern California Oscar was very aware of who and what United States marines were. He very much enjoyed watching the parades with the marine veterans who are held in high esteem in the community and of the marines currently in service who always looked sharp, acted professional and courteous, and were the epitome of what the American man was supposed to be in his mind.

Many years before, when he was discharged from the marine corps, and came home from the war in Korea, he took a job as a truck driver working for his old platoon commander Bubba Johnson. He also worked odd jobs here and there trying to save for his future. Oscar had a plan. Along with his saved-up money from service, He scraped together as much money as he could manage and purchased a house with a little bit of acreage just a few miles north of Fort Worth. He wrote to his Highschool sweetheart Valery, and asked her to come be with him, and start their American dream. so, she Left her family in California to begin her new life with Oscar on there “Farm” and raise a family.

Shortly after they were married and began to spend more and more time together Valery started to notice strange things about Oscar. He was not the happy nice kid she remembered from their school days. He was different, there were a few obvious things. For instance, once he got set in his mind to do something, he was relentless until it was done. Another example is how he seemed to have a little bit of anger towards little animals. He was fine with bigger animals like horses, and goats, but this was different, he absolutely hated small animals, especially rodents. It did not matter if it was a rat, mouse, or even a raccoon if it was small hairy, and had four legs, Oscar did not like it. Oscar also liked his drink. Cheap Bourbon was his go to. He never drank until he joined the Marines to go fight in Korea. He was raised, by his immigrant parents to be a good American boy and do what is right.

Oscar was not a heavy drinker when he started. He drank mostly from peer pressure from his fellow marines starting with the weekend he graduated from Marine Corps boot camp. Over the course of the next few years his drinking was never an issue he enjoyed it from time to time and enjoyed the camaraderie of hanging out with his buddies' sharing stories and drinking and having a good time despite where they may have been or what they may have been doing.

It was only after he came back from Korea and began to feel the pressure of reality and responsibility for home and family that it started to become an issue. This was how he coped with stress, Valerie understood this and never said too much about it letting him indulge a little more than he probably should, but in her mind if it made him feel better although she may not have liked it she was never going to say anything about it.

It was only later on when his drinking became more of an issue that she he began to really say things to him about it. He began to forget more and more things, never anything major, it just seems like his short-term memory was not as good as it used to be, and Valerie thought that this was because of his drinking. Oscar was not a violent drunk, he was more of a shut-in who tended to crawl into his mental shell the more he drank. In his mind, not talking about how he was feeling, or what he was thinking being in a shell was a way of protecting Valerie and his children as he did not ever want them to know what he had seen endured and had nightmares about for the remainder of his life.