Zack didn't know whether he was pissed off (angry) with himself, his drinking buddies in Millsburg who were taunting him or with Uncle Charlie for leaving him behind.

Zack had abandoned his wife and children years ago. After five years of this, he decided to go home to his wife, but due to his inability to stop drinking; his wife had refused to accept him back in the home.

To soother his pains, he delved deep into the bottle, but to his dismay, it only added misery to his discomfort. Since that time, his wife only has allowed him to visit the house to see the children when he was sober.

He couldn't remember the last time he visited his children. They were five; James, Zack, Marthalyn, Marylue, and Peggy.

Back then, he had tried visiting them in the morning, then in the afternoon, then at night but his drive for more wine only allowed him to be sober when he was asleep.

How did his life turned out like this?

While deep in his thoughts, he heard a loud noise that scared him right out of his drunken stupor. It was Uncle Charlie. He had parked few yards down the road and walked back to set ambush to scare his drinking buddy.

They got in the old red Ford picked, and galloped all the way home. But just before driving into the yard, Uncle Charlie stopped at the shop and picked up a bottle of Aromatic Snapps, he drank more than half of its contents in one dreg, frowned, and then handed the bottle to Zack. Zack too, swallowed the rest of its content, closed his eyes as if in pain and placed the bottle on the counter.

“Let's get out of here Zack,” Uncle Charlie called. “I am going to give those damned s*&#@ a piece of myself.

As soon as he got in the house, he slammed the door, and began cursing.

“You're drunk again Charlie,” Aunt Caroline cried.

“Who are you to tell me I am drunk, you daughter of a drunker and wife of a drunk.”

Everyone in the living room burst in a thunder of laughter.

“Go home everyone. Go home, my son is not getting marry to a BOUF,” Uncle Charlie announced.

“Stop that Charlie, stop that. Behave yourself,” Aunt Caroline warned.

“And what do you propose you will do if I didn't stop? Jail me or something? Caroline, you are a witch and that's why I haven't moved with you in the new home your children built for you.”

“You are crazy Charlie,” Aunt Caroline countered. “Forty-six years with you and I didn't witch you, I will not listen to any of you drunken talk,” she added.

He got to his feet and staggered toward Tenneh, the bride to be.

“Stand up,” he commanded.

The young girl looked this way and that way, praying for someone to come to her rescue. She stood up.

“Now sit down.”

She sat down; Uncle Charlie shook his head in disapproval.

“You say you are a lady, and don't know how to sit down like one?” Uncle Charlie teased.

“I don't have to sit here and see this, the girl's father announced. “Let's go home Honey,” he announced, as he rose to pull his reluctant wife from the sofa.

Zack had his hand over his mouth laughing.

The couple and their daughter rose to leave but not before Aunt Caroline put in some kind words.

“Please don't mind him, he is drunk again,” she said.

“I am not drunk. You are drunk.

James ran to Tenneh's side to comfort her as she left.

“Please don't take any of this to heart, you know how my father is,” he pleaded.

“Take it to heart, and don't come back here. Your father is bouf, your mother is bouf, you are bouf, and you want to marry my handsome son to make all his children bouf, over my dead body,” Uncle Charlie threatened.

“Daddy stop cursing dee people,” James pleaded.

“Don't be stupid son. BOUF is not a curse word. It means big, old, ugly and fat. You see I am trying to save you from the bouf affairs but you are too silly to know. I guess you came out like you mama.”

“Yes, Charlie, you are right. I was silly to have married you in the first place.”

“And too dump to divorce me,” Uncle Charlie added with slurred speech.

Meanwhile, as the guests departed, Uncle Charlie reached in his coat pocket and fetched his deodorant and began to spraying the house.

He closed the door and turned around to look at his wife. She gave him a mean look.

He opened the door and stepped outside. “Honey, I luv you.” He blew a kiss to her and held the door ajar for Zack to join him.

“Bye-bye honey,” Zack said to Aunt Caroline, and closed the door behind him as he joined his buddy. Zack joined him in the car and they sped out of the yard.

When they got back to the old framed house, Zack and Uncle Charlie was falling all over themselves with laughter.

“I did it Zack, I did it.”

“I trust you buddy, I trust you. You gave them hell across the English Channel.”

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