I have a date with Hank. I think it's strange that he asked me out. I ask him something about the counseling program at the University. He gives me a cold, straight look and says he's not going to be a counselor. I ask, "Why not?" He says because they told hime that he won't make a good counselor. He should go into some other business. We agree to go to a movie. We start to go, but something prevents it. Then Bonnie and I are preparing for dinner to give my parents. I am helping to get the food on the table. I say, "Well, at least I cooked the chicken...well, not exactly cooked, but I bought Kentucky Fried Chicken." I felt guilty and shrugged my shoulders to my mother. My father gave me a cold hard stare. He started talking to me in a low, strong monotone. There was a background of scary music like a killer stalking me. He told me I never did anything, to get out. Couldn't I at least even make my mother a cup of coffee? He went on and on. I was scared and started packing to leave. He had suddenly gone insane. He kept talking in that low voice. Bonnie and I left. He couldn't handle my disability. He kept referring to it. I went downstairs. I saw Lee (from uni house) lounging in a chair. I told Bonnie to wait a minute. I apologized because I couldn't make our date before. He had graying whiskers. I asked him to listen for sounds from above him (upstairs) to see if my father was hurting my mother and if he heard scuffling or hitting he was to go stop it. He said, "O.K." I felt guilty for not staying myself, but I felt afraid and didn't think I could help. I then went down the hallway. To the right was a pond or lake. My parents were in it. White haired. My father was pushing my mother under with one hand on top of her head. I saw the air bubbles and then just before she drowned he let her up to say mean things in that voice. "Had enough? Can't breathe? Don't be mean to me, that will teach you." She'd say, "Uh," and go under again. She hardly had time to take in a breath. She looked like me, only she had white hair. I then ran down the hall and called out, "Help, police." I called out to a lot of men out on the hill in Grandma Mildred's backyard. "Help Chuck! Help, Dylan! Help, Tyler! Come quickly! They slowly walked over to me and asked what was the matter. I asked them to stop my father. They looked around slowly. Then I went back inside and got the phone, an old time black one. It rang instead of a dial tone. I was in a "second best" living room at V's farm. I asked the old woman sitting across from me what was the matter with the telephone. She shrugged. "It always does that." The operator finally answers. She was very non-caring. "What do you want?" She asked. I said, "Connect me with the state mental institution. My father has gone insane." My father was staring at me in a cold, hard way as I said it. The music was there. She said, "They are closed." I looked at my watch. It was 1:10 a.m. I said, "What shall I do?" She said, "Oh, have him go out, downtown, and then if he hurts someone, the police will throw him in jail." I was appalled. I repeated that remark to a group of people in the room like I couldn't believe my ears at the non-preventative approach. The crime had to be committed before help could arrive. I hung up. Then I called the operator back. I asked her to connect me with Jim B. at the University. She told me a pleasant story how she went to school in Wisconsin with his wife, and then connected me. It rang and rang but there was no answer. Then I was aware of fear and that music from the phone. My father's voice said, "Hello, or Ya." It was very cold and menacing. I started to explain, "I am Barb Sanders. I went to school 2 years ago, do you remember me?" A long oppressive silence, the music. I went on to explain that I needed his help to get my father into a state mental hospital because he went gone insane. I put my hand over the receiver and asked Bonnie to peek into the other room to see if my father was on the extension. She said he was. I knew then I had been cut off. My father came back in the room and stared at me, cold and hard. The rest of the people, Lee, Bonnie, and the old woman, started to go to sleep. I felt tired and sleepy too. I felt fear because they were all going to go to sleep and I'd have to face him alone and I grew heavy with exhaustion.