My family has an array of tempers. My Pop’s temper is like the pounding hooves of antelope, on the Sahara floor during a stampede. And then after the dust clears you see bright blue, calm skies. And me, my temper is calm, cool, and collected. I never erupt when the fuse is lit. My brother’s temper is untamed, and spontaneous. You’ll never know what he’ll do next. At first my sister is quiet as a dove, than an animal turned crazed.

My mother’s temper is the most bizarre, she reels you in with delicate words of affection and poise, before you blink her eyes pierce your soul, you liquefy and get flushed into the toilet of despair, but try and fight back its like a wave that keeps crashing, and the undertow won’t let you gasp for air, by the time you reach the surface you’re so tired you give up and lose the fight. You’re in the eye of the storm, calm and relieved. Wind picks up and the waves get higher the same thing happens again and you just want to drown. Over and over again she slaps your body with waves of insult, and annoyance. Eventually you give up and let the waved swallow you.