HELLO SUNSHINE

by Danna Shirley
The following short story was submitted in the Creative Writing Class at Bartlett Senior Center, Bartlett, TN. The assignment was to use the random words below (or any form thereof) and write something interesting. 

addict     chair     assimilate     truth     unless     sunshine

fragrance     shop     clothing     stimulating

            Brad had been an addict since he was fifteen. Now at age 40 he was in his third rehab. Would he ever be cured of this awful disease? Yes, they called it a disease because of his chemical makeup that was passed down the line through his ancestors, whoever they were. If he could go back in time, he would find out who the culprit was and  . . . and what? What would he do; help them not to become addicted or kick their butt for being so weak? Yes, he was weak, too. He had no room to talk.

            Now he sat in a chair with all the other addicts in front of the counselor who was supposedly helping him find himself. Ha! All they wanted was for him to assimilate back into society and out of their facility . . . another success story, another notch on their chart for future funding.

            Okay, he’d play along, but the truth was he really did want to be free of this debilitating, life-threatening, destroying worm that was eating him from the inside out. There was hope for him, wasn’t there? Unless he was beyond hope. After all, it had been twenty-five years of jails, homelessness, lost jobs, lost family, lost self-esteem, loss, loss, loss.

            Would he ever again feel the sunshine warm his heart, smell the fragrance of a garden instead of a back alley behind a dumpster, shop for nice clothes instead of digging in bags of throw-away rags?

            Was that all it would take to stimulate him to sobriety? Sunshine, sweet smells, and clean clothes on a clean body? He had known that life before with his family. He’s the one that chose this life; not them.

He put all pretenses behind him and all the excuses he’d used in the past by blaming everyone else for his problems. He raised his hand and the counselor nodded, “Yes, Brad. You have something you want to share with the group?”

            “Yes, I surrender all.”