Family Dinner

His fingernails tapping repeatedly on the table
the noise a tiny animal makes as it scurries to its home
one. two. three. four. repeat. and repeat. And Repeat.
Waiting with clear impatience for my answer.
Then his tongue began to click on the roof of his mouth
Click and clack and click again.
His wrinkles' frown deeper than his mouth;
worry lines napping peacefully in his forehead.
His ice blue eyes penetrating my own with bitter rage.
He can't wait to get rid of me.
Just like he did to my mother.
Allison doesn't seem to feel the gravity of the situation, as my other siblings do,
and chirps like a chickadee, "Today at school I got an A on my presentation"
He glances and smiles at her as she once again melts a terrible situation
as she always does, but when he turns back to me he frowns
and our dinner turns back into
customary ice age silence.