#edgelantom

Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been- it’s been too long since my last confession. My dad, he used to come to this church back when I was a kid. He was a fighter. Old school. Boxer. Lost more than he won. Had a 24-31 record before he…But he could take a punch. Jesus, he could take a punch.  –Language. Sorry, Father. Yeah, guys he went up against used to say it was like hitting oak. And nights when he was outmatched, my dad’s strategy was to let ‘em hit him till they broke their hands. Never got knocked out, my dad. Knocked down, sure, but he always got back up. He was always on his feet when he lost. Every now and then, though…every now and then he’d get hit and something inside him would snap. My grandmother, she was the real Catholic. Fear of God ran deep, you’d have liked her. She used to say, “Be careful of the Murdock boys. They got the devil in 'em"…and you’d see it sometimes, in the ring. His eyes would go dead and…he’d start walking forward real slow, hands at his sides like he wasn’t afraid of anything. And the other guy, he’d see that look, and he’d try to get away from him. But my dad, he’d catch him and trap him in a corner. Let the devil out. I didn’t understand it, you know? What he was feeling deep inside. I didn’t understand it. Not back then. –But you understand it now? Perhaps this would be easier if you tell me what you’ve done. I’m not seeking penance for what I’ve done, Father. I’m asking forgiveness…for what I’m about to do.