25. Interview with Graham Baker: Part 2

16 July 2011

– People trying to escape their lives, they do it for all types of reasons.

– Well, one of the most common is the abused spouse, the housewife whose getting six, seven hours of punishment a day from her husband: extension cords, tree branches, lamps, elbow to the head, you name it. These women, they deal with that crap because he’s the father of their child, because he has them thinking that him, he’s scary, but the world, that’s scarier. They deal and deal until one day they come inside the house and their kid, their daughter or son, he or she’s curled up in the corner with a black eye and big, purple bruises across their thighs and back. Maybe they’ve been touched in an unsavory manner to boot, you get me?

– And when she says something to the father, he lays her out. I mean, really gives it to her. And that’s the last straw.

– In that case, the first step is to grab what you can, the kid or kids and a week’s worth of clothes, any money or jewelry you’ve got access to. Stick a dish rag in the gas tank of the man’s car, light a match and watch the vehicle explode from a safe distance, you get me? Or if you’re not trying to cause a ruckus, sugar in the gas tank’s a good move too. Take out his mode of transportation and make sure you got one of your own, even if it’s your feet taking you to a bus station or a train depot. As long as you hit the road. And quickly.

– That’s step one. That’s the first move in a long process that takes a lot of planning. You can’t just up and make decisions like this. And if your husband ain’t beating on you or threatening your life, you might do better to just divorce him if you’re that unhappy. Otherwise, this life, the new life of the pseudocider, it ain’t worth it unless it’s really worth it, you get me?

– This is real stuff. You’ll see. It’s all in my book. Grab a copy when you get a chance.

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