Just for Today Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Copyright

  Title Page

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Just for Today

  Tana Reiff

  Fearon (1988)

  * * *

  Tags: Juvenile Nonfiction, Chapter Books, Readers

  Juvenile Nonfictionttt Chapter Booksttt Readersttt

  A man's alcoholism threatens to destroy his life. Life Times.

  Copyright © 2013 Tana Reiff

  First published in 2013 by Grass Roots Press

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used

  or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the

  prior written permission of the publisher, except in the

  case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Grass Roots Press gratefully acknowledges the financial

  support for its publishing programs provided by the

  following agencies: the Government of Canada through

  the Canada Book Fund and the Government of Alberta

  through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication from the print edition

  Reiff, Tana

  Just for today / Tana Reiff. — Rev. ed.

  (Pathfinders)

  ISBN 978-1-927499-67-2 (Print)

  ISBN 978-1-927499-84-9 (ePub)

  1. Readers (Adult). 2. Readers for new literates.

  I. Title. II. Series: Pathfinders (Edmonton, Alta.)

  PE1127.A43R43 2013 428.6’2 C2012-906776-8

  Cover image: © Will Crocker/Getty Images

  QED stands for Quality, Excellence and Design. The QED seal of approval shown here verifies that this eBook has passed a rigorous quality assurance process and will render well in most eBook reading platforms.

  For more information please click here.

  Just for Today

  Tana Reiff

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 1

  “Give me

  another one!”

  shouted Biff.

  He stood up slowly.

  He started to walk

  toward the bar.

  His girlfriend, Abby,

  and some friends

  stayed at the table.

  “This is

  your last drink tonight,”

  said the bartender.

  “You don’t think

  I’m drunk,

  do you?”

  Biff yelled.

  He stumbled back

  toward the table.

  His foot caught

  on a chair leg.

  He almost fell.

  His friends

  laughed at him.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Biff asked.

  “You, man,”

  said Jerry.

  “You’re smashed!”

  “And why

  are you laughing?”

  Biff asked Abby.

  “You’re my girlfriend.

  I could have

  hurt myself.”

  “Forget it, Biff,”

  said Abby.

  Biff’s drink

  went very fast.

  “Give me

  one more!”

  he called out.

  “You’re done,”

  said the bartender.

  “You’ve had enough

  for tonight.”

  “Abby, get me

  a drink,”

  Biff begged.

  “No,” said Abby.

  “No more tonight, okay?”

  “You’re not

  my mother,”

  said Biff.

  He pushed Abby.

  She fell

  to the floor.

  “Don’t do that!”

  cried Abby

  as she got up

  and brushed herself off.

  Abby was

  a little scared.

  She had seen

  Biff get drunk

  many times.

  But he had never

  pushed her around

  like this.

  Biff headed

  for the door.

  He was having trouble

  standing up.

  Abby stayed back

  for a minute.

  Then she left too.

  Chapter 2

  By the time

  Abby got outside,

  Biff was gone.

  He had taken

  the car.

  Jerry drove

  Abby home.

  When she got home,

  Biff was not there.

  Just then

  her phone rang.

  It was the police.

  “We have Biff

  here at the station.

  We picked him up

  for drunk driving.

  He could not walk

  a straight line!

  Do you want

  to come and get him

  and the car?”

  “I’ll be right there,”

  Abby said.

  She grabbed

  her bag.

  She took a cab

  to the police station.

  She paid

  the police

  bail money.

  “He won’t be driving

  for awhile,

  you know,”

  said the cop.

  “We have

  some nice classes

  he must take first.

  And count yourself lucky

  that this is his first time.

  Could be a lot worse.”

  Then they let Biff

  go home.

  The ride home

  was very quiet.

  For a few minutes

  the only sound

  was the car itself.

  Then Abby said,

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t remember,”

  said Biff.

  “You left the pub.

  You were

  really drunk.

  What happened next?”

  Abby asked.

  “I don’t remember,”

  Biff said again, louder.

  What he said

  was true.

  He didn’t remember

  where he had been

  or what he had done.

  “I guess

  I blacked out,”

  Biff said.

  “I guess

  you did,”

  said Abby.

  Neither one of them

  said a word

  the rest

  of the ride home.

  Chapter 3

  The next day

  Abby got home

  from work

  at 5:30 p.m.

  There was Biff,

  sitting in the living room.

  Most days

  he got home

  later than her.

  “I didn’t go

  to work today,”

  said Biff.

  “I didn’t feel well<
br />
  this morning.

  This hangover

  was a bad one, Baby.”

  “You have used

  all your sick days,”

  said Abby.

  “I know,”

  said Biff.

  “That means

  I won’t get paid

  for today.”

  Abby was not glad

  to hear that.

  They needed

  the money.

  There were bills

  to pay.

  Abby went

  to the kitchen.

  She heated up

  some leftovers.

  She brought Biff

  a tray of food.

  He stayed

  in his easy chair.

  “Sorry, Abby,”

  he said.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  Abby asked him.

  “You’re drunk again,

  aren’t you?

  How much

  have you had?”

  “I don’t know,”

  said Biff.

  He held up

  a big bottle.

  It was almost empty.

  “This bottle

  was full

  this morning!”

  he laughed.

  Something in his laugh

  was not funny.

  “You’ve been drinking

  all day?”

  Abby shouted.

  “Looks like it,”

  said Biff.

  “Now, shut up!

  I don’t want

  to hear about it.

  I like to drink.

  It’s not

  hurting anyone.

  So just shut up!”

  “You think

  it’s not hurting you?”

  said Abby.

  “You think

  it’s not hurting me?”

  Biff got out

  of his chair

  and pushed her

  against the wall.

  “Mind your own

  business!”

  he yelled.

  Abby was crying.

  Biff put his arms

  around her.

  “I’m sorry, Baby,”

  he said.

  “Have a little drink

  with me.”

  He poured Abby

  a drink.

  “This will make you

  feel better.”

  They finished

  the bottle.

  Then they started

  another bottle.

  They both

  passed out

  in the living room.

  Chapter 4

  Biff couldn’t get

  out of bed

  the next day.

  His head

  felt like a rock.

  Or like a rock

  pounding his head.

  His stomach

  was rolling around

  like a rubber ball.

  He stayed in bed

  half the day.

  Once again,

  he missed work.

  Abby didn’t feel great,

  but she went

  to work.

  When she got home,

  the two of them

  had another fight.

  Once again,

  Biff said

  he was sorry.

  Once again,

  Abby drank

  with him.

  Biff passed out

  in his chair.

  Abby sat alone

  for a few minutes.

  Her head

  was a mess.

  She thought about

  how much she hated this.

  The alcohol.

  Biff getting mean.

  Fighting.

  That is when she knew

  something had to change.

  Abby found

  the number

  for Alcoholics Anonymous.

  She called.

  “My friend is sick,”

  she began.

  “Where and when is

  your next meeting?”

  The person

  on the other end

  told Abby

  where and when

  the next meeting

  would be.

  “They meet

  every day

  at the same place,”

  he said.

  “But you can’t

  make him go,

  you know.

  He will have to go

  on his own.

  It has to be

  when he is ready.”

  Then he told Abby

  about Al-Anon.

  “Their meetings

  are for you,”

  he said.

  “You can learn ways

  to help

  your loved one.

  And yourself too.”

  Chapter 5

  Biff made it to work

  the next day.

  But the boss

  stopped him at the door.

  “We need to talk,”

  the boss said.

  “You have

  two choices,”

  he began.

  “You can

  stop drinking.

  Or you can

  find another job.”

  “I don’t have

  a drinking problem,”

  said Biff.

  “It’s only

  a stomach problem.”

  The boss

  did not believe Biff.

  “When you show up,

  you’re slow,”

  he said.

  “And when you

  don’t show up,

  you’re of no use at all

  to the company.”

  Biff was looking

  at the floor.

  “You think you have

  a stomach problem?

  Then you need to see

  the company doctor.

  Let him

  check out

  your stomach problem.

  Go see the doctor.

  Now.”

  The doctor

  looked Biff over.

  Then he asked Biff

  some key questions:

  Is drinking giving you

  any trouble at home?

  Do you ever feel sorry

  for the things you did

  when you were drinking?

  Do you have money problems

  because of drinking?

  Do you drink

  to get away from

  your problems?

  Do you ever forget

  what you did

  when you were drinking?

  Do you drink alone much?

  Biff knew

  the honest answer

  to every question.

  The honest answer

  was “yes.”

  Chapter 6

  When Biff got home,

  he asked Abby

  for a drink.

  “Just a beer,”

  he said.

  “In fact,

  make it

  a light beer.”

  “I learned something,”

  said Abby.

  “Light beer

  can have as much alcohol

  as any beer.”

  Biff didn’t want

  to hear Abby.

  He got himself

  a beer.

  He drank

  four cans

  before dinner.

  “You just drank

  as much alcohol

  as four mixed drinks,”

  Abby said.

  “What makes you

  so smart

  all of a sudden?”

  Biff asked her.

  “I went

  to a meeting today,”

  she said.

  “It’s a group

  for loved ones

 
; of alcoholics.”

  “Abby, I am not

  an alcoholic,”

  said Biff.

  “I like to have

  a few drinks,

  that’s all.

  I know

  how to handle

  my drinking.

  I can stop

  any time I want.”

  “And I learned

  something else,”

  said Abby.

  “I might have

  an alcohol problem myself.”

  “Don’t want to hear it,”

  Biff snapped.

  “And don’t make dinner.

  I’m not hungry.”

  “What’s wrong with you?

  You won’t talk to me.

  You never do anything

  around the house.

  You never make dinner.

  And these days

  you won’t even eat dinner.”

  “I’ll be late

  for driving class,”

  said Biff.

  “If I don’t go

  they won’t let me

  drive ever again.

  And then I’m going

  to the pub,”

  he added.

  “Why don’t you

  meet me there?”

  “No,” said Abby.

  “I’m not drinking

  with you anymore.

  In fact,

  I’m not drinking

  at all anymore.”

  Biff gave her

  an empty look

  and then he left.

  Abby sat alone

  at the dinner table.

  She had

  made up her mind.

  She was finished

  playing the game.

  She would never again

  do anything

  to help Biff’s drinking.

  He would have

  to do his drinking

  without her.

  Chapter 7

  Biff went to work

  the next morning.

  But he was late.

  The boss

  called him in again.

  “You’re fired, Biff,”

  he said.

  “Stop at the office

  to close things up

  on your way out.”

  Biff was shocked.

  He couldn’t believe

  he had been fired.

  On the way home

  he stopped

  at the pub.

  He drank

  the rest of the day.

  At 6:00 p.m.

  the bartender

  called a cab

  for Biff.

  “You’ve put in

  a full day,”

  he said to Biff.

  “Where’s dinner?”

  Biff asked Abby

  when he got home.

  “I didn’t make

  any dinner,”

  she said.

  “I ate your dinner

  from last night.”

  Then she sat down

  next to Biff.

  “What’s going on?

  she asked.

  “I got fired today,”

  said Biff.

  “They say

  I have

  a drinking problem.

  But my real problem

  is that job.

  I hate it.

  Or should I say,