Just for Today Read online

  I hated it.”

  “What are you

  going to do now?”

  Abby asked.

  Biff began to cry.

  He dropped down

  to the floor,

  on his knees,

  his head bent down.

  At first,

  he couldn’t talk.

  Then he said,

  “Abby, do you think

  I have a drinking problem?”

  “Do you think

  you have

  a drinking problem?”

  she asked back.

  “Yes, Baby,”

  said Biff,

  in a soft voice

  that Abby

  could hardly hear.

  She said nothing.

  “Maybe I could fix

  the drinking,”

  Biff went on.

  “Then I could fix

  the other problems.

  But I don’t know

  about AA.

  I don’t know

  if I buy

  that 12-step thing.”

  “Take what you want

  and leave the rest,”

  said Abby.

  Then Biff said,

  “I don’t know

  if I want

  to go to meetings.

  AA is for bums.”

  “That’s not true,”

  said Abby.

  “You might be shocked

  to see who goes to AA.”

  Chapter 8

  Biff headed

  for his first meeting.

  On the way,

  he almost turned back.

  But he kept going

  until he got there.

  The room

  was full.

  Biff looked around.

  He saw

  all kinds of people.

  He spotted

  a few faces

  that he knew.

  Back in the corner

  was a doctor

  he had gone to.

  In the front

  was a young woman.

  She used to hang out

  at the pub.

  A man stood up.

  “Let’s get started,”

  he said.

  “My name is Freddie

  and I’m an alcoholic.”

  Everyone got quiet.

  Then Freddie

  led the group

  in a prayer.

  Biff wasn’t so sure

  he liked that.

  But he went along

  with the others.

  Then a young woman

  stood up.

  “My name is Sarah

  and I’m an alcoholic.”

  She told

  what had happened

  the night before.

  She had

  almost taken a drink.

  She had stopped herself.

  “So I’ve been sober

  for 30 days!”

  she said proudly.

  Everyone clapped

  as Sarah picked up

  her 30-days chip.

  She knew

  all about using chips

  in card games.

  The chips

  at the AA meeting

  had a whole new meaning.

  Then Biff stood up.

  He heard himself saying,

  “I’m Biff

  and I’m an alcoholic.”

  Then he told his story.

  Right out loud.

  In front of everyone.

  The last thing

  he said was,

  “I have

  a drinking problem.

  I want to change.

  I don’t want to be

  the way I have been.”

  “We all know

  how you feel,”

  a man said.

  “Just remember this.

  You have no power

  over alcohol.

  It will hurt you

  until it kills you.

  You, my friend,

  need a new way of life.”

  That was all he said.

  No one gave Biff

  a long speech.

  Biff sat down.

  He smiled.

  He got back up

  and grabbed

  a cup of coffee.

  And then he listened

  to other people’s stories.

  Chapter 9

  As soon as Biff

  left the meeting,

  he wanted a drink.

  He headed

  straight to the pub.

  He stepped

  up to the door.

  He reached

  for the door handle.

  And then

  he stopped himself.

  He turned around

  and went home.

  “Abby! Abby!”

  he called out.

  “I did it!”

  He lifted her

  off the floor.

  He started

  to swing her around.

  “Did what?”

  Abby laughed.

  “Abby, I went

  to a meeting,”

  said Biff.

  “It was okay.

  It really was.

  Then I went

  to the pub.

  But I didn’t go in!

  I stopped myself.

  Isn’t that great?”

  “That’s really great,”

  said Abby.

  “That makes me

  very happy.”

  “Me, too,”

  said Biff.

  “But I’m scared.

  I don’t know

  if I can keep this up.”

  “You can,”

  said Abby.

  “I know you can.”

  “Every day

  will be a big step,”

  said Biff.

  Abby and Biff

  made dinner together.

  They had not done that

  for a long, long time.

  After dinner

  they washed dishes.

  “We’re in this together,”

  Biff said.

  “Washing dishes

  or no drinking?”

  laughed Abby.

  “Both,” said Biff.

  “And, Baby,

  I’m so glad

  you and I

  are together.”

  “Tell me more,”

  said Abby.

  “I like you

  like this.”

  Chapter 10

  Biff went

  to another meeting

  the next day.

  And the next.

  And the next.

  In a week

  he got his 7-days chip.

  “But it’s so hard,”

  he told the group.

  “I’m out of a job.

  I’m afraid

  that alcohol

  will get me

  before I can get

  a new job.”

  An older man

  handed Biff

  a little card.

  It was the same

  as the big sign

  on the wall.

  “Read this,”

  said the man.

  “Remember these lines

  when you feel down.”

  Biff read the card.

  He burned every word

  into his mind.

  Just for today:

  I will live

  through this day only.

  I will not tackle

  all my problems at once.

  Just for today:

  I will be happy.

  Just for today:

  I will fit myself

  to what is,

  not to my own wishes.

  I will take my luck

  as it comes,

  and fit myself to it.

  Just for today:

  I will make

&nbs
p; my mind stronger.

  I will study.

  I will learn something useful.

  Just for today:

  I will make

  my soul better.

  I will do somebody

  a good turn

  and not get found out.

  I will do

  at least two things

  I don’t want to do.

  Just for today:

  I will be and look

  as well as I can.

  I will not try

  to work on

  anybody but myself.

  Just for today:

  I will have a plan.

  I may not follow it

  just right,

  but I will have it.

  Just for today:

  I will have

  a quiet half hour

  all by myself.

  Just for today:

  I will not be afraid.

  Most of all,

  I will not be afraid

  to enjoy what is beautiful.

  As I give

  to the world,

  so the world

  will give to me.

  Just for today:

  those words

  made Biff

  feel so much better.

  Just reading

  those words

  was good for his soul.

  He tucked the card

  in his wallet.

  On the way out,

  he stopped

  the older man.

  “Will you be

  my sponsor?”

  Biff asked him.

  “I will,”

  said the man.

  “My name is Henry.

  Here’s my card.

  Call me anytime,

  night or day.”

  “Hey, thanks, man!”

  said Biff.

  He put the number

  in his wallet

  with the card.

  From the meeting,

  Biff went to a flower shop.

  He felt like

  getting a present

  for Abby.

  He had flowers

  sent to her,

  with no card.

  Abby would know

  the flowers were from him.

  Maybe this “good turn”

  wouldn’t count.

  So he stopped

  at a coffee shop.

  He bought one cup

  and paid for two.

  “Do something for me,”

  Biff said

  to the counter guy.

  “Give a free cup of coffee

  to someone who needs it.

  Okay, buddy?”

  From there,

  Biff headed off

  to the career office.

  Chapter 11

  The woman

  at the career office

  asked Biff

  what he liked to do

  and what he

  was good at.

  “I like machines,”

  said Biff.

  “And I like

  to make things work.

  But in a factory

  you never see

  how things come out.

  You only see parts.”

  “Might you like

  fixing office machines?”

  asked the woman.

  “There is a growing need

  for people in this field.”

  “That’s a great idea,”

  said Biff.

  “Can I get some training?”

  “Yes, you can,”

  said the woman.

  Biff remembered

  some of the things

  on the AA card.

  ... I will live

  through this day only.

  ... I will be happy.

  ... I will learn something useful.

  ... I will have a plan.

  ... I will not be afraid.

  Learning how

  to fix office machines

  fit the bill.

  “So far,

  I’m doing okay,”

  he said,

  very low.

  “What did you say?”

  asked the woman.

  “Oh, nothing,”

  said Biff.

  “I’m just thinking

  out loud.

  How can I sign up

  for the training course?”

  “You can sign up

  right here,”

  the woman said.

  So Biff signed up

  on the spot.

  Then he left

  the career office.

  He wanted

  to go home.

  He wanted

  a half hour

  all by himself.

  Chapter 12

  The training course

  lasted only a few weeks.

  Biff caught on fast.

  He learned

  to spot trouble

  inside an office machine.

  And then he learned

  how to fix it.

  So he soon found

  a job in the field.

  The rest of his training

  would be on the job.

  It was a good day

  when Biff found out

  about the job.

  But not for long.

  Biff was so happy

  that he did

  what he always did

  to mark a happy time.

  He went

  to the pub

  to tip a glass.

  He didn’t even think.

  He just walked in

  and ordered a drink.

  He sat with Jerry

  for hours.

  Before Biff knew it,

  he was

  falling down drunk.

  The bartender

  called a cab

  for Biff.

  He crawled

  into the car,

  feeling like the biggest fool

  in the whole world.

  Abby was not pleased.

  Nor was she surprised.

  She had been waiting

  for this day.

  She helped Biff

  to bed.

  He was asleep

  as soon as his head

  hit the pillow.

  Then morning came.

  “What have I done?”

  Biff cried to Abby.

  “I can’t believe

  I went to the pub.

  I’m so so so sorry.”

  “You’re human,”

  Abby said,

  with love in her voice.

  “You had a slip.

  We all stumble

  sometimes.”

  She gave him

  a long hug.

  Biff pulled

  Henry’s number

  out of his wallet.

  He turned over

  the little card.

  He looked

  at the number again.

  And then he called.

  Henry did his job

  as a sponsor.

  He listened.

  He talked Biff down.

  He told Biff

  to read the card

  and the books

  from AA.

  Then Henry said,

  “See you tomorrow

  at the meeting.”

  And he did.

  Biff was there,

  good as new.

  “My name is Biff,

  and I’m an alcoholic.”

  He went on

  to tell about his slip.

  “I don’t know why

  I messed up,”

  he said.

  The group

  helped him

  think it out.

  The day after that,

  Biff went

  to the meeting

  to pick up

  his 24-hours chip.

  Chapter 13

  Biff picked up
/>   his 24-hours chip.

  And then he got

  his 7-days chip.

  And his 30-days chip.

  He kept on going

  to meetings.

  After some time

  he did not go every day.

  But he did go

  two or three times

  every week.

  He had not seen

  his friend Jerry

  from the pub

  since the night

  of his slip.

  Then one night

  there was Jerry,

  at a meeting.

  It was great

  to see him.

  Biff had missed

  his old friend.

  He just couldn’t go

  to the pub.

  And that was where

  Jerry could always be found.

  Until now.

  After the meeting,

  Biff and Jerry

  went out

  for a cup of coffee.

  They started

  going for coffee

  after all the meetings.

  Some days

  they went out

  for a bite to eat.

  Sometimes, other people

  came along.

  Biff was having

  a good time.

  He didn’t even notice

  the good times came

  without a drink.

  And without

  a bad stomach.

  And without

  a bad hangover.

  And with a good job

  to go to the next day.

  At home,

  making dinner with Abby

  became an every night thing.

  They tried new dishes

  and gained a few pounds.

  For both Biff and Abby,

  it was the best time

  of the day.

  One night

  Abby asked Biff

  a question.

  “Do you think

  you’ll ever drink again?”

  “I don’t want to, Baby,”

  said Biff.

  “But I can’t look

  that far ahead.

  I’ll think about tomorrow

  when it gets here.

  Right now,

  I’m living

  just for today.

  One day at a time.

  In the present.

  Because right now

  is all there is.

  You know what I mean?”

  “I do,”

  said Abby.

  “Just for today.”

  They lifted

  their water glasses.

  “To today,”

  said Biff.

  “To today,”

  said Abby.

  Then they tapped

  their glasses together

  in a toast to today.