The Hondo(page-1)

       On a glorious day on June 5 in the year of 1958, the horn of the Hardesty’s abode blared as the family welcomed their new arrival, Joseph Kevin Hardesty. He weighed in as the first boy in the height and shroud of the Hardesty bough and was exalted high above the family tree. The Hardesty tree would grow to seven children, three stubborn boys, and four precocious girls, a well-bred stock of trouble and woe. Time would sprawl past those childhood days, teenage decades, and worn-out years of disappointments. But, first, let's revisit a few of those lasting and unforgettable memories. 

       Kevin was a quiet and reposed kid at St. Thomas school, he was seldom out of character, cautiously optimistic, yet, acutely enthusiastic about learning the secrets of life, and begrudgingly euphemistic in his thoughts always. The sisters of St. Thomas wore their habits in modesty, yet, were  sinister in doling out punishment in wanton pleasure, you could never go to relieve yourself to any restroom before lunch or after lunch, kids would be loading up in their routed buses home in pre-soaked urine stains in their gray pants school uniforms and eventually and ultimately the mothers of St. Thomas finally had enough of this and put an end to this draconian nonsense after the PTA took an affirmative stand, these were children of 5 and 6 years old not adults, this tragically went on for years and the nuns refused, saying, “ this is the way to God!” 

       Kevin managed to keep good grades, kept to himself, and hid away the biggest secret of all, and that was his dad was an existing alcoholic. His dad was brilliant, he knew and forgot more knowledge than most could acquire in twenty lifetimes. But, his dad was an epileptic and a deeply disturbed and troubled soul, he drank alcohol to escape these demons and the throes of these uncontrollable seizures, and who could blame him, when waking up from these convulsions and not knowing who you are and much less the names of your seven children, this had an amazing impact and traumatic effect on Kevin and the rest of the family. 

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