I could see the blood surge into his face. He grabbed me by the arm.
"You apologize for that comment!"
"Or what?" I asked.
Dad shoved me up against the wall. "Or by God I'll show you who's boss
around here."
His face was inches from mine. "What are you going to do to punish
me?" I asked. "Stop taking me to bars?"
Dad drew back his hand as if to smack me. "You watch your mouth,
young lady. I can still whip your butt, and don't think I won't."
"You can't be serious," I said.
Dad dropped his hand. He pulled his belt out of the loops on his work
pants and wrapped it a couple of times around his knuckles.
"Apologize to me and to your mother," he said.
"No."
Dad raised the belt. "Apologize."
"No."
"Then bend over."
Dad was standing between me and the door. There was no way out except
through him. But it never occurred to me to either run or fight. The way I
saw it, he was in a tighter spot than I was. He had to back down, because
i f he sided with Mom and gave me a whipping, he would lose me
forever.