What a Delightfully Eccentric Family!

“I’d rather starve to death or jump out of this tree and die than eat a single one of your cookies!” The chubby boy sits in the fork of a tree, hugging the trunk and staring longingly at the girl on the opposite branch. She holds out a cookie tin in an attempt to make peace, but his furious face says it all. In the yard, the adults drink beer and soda, enjoying their barbecue. The old folks sit in the shade playing an unusual board game, searching for order amid the chaos. Inside the house, a young married couple are fighting noisily, while a girl on the sofa pretends to be pitiful and dabs saliva at the corners of her eyes with her finger. Several big-eared fancy rats of different colors ride African grey parrots, chasing a chubby British Shorthair. A goofy-looking American Bully lies beside the crib, gently rocking it with a paw. The baby, sucking on a pacifier, lies at the edge of the bed and keeps smacking his chubby hands, babbling encouragement to his fighting parents! A few young men stand in the corner, bruised and battered, not daring to move. They thought their good days would begin once their big sister got married, but she married the neighbors next door and comes back to her parents’ home every day. It’s only a few dozen feet away! “Thud!” A tall, burly Asian man, bruised and battered, sprawls in front of his brothers. His eyes go wide. “Fuck! Help me!” “Brother-in-law, we’re scared!” The boys shake their heads, their voices trembling with tears…