Mr. Critchet

"Just remember it's not your fault," Pa said, "Mr. Critchet has a lot of men fighting inside of him."
"Fighting?" I asked.
"Yes, it's as if there are twelve boxing rings, inside his head and all of the boxers are boxing at once," he said, making a sharp left at the farm.
"That's twenty four boxing men," I said.
"Good math, son," Pa said, half smiling.
"His head must hurt with all of those men fighting in it. Is that why he drinks so much?" I asked.
"It's why all men drink too much," Pa said, staring straight ahead.
"Is that why Whilhelmina and Miley left?" I asked.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Pa said. "A tempestuous drunk is a scary beast."
"What is tempestuous?" I asked.
"Look it up" Pa said, grinning.
tem·pes·tu·ous
adjective
1.
characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.
"he had a reckless and tempestuous streak"
synonyms: turbulent, stormy, tumultuous, wild, lively, heated, explosive, feverish, frenetic, frenzied
"the tempestuous political environment"
emotional, passionate, impassioned, fiery, intense;
temperamental, volatile, excitable, mercurial, capricious, unpredictable, quick-tempered
"a tempestuous woman"
"Wow, that describes Mr. Crichet to a T," I said.