• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
VI
The morning light faded in through the thin lace curtains in brightbeams of yellow. It fell over every surface, making a glare on thetelevision that was surprisingly being watched by an exhausted James. James was propped against the headboard with Violet curled on his badleg. He promised her that he would be awake to protect her, but evenafter she had reassured him that they would be safe even if he sleptand had finally fallen asleep, he simply could not. She looked sweetwhen she was asleep, but the signs of abuse James was idiotic to missbeforehand reminded him of his mistake. He frowned to himself: theyhad gone through so much together and this was no exception.In some ways, he felt he had failed her as an older brother. Hewasn’t there all the time to help her through everything like he wishedhe could be. Sure he would tell the occasional bully in the schoolyardto knock it off or else, but at the times when she
really 
needed him, hefelt he wasn’t there. She had come to his house to escape San Diego.Whether or not she was escaping the past or she was escaping Jared,he should have made her stay with him when Jared had come to thehouse. But he let her leave with Jared. He had failed her as an older
 
brother. He didn’t protect her when she needed it the most and hemade no effort to. After Emmett, he wanted to be there for Violet atevery moment she needed him.Emmett.
He
was somebody James hadn’t thought about muchrecently. James had failed him as an older brother as well. When Holly hadmentioned her older brother leaving her for college, with anundermined sadness, he had almost wondered aloud, was this whatEmmett thought of me? The two brothers had three years difference between them, butthey were as close as if they were the same person. Jamesremembered always helping Emmett through his hallucinations, alwaysfending off the screaming bulk of muscle that they were forced to call“Dad.”Dad never quite understood the condition his second son had. Helet his anger control him and at times the anger would bring the familyto a pleasant drive with the windows down to the emergency room.During those blindingly hot summer days where the heat seemed togrow from things instead of the sun, sticking on every possible surface, James would play with his toy cars on the battered up wood of thekitchen table. There was the typical navy blue police man car, wearingits words of authority on its side, proudly displaying the lights like acrown atop its head. A black car that could easily be assumed as the“bad guy’s” car was always being followed by the car of justice. Jameswould let the police man follow the criminal for a while until thecriminal outsmarted the man of the law, leading the police man todrive off the cliff of the kitchen table. He made a loud exploding noise,wincing in pain at the small stitched cut on his lip stretching.“You’ll never catch me!” The tall dark man exclaimed at the topof the mountain. “Never!”Mom would pace around the beautiful kitchen, stirring various
 
foods in various skillets, humming quietly to herself. She had perfectlysculpted lips that were seen in her daughter to come and the deepestbrown eyes that reflected the warmth and kindness of her heart. Herrusset skin stretched over high cheekbones and lean legs, the skinpassed down to all three of her children. Her dark hair was alwayspulled back into a neat bun, her dresses always floral, her make-upalways covering something. As she paced back and forth in preparationof dinner every night, she would pause and place a hand on theswollen stomach she carried. The little brother inside, James was told,was eager to see him and that was why he was kicking constantly. James had prayed for a little brother beside his bed every night.He spoke more to the cross on the wall above his bed than to God inhis quiet voice. He wished the man displayed so solemnly on the crosswasn’t dead. He wished he could have helped the tiny figurine of aman that once was, a man that made miracles happen. James wishedthe man would come to his house and make the miracle of calming hisfather’s temper.Some days were quiet, such as these. Others were loud.Loud times always began during dinner. It always started outsilent, the only noise being forks and knives scraping against plates. James could never remember what triggered the cataclysmic scenesevery night but he remembered the outcomes: screaming and tears.He wouldn’t dare move from his post at the dinner table. To cope, hewould clasp his hands around his ears and listen to the fogged outnoises of breaking glass and screaming. The nurses at the hospital would share reproachful glances whenthe Carlquist family would be visiting more often than when theyvisited their own church. Later James could safely blame Emmett’sfuture diagnosis for schizophrenia on his father’s outbursts that he tookout on his poor mother.Emmett was welcomed into the world with an overly excited
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...