At his dark bedroom, Seeley jumped carefully of the bunk that he shared with his baby brother Jared who was sleeping like a log, and thank God, he thought. He heard screams from the outside of the room and he opened the door. He peered by a crack of the door and stood in silence watching that.
His mother was being dragged by hair over the living room's carpet, bleeding from the mouth and nose. His legs began to shake as he saw his mother being pushed against sideboard. He was breathing between silent sobs and he started crying. His tiny heart was crushed as he saw his mother lying on the floor and seeing his father stumbling, approaching to his room.
His right leg hurt and he remembered the bruise he has there. His back was hurting because he had hit against the dinner table trying to save his mother, last night. His father walks to their room and he jumped to his bed, covering himself with the bed sheet to the eyes and closing them. He opened the door and left seeing both were sleeping. The boy stood awake all night, clinging to the bed sheets, afraid.
-Dad won't be at the barber shop today, so don't bother him. I will be at the church helping Father John all day. Anything, come to me.
-Ok. – Jared said, through sleepy and rubbing eyes in bed while his brother was getting dressed.
-Father, good Lord and my God, I'll try to tell the true, do the right things, help the others and do my duties. I'll keep myself physically and psychologically away of the sin and temptations, I'll try hard, I swear! I know I'm no one before Thee than Your humble servant but I need to ask You something, something really important. Keep my father away from the alcohol and from my little brother Jared and my mother; he's only six-years.
It was like this that the little nine-years-old Seeley was praying on the church, every time he was called to acolyte. It was more than enough what his father was doing to him and his mother how much more doing it to his little brother.
-Come son, we need to be ready to the Lord's Supper.
The boy walked in big steps to the sacristy to wear the vesture.
-Something's wrong, son? You've been too quiet lately.
-Everything's fine, Father.
-Better that way. Well, go opening the Bible that the people are arriving.
- On behalf of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, Amen…
Seeley was oblivious of the real world, he wasn't even praying, lost on the last night's sad events. But, something awoke him up in panic and fear.
-Seeley, Seeley…
Jared entered running on the church, crying and sat on a bank with everyone staring at him. Seeley jumped off the altar and ran to him, pulled him close to him and hugged him.
-What happened?
Jared was sweating profusely, crying without stopping, breathless and sobbing.
-Shh, you can stop crying, big brother is here, shh… - He said rocking him lightly on his arms as the boy rested his head on his chest. – Calm down now. I'll give me vesture to someone, ok? – He said rising up.
-No! – He said twisting his arms around his big brother.
-I'll just give my vesture, ok? Come with me.
Jared clung to Seeley's leg while he was taking the vesture and giving it to someone that he was not even paying attention.
He ducked and picked his infant brother in arms. On the outside of the church, he putted his brother on the ground and he immediately grabbed his hand. Now more calmed down, Seeley decided to ask again Jared what happened.
-Can you tell me now what happened?
-It was dad.
Seeley stopped and made Jared stop too. He dropped his hand and cuddled up next to him.
-What did he done?
Jared pouted and cried again.
-It's ok Jared, its ok. Dad won't do anything else to you, but you need to tell me what he done to you.
Jared was still crying and he was nodding every time Seeley insisted.
-Do you trust on big brother, don't you?
Jared nodded, and told what happened:
-He hit me…
-How?
-With the buckle of the belt.
-Where? –Seeley said barely whispering.
Jared, once more shed tears.
-Where? Let me see it.
The little boy lifted his colorful stripped shirt. Seeley could see the hematomas on his chest and back.
-Dad won't hurt me anymore?
-No, never ever.
-You promise?
-I promise.
-How?
-I don't know, but he won't hurt.
-We could go live with gramps.
-He lives in D.C. We are at Pennsylvania, it's too far.
-You'll find a way so we can go live with gramps, you always find a way. But, I don't want to leave mom.
-But we will find a way so we can be happy, just the three of us.
Jared's ease was that he was just six and he forgot everything quickly. He started playing Seeley sneaker's laces loosened, by stepping over them.
-Where are we going Seeley?
-Home.
-No, no, you promised me-
-I know I know…I know Jared, but we need to go home.
Jared stopped in the middle of the street, screaming:
-I can't trust you-
-Jared, listens to me, we're going home, we pick some clothes and some money and we'll go to gramps' house, ok? Nothing's going happen, I promise.
-And dad?
-He's probably drunk lying on the couch. If we get in quietly, nothing will happen. – He said as they restarted walking.
-Seeley?
-Yes?
-Dad has done it before to you and mom hasn't he?
Seeley was hushed remembering the last night events flashing on his head until he gained some courage and answered:
-Yes, he done it before. Now remember, be quiet as possible.
As he said, his father was lying on the couch, watching TV with a whisky bottle near to him. They walked tiptoe to the bedroom where both started storing some clothes on the schoolbag.
-Keep packing, I'll be right back. – Seeley whispered.
-Seeley, you gonna leave me?
-No, keep storing. If dad appears you hide under the bed.
Seeley crossed the corridor and entered on his parents' bedroom. He saw his mother lying on the bed, trying to sleep. As soon as she felt the door opening slowly, she realized it wouldn't be her husband, so she stood quiet. The boy went to bed and took his mother hair from her face. He kissed her cheek and told her:
-I'm taking Jared to gramps' house. You don't need to worry about us anymore, you can run away too.
She got up from bed and opened one of the chest of drawers' drawers. She took a small wad of notes, all the money she had in her possession and gave it to them in hand to Seeley, closing his hand against the child's resistance to accept the money.
-Take good care of him, and of you too. – She said kissing his cheek.
-Mom, you gonna run away, won't you?
-I will sweetie – She said stroking his face. – I will. – She kissed him on the forehead. – Go help Jared now and be careful.
-Promise me.
-I promise sweetheart, I promise with all my strengths, now go.
Seeley walked again to his bedroom where Jared was trying to break Seeley's piggy bank.
-No, it will make noise. We'll break it outside.
He grabbed both schoolbags and leaded his brother to their mother.
-Go say goodbye to mom.
After a few minutes, both were leaving the house, running to the bus station.
New chapters will come soon and with better changes on the story.