Injustice

The doorbell rang again, and Tony frowned. Ryan probably hadn't seen Dylan to find out Tony could not join the afternoon's park visit.

Maria wiped her hands on her apron and opened the door yet again to reveal Ian Sandler, a neighbour from down the block and around the corner. Accompanied by his daughter, Daisy, he waited patiently for Maria to acknowledge them.

Smiling broadly, she immediately reached out a hand to stroke Daisy's hair and pull her to her in a hug. "Ian and Daisy, how wonderful that you visit! Please come in and sit. I have fresh cookies."

Daisy nodded eagerly and Maria stepped back for the two to enter. Daisy, a higher functioning Downs Syndrome child, was a year older than Tony, though she appeared far younger.

Daisy grabbed Maria's hand and excitedly questioned, "Where is Tony? Daisy wants to see him."

Maria did not immediately answer the child. She gestured Ian to the living room and said, "Please, make yourself comfortable. Would you like coffee?"

Ian nodded and made his way to the living room while Maria and Daisy headed to the sunny kitchen.

"Daisy, thank goodness you have come to see me today. I made all these cookies- too many for us to eat by ourselves, solo. Please take this tray with cookies to the living room, and I will come with coffee and some juice for you."

Daisy carefully gripped the cookie tray and Maria watched her with a smile. She was such a sweet child, and over the course of the years, had been inside the house on visits several times. All of them had a special fondness for her.

Maria joined them in the living room with the beverages. Ian sat on the overstuffed couch and Daisy seated herself on the floor in front of the coffee table.

Daisy asked shyly, "Can Daisy eat the cookie now?"

Maria laughed and went over to hand her the juice. "Indeed, yes, please eat many cookies."

Once she sat back down with a cookie in each hand, Ian looked up, "Tony isn't here?"

Maria shook her head and pointed towards the upstairs. "No, Antonio is upstairs in his room right now."

"Ok," Ian explained, "I really wanted to talk to him, though, if you do not mind."

"Then I shall call him down," Maria responded at once, heading towards the stairs.

"Daisy wants to get Tony," Daisy announced, jumping up and racing to the stairs herself. "By myself, Daisy will get him to come here."

Both adults nodded agreeably and were rewarded a couple of minutes later as they heard loud laughter and running on the landing and down the stairs. The children raced into the living room and Tony clapped his hands, "You are phenomenal, Daisy Baby, much, much faster than I!"

Daisy giggled with delight, then held out the cookie tray for Tony to take one. "Daisy didn't make these, Tony, your grandmamma did. But Daisy wants you to eat one."

"Yummy, they are delicious." He popped one into his mouth and looked quizzically at Maria. "Did you send for me to come, Abuela?" A punishment in his room usually meant he stayed in his room the entirety of the penalty time.

"I did, yes, Bambino. Go get yourself something to drink and then sit down."

He did, and came back with a glass of juice. He pounced onto the sofa and Daisy flopped down right beside him. Tony looked over at her and threw his arm around the little girl's shoulder, glancing sideways at her. "Thanks for coming to visit me today, Honey. I was upstairs just thinking I wished you would come to the house."

Daisy smiled broadly and hugged him back. She adored Tony, and he was especially gentle and compassionate towards her.

Maria watched the exchange with pride. Tony's empathy knew no bounds, and he practically oozed charm. He had an innocent way of making others feel special, and especially showed his kindness to those less fortunate. A natural leader, the other kids tended to emulate Tony. So when he included Daisy, so did they, and Daisy had grown up as a beloved member of the neighbourhood.

Daisy's father watched their exchange, as well. He set down his coffee cup on a coaster and addressed the boy seriously. "Tony, Daisy told me what happened to her today, and I came here personally to say thank you, Son. You are really a good boy, and I appreciate you."

Tony ducked his head, "No problem, Mr. Sandler, and you do not have to thank me at all."

Confused, Maria spoke, "Thank Antonio why, Ian? What did he do?"

Daisy responded, frowning. "He protected Daisy from the rude boy. The rude boy was a bad boy to Daisy."

"Yes," Ian affirmed, looking at Maria, "Daisy told me she was really afraid until she saw Tony, then she knew Tony would defend her."

"Explain to me, please," Maria asked, "tell me from the beginning. I know nothing of this rude boy and Daisy."

"Apparently," Ian began, taking another swallow of coffee, "my Daisy was playing hopscotch on the sidewalk a little down from our house."

Daisy interjected shyly, "Daisy gets mixed up when Daisy has to put one foot down."

"I do, too, Daisy Baby," Tony lied smoothly, "so you are not the only one."

Daisy flashed him a beautiful smile.

He continued, "When I get off restriction, I will help you practice jumping on just one foot."

Her eyes grew wide and she clapped her hands, "Tony will help Daisy play the hopscotch like the other kids."

The adults glanced at Daisy and Ian continued. "Daisy likes to play hopscotch." He took another swallow. "Anyway, that boy who just moved in down the block approached my little girl and started harassing her. What's his name, that boy?"

He looked to Tony for an answer.

Tony picked up a cookie, "Gabriel, Mr. Sandler, his name is Gabriel Sweeney."

"Right, so for no reason he started picking on my little girl. She wasn't doing a thing to him, but he decided to go bully her."

Daisy frowned and looked at Maria. "He said get out of his way or he would hit Daisy with his skateboard. Then he said Daisy was stupid and Daisy needed to be at the mental institution."

Maria sucked in a breath, horrified, "This is not true, Daisy, that boy is a mean boy. Don't pay attention to him."

"It gets worse," Ian continued. "Daisy obviously didn't move fast enough for his liking, so he shoved her into the road. She skinned her knee and scraped her arm."

Daisy pointed to her knee for Maria to see. "Daisy cried 'cause he hurt Daisy and made Daisy bleed."

Maria's eyes widened in shock, and Daisy added, "Daisy may not play in the road, but the rude boy pushed Daisy in the road where Daisy's not supposed to go."