This
one is more of a short story.
Read and comment if you will. :-)
Cheers.
I'm here
Evelyn sat at the edge of his bed and took the boy's hand in both of hers. She rubbed them soothingly, slowly urging him to look at her. Only a few nights before, his screams had awoken her and half the household. She had found him hiding under his bed, sweating profusely and trembling violently from head to toe. The nightmares wracked the boy down to the core; and left him feeling angry and withdrawn with each passing day.
"I won't let anything happen to you, child. You are safe here with me." The scared look in his eyes began to slowly dissolve as she held firmly onto his hand.
"Look at me," she urged, eyes fixed on the young face. "I know what happened with your last foster father. What he did to you was despicable, and some day he'll have to answer to God for what he did. But those days are behind you now. I am here for you; and you've got three older brothers here who will look after you; who love you as I do."
"You are capable of growing into a fine, upstanding young man; and I'll keep repeating that to you every single day if that is what it takes. You hear me?" He nodded briefly and buried his chin back in his chest.
"Wanna give your Ma a hug?" She held her arms open and waited. He inched closer to her on the bed and slowly leaned forward into her arms. He wrapped thin arms tightly around her and tucked his head into her neck. She smelled of flowers and a faint whiff of lemon laundry detergent lingered on her house coat. Her arms were warm and welcoming. It was the first time someone had held him so close, so lovingly. The only kind of touch he was accustomed to thus far, was from the lash of a leather belt on his bare back, or from the drunken hands that violated his body in the veil of night.
Hot tears from the boy's red eyes disappeared into Evelyn's robe as she clung to him. She rocked him gently and whispered, "My little Jackie, don't cry. I'm here for ya. I'm here."
Jack watched solemnly as his mother's casket was lowered into the cold, snow-covered earth. He would never forget that day when she'd held him in her arms like nobody before her. If only she knew what that moment had meant to the scared, angry little boy he was at the time. The memories of her spilled out with the fresh rivers of tears that now wet his face. Jeremiah stood to his left, Bobby to his right; yet at that moment, he'd never felt more lost and alone.
"I'm here for ya, Jackie..." her voice echoed in his head, "I'm here."
(470 words)
