chapter twenty:
Things were beginning to look up for Caelum. He quit his job at the bar and moved in with Dorri and Sarah. They gave him the guest room across from their own. He also adjusted his hours at the Shop and the Deli.
He'd come in at 8 for the Shop. Dorri demanded he'd have more time to sleep, and Caelum reluctantly agreed. He'd leave the Shop at twelve, get to the Deli at one, and help close up before eight. Then, he would come to the Café, help clean up for the night for a few hours, eat dinner with Dorri and Sarah, and then sleep.
Sometimes, during his shifts at the Deli, Peter would pop up, sometimes with Ned or even Michelle in tow. At first, Caelum was reluctant. He didn't like to be seen in a subservient-light and Ned was ready with more than a few jokes at his expense, but they weren't that bad, and soon Caelum warmed up to them.
When he finished closing with Delmar, he walked back to the Café ― sometimes with Peter. Since his sleep schedule was more 'under-control', he didn't have to wear the sunglasses anymore. He grinned, looking at Peter as he spun around lamps or played imaginary hopscotch ― which he tried to explain to Caelum that it was more than real.
Caelum laughed at Peter's antics. When they got to Café, Peter would stand near the side, talking endlessly until it was time for him to go home. They talked about plans for the summer, when Peter was out of school. They could go to his house and watch Jaws, hang out, or play Monopoly ― a game Caelum only played once his entire life.
On days where Peter didn't walk him home, he would ― somehow ― end up at Caelum's window late into the night, and they would talk.
Caelum was beginning to fall in love with this life. He was in an environment where he felt safe and cared about. Dorri and Sarah looked out for him, they fed him, paid him $12 an hour for working in the Café. They insisted he'd be properly fed, they enforce getting at least eight hours of sleep ― something he hadn't had since middle school. He didn't know how he could thank the two women enough, and they always, always insisted that he didn't have to.
Mr. Goldman and Delmar were also kind about these changes. They cared about his health and well-being ― in their own ways ― and welcomed these changes so he could have a better lifestyle.
Austin, especially, was proud of him. He had noticed the change in his behaviour and his declining health and helped him in whatever ways could, giving him easier jobs, urging breaks when Caelum refused. He liked Peter's influence on him and how much more energy Caelum had because of it.
He had even had the chance to contact his mother. Since he was living with Dorri and Sarah, he was able to use their address to receive mail. He wrote letters to his mother, explaining where he was and what was going on. He tried not to make her worried, she already had a lot to deal with ― the boys, his father ― he didn't want to put more on her plate.
She responded near immediately, a few days later, he got a letter from her, expressing her happiness to hear from him ― since he only slipped her envelopes full of cash for the past couple months. She told him everything, from his brother's field trip in a few weeks, how they missed him, how she missed him.
The letter he left her didn't explain a lot. It was brief, saying that he would be leaving, he'd send money every month, and that he wouldn't be back for a while. He didn't explain the situation with Principal Davis. He didn't explain that he was dropping out of school. He didn't know if she would miss him, but it was obvious that she did.
He kept sending her mail and she kept responding. He advised her to save as much money as possible, suggesting that she'd take the boys on the Subway to the statehouse instead of using the bus. She agreed and promised to send pictures. She even had the boys write him letters and he said he'd come by during the summer.
Caelum was happy, even if he had a tough time showing it. He was happy and Peter helped him this way. He kept staying with him despite Caelum's claims of him not being his friend or under-appreciation of him. For that, Caelum loved Peter, and he couldn't seem to squash it.
And he wasn't sure he wanted to.
° · ° · ° · °
Caelum was walking to the Deli between shifts. It was mid-April and the sun had just started to peak it's head ― after you got past all the rain and foggy mornings. He walked into the Deli, smiling. "Good afternoon, Delmar," Caelum greeted the man, but he wasn't listening. His eyes stuck to the small television near the side.
Caelum frowned, walking over. "What's going on?" He asked, tilting his head to get a better view at the television. The New York Post was on and running.
"―Shooting on the A-Train twenty minutes ago. There are one casualties and two injured. Witnesses say that the shooter was 'agitated' and 'loud' before opening fire on a woman with her sons. Authorities arrived at the scene, declaring the woman DOA." Caelum frowned at the news, raising an eyebrow.
"What's going on?" He asked, coming behind the counter to drop his stuff off in the back room and office.
"Shooting," Delmar said, and Caelum rose an eyebrow. He went to go wash his hands before ringing up the customer at the counter.
For the rest of the day, the shooting was just all over the local news channels. Even a few big ones like the New York Bulletin had covered it. Caelum was surprised, but they hadn't released any other information on the woman yet. They just said the the shooter was in custody and the police were looking into it.
Caelum stayed a little later than usual to make sure the majority of the things were cleaned and prepared at the Deli that afternoon. Then, he said goodbye to Delmar and head out.
It was well after eight PM, so it was still dark outside, but the technology was loudly expressed across the city. Cars honked as if their drivers were having strokes at the wheel, people still roamed the mildly chilly streets. Caelum pulled his jacket closer as he walked, hurrying to get to the Café. Dorri and Sarah were probably worried, he was about twenty minutes later than he usually came back.
As he walked down the block towards the Café, he saw the bright lights of a strangely silent police car. The lights weren't spinning like they used to, they only sat, fixed in time, as if to enter the block the Café was on was to enter another reality. The thought was strange and Caelum couldn't help but feel a sense of dread fall on him. Something bad was happening, he realized, and he didn't need the back of his neck to tell him that it wasn't anything good.
Caelum raced for the Café, pushing past uniformed men and women and dashing through the open doors of the building. Sitting at the tables, were Dorri and Sarah, along with a few police officers, and. . . his brothers.
Caelum hadn't seen them in so long they were more of a shock to him than anything else. Their clothes were stained in splotches of blood, their eyes red rimmed and puffed. Pollux was holding Castor's hand, his head buried in his arm. Castor had tears silently running down his face, but his mouth was pressed tight. His face twitched, like he was holding in his own tears.
Caelum stepped forward and hugged the two boys that looked so overwhelmed. He suddenly felt angry, what had happened? Where was his mother? Has she left the boys here ― he told her he was working here. Did she think it fit to dump the boys on Dorri and Sarah's doorstep and run off?
"What's going on?" Caelum's voice was even as he rubbed the boys' arms. The question was hanging in the air like an old picture frame, and nobody acknowledged it. "Where is my mother? Why are the boys here?" Suddenly, he heard Castor beginning to sob, his entire body shaking as if he was left in the snow. This caused a reaction from Pollux as well, and suddenly, their tears were synchronized.
"Son," a taller man spoke, stepping over and setting a hand down on his shoulder. "You might want to sit down."
° · ° · ° · °
His mother was dead.
The shooting had been about her and the boys. Someone shot her while they were on the train to get to the statehouse.
His mother was dead.
She protected the boys with her own body. The man was trying to shoot them too.
His mother was dead.
She wasn't coming back. Two bullets to the chest and four to the back defined that. She wasn't coming back.
His mother was dead.
She was left gasping and hugging his brothers to her chest, her last hope to protect them above all else. She whispered love to their shell-shocked ears, telling them she loved them, that she cherished them over all else.
His mother was dead.
Caelum felt the world crashing over his shoulders. He felt life itself being torn apart in front of him. He felt the entire sky falling and the world quaking. He felt the trees themselves becoming undone by this horror, this monstrosity, this. . . this sin! He felt it all burn. He wanted it all to burn.
How could this happen!? His mother, a woman who had never hurt a single thing in her life, was dead. She was gone, her life snuffed out, her eyes no longer seeing. She was dead. She was dead. His mother. . . she was dead.
Caelum felt arms besiege him. He felt heartfelt words being thrown at him. He didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to say.
So he turned to the sheriff and spoke what came first. "My father is in jail. Will my brothers be put into the foster care system?"
Everyone blinked, almost. . . surprised by this sudden coldness. Nobody, save his brothers, had ever seen him this closed off. They didn't know that this was normal for Caelum.
In his mind, he created a checklist. They could use the rest of his mother's earnings and the money he would have used for rent to cover funeral costs. Then, he'd sell the furniture in the apartment ― there was no way they were keeping it now. His brothers would be put into the system, it was much better for them this way anyway. Regular meals, being able to go to school, and Caelum could actually visit them too.
With the extra expenses, Caelum didn't know what he would do with all the money he was making. He still needed most, he had to pay for the funeral, obviously.
He could keep the furniture until after the recession. They couldn't bring food, they didn't have space, unless Dorri and Sarah took it. They could hold it here if they didn't mind.
He'd have to talk to the landlord of the apartment, making sure they could leave early. If not, he would spend the next couple weeks packing the apartment and getting their stuff away. Maybe in a storage unit. That way, he wouldn't have to sell everything.
"Caelum?" Sarah placed a hand on his upper arm. He looked at her, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am fine," he said, and looked at his brothers. "You two should go change. Do you have anything for them, Dorri? I may have a few extra shirts in my suitcase."
"Yes, of course, hun," Dorri said, moving to stand. "I'll be right back." She led the sniffling boys upstairs.
Caelum looked at the sheriff. "Where will my brothers be staying? Is it possible that they can live nearby, so I can still visit them?"
"Young man, according to these women, you are a minor too," the older man frowned. Caelum didn't like how he said 'young man' it sounded patronizing. Annoying. He didn't like this man. "According to these women, you've been living with them―"
"Because I work here," Caelum frowned. "These women are my employers."
"You are still a minor," the sheriff stressed. "You'll be placed in the foster care system as well." Caelum's lips were pressed tight. This wouldn't help him. He could go to the courthouse, ask for independency, and possess the judge into ruling it possible.
But if he was in the foster care system, they'd force him to go back to school. He wouldn't be able to hide so easily from Principal Davis. He might get into contact with the Principal of the school and give him another 'scholarship'.
If he went into the foster care system and ran away, he'd be considered missing, which would do more harm than good, and he couldn't specify the loyalties of his employers. Would they turn him in, or would they let him work?
And, who would pay for the expenses for his brothers? If he didn't have a job, his brothers would be sent to public school and they would be vulnerable. He couldn't protect them and keep himself from getting caught by Principal Davis at the same time.
He frowned, he needed a plan. He needed to be able to get his ducks in row, and find out how he was going to help his brothers.
His mom was dead.
His father was in jail.
And the ghost at the table was quickly fading away.
Caelum's family was crumbling into pieces.