Little Men
Seeds of Doubt
Chapter 4
* * *
"I'm sure Edward will be happy to defend Nat, Jo." Meg urged.
"If Nat won't talk, then there'll be nothing to defend." Jo replied. The angry, boyish girl from her youth, suddenly reemerged. "Besides he already did so much for Nick and Ben, last Christmas. How could I ask him to help out again?"
Jo felt as the odds were against Nat. He was the only one who lived with Michael and she and Nick had found him sitting next to the body. Of course she believed he wasn't guilty, but she found herself wondering if a jury would. Especially a jury made up of adults, too quick to judge a boy who had lived on the streets and had been in jail before.
If they would just see past that and into the heart of a sweet, caring, young man, who Jo knew would someday make her proud.
However a jury had been quick to try and hang Ben. She'd been quick to believe that Nick had been involved. Jo still regretted it. But, things were different now. Nat was innocent and she was going to prove it.
Mrs. Jo smiled to herself remembering how adamant Dan had been in proving that Nick was innocent.
"Still, Jo. The trial is in two days. Edward is Nat's best chance." Amy put in.
The three sat in Jo's parlor. Discussing the way they had often did as children. Time and life had changed the circumstances at bit though.
Amy patted Jo's hand. "It'll all work out Jo, You'll see. Just as it did for Nick and his brother."
"I hope so,"
* * *
"Uncle, please…" Nat begged. The boy clung to his violin.
"Give it to me!" the older man stood in a drunken rage. The boy was just like his father. Always playing…. Michael remembered his childhood. How he had stood in the shadows as his brother did everything. Everything he couldn't do. Michael wasn't a smart man, he couldn't make music, he couldn't write stories. Matthew could. His music and stories comforted their mother as she lay dying. His intelligence made their father proud. He would stop it all now. He would stop Nat's music and stories. Schooling would stop as well. Michael grabbed the violin and broke it in two and watched as the wooden pieces fell slowly to the ground…
Just as Mr. Arlotta did nearly two years before. He'd been helpless then and he was helpless now.
"But he didn't have to.." Mrs. Jo had said. She had been right. His didn't have to let his uncle hit him. But , how could he get him to stop?
* * *
"Nat." Dan whispered approaching the cell. Nat lay in his corner of the cell, arms covered around his knees; unresponsive. "I can't let you go to jail. I'll tell them what really happened."
"No!" the words uttered quickly and so suddenly that Dan wondered if they had been spoken at all. "The same reason you can't let me go to jail is the reason I can't let you."
"Nat-"
"No, listen to me Dan. You're always trying to protect me, but this time you can't. My Uncle is dead and no matter how you look at it, it's my fault."
"I was the one-"
"You were just looking out for me."
"It was an accident. If I go and tell Mrs. Jo, she'll find a way to get you off."
"We can't tell Mrs. Jo, Dan. Or Nick, or Asia or Franz. No one can find out what really happened."
* * *
"He is a very bright boy, Mr. Blake. Taking him out of school will not be good for Nat." Mrs. Bhaer argued. .
"I need help around the farm and having him in school, just takes too much of Nat's time."
"What you need, Mr. Blake is have your nephew receive an education."
"I'm sorry Mrs. Bhaer. But, I'm taking Nat out of this school."
"We'll see about that." she spoke harshly.
"Jo," Nick warned.
"Do you want to lose this school again, Mrs. Bhaer?" The man stated cruelly.
Jo placed her hands on her hips. Mr. Blake was so infuriating. "Do not threaten me."
"I'm just stating a question, that's all." he turned to the door. "Come on Nat."
The boy looked up questionably to Mrs. Jo and Nick. Nat hated his uncle at that moment. It seemed so unfair. Why couldn't things go back to the way it was? He wanted to stay with Mrs. Jo, but who would listen? Only fifteen, the law didn't apply to him. It allowed him to live with a man who hit and abused. A shiver of fear fell over him, threatening to never let go.
"Go on Nat." Mrs. Jo sighed. She looked and felt defeated. Nat turned back once more sending her a look that stayed with Jo. Something was wrong .
* * *
Seeds of Doubt
Chapter 4
* * *
"I'm sure Edward will be happy to defend Nat, Jo." Meg urged.
"If Nat won't talk, then there'll be nothing to defend." Jo replied. The angry, boyish girl from her youth, suddenly reemerged. "Besides he already did so much for Nick and Ben, last Christmas. How could I ask him to help out again?"
Jo felt as the odds were against Nat. He was the only one who lived with Michael and she and Nick had found him sitting next to the body. Of course she believed he wasn't guilty, but she found herself wondering if a jury would. Especially a jury made up of adults, too quick to judge a boy who had lived on the streets and had been in jail before.
If they would just see past that and into the heart of a sweet, caring, young man, who Jo knew would someday make her proud.
However a jury had been quick to try and hang Ben. She'd been quick to believe that Nick had been involved. Jo still regretted it. But, things were different now. Nat was innocent and she was going to prove it.
Mrs. Jo smiled to herself remembering how adamant Dan had been in proving that Nick was innocent.
"Still, Jo. The trial is in two days. Edward is Nat's best chance." Amy put in.
The three sat in Jo's parlor. Discussing the way they had often did as children. Time and life had changed the circumstances at bit though.
Amy patted Jo's hand. "It'll all work out Jo, You'll see. Just as it did for Nick and his brother."
"I hope so,"
* * *
"Uncle, please…" Nat begged. The boy clung to his violin.
"Give it to me!" the older man stood in a drunken rage. The boy was just like his father. Always playing…. Michael remembered his childhood. How he had stood in the shadows as his brother did everything. Everything he couldn't do. Michael wasn't a smart man, he couldn't make music, he couldn't write stories. Matthew could. His music and stories comforted their mother as she lay dying. His intelligence made their father proud. He would stop it all now. He would stop Nat's music and stories. Schooling would stop as well. Michael grabbed the violin and broke it in two and watched as the wooden pieces fell slowly to the ground…
Just as Mr. Arlotta did nearly two years before. He'd been helpless then and he was helpless now.
"But he didn't have to.." Mrs. Jo had said. She had been right. His didn't have to let his uncle hit him. But , how could he get him to stop?
* * *
"Nat." Dan whispered approaching the cell. Nat lay in his corner of the cell, arms covered around his knees; unresponsive. "I can't let you go to jail. I'll tell them what really happened."
"No!" the words uttered quickly and so suddenly that Dan wondered if they had been spoken at all. "The same reason you can't let me go to jail is the reason I can't let you."
"Nat-"
"No, listen to me Dan. You're always trying to protect me, but this time you can't. My Uncle is dead and no matter how you look at it, it's my fault."
"I was the one-"
"You were just looking out for me."
"It was an accident. If I go and tell Mrs. Jo, she'll find a way to get you off."
"We can't tell Mrs. Jo, Dan. Or Nick, or Asia or Franz. No one can find out what really happened."
* * *
"He is a very bright boy, Mr. Blake. Taking him out of school will not be good for Nat." Mrs. Bhaer argued. .
"I need help around the farm and having him in school, just takes too much of Nat's time."
"What you need, Mr. Blake is have your nephew receive an education."
"I'm sorry Mrs. Bhaer. But, I'm taking Nat out of this school."
"We'll see about that." she spoke harshly.
"Jo," Nick warned.
"Do you want to lose this school again, Mrs. Bhaer?" The man stated cruelly.
Jo placed her hands on her hips. Mr. Blake was so infuriating. "Do not threaten me."
"I'm just stating a question, that's all." he turned to the door. "Come on Nat."
The boy looked up questionably to Mrs. Jo and Nick. Nat hated his uncle at that moment. It seemed so unfair. Why couldn't things go back to the way it was? He wanted to stay with Mrs. Jo, but who would listen? Only fifteen, the law didn't apply to him. It allowed him to live with a man who hit and abused. A shiver of fear fell over him, threatening to never let go.
"Go on Nat." Mrs. Jo sighed. She looked and felt defeated. Nat turned back once more sending her a look that stayed with Jo. Something was wrong .
* * *