CHAPTER 18:
At ten am the next morning, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.
I sat up in bed calling out a 'come in.'
Half awake, I saw my Daddy standing in front of me, smiling and looking
excited.
"Daddy!" I shouted happily, waking up Ricky, who was sleeping nearby on a
cot.
"Kay, my little girl..." Daddy said, coming by me. He gave me a hug and a kiss
on the cheek.
"I have missed you so much!" He continued. "You're not so little anymore are
you?! Tell me, how have you been? Why didn't you keep in touch?"
His tone was not angry the way Uncle Hank's had been last night. But I could
tell he was just a little bit hurt that I had not communicated AT ALL with him these
past four years.
I made up a lie that I was too busy to call. I did not want to lie to him, but I had
to.
Daddy took his grandson downstairs with him, giving me time to change.
When I went downstairs, breakfast was being served. It reminded me of how
Mother used to make food for us early in the morning. I pushed that thought aside.
Mother no longer did that, or would do that for any of her children. It was Ivy who took
her place.
"Are you hungry?" Daddy and Ivy asked me simultaneously.
"Yes," I said, sitting down next to Uncle Hank.
"Good morning," I told him.
"Morning, Kay," he answered, putting the newspaper he was reading aside.
Lowering his voice so only I could hear, Uncle Hank said, "I want you to tell me
the truth today."
I bit my lip. I wanted to tell EVERYONE the truth so then Charity could get
what she deserved. But I knew I couldn't. But maybe it would be ok for me to tell
JUST Uncle Hank. I nodded to him as he waited for a response from me.
After breakfast, Uncle Hank took me over to the Book Cafe where we could
speak privately. Jessica had volunteered to watch Ricky for a few hours so I had some
time to do what I needed to do.
As we ordered a couple of drinks, Uncle Hank kept looking at my expressions.
"What happened to you these past four years?" he asked me. "It's not like you
to not keep in touch with us."
"I know," I answered, as I sipped my drink.
I began to tell him the whole story. Beginning with Charity's threats. And what
she made me do. Then meeting Tony, who was like a godsend. Then Ricky growing up.
Then Miguel's coming to UConn, but me having to refuse to see him. Then graduation
and now, my return.
Uncle Hank sat there quietly as he absorbed everything I had just said.
"Charity did that to you?!" He exclaimed. He looked mad.
"Yes, Uncle Hank, but please don't get mad," I tried to calm him down.
"Don't get mad? Don't get MAD? Why shouldn't I?!" He paused for a second.
"Why aren't YOU mad, Kay?"
"I learned to deal with this a long time ago," I replied bitterly.
"Why didn't you tell me or your father when this was first happening?" he
asked me.
"Because I knew she was serious when she threatened to kill Ricky," I
answered.
Uncle Hank sighed. "You poor thing," he said, stroking my arm.
I blinked back my tears.
"There was nothing I could do," I told him. "I had to follow her orders. You
understand, right?"
"Of course," he replied, nodding. "I'm sorry I was so harsh yesterday."
"It's ok," I answered. "You didn't know."
I finished my drink.
"I have to go over to Pilar's house," I told him. "I'll see you later?"
He nodded as he gave me a hug bye.
I left the Book Cafe feeling like a big weight had been carried off of my
shoulders. I had finally told someone the truth. This truth had been eating away at me
for four years now and it felt great to finally expose it to somebody.
* * * * *
I headed over to Pilar's. The Lopez-Fitzgerald house had not changed one bit. I
wondered if its inhabitants had....
At ten am the next morning, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.
I sat up in bed calling out a 'come in.'
Half awake, I saw my Daddy standing in front of me, smiling and looking
excited.
"Daddy!" I shouted happily, waking up Ricky, who was sleeping nearby on a
cot.
"Kay, my little girl..." Daddy said, coming by me. He gave me a hug and a kiss
on the cheek.
"I have missed you so much!" He continued. "You're not so little anymore are
you?! Tell me, how have you been? Why didn't you keep in touch?"
His tone was not angry the way Uncle Hank's had been last night. But I could
tell he was just a little bit hurt that I had not communicated AT ALL with him these
past four years.
I made up a lie that I was too busy to call. I did not want to lie to him, but I had
to.
Daddy took his grandson downstairs with him, giving me time to change.
When I went downstairs, breakfast was being served. It reminded me of how
Mother used to make food for us early in the morning. I pushed that thought aside.
Mother no longer did that, or would do that for any of her children. It was Ivy who took
her place.
"Are you hungry?" Daddy and Ivy asked me simultaneously.
"Yes," I said, sitting down next to Uncle Hank.
"Good morning," I told him.
"Morning, Kay," he answered, putting the newspaper he was reading aside.
Lowering his voice so only I could hear, Uncle Hank said, "I want you to tell me
the truth today."
I bit my lip. I wanted to tell EVERYONE the truth so then Charity could get
what she deserved. But I knew I couldn't. But maybe it would be ok for me to tell
JUST Uncle Hank. I nodded to him as he waited for a response from me.
After breakfast, Uncle Hank took me over to the Book Cafe where we could
speak privately. Jessica had volunteered to watch Ricky for a few hours so I had some
time to do what I needed to do.
As we ordered a couple of drinks, Uncle Hank kept looking at my expressions.
"What happened to you these past four years?" he asked me. "It's not like you
to not keep in touch with us."
"I know," I answered, as I sipped my drink.
I began to tell him the whole story. Beginning with Charity's threats. And what
she made me do. Then meeting Tony, who was like a godsend. Then Ricky growing up.
Then Miguel's coming to UConn, but me having to refuse to see him. Then graduation
and now, my return.
Uncle Hank sat there quietly as he absorbed everything I had just said.
"Charity did that to you?!" He exclaimed. He looked mad.
"Yes, Uncle Hank, but please don't get mad," I tried to calm him down.
"Don't get mad? Don't get MAD? Why shouldn't I?!" He paused for a second.
"Why aren't YOU mad, Kay?"
"I learned to deal with this a long time ago," I replied bitterly.
"Why didn't you tell me or your father when this was first happening?" he
asked me.
"Because I knew she was serious when she threatened to kill Ricky," I
answered.
Uncle Hank sighed. "You poor thing," he said, stroking my arm.
I blinked back my tears.
"There was nothing I could do," I told him. "I had to follow her orders. You
understand, right?"
"Of course," he replied, nodding. "I'm sorry I was so harsh yesterday."
"It's ok," I answered. "You didn't know."
I finished my drink.
"I have to go over to Pilar's house," I told him. "I'll see you later?"
He nodded as he gave me a hug bye.
I left the Book Cafe feeling like a big weight had been carried off of my
shoulders. I had finally told someone the truth. This truth had been eating away at me
for four years now and it felt great to finally expose it to somebody.
* * * * *
I headed over to Pilar's. The Lopez-Fitzgerald house had not changed one bit. I
wondered if its inhabitants had....