Jasper woke to the sound of someone crying. He looked at the floor below
him; Rowan was fast asleep, beyond dreams, passed out almost. He hadn't
eaten dinner, just came upstairs and collapsed. Billy was working everyone
hard but Rowan seemed to be pushing himself further than Billy would dare
to go. He was memorizing the tumbling act also- Billy had said if they
needed an extra. Rowan had told Jasper later that he took the job because
soon an apartment would be needed and Gabe and him would be on their own.
As much on their own with everyone checking up on them, making sure they
were ok. Rowan would be getting money, four hundred dollars Dwayne had
said, to take care of Gabe, like he got money now to take care of himself,
but maybe he didn't think of that.
Jasper swung his legs out the other side and stood. The sobs had quieted but they were still audible. "Gabe?" Jasper sat on the edge of Gabe's bed and gently touched the quivering covered from. Gabe struggled to sit up, legs caught in the blankets. He clasped Captain Spoon Bear Man to his chest and rocked.
"Had a nightmare."
"Are you ok?"
"Huh."
"Gabe? You can say no. Or you can yes. It's up to you really."
"I- my nightmare was really scary." Gabe began to cry again, Jasper cradling him in his arms. "I dun, I dun, and I dun LIKE NIGHTMARES!" Gabe wailed and buried his eyes back into Jasper's shirt, making wet spots in the cloth.
"It's ok.. Shhhh. It was only a nightmare.. Shhhh.."
"Not a nightmare!"
"It wasn't?"
"Uh-uh! I dreamed that the Troll came in while I was taking a bath.. And. and. watched me.." Gabe's short burst of sentences were punctuated with sobs. "And his hand.was down his PANTS!!!!!! And he, he, showed ME!!!"
"Shhhh. It's ok. he's not here now.. He won't do that ever again to you. you're ok?"
"Huh."
"Gabe, are you ok?"
"Yu-huh. I just. I keep thinking about him and.."
"You can't get him out of your head?" Rowan sounded haggard but he still got up and came to sit next to Gabe, one hand rubbing his back.
"Uh huh. I don't want to think about it anymore."
"You got to think about, until it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Do you do that?"
"No. I'm too scared to think about my memories."
"You're scared?" Jasper thanked God that Gabe was still young enough to get away with asking- had he questioned he would have been punched and Rowan would have walked away. Rowan scared? Boy Without Fear? This was news.
"Yeah. But Gabe, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Ok? I'll learn not to be scared and you have to learn to be ok with remembering the Troll and Mom. K?"
"Uh huh. I think I wants to go to sleep."
"K. Night Gabe." Rowan gently pressed his lips against Gabe's hair and stumbled back to sleep. Jasper lay Gabe down for a minute and watched him fall asleep. Ruffled his hair and started to get up. "Jasper?"
"Yea?"
"Is Rowan really scared of his memories?"
"I think so." Gabe looked confused.
"But he's supposed to not be afraid of anything."
"Everyone's afraid of something Gabe."
"Oh."
"Night."
"Night Night."
Jasper swung his legs out the other side and stood. The sobs had quieted but they were still audible. "Gabe?" Jasper sat on the edge of Gabe's bed and gently touched the quivering covered from. Gabe struggled to sit up, legs caught in the blankets. He clasped Captain Spoon Bear Man to his chest and rocked.
"Had a nightmare."
"Are you ok?"
"Huh."
"Gabe? You can say no. Or you can yes. It's up to you really."
"I- my nightmare was really scary." Gabe began to cry again, Jasper cradling him in his arms. "I dun, I dun, and I dun LIKE NIGHTMARES!" Gabe wailed and buried his eyes back into Jasper's shirt, making wet spots in the cloth.
"It's ok.. Shhhh. It was only a nightmare.. Shhhh.."
"Not a nightmare!"
"It wasn't?"
"Uh-uh! I dreamed that the Troll came in while I was taking a bath.. And. and. watched me.." Gabe's short burst of sentences were punctuated with sobs. "And his hand.was down his PANTS!!!!!! And he, he, showed ME!!!"
"Shhhh. It's ok. he's not here now.. He won't do that ever again to you. you're ok?"
"Huh."
"Gabe, are you ok?"
"Yu-huh. I just. I keep thinking about him and.."
"You can't get him out of your head?" Rowan sounded haggard but he still got up and came to sit next to Gabe, one hand rubbing his back.
"Uh huh. I don't want to think about it anymore."
"You got to think about, until it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Do you do that?"
"No. I'm too scared to think about my memories."
"You're scared?" Jasper thanked God that Gabe was still young enough to get away with asking- had he questioned he would have been punched and Rowan would have walked away. Rowan scared? Boy Without Fear? This was news.
"Yeah. But Gabe, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Ok? I'll learn not to be scared and you have to learn to be ok with remembering the Troll and Mom. K?"
"Uh huh. I think I wants to go to sleep."
"K. Night Gabe." Rowan gently pressed his lips against Gabe's hair and stumbled back to sleep. Jasper lay Gabe down for a minute and watched him fall asleep. Ruffled his hair and started to get up. "Jasper?"
"Yea?"
"Is Rowan really scared of his memories?"
"I think so." Gabe looked confused.
"But he's supposed to not be afraid of anything."
"Everyone's afraid of something Gabe."
"Oh."
"Night."
"Night Night."
