Joe was wondering the same thing himself. Holding his young brother was a feat in itself. Joe's hands were so sore from the whipping, they hurt to touch anything, let alone hold onto something. And his back was a mass of red welts. He winced every time he moved. His shirt may hide the damage, but it was a far cry from a salve.
Joe gritted his teeth and sat holding his little brother, feeding him from a bottle. "It's okay Paul," Joe said, his voice gentle. "This will all be over soon and you and I will go to our real home. You're going to love mom and dad. They are the greatest parents in the world," he said. "And you couldn't get a better brother than Frank. I only hope you love me half as much as I love him."
The baby gurggled happily as Joe talked to him. He reached up and wrapped a little hand around the tip of the bottle as he drank, his eyes looking up into Joe's. Looking into his young brother's face, Joe couldn't help but remember his life as a child. His first day of school was a day he would never forget. He had been scared of what to expect but he had also been relieved that he wouldn't be under the watchful eye of his nanny. She had been as harsh as his parents.
His first day had started out no different than others. An alarm clock rang and he was yelled at to get out of bed and get dressed. He did so, putting on the clothes which had been left lying out for him. Once dressed, he walked downstairs to the kitchen and snuck into the kitchen to grab something to eat from the refrigerator. He closed his eyes as the disaster relived itself in his mind.
Joe opened the refrigerator and looked for something he could eat which would not be missed. He spied a bowl on the bottom shelf and attempted to pull it out. In doing so, he accidentally knocked over a glass dish which held some steaks and liquid. The glass fell to the floor, breaking and spilling the contents everywhere.
"What have you done this time?" demanded Charles.
"I...I'm sorry," Joe stuttered. "I..I..didn't m..me..mean too," he could feel the terror rising in his throat.
"You never mean too," Charles said, staring down at him. "But now you have ruined your parents' dinner. What am I suppose to fix them, hmm?" he asked. "And do you have any idea what your punishment will be when they find out they don't get marinated steaks tonight because of you?"
"What's that child done now?" asked Abigail Steadham, the nanny, as she came into the kitchen.
"See for yourself," Charles said, holding out a hand.
"For making a mess, there will be no breakfast for you," the nanny said. "Go wait in the garage by the car. I'll be out shortly to take you to school. And don't you worry," she added. "You'll get your punishment when you get home from school."
Joe left without a word. He stood by the car in the garage until the nanny arrived and told him to get in the car. Joe climbed in the back seat and sat quietly. He had already learned that talking to his nanny or to anyone, was a big mistake. Inevitably, everything he said got back to his father which led to a whipping plus a punishment for some thing or the other.
When he arrived at school he was put in a room with several other children. Afraid to say or do something which might get him into trouble, he sat quietly, not taking part in anything unless specifically asked to do so by the teacher. After lunch the teacher took Joe to the guidance counselor's office and left him. The counselor spoke with Joe briefly and soon a police officer arrived. The officer took Joe and put him in his patrol car.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," the officer told Joe. "Telling that woman that your parents were mean to you."
"I didn't!" Joe denied, shocked. He hadn't said anything. No matter what they had asked him, he hadn't said a word.
"Don't deny it," the officer told Joe. "You wouldn't be with me now if you hadn't said something."
Joe sat trembling, knowing he was in serious trouble, as the officer drove to Joe's home. There, he was escorted to the front door. His father was summoned by the butler and informed of the reason for the officer's visit. Joe watched as his father gave a "contribution" to the officer's favorite "charity". Then the officer left and Joe was told to go to his room and stand at attention until his father finished the buisness that Joe had interrupted.
An hour after Joe had been sent to his room, he heard the door start to open and jumped to his feet, standing alert as he had been ordered earlier, hoping his dad hadn't found out he had been sitting down.
"Joesph," his father said, looking down at him. "You continue to be a disappointment. I give you the opportunity to go out and associate with children your own age, to begin making connections, and what do you do? You go and complain. I suppose you will have to be home schooled. Fortunately, Nanny Steadham is qualified to teach you.
"But, we must punish you for your indescretions. What goes on in a man's home, should not be gossip for the entire town. You will have to learn silence. Do you understand me?"
Joe nodded. "What do I mean?" his father asked.
"I am not to talk to anyone about you or..or anything that goes on at home," Joe said, fear gripping him as he saw how cold his father's eyes were.
"No, I can see you don't understand me," Austin said. "You will never again leave the premises until you are of age, so whom you talk to does not concern me. No, you must learn to be silent at all times. I am a busy man and I will not tolerate noise from you. Now, take off your shirt and turn around."
Joe swallowed but did as he was ordered. He heard his father step from the room only to return in seconds. He heard a whirring sound and recognized it at once. It was a hardy hickory branch. He yelped as he felt the first sting of pain when the hickory met his flesh. Again, it struck and again and again. Joe couldn't remember the amount of times he was hit. But he remembered when the whipping had ceased. It had not quit until he had quit screaming and crying. When he stood silent and let his father beat him, only then did the lashes cease.
"Clean yourself up," his father had ordered when he had finished. "Then report to Nanny Steadham to begin your lessons."
Joe's forehead wrinkled. He had a nanny when he was younger. Why hadn't Paul? He finished feeding his younger brother; burped him; then eased him back into his crib. Taking a deep breath, he left the nursery and headed downstairs to his father's office.
"Where is Paul's nanny?" Joe demanded.
Austin lifted a brow and leaned back in his chair. He gave Joe a slow smile. "Not very bright, are you?" he asked. "It took you this long to figure out something was amiss."
"What are you planning?" Joe demanded.
"It's simple," Austin said. "Charles has been taking care of the baby since he was brought home. The announcement of Paul's birth was put out to lure you home."
"Why?" demanded Joe again. "Why do you want me back?"
"To teach you a lesson," Austin answered. "You were my heir and you are now. Only the first born inheirts everything in this family. That is how it always has been and how it always will be."
"So you had another child just to get me back?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
"Of course not," Austin admitted with a laugh. "Your mother and I borrowed the child. Your mother complained constantly about how you disfigured her when she wasy carrying you. I could never have gotten her to have another child."
"Why?" Joe asked, confused. "You know I won't stay with you. I am almost of legal age."
"Why?" Austin asked, rising from his chair, his thin smile striking terror into Joe's heart. "You'll stay with me and do exactly as I tell you or your dear sweet adoptive father, mother, and brother will pay forever."
"Please! That is rather cliche," Joe scoffed.
"But true. I own a pharmacuetical company, you know. The company does extensive research," Austin said.
"You aren't making sense," Joe said.
"Allow me to simplify it for you," Austin continued. "There is a poison in Haiti that can turn people into the walking dead. We have taken this poison and modified it. Once the powder is breathed in, the receipent person can no longer be exposed to other people. If they are, they will go insane. You will send the Hardys away telling them you wnat no further contact with them, or they will be condemed to a lifetime of isolation."
Joe gritted his teeth and sat holding his little brother, feeding him from a bottle. "It's okay Paul," Joe said, his voice gentle. "This will all be over soon and you and I will go to our real home. You're going to love mom and dad. They are the greatest parents in the world," he said. "And you couldn't get a better brother than Frank. I only hope you love me half as much as I love him."
The baby gurggled happily as Joe talked to him. He reached up and wrapped a little hand around the tip of the bottle as he drank, his eyes looking up into Joe's. Looking into his young brother's face, Joe couldn't help but remember his life as a child. His first day of school was a day he would never forget. He had been scared of what to expect but he had also been relieved that he wouldn't be under the watchful eye of his nanny. She had been as harsh as his parents.
His first day had started out no different than others. An alarm clock rang and he was yelled at to get out of bed and get dressed. He did so, putting on the clothes which had been left lying out for him. Once dressed, he walked downstairs to the kitchen and snuck into the kitchen to grab something to eat from the refrigerator. He closed his eyes as the disaster relived itself in his mind.
Joe opened the refrigerator and looked for something he could eat which would not be missed. He spied a bowl on the bottom shelf and attempted to pull it out. In doing so, he accidentally knocked over a glass dish which held some steaks and liquid. The glass fell to the floor, breaking and spilling the contents everywhere.
"What have you done this time?" demanded Charles.
"I...I'm sorry," Joe stuttered. "I..I..didn't m..me..mean too," he could feel the terror rising in his throat.
"You never mean too," Charles said, staring down at him. "But now you have ruined your parents' dinner. What am I suppose to fix them, hmm?" he asked. "And do you have any idea what your punishment will be when they find out they don't get marinated steaks tonight because of you?"
"What's that child done now?" asked Abigail Steadham, the nanny, as she came into the kitchen.
"See for yourself," Charles said, holding out a hand.
"For making a mess, there will be no breakfast for you," the nanny said. "Go wait in the garage by the car. I'll be out shortly to take you to school. And don't you worry," she added. "You'll get your punishment when you get home from school."
Joe left without a word. He stood by the car in the garage until the nanny arrived and told him to get in the car. Joe climbed in the back seat and sat quietly. He had already learned that talking to his nanny or to anyone, was a big mistake. Inevitably, everything he said got back to his father which led to a whipping plus a punishment for some thing or the other.
When he arrived at school he was put in a room with several other children. Afraid to say or do something which might get him into trouble, he sat quietly, not taking part in anything unless specifically asked to do so by the teacher. After lunch the teacher took Joe to the guidance counselor's office and left him. The counselor spoke with Joe briefly and soon a police officer arrived. The officer took Joe and put him in his patrol car.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," the officer told Joe. "Telling that woman that your parents were mean to you."
"I didn't!" Joe denied, shocked. He hadn't said anything. No matter what they had asked him, he hadn't said a word.
"Don't deny it," the officer told Joe. "You wouldn't be with me now if you hadn't said something."
Joe sat trembling, knowing he was in serious trouble, as the officer drove to Joe's home. There, he was escorted to the front door. His father was summoned by the butler and informed of the reason for the officer's visit. Joe watched as his father gave a "contribution" to the officer's favorite "charity". Then the officer left and Joe was told to go to his room and stand at attention until his father finished the buisness that Joe had interrupted.
An hour after Joe had been sent to his room, he heard the door start to open and jumped to his feet, standing alert as he had been ordered earlier, hoping his dad hadn't found out he had been sitting down.
"Joesph," his father said, looking down at him. "You continue to be a disappointment. I give you the opportunity to go out and associate with children your own age, to begin making connections, and what do you do? You go and complain. I suppose you will have to be home schooled. Fortunately, Nanny Steadham is qualified to teach you.
"But, we must punish you for your indescretions. What goes on in a man's home, should not be gossip for the entire town. You will have to learn silence. Do you understand me?"
Joe nodded. "What do I mean?" his father asked.
"I am not to talk to anyone about you or..or anything that goes on at home," Joe said, fear gripping him as he saw how cold his father's eyes were.
"No, I can see you don't understand me," Austin said. "You will never again leave the premises until you are of age, so whom you talk to does not concern me. No, you must learn to be silent at all times. I am a busy man and I will not tolerate noise from you. Now, take off your shirt and turn around."
Joe swallowed but did as he was ordered. He heard his father step from the room only to return in seconds. He heard a whirring sound and recognized it at once. It was a hardy hickory branch. He yelped as he felt the first sting of pain when the hickory met his flesh. Again, it struck and again and again. Joe couldn't remember the amount of times he was hit. But he remembered when the whipping had ceased. It had not quit until he had quit screaming and crying. When he stood silent and let his father beat him, only then did the lashes cease.
"Clean yourself up," his father had ordered when he had finished. "Then report to Nanny Steadham to begin your lessons."
Joe's forehead wrinkled. He had a nanny when he was younger. Why hadn't Paul? He finished feeding his younger brother; burped him; then eased him back into his crib. Taking a deep breath, he left the nursery and headed downstairs to his father's office.
"Where is Paul's nanny?" Joe demanded.
Austin lifted a brow and leaned back in his chair. He gave Joe a slow smile. "Not very bright, are you?" he asked. "It took you this long to figure out something was amiss."
"What are you planning?" Joe demanded.
"It's simple," Austin said. "Charles has been taking care of the baby since he was brought home. The announcement of Paul's birth was put out to lure you home."
"Why?" demanded Joe again. "Why do you want me back?"
"To teach you a lesson," Austin answered. "You were my heir and you are now. Only the first born inheirts everything in this family. That is how it always has been and how it always will be."
"So you had another child just to get me back?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
"Of course not," Austin admitted with a laugh. "Your mother and I borrowed the child. Your mother complained constantly about how you disfigured her when she wasy carrying you. I could never have gotten her to have another child."
"Why?" Joe asked, confused. "You know I won't stay with you. I am almost of legal age."
"Why?" Austin asked, rising from his chair, his thin smile striking terror into Joe's heart. "You'll stay with me and do exactly as I tell you or your dear sweet adoptive father, mother, and brother will pay forever."
"Please! That is rather cliche," Joe scoffed.
"But true. I own a pharmacuetical company, you know. The company does extensive research," Austin said.
"You aren't making sense," Joe said.
"Allow me to simplify it for you," Austin continued. "There is a poison in Haiti that can turn people into the walking dead. We have taken this poison and modified it. Once the powder is breathed in, the receipent person can no longer be exposed to other people. If they are, they will go insane. You will send the Hardys away telling them you wnat no further contact with them, or they will be condemed to a lifetime of isolation."