Chapter 5
Light rain trickled down on the crowd of mourners that had come to pay their final respects to Mrs. Thomas. So many people whose lives she touched in some way or another. A very pregnant young woman stepped up and places a single red rose on the coffin. Her right hand was resting on her stomach. Mrs. Thomas had helped the girl find shelter when her mother threw her out. Tears fell from her cheeks as she bent down to kiss the casket. One by one each person placed their rose until no trace of wood could be seen, just a mound of red petals.
Sky watched from a distance not wanting to deal with the looks of pity. She could not bring herself to acknowledge that her mom was lying in the casket and never coming back to her. Many looked her way with pity whispering "poor girl lost her mother and father in the same night" or "such a tragedy", it was more than she could bear. Beside her sat Leon holding her hand. It had been one week since that terrifying night. Members of her family had come wanting to see her in the hospital, but she would only allow Leon to see her. It was just too much for her to deal with. The doctors had allowed her to leave the hospital just for a couple of hours to attend the funeral. A man and woman she didn't recognize headed in her direction. "Skylar, Hello I am James Thomas Sr., your grandfather. This is my wife Betsy."
"Why is this the first time I am meeting you?" Sky was suspicious immediately.
James cleared his throat, "Well to be honest with you, we did not approve of your mother."
Sky jumped from her seat and got in his face, "You come here to my mom's funeral and have the nerve to tell me that you didn't approve of her. Get the fuck out of my face."
"Young lady watch your language. Don't you worry a couple of days with us and your attitude will change."
"Look dumb fuck, I ain't going anywhere with you. Your sick bastard of a son killed my mom. I don't want anything to do with you or your family. Go to hell." Sky began to cough and gasp for air.
Leon sat her down it the chair and placed the oxygen mask on her face. He turned to James, "Get outta here. She don't want to see you again. If you come near her again I'll kill you and don't think this is some idle threat. I'll gut you like the pig that you are."
"Don't make threats you can't back up boy. Her parents' wish was for her to be with us. As soon as the doctors release her to travel, she's off to New Jersey with us."
"That'll never happen as long as I can help it. Now leave." Leon watched as they walked away. "You ok baby. Don't go and let them get to you. I'll take care of you."
"I couldn't do this without you." Sky wrapped her arms around his chest and relaxed her head on his shoulder.
"Time to get you back to the hospital where you can get some rest. Come on let's go."
~Leon's House~
Leon walked in to find his dad passed out on the couch, the bottle of Jack still in his hand. The room reeked of stale cigarettes and alcohol. Quietly, he ran up the stairs to his room. He looked out his window at the house across the street remembering what it was like only one week before. It had been a week since he stepped foot into this room, a week since he lay in his bed. All his time was spent at Sky's bedside. On the bed he noticed an envelope addressed to him written in his mother's handwriting. He opened it quickly and begins to read the words:
***My son Leon,
This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. So many years I have been through living hell with your father, but I can't do it anymore. Please understand why I had to do this. If I don't leave now, I will be the next to be placed in the grave. I would have taken you with me, but Sky needs you now.
I know that you and Sky will take care of each other. You are a man now and must make a place in the world for yourself. Good luck. I love you always.
Love, Mom***
The coldness of the words dug deep into his soul. "You are a man now" and "Good Luck". He couldn't understand how she could leave him to face his father alone. She's left him when he needed her most. The ringing of the phone jerked him from his thoughts. He ran to the hall to answer it, hoping his father was too drunk to hear it. "Hello."
Sky was hysterical, "Leon, they are having me flown to New Jersey in three hours."
"Shit. What the hell happened?" He wasn't ready to lose both the people that he loved in one day.
"Don't know. Some how they got clearance from the doctor to have me moved. What am I supposed to do? I'm scared."
"I am on my way. Fight them if you have to." He grabbed his backpack out of his closet and stuffed some clothes and cash inside. Leon rushed down the stairs and across the street to Sky's house. Pulling the yellow police tape off the backdoor, he kicked it in. He grabbed some things for Sky and headed straight for the hospital.
~The Hospital~
Sky waited impatiently on the side of the bed. Thinking that any minute they someone would try to take her away. The door swung open and Leon bolted in, "Here put some clothes on. We are leaving." Leon helped dress her and they moved to the door. "Hold on let me make sure it's safe." He poked his head out and only saw a lone nurse reviewing charts. Hand in hand they moved out of the room and headed for the stairway exit. "Sky we are going to have to go fast. Are you ready?"
"Just go. I'll keep up." They flew down four flights of stairs and then stopped. Leon checked for clearance. They walked into the lobby and calmly out the door. "Where are we going?" Sky asked once they were about ten blocks from the hospital.
"Los Angeles."
"How long do you think it will take us?"
"An hour by car, much longer by foot. Better get moving, soon all the cops in town will be looking for us."
Light rain trickled down on the crowd of mourners that had come to pay their final respects to Mrs. Thomas. So many people whose lives she touched in some way or another. A very pregnant young woman stepped up and places a single red rose on the coffin. Her right hand was resting on her stomach. Mrs. Thomas had helped the girl find shelter when her mother threw her out. Tears fell from her cheeks as she bent down to kiss the casket. One by one each person placed their rose until no trace of wood could be seen, just a mound of red petals.
Sky watched from a distance not wanting to deal with the looks of pity. She could not bring herself to acknowledge that her mom was lying in the casket and never coming back to her. Many looked her way with pity whispering "poor girl lost her mother and father in the same night" or "such a tragedy", it was more than she could bear. Beside her sat Leon holding her hand. It had been one week since that terrifying night. Members of her family had come wanting to see her in the hospital, but she would only allow Leon to see her. It was just too much for her to deal with. The doctors had allowed her to leave the hospital just for a couple of hours to attend the funeral. A man and woman she didn't recognize headed in her direction. "Skylar, Hello I am James Thomas Sr., your grandfather. This is my wife Betsy."
"Why is this the first time I am meeting you?" Sky was suspicious immediately.
James cleared his throat, "Well to be honest with you, we did not approve of your mother."
Sky jumped from her seat and got in his face, "You come here to my mom's funeral and have the nerve to tell me that you didn't approve of her. Get the fuck out of my face."
"Young lady watch your language. Don't you worry a couple of days with us and your attitude will change."
"Look dumb fuck, I ain't going anywhere with you. Your sick bastard of a son killed my mom. I don't want anything to do with you or your family. Go to hell." Sky began to cough and gasp for air.
Leon sat her down it the chair and placed the oxygen mask on her face. He turned to James, "Get outta here. She don't want to see you again. If you come near her again I'll kill you and don't think this is some idle threat. I'll gut you like the pig that you are."
"Don't make threats you can't back up boy. Her parents' wish was for her to be with us. As soon as the doctors release her to travel, she's off to New Jersey with us."
"That'll never happen as long as I can help it. Now leave." Leon watched as they walked away. "You ok baby. Don't go and let them get to you. I'll take care of you."
"I couldn't do this without you." Sky wrapped her arms around his chest and relaxed her head on his shoulder.
"Time to get you back to the hospital where you can get some rest. Come on let's go."
~Leon's House~
Leon walked in to find his dad passed out on the couch, the bottle of Jack still in his hand. The room reeked of stale cigarettes and alcohol. Quietly, he ran up the stairs to his room. He looked out his window at the house across the street remembering what it was like only one week before. It had been a week since he stepped foot into this room, a week since he lay in his bed. All his time was spent at Sky's bedside. On the bed he noticed an envelope addressed to him written in his mother's handwriting. He opened it quickly and begins to read the words:
***My son Leon,
This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. So many years I have been through living hell with your father, but I can't do it anymore. Please understand why I had to do this. If I don't leave now, I will be the next to be placed in the grave. I would have taken you with me, but Sky needs you now.
I know that you and Sky will take care of each other. You are a man now and must make a place in the world for yourself. Good luck. I love you always.
Love, Mom***
The coldness of the words dug deep into his soul. "You are a man now" and "Good Luck". He couldn't understand how she could leave him to face his father alone. She's left him when he needed her most. The ringing of the phone jerked him from his thoughts. He ran to the hall to answer it, hoping his father was too drunk to hear it. "Hello."
Sky was hysterical, "Leon, they are having me flown to New Jersey in three hours."
"Shit. What the hell happened?" He wasn't ready to lose both the people that he loved in one day.
"Don't know. Some how they got clearance from the doctor to have me moved. What am I supposed to do? I'm scared."
"I am on my way. Fight them if you have to." He grabbed his backpack out of his closet and stuffed some clothes and cash inside. Leon rushed down the stairs and across the street to Sky's house. Pulling the yellow police tape off the backdoor, he kicked it in. He grabbed some things for Sky and headed straight for the hospital.
~The Hospital~
Sky waited impatiently on the side of the bed. Thinking that any minute they someone would try to take her away. The door swung open and Leon bolted in, "Here put some clothes on. We are leaving." Leon helped dress her and they moved to the door. "Hold on let me make sure it's safe." He poked his head out and only saw a lone nurse reviewing charts. Hand in hand they moved out of the room and headed for the stairway exit. "Sky we are going to have to go fast. Are you ready?"
"Just go. I'll keep up." They flew down four flights of stairs and then stopped. Leon checked for clearance. They walked into the lobby and calmly out the door. "Where are we going?" Sky asked once they were about ten blocks from the hospital.
"Los Angeles."
"How long do you think it will take us?"
"An hour by car, much longer by foot. Better get moving, soon all the cops in town will be looking for us."