Flashbacks and Memories (Part 6)
By Jenny Taylor
"How?" John spoke blankly, "How did our dad end up being your mom's brother-in-law?"
Jaycee sighed. "Well…"
14 years earlier on the cruise liner King William V…
Jaycee just sat and stared at her mom in shock as confusion sets into her. Silence filled the room as she tries to figure this new puzzle out and takes some deep breaths to calm herself.
Mom said that Jeff Tracy is her brother-in-law. How? Okay…one step at a time. First, when I met the boys, the elder trio said that I looked like their dead mom. Their mom had ginger hair like John and my mom, honey-coloured eyes like Virgil and my mom and her face looks like Virgil's and my…
Jaycee's eyes begin to widen as the realisation begins to hit her. No way! She can't be, can she?
"You're Lucille Tracy's sister!"
"I was her identical twin sister to be exact, Jaycee." Her mother smiled sadly as the loss of her twin begins to bite her again. Jaycee's eye's became wider at the news.
"Are you older or younger of the two?"
"I was the elder by five minutes, Jaycee. Please talk in the present tense? I'm still upset in losing my twin in that avalanche four years ago." Her mother pleaded her daughter as tears begin to fill her eyes.
"Sorry mom… It's just…I'm just surprised that I'm related to them. Do they know that I'm related to them?"
"Only Jeff and Lucy, Jaycee. Your cousins cannot know the truth at this moment in time." Her mother sighed in sadness.
"What? Why? Why can't they…" Jaycee began to speak, but was interrupted when her mother held her hand up to silence her, with a serious look on her face.
"As I said Jaycee, I will tell you everything after you had something to eat. But first…" Her mother regained her 'detective' mode as she tries to get more out of Jaycee's story. "You were telling me about this recent abuse you suffered from Grandma," Jaycee's face fell and winced when her mother reminds her the story that she was telling her.
"So far, you told me that you told Virgil about the incident, correct?" The youngster looked a bit guilty.
"I didn't tell him straight away, mom. He knew that I was in trouble, somehow."
"What do you mean Jaycee?" A caring, but stern look from the adult bared down at the youngster.
"On the next day, I woke up to find out that my grandparents are out, again and I was in pain so much that I tried to reach the medicine cabinet, but it was locked. So I went to school without any painkillers." Her mother's eyes widened at the info, but remained calm as she waits for her daughter to continue.
"When I arrived, I didn't meet him straight away as I normally do because I entered class just as the first bell went, because walking was so painful that I walked slower than normal. Virgil's in the same class as me and was worried about me so much that he focused more on me than listening to the teacher.
"Although saying that, I couldn't focus on my work either, because sitting on a chair with these…(gulp) beatings… on my butt… hurts so much…(sigh) It was after our first class that Virgil asked what's wrong. So… I took him into the bathroom when no-one was looking that I showed him these." She gently placed her hand onto bottom and winced a little at the touch as she looked away from her mother.
The adult saw the pain etched on her daughter's face that she gently pulled her into a hug and rubbed small circles on the youngster's back in comfort. She gently rocked her and cooed her in comfort and reassurance for a few minutes, until she pulled herself away holding her daughter's shoulder and making herself level with the youngster.
"And what did he do after you showed him?" The mother asked curiously with concern.
"He was angry and decided to take me to the nurse straight away. I didn't want to because of what happened last time, but…"
"Last time?" Her mother interrupted her in shock. "You mean that something happened like this before?"
Jaycee looked at her mother in the eye tearfully nodding. "Similar, only last time it was worse and it involved with a staircase and a broken leg, not a waist belt and my bottom." Her voice trailed off at the last part.
Again the mother pulled her child into a reassuring hug, her face filled with concern and worry. How much abuse did my mom and dad thrust upon my only daughter, during these 9 years when I left her in their care? After a few moments, she pulled herself away and gently coaxed the youngster into continuing with her story.
"He took me to the school infirmary, because he can't stand me being hurt, plus he loves me. (sigh) When we got there, the nurse asked me what's wrong and Virgil told me to show her, so I did… She was shocked and asked me who did this to me, I was too scared to tell her, but Virgil told her that it was my grandparents who did this."
Her mother nodded, listening with content while continuing with the unsaid coaxing to get her daughter to open up. "She didn't believe what Virgil had said and asked me if what he said it was, which I said 'Yes', because I was crying in pain. She then called the Headmaster to come into the room immediately."
Jaycee sobbed for a bit before continuing with the help from her mother coaxing. "When the Headmaster came into the room I, with Virgil's help, told him what happened and then he when out to call the cops and the medics, very angry and disgusted. While we were waited for them to arrive, Virgil comforted and kept me company."
"When the cops and the medics arrive, the medics checked me over while the cops interviewed me. Me and Virgil told the cops everything we knew about Grandma abusing me as well as Virgil's evidence gathering…"
"Woah! Slow down there Jaycee…" Her mother interrupted in concern. "What do you mean Virgil's evidence gathering?"
"Almost every weekend for 2… nearly 3 years… Virgil stayed with me, from Friday evening to Monday morning, to keep me company."
"Because you were afraid of your Grandma?" The youngster looked down towards her lap, feeling guilty.
"Mainly yes. When I told him about the abuse, he didn't want to believe me at first, but then I told him to take a video camera out of the box from underneath my bed and follow me down the stairs. I then told him to stay hidden and film me. Then I went into the lounge and asked Grandma about you… She then got super angry at me and started calling me, and you, names… as well as saying very nasty things about you… She even smacked me."
The adult widened her eyes and slightly opened her mouth in shock horror for a moment before she regained her 'detective mode' to gently press more information out of her crying daughter. "What did he say or do after he saw that?"
"He was in shock and I managed to get him up the stairs and into my room without being seen and while I was still in pain. We sat in my room for a while until he spoke saying that we need to report this to the cops, but I said that we need evidence to prove what they did and filming just one incident isn't enough.
"So it was decided that, every time when Virgil comes and stays with me and when my grandparents were at home, that Virgil films every incident when I come in contact with Grandma. None of us liked it, but it's best to collect and get hard-core evidence so I can get justice from the abuse and neglect I received from them."
Her mother nodded slowly, her face filled with concern and worry, but she presses on in her 'detective mode' to get Jaycee back onto the original track. "Okay… So you and Virgil told the cops about the evidence of your abuse that the both of you collected." This was responded with a nod from the youngster. "So what happened next?"
Jaycee took a deep sigh before looking up at her mom. "The cops decided to get a warrant to gain entry into Grandma and Grandpa's, it's then that I gave them a duplicate key so they can enter without much hassle. Virgil and I told them where the box of evidence including the films and my dairies.
"I remember Virgil asking them how long will it take for them to get a warrant, and they said between 1 to 3 weeks. Neither of us like that and we asked them what are we supposed to do while they're waiting for the warrant. They told us to act like if it didn't happen until they arrive.
"Virgil was angry and demanded to know what would happen if my grandparents abused me again before the warrant was issued, they told us to record the incident and phone 911 immediately." Jaycee breathed a sad sigh.
There was some silence for a while before the mother spoke. "So… what happened after you and Virgil spoke to the officers?" The youngster sighed again and then took a deep breath.
"The medics wanted to take me to Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, so they can check me over for more…injuries. I was afraid to go, but Virgil promised that he'll keep me company if I go, so I agreed to let the medics take me and Virgil came with me and we had a ride in the ambulance."
Her mother understandably nodded before calmly pressing Jaycee for more of her story. "How long did you stay in hospital, Jaycee?"
The youngster shrugged. "I don't know really, 'cause of the doctors and nurses examined me thoroughly as well as asking both me and Virgil lots of questions. A detective came in a few minutes after we arrived at the hospital to interview us."
"Can you remember what day it was when you went into the hospital?"
"Yes… It was Friday." The mother nodded thoughtfully.
"Okay… So what do you do on a normal Friday?" This question gave Jaycee a small smile as she answers.
"On Fridays, after school, I join the brothers and go back to their place for a few hours. Playing games with the youngest duo Alan and Gordon, doing homework and housework with the elder trio Scott, John and Virgil. At 7 o'clock, me and Virgil leave their home and walked back to my grandparents for the sleepover."
"And how long does this sleepover last?"
"Until Monday morning, when we both go to school together." Again, the mother nodded, slowly this time, wandering what the youngsters were doing during these weekends. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside so she can get back to the subject in hand.
"Okay…So… Was this particular Friday different to the normal Friday or was it the same after you left the hospital?" The youngster shook her head.
"It was different that day, because… I was too scared to go back to Grandma's, so…"
"So you didn't go back to Grandma's that day." It sounded more of a statement than a question, but Jaycee knew what her mom meant and nodded in response. Her mom gently held her child in her arms, rocked her and rubbed circles on her back for comfort while Jaycee leaned into her mom's chest with tears flowing down her cheeks.
They stayed like this for a while in silence, the mother kissed the top of her daughter's head and returns to her gentle interrogation. "So…where did you stay? And for how long?" Jaycee sighed and cried silently before replying.
"Well… After being examined by the medics and the talk with the detective, everyone agreed that I shouldn't stay with my grandparents on that night, but… they couldn't decide where I should stay. The medics wants me to stay in hospital, the cops want to take me to either a safe house or to stay with one of them."
"I didn't like either of them and Virgil knew that I didn't and he suggested that I could stay with him and his brothers."
"And they agreed to this?" Her mother quizzed which was responded with a simple nod.
"So that explains why you stayed at our place on that weekend." Exclaimed Gordon as the events of that fateful weekend before her disappearance, resurfaces to their minds and Jaycee's explanation answered some of the forgotten questions which were never answered nor thought about at the time.
Jaycee nodded sadly, while the others stared at her in shock.