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They could hear his steps getting closer and closer in the rain. Dale was his name. Every once in awhile he'd stumble and you could hear the awkward off beat of his steps followed by a momentary pause as he caught his balance. Then he continued onward to find that damned family of his. She knew what thoughts must have been pounding in that thunderous head of his. He most likely was wondering where the hell his dinner was, and where were those two kids that always took his boots off his sweaty stinky feet each day he came home from welding. How could he ball up those clammy socks and throw them at the dodging children if they weren't even home? What fun was there when there was nobody to tease or torment? That's ok; he'd find them. He always did. He would first look for them at his brother's house. His brother and his wife shouldn't be so nice to them; don't they know their sympathy only encourages her and the children to act up? The little girl had heard it all before, she was sure of what he was thinking over with each step he stumbled forward or sideways.
It seemed like forever before he passed by behind the van, the familiar scent of alcohol wafting it's way thru the rain to the hiding family as he approached the apartment door. He paused at length looking at the list of doorbells. The names above each one were dancing before blurry sight. Shaking fingers fumbled their way to the buttons and pressed 3b. There were four cars between the door and where cowering family stood silently. The girl heard the argument ensue and felt the tightness of increasing anger squeeze out more and more with each word he said. "If I find out you've been helping her, by god I'll kill you!"
The girl looked at her mother who was now leaning on the van for support and appeared to be looking up at the sky, only now her eyes were closed. Oh how she needed some kind of reassurance from her mother right now. She wanted to say, "Momma, just look at me. Tell me it will be ok, tell me we will be ok." But Mrs. Flummox only stood there trembling against the side of the van. The girl looked over at the van's antenna that was shaking slightly and fear gripped her even tighter around the throat. What if he saw that? What if he found them? She quickly glanced at her brother still holding their mother's finger, only now he was holding even tighter and Mrs. Flummox' finger was almost blue. Her brother's face as still chiseled, frozen, and void of emotion; or at least it appeared that way.
He looked like a statue of a fearless Indian with the exception of his darting eyes. She saw his wet face, but knew he was not crying. He had somehow mastered the skill of not crying. She sure wished she had been able to. While getting those whippings with belts, sticks, electric chords or whatever else was within grasp it would have been a silent form of victory to not give into the tears. She admired her brother for that. She always would. He was the strong silent one. He always would be.
She looked over to the buggy without moving any muscle other than the ones barely keeping her eyes in their sockets. The baby, Dales' namesake, was sleeping. She wondered how he could sleep at a time like this, but then again, he didn't really know what was going on. It's a good thing he was sleeping, because it was the only time he wasn't crying or shouting. He was going from one extreme to the other all the time. He would shout or cry from both pain and anger. Sometimes there was no explanation other than he was having some sort of two-year-old infantile fit. At times he'd laugh at things he found amusing, often at other's expense or peril. There wasn't really any time he was quiet other than when he was sleeping, and sleep couldn't have overtaken his ADD/ADHD body at a better time.
The younger baby brother was also oblivious to the impending danger. He straddled his mother's hips and played with her soaking wet hair. He picked up a glob of hair and squeezed out the water. Then he picked up some more and this time sucked out the water. The girl wondered how long time could stand still, how heavy the rain could get before they were crushed beneath it's weight, and how loud could silence get before they all went insane?
Just as slowly as they came, if not slower, his steps trailed off in the distance toward the direction they had stumbled from. Almost immediately after they heard the steps disappear into the distance, a light shone on them. It came from the end of the parking lot. Each and every one of their hearts froze, every set of lungs refused to take one more breath due to the weight of the anxiety. This time, even the baby that was awake in the mother's arm was caught up in the feeling of fear. They all stared as the light approached closer and closer to them. As it emerged from the dark and rainy night, the form of a car became clearer behind that single headlight.
Her first thoughts were, whew! At least it's not Dale with a flashlight. He had not found them yet. It wasn't his car either, because the girl knew that both of Dales' headlights worked. Even a young girl of eight can learn to be very observant. She needed to be in times such as these. The driver got out of the car and whispered his introduction. "Hello, I'm Ray, from F.I.S.H., are you Mrs. Flummox?" The mother just stared, frozen and silent, not able to believe or accept that someone was actually here to help her. Not waiting for an answer the seasoned volunteer began to scoop the children up one by one and place them into the safety of the car. "Where is he right now Mrs. Flummox?" Again saying nothing, she turned her head in the direction the steps had disappeared to only moments before.
After taking the infant from her arm and making sure the children were safely buckled in the station wagon, he took hold of her hand and slowly peeled her off the van. "Come on, it will be ok now. You're safe with us." How many times had they all heard that? How many times had they always been returned to the drunken man with steel whiskers? She groggily walked with the soft spoken and friendly man back to the car. As they pulled away from their hiding spot behind the van, the little girl held the hand of the emotionally strong and silent brother next to her. She wasn't sure if she was giving or receiving reassurance that time. She peered out the window as the car slowly pulled out of the parking lot. In the distance, she could see a figure staggering in the rain, punching the air, and mumbling to him self. She knew who it was. She watched, as he got smaller in the distance and for once in her life, she felt strangely safe.
(What has happened in the past? What will happen in the future? Where will they go now? Will the pain ever go away? Will it tie her down? Can she ever break free from it's chains? Stay Tuned...)
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