***
Gerald’s anger can’t be quelled.
Adam had grabbed him, Adam had wanted to punch him, hit him back.
That scared little boy who used to cry at the corner and beg when beaten, that little boy who slept outside his study on the floor and he would have to slap him awake and tell him to get out.
That little boy who he hated with all that he knew, wasn’t scared anymore. He was threatening him in his own house, going against his orders and challenging him. That little boy who scampered away when he bellowed, that little boy who wouldn’t dare come meet him to tell him about father’s duties from school, that little boy he wished had died in his mother’s womb or out in cold when he was born.
That boy he had tried to get rid of who had refused to leave because Thelma hadn’t wanted him to, had the audacity to challenge him, Gerald Pope.
He grabs a bottle of wine, opens it and pours a good amount into his glass and made his way upstairs, heading to Thelma’s room
That little boy who made his blood boil when he was young was still making him burn as he is older. But he was still a boy to him, a bastard, a child he would never accept as his own
His own, his only son was dead, killed by the boy Thelma called her son, killed by the boy Damien called his brother
But he knew who Adam was, Adam was never his blood, never his family and would never be his son
His son was dead and all because of that boy Adam.
He gulps another quantity of liquid. As he enters the darkly lit room, Thelma was sleeping, he goes to the chair and sits down. His face shows anger, pain.
“It was your fault Thelma. You let him kill my boy. You let that boy kill my son Damien. Its your fault, if you had killed him when he was just a feotus or let the adoption agency take him, or let him die when I locked him out in the cold. But no.. you cried and called me a monster. You fought me, you called him your angel, that boy you claim is my son isn’t no angel but the devil. How does he repay you for protecting him and me for pitying to let him live under my roof? He took our joy Thelma, he took him, five years must have passed but the pain is as real as the heart beating within my chest!!! And how do you receive it, you fall sick, you remain here and keep torturing me.. but I won’t let it get to me Thelma, you put me in a tight spot. I can’t force him out of your life , because he is not in mine. I can’t get him away from my presence because we are connected to you.” He drank
“Sometimes I pray you die, because you are a reminder of what you did so long ago, and he is a product of that, but you..your sins are catching up with you.” He sniffs
“I loved you so much once Thelma, and when Adam came I hated you too. And then Damien gave us another chance at love, and Adam took him from me, from us. Look at you Thelma, why do you still hold on to a boy that has brought us nothing but pain, misfortune, death, separation. I can’t take it anymore Thelma, if you want to die, die already so I can be left alone with my demons. At least he would go and disappear into oblivion. I couldn’t make him pay for Damien’s death but I won’t allow him peace; he won’t go near Damien’s room or things, he doesn’t talk about Damien and he is restricted to just you. I wish I can get an order that restricts him from you but I can’t..it didn’t fly in court.
I may not love you as I once did Thelma because all the love I had died the day Damien died, all I have is just a sense of duty towards you because you gave me my tiny taste of heaven, my little boy angel Damien, and for that I would be grateful. So my sense of duty is to at least make sure you are taken care off, and it takes all the energy within me not to go against your wishes of allowing Adam access to you.
I have done that. But Thelma I don’t want him here. I can’t see him here, be happy going on with his life and not hate him, I can’t see him happy and not see Damien. It so hard and painful Thelma, and it’s all your fault..
Maybe if I had been at home often it wouldn’t have happened, if I hadn’t taken that job, that night, you wouldn’t have done what you did…it’s your fault, because it didn’t matter. You betrayed me, you hurt me..and you had him…and I hate you for that. I hate him more for it, because he reminds me daily of your mistake, of your act and my absence…
Adam would never be mine. Never!!!
My hate for him keeps me awake, when I see him I want to break everything, I want to run him through, I want to end him knowing what he is and from where he is….it’s your fault Thelma, all your fault..” he finishes his glass of wine
“And I hate that I can’t do what I want to him. He attacked me today Thelma, undermining my orders. What next? he takes my house, kicks me out too huh?Answer m!!!” he goes to her and shouts over her head, she stirs
He turns in anger and throws the glass, it shatters once it hits the wall..
“Damien, is that you honey?’’ Thelma speaks in her sleep, his heart closes, he storms away
He can’t be there.
He goes into Damien’s room and doesn’t come out till the end of the day.
*******
“What are you doing?” Adam frowns. He moves his face, she reaches out and grabs it
“You are bleeding” she repeats, he hits her hands away, and touches his lips
“Hardly touched anything” he licks his lips, the taste of his blood made him frown, she gets up and moves around his house
“Do you have a first aid box?”
“For real, you think it burst some delicate lip vein?”
“You are the one bleeding not me, so I would say yes. You shouldn’t kiss your father’s lips, it’s not a toy”
She sees what she is looking for in a cupboard, she comes back to him, he was seated on the table
He scoffs again “Well he shouldn’t let mine kiss his, he wouldn’t be standing”
“Would you… have hit your father?” she is in front of him now, he doesn’t answer but asks her
“You didn’t answer my question, are you some sort of dimwitted girl who has no brains messing with someone twice her size and a thirst for blood. Didn’t your encounter with him yesterday teach you anything like’stay the hell away from Gerald, hell the Pope’s in general and their business other than what you are paid to do. Does that ring a bell?”
“I know I can be stubborn and a handful”
“Only??”’
She soaks cotton wool in antiseptic spirit, and looks at him
“Ok, a bucket head too”
He laughs, he didn’t intend to but he did. He frowns
“I think much more than a bucket head . You are a fool Marybeth Stowe, a stubborn stupid fool who doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut and stay away from people’s OWWWWW!!!””
She had dapped the wool to his lips twice, very fast, she knew it was going to sting. At least it would shut him up
“What the hell is the matter with you” he shifts his head away, touching his lips
“And you talk too much, plus it would stop the bleeding. I have to touch it again so bring your face here” she orders
“You obviously like to be in charge, like to be a controlling little wrench. Have anyone told you.. you have a sharp mouth that needs to be taped shut?” he winces in pain when she grabs his face and dapes again three times, not letting go of his face until the bleeding stops
“Yep, my mother, my colleagues and oh…you!!!”
He smiles
“Why are you smiling, do I have horns on my head?”’
He shakes his head, she was standing between his legs as he sat on the table, while she worked on his lips,
“You seem to be invading my space, if I didn’t know better I would say you are trying to seduce me..”
She frowns, then she looks down to see how close she is to him, she jumps backwards, he manages a rueful smile, as he folds his hands.
“Really, what stupid thought came to you that made you rile him up that way, I won’t be around to save you a third time, “
“I didn’t ask you to save me”
“Yeah, so you say. Then why don’t you just go in there, take your things and leave.”
Silence
Phew!! She sighs
“that’s what I thought!!!’’
“look, he was out of line and –”
“And you think you weren’t.. what is wrong with you really? He is Gerald Pope, he gat money he can do what he wants, what’s so hard to stay out of his way. I am not asking you to but .. I am curious. Really!!!”
She frowns at him , “So this excites you?”
“Nope. Well…I am the only other one that gets him like this and to see another one do this to him in what a few hours I am beginning to feel jealous, you are stealing my thunder, “
She is shaking her head “Why does he hate you, why do you guys fight?”
His countenance changes “that’s none of your business “
“okay. Maybe you can tell me who Damien is, because Mrs Thelma kept calling his name, was that his room I entered, where is he? Is he out of town..why is that name called with sadness and with.. ..who is Damien?”
He hits his hand hard on the table, she jumps.
Like father, like son. Both need to register for some anger management classes. Marybeth thought.
“I said it’s none of your business Miss Stowe” his anger flashed
She nods, another time maybe.
