"Don't you run from me while I'm talkin you boy!!!!" Michael ran as fast as his short legs could carry him while looking back every now and at the menacing man he called Joseph while still holding onto the wrinkled brown paper bag in his hand. Some of the neighbors eyed them quizzingly but neither of them seemed to mind.
"Get away from me!" Michael shouted while trying to speed up. Joseph was hot on his trail. "When I get My hands on you you're gonna get it!!!" The man shouted. Michael was now running as fast as his legs could carry him. When he finally thought he had lost Joseph he felt his feet fly up from under him. Tripping on a stump he lost his balance, the brown paper bag in his spilling of his contents.
"What I told you about going to that store??" Joseph asked harshly as he grabbed the injured boy from his collar. "I just wanted some candy!!" He shouted trying his hardest to get his words out on an account he had bitten his tongue during the trip. "You don't need no candy!! You got practice!!!" Joseph was mad simply because Michael didn't come straight home from school to practice. He had stopped at the candy shop, of course for candy. As far as Joseph was concerned he could have all the candy he wanted. When they made it big.
"What do you want boy??? You wanna be as star or you want cavities. Huh????" He asked, his face inches apart from his sons as he shook him violently. By now all the noise outside had neighbors peaking out blinds. Patricia looked our her window. She gasped at what she saw.
Michael said nothing as tears streamed down his cheeks. Joseph slowly put him down. "I don't wanna do the show!!! I never wanna sing again!!!" Michael shouted in tears. "I don't want to hear that, get in that house boy!!" Joseph shouted. Michael simply stared at him and turned to run.
"Don't you run from me no more boy!!!" Joseph shouted but it was too late. Michael was in full sprint and was at the Morine's door. He knocked on it softly. Mrs. Morine opened the door. "Hi Michael, what wrong honey?" She asked. Michael, still in tears said nothing and ran past her headed to Patricia's bedroom.
"Michael." She said softly as he stood in her door frame in tears. It made her so sad to see him like that. She quickly went to the bathroom and got a wet cloth. Then she went to the ice chest and wrapped some ice in a dishtowel. Her mother had taught her first aid very young.
"Sit down please." She instructed. Michael whipped the tears from his eyes and did as told. She took a seat next to him and whipped his face, covered in a combination of blood and dirt. She also whipped his red hands and handed him the ice pack for his bruised head.
"Is that what that that red mark on your face was?" She asked as they lay side by side on her bed. "Whatcha mean?" Michael asked trying to keep the ice pack in place. "I mean was it your daddy who did it?" She interrogated. "Michael sighed. "Yeah, but he told me not to tell no one." Her hazel eyes softened. "I promise I won't tell anyone." She spoke.
They sat in silence for a while until Michael spoke. "Pat?" he asked. They were stating to drift off a bit. "Huh?" A half sleep Patricia replied. "One day I'll Marry you." Michael replied.
Patricia instantly became alert. "You think so??" She asked. Michael smiled. "I know so. We're gonna have the biggest, bestest wedding ever! And I'll make sure you have the prettiest dress, You'll look even more pretty in it. Then we'll build our own house and paint it a bright red, like a barn and we'll have sunflowers in the garden. We'll be grown folks then." Michael exclaimed. Patricia couldn't help but smile. She touched his hand.
"One day, I'll see you at the wedding."
Chapter End Notes:
Please Review!