章節 14: A Standoff at the Baker Residence
T-4 Days to Incident
#In a Park Near Tom's Home
Tom took his time reaching the park. It was already dark. He had been walking for almost an hour. Neither a taxi nor a bus ride were viable options for the boy. “But the weather is nice! Doesn’t hurt to walk for a bit! It helps me forget bad memories.”
At the end of spring, days were still short. It would be another month or two before the length of daylight began to show the difference! Tom bathed in the mildly cold breeze under the twilight sky. “A few more minutes!” The evening would set in without anyone noticing! But not Tom! He was ever vigilant. Maybe because he was used to being wary of everything around him. Survival instinct? Perhaps.
The crowd of students and pedestrians gradually thinned out and then vanished as he trudged toward the park. Tom had to blend in to hide himself from the eyes of the bullies. They were extra talented at spotting their prey. If Tom wasn’t able to up his game, he would be stalked and hunted. “Not again! Not today!” Tom was determined to not get spotted while moving to his sanctuary.
That memorable park bench was in his vicinity. It sparked fragments of that day’s memories. “That man! He said he would give me a gift! Was that utter nonsense?” He walked to the bench and dropped himself like a dead man’s body. “Ah! Aw, aw, aw!!” His butt hurt.
“Those bastards! How can they beat me like that? And everyone is looking at me. Watching me. Taking photos of them with me in the background, as if I were an animal inside a cage! I’ll remember this humiliation! If I die, I will come back to haunt you!” Tom’s pride as a human was hurt. The memory of that moment brought him to tears once again. He began weeping.
Tom sobbed for a long time. It was an eternal pickle for him, and he didn’t know how to get out of it. He was helpless.
As Tom’s emotional outburst subsided, all of his anger fell on that homeless bum.
“Bloody bum! If you have decided to give me a gift, give it to me! You have that power, don’t you? Does a promise mean anything to you?”
He lay on the bench, with his school bag as a pillow. “Ah! The sky is nice. I love the air. A perfect atmosphere for a short nap!” He started counting the stars and soon fell asleep.
A tired and troubled Tom slept for a long time.
Tom eventually woke up with a sore neck. The bag didn’t really help. He was better off without it. “Tsk! I have a hurting bum and now a sore neck on top of it.
He sat up, rubbing his neck with his hands. He yawned and looked at his watch. “Shit! It’s way past curfew! It's almost 8 o’clock! How would I explain my situation to my dad?”
Yawning again and stretching, Tom stood up, took his bag, and began walking to his home.
“I need to walk faster. If I’m lucky, I might not get another beating!” He was hoping for better treatment, even though he was very late.
#Baker Residence
For the nth time, Janis Baker looked at her wrist watch.
“Tom, why are you so late? Don’t you know your dad? She looked at the study room’s door. That man is awfully quiet today. This is bad, Tom. Hurry up.” Janis was anxiously thinking of the probable consequences.
Mr. Baker came back home at around half past seven in the evening. The first thing he did was check on Tom.
“Where is that useless punk?”
Without waiting for an answer, he moved upstairs and opened the door to Tom’s room.
“He’s not here yet! How many times did I tell him to be home before curfew?”
He looked at Janis, who followed him.
“It’s all because of your bad parenting! You cuddle him so much; that is why he is like this. Tell him to see me in my study when he comes back.”
He stormed downstairs and entered his sanctuary—the study. Janis was really worried. Calling Tom to his study was never a good sign.
“Those things are there: steel clubs and the baseball bat. What’s going on, Tom? Why aren’t you here yet? You will get a beating at this rate.”
She took a glass of water and entered the study.
“Why are you here? Did Tom come home?”
“No. I thought I would give you some water.”
“Okay, put that down on my desk and leave.” Edmont was cleaning his bat and clubs. Janis shuddered at the thought of those hitting his son’s tender flesh and hurting.
“Why’re you shining those metals again? Do you have a game this weekend?” Janis spoke in a soft tone while thinking, “You can’t have both golf and baseball games at the same time!”
“Why are you asking? You don’t know why I am doing this?” Edmont looked ominously at Janis, as if he would use them on her for not knowing.
“If you don’t have a game, then why?” Janis faked it, not knowing.
“You can leave. I know you know why. So, just go.”
But Janis was resolute.
“If you’re planning on doing what I think you will, then you better not hurt my son. There could be many reasons for his delay. Unless it’s punishable with those disgusting tools, I won’t allow him to hurt himself. If you are angry, pour this water on your head and cool it off.”
Flames of fury and rage sparked in her eyes. The seventeen years of marriage gave her a kind of strength that could battle even Edmont’s resolution to beat Tom.
“You know bloody well, Tom broke a rule. Society doesn’t look for reason these days. They just find the culprit who broke the rule and punish him. They won’t look at why. Tom needs to learn that the hard way. He seems to quickly forget, just like you.”
“That truth alone isn’t enough to hurt my son. I’ll never allow it.” Janis wouldn’t budge. She bore the child for almost a year and then gave birth, enduring excruciating pain. “What would you know about parenting?” She thought.
“My word is the constitution of this house. If you don’t like it here, you can leave anytime.”
“That threat also won’t work. If you want a divorce so badly, why don’t you prepare the documents? See if I sign them or not. I dare you.” With this, Janis knew Edmont would have to yield. She pushed the glass of water toward Edmont, saying, “Rather use this on you to cool off, and for heaven’s sake, put those away.” She was eyeing the tools he was working on.
“Huh! Have you grown two wings now? Why? Do you have a lover outside now? Why would you want a divorce so badly? I won’t allow it. Let your lover rot with expectation, you filthy woman. I knew it! You are up to no good! That boy of yours must be a bastard child for him to not listen to my orders.” Edmont snarled as he hurled the sarcasm but put the tools away.
Edmont's hurling vile words meant he had lost his will. The word of Janis leaving him would incite gossip like wildfire. His reputation and family honor would be rolling in the dust. Janis knew Edmont.
“This coward is ready to lose everything but his image and reputation. That’s his biggest fear. Otherwise, which father doesn’t proudly show his son to others? What if Tom is slow at everything? Is he a bad human being? I never taught Tom to be like you, Edmont."Her inner thoughts continued to give her more courage and strength.
“He will never follow your footsteps. Tom, my son, is kinder than any other kid his age. He takes all the punishment you put him through gladly, in silence. My mute hero in shining armor! Taking all the tortures of the world and enduring them needs courage and mental fortitude. He has them because he’s my son.” Janis thought as she kept her resolute stare on Edmont.
“You had better put them away.”
Edmont snickered.
“You think if you do this, I will divorce you? Is that what you want so badly? Then you’ll never get it.” He put his tools back in their places.
A twisted smile faintly appeared on the corner of her mouth for a second but sneakily vanished. “Yes, that’s right! Put them back. You’ll never use them on Tom! Not on my watch.”
Janis gave him the ‘I dare you’ stare one last time and then silently left the study, closing the door behind her. “With this, Tom will be safe for now.” She thought.
As Janis came out of the room, she saw Tom standing like a criminal in fetters, awaiting judgment.
“Go to your room, and wait there. We need to have a talk.”
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