Secrets, Deals and Lies

Chapter 12 - The Dream

At some point the boy and I stopped running around and sat on the grass, he smiled and we both laughed. He gave me a bracelet he was wearing and said that he will never for­get me, I gave him a hug and said thank you, and I told him I would come back again and invite him for a game of hide ‘n seek at my house.

My parents finally come and pick me up, they look tired and angry, a look that I have never seen before.

I smile when I first see them jumping up and hugging them tight as if I haven’t seen them for years. When I turn around to introduce my new friend he’s gone, no sign of him at all and not even a name for me to remember.

My parents grew more and more angry and tired, and spent less time with me even less talking.

The men in black – were my enemies.

The bracelet was the only thing keeping me happy and not once did I take it off.

Once I cried begging my parents not to leave me again but neither of them listened and locked the door behind them, leaving me at home, alone.

At night I would pretend to sleep because whenever I did they both crept in and sat on my bed watching me. As I’d pretend to sleep; their breathing would soothe me as my eyes started to drift, they’d leave without me knowing as I had already fallen asleep not long after.

Sometimes they would talk about the baby in mum’s stomach and wondered whether it was a boy or girl and when they think it will come into our world.

I thought about that too, I couldn’t wait to be a big sister!

‘Happy Birthday, Baby. I love you.’ Mum grins kissing me on the forehead.

‘Happy birthday, Bub... You’re growing way too fast my little one.’ Dad laughs and cuddles me throwing me up in the air before putting me back down safely and giving me a peck on the cheek.

It was my 6th birthday and I was the happiest person alive; my parents finally talking to me and we were all together again, happy.

‘Thanks, mummy. Thanks, daddy. I love you so much!’ I laughed and giggled and gave them about a million hugs a minute and wished that everything would stay like this, forever.

For my birthday Dad gave me a new gorgeous pink bike with a doll seat at the back and a baby doll inside and pom-pom things sticking out of the handle bars. I squealed with delight and said ‘thank you’ before jumping onto him and giving him a big bear hug making him take a couple of steps back.  

Mum crouched down so she was eye-level with me, she gave me a peck on the cheek and said ‘I love you,’ once again.

Something about that I love you made me feel like something bad was going to happen, a shiver went down my spine and I jump on her softly making her fall onto her bottom, she laughs and groans as I the baby inside her kicks; I felt it too and giggled.

I hug her tight as if someone were to take her away from me before letting her go and looking down at her big belly. I touch my soon to be sibling and giggled at the thought, both Mum and Dad laughed with me before it broke into a nervous and awkward stop.  

When I looked up at mum’s face and she looked pale, all the blood drained out of her face. I turn in the direction she was looking at and it was them – the men in black. I didn’t know what this meant but it made my stomach churn and made me feel like grabbing Mum and Dad and tying them down onto a chair as if I was going to lose them both forever.

I turn to my Mum with the most fixated stare, at me. It felt like all of us were just standing there for hours. Mum gets up but bends down a bit and looks at me, eyes like an angel, smiles and then gives me a kiss on the cheek and the longest hug I’ve ever got from anyone.

When she looks at me again her eyes all puffy and nose almost as red as a clowns, she smiles at me a tear dripping half way down her cheeks and whispers, ‘I love you, forever and always. And I want you to know that I am always with you.’ She puts her warm hand on my chest where my heart is. ‘Take care of your daddy for me, okay?’ she takes off one of her ring on her right hand and paces it into my small palm.

She smiles and walks off looking like she’s about to cry, the men in black walking right behind her. As soon as they walked out the door I ran outside and threw a tantrum realising what was about to happen; crying and screaming, non-stop, punching and kicking everyone, until I could no longer fight anymore.

They wouldn’t let me get to my Mum no matter how hard I punched or kicked or even how loud I cried and screamed, a couple of the men in black held me so I wouldn’t run to my mum, I looked at her the whole time trying to ask her where and why she’s leaving but she wouldn’t meet my eyes or even look at me.

How could you do this to me? I wanted to scream. Why?

I realised I had lost my voice by the time my Mum had got in the car without a backward glance. Yet I still fought for one of the most important person in my life.

I realised just then that my father has been fighting just as well; swearing, screaming and cursing the men since they first came. He had a black eye and a cut across his left cheek, blood streaming down. He looks at me; fear in his eyes, contempt and anger.

Then one of the men grabs me…