Misunderstood(COMPLETED)

The Beginning of the End

Mom and I moved into this small, country town when I was about seven years old I think. Dad was a soldier in the war and we never really got to see him much. She would tell me stories how he was gone to fight the bad guys and would be back soon, not to worry that he was okay.

People in town didn't seem to like us very much though. They used to say things about the way we dressed and kept to ourselves. Kids at school were mean always taking my stuff, throwing it on the ground, kicking it in the dirt. But I never fought back. Momma always told me to be strong, that I didn't need to fight to prove I was a better person.

But it hurt, it hurt like hell that I didn't have any friends. No one ever wanted to sit with me at lunch or play on the playground during recess.

One morning I woke hearing voices in the kitchen. I ran down the stairs as quick as I could. There he was, he was home, my Dad was finally home.

I remember how he looked, dressed in his uniform adorned with metals and patches. I walked closer, to finally hug him, but all he did was push me aside, telling me to go in the other room. I did as I was told, desperately holding back the tears welling in my eyes as I heard him speak to my mother.

"I only came back to tell you face to face, I figured I at least owed you that. I've found someone else, she's a nurse, she took care of me when I was wounded. We're in love" he explained matter of factly.

"No, this is not happening. What about us, our love, our son. You don't love her, you only think you do because she was there when you were vulnerable. We're your family, not some man stealing whore" she exclaimed.

"Don't you understand, there is no us, there never was. And he's your son, not mine remember. And you're calling her a whore? You're the one who was pregnant before I met you " he barked.

I stood at the doorway watching as they argued, my heart pounding, tears flowing. "Why dad, why" I screamed but he never seemed to hear me. I watched as he went to their room, grabbing a suitcase, stuffing all his things into it. He hesitated for a moment looking at a picture of the two of them, then flipped it over on the dresser.

Making his way to the front door my mother pleaded he not leave her, leave us. He merely shrugged her off. I ran to her, she placed her arm around me as we followed him to the front porch. I could see the other woman as she hid behind the fresh linens on the clothesline. She was blond, younger, pretty but not as pretty as my mom.

She cried out one more time as he walked towards the blond, but he never looked back. He slid the sheet aside, wrapped his arm around her as they walked down the long driveway.

I never saw him again. Mom was never the same after that. The town's people treated us even worse when they learned the truth about us. Mom had to do odd jobs to make ends meet because we no longer had the support of my dad. Hmmpf, my dad. The only man I ever knew to be my father, really wasn't. She always told me we would be ok, that I was the man of the house now, to accept it and move on. But I couldn't.

It wasn't long after that things began to break down at the house. I was too young, had no idea how to fix anything no matter how hard I tried. And Mom, well the only thing she knew was how to cook, clean and wait tables at the local diner. After awhile some of the people she met at work, mostly men, would offer to fix things around the house for her.

Sometimes, after school, I would sit and watch when they worked on the kitchen sink or in the bathroom, hoping to learn how to do it so they wouldn't have to come around anymore. I didn't like the way they treated my mom always patting her behind as she walked past them.

There was this one guy, he was around more than any other, at first. Then there were more, especially after I went to bed. One night I heard a commotion coming from my mother's room. I peeked in the door, this man with long hair was trying to take her clothes off. She pushed him away but he slapped her and forced her on her bed. I froze, I wanted to stop him but I couldn't move. He turned his head, he saw me and started to come towards me. I ran down stairs and out the door as fast as I could.