The Coldest Winter.

6.

It was Sunday evening, dinner was already ate, homework was already tended to and the wicked witch of the East was already sound asleep in her room. This was also another passing fling. When she's asleep or gone for the night, which isn't very often, I can actually talk to my cousin unsupervised. Now was my chance.
"Cuz, do you really like living here?" I asked changing the channel to Good Times. It was the only thing remotely interesting in the 7 channels we had on that raggedy box tv.
He looked me in my eyes, something he hadn't did in a long time and said, "Yeah, I actually kinda do."
I shook my head to myself thinking how? How could he like such a home?
Before I could respond he chimed in, breaking my thoughts apart.
"Why? You don't like living here?"
Was this a trick question?
"Of course I don't."
"Well you better get use to it, it's not like you have anywhere else to go."
"I don't understand how you cannot see."
"See what?"
"How she treats me!"
"Hey, lower your voice before she wakes up. She doesn't treat you that bad."
I can't believe what the hell I just heard, so he DOES see this shit going on. What is she telling him?
"Are you serious Nate? I get table scraps, while you eat like a king, I can't set foot outside this house unless it's to go to school, I can't eat anything without getting beat on." I said trying to hold back the tear in my eye.
"Stop, your making up stories now."
I hopped on my feet and cut on the lamp right beside us and pointed to the long red scratch that ever so brightly glowed upon my face.
"Does this look like I'm lying? She slapped me twice the other day, if you hadn't came in, who knows how many more times she would've done it!"
Nate tried his best to not face me, he even turned off the lamp.
"She didn't hit you Isaiah, you must've fallen over or somethin', she wouldn't do that."
"You really don't believe me?" I said voice cracking into bits and pieces of defeat.
"I don't. Cause I know she didn't do it."
"But she did!" I said with clenched teeth.
"Whatever, well stop doing what your doing to make her hit you."
"So you want me to stop living pretty much right?"
He turned off the tv and wrapped the covers around him.
"I'm going to sleep, you should do the same."
And with that he left me, alone with my thoughts and my saddened heart. He really didn't believe me. What else was I suppose to do to make him? I had proof, evidence but he remained on her side. A side not even wound by our family's blood. She was a nobody, just someone who took us in, this can't be how the rest of our lives are meant to play out. Please God let there be something else coming.