Chapter 11 - Conrad
"What the hell is this?" Conrad demanded, his voice thick with disbelief.
The two boys turned quickly, their jovial smiles fading once they realized they'd been caught. Steven discreetly dropped the cigarette behind his back, covering it up with the heel of his shoe—a gesture that did not go unnoticed by his father.
A look of disgust eased its way across Conrad's face. "You think I don't know what you boys are up to? You think I was born yesterday?" He clicked his tongue in distaste and continued to stare waiting for a response, but neither boy offered one. "Where did you get the cigarettes?" he asked, fixing his dark gaze on Steven.
Steven's eyes dropped to the ground and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "I found two packs in the garage," he answered quietly, his shaky voice barely audible.
"You found them in the garage?" Conrad repeated slowly. "And are they yours?"
Steven swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, sir," he whispered.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I said...no, sir."
"Listen here, boy! Why don't you act like a man and look at me when I talk to you?"
Slowly, Steven lifted his head, his frightened eyes meeting his fathers. "I said, no, sir."
"Well, then. Whose are they?"
Steven began to fidget underneath his father's harsh glare. "They're yours."
Conrad's brows knotted together. "Yes, they are, aren't they?" He held out his hand. "Hand them over."
Steven reached inside the pockets of his hoodie, pulling out two packs of cigarettes. He handed over one full pack and another with only a half a smoke left inside.
Conrad stared at his son for a moment, the muscle in his jaw beginning to twitch. "Jacob," he said finally, turning toward the frightened twelve-year-old. "I think it's time for you to go home. If I catch you smoking my cigarettes again I'm calling your parents."
Jacob nodded nervously, his eyes darting toward his friend.
"Don't you worry about Steven," Conrad continued, catching the shared look between the boys. "I'll make sure he doesn't influence you in this way again."
Jacob hesitated a moment before finally running off, leaving Steven alone with his father.
Conrad watched the young boy race across the yard, his jaw clenching in irritation. "So, you and your friend stole my cigarettes and then hid behind the garage to smoke them and you thought I wouldn't notice? What kind of fool do you think I am?"
Steven's eyes widened. "I don't think you're a fool," he said quickly, shaking his head in protest. "I just... We—"
"You just what?" Conrad shouted, causing a nearby dog to bark in response. He rocked back on his heels. "You wanted to see what it was like? You wanted to act like a man?"
Steven shrugged his shoulders slightly and looked up at his father through long eyelashes. "I guess so."
"And do you think real men steal?"
He opened his mouth and then closed it again, shaking his head instead.
"How about this?" Conrad began, his voice changing tone. "What do you say we smoke together?"
Conrad watched as Steven studied him carefully, his expression a mask of suspicion. "Don't look at me like that—I'm serious. Let's do this together. You want to try smoking, I'll light one up with you. How about it?"
Steven's mouth dropped. "Uh... Okay, I guess so."
"Wonderful. Let's go into the house and see if your mother wants to join us." Conrad put his arm around Steven's slender shoulder and lead him across the plush lawn toward the patio doors. They passed a large, oval pool sitting off to the side, the gentle ripples from the breeze making its way across the length.
"Wait, no!" Steven protested, stepping back from his father's grasp. "I don't think she'll like that. She's going to say no."
Conrad stopped and gripped Steven's arms tightly. "She's not going to say no. Your mother does what I tell her to do. She knows the man is the master of the house. I'm the one who works and I'm the one who pays the bills. She obeys me. It would be wise for you to learn that now. No woman is going to tell me what to do. Especially when I'm paying her way. If you remember nothing else from me, you remember this: Men lead and women follow. That's the way it's always been and that's the way it will always be. And any woman who doesn't understand her place needs to be taught a lesson."
He pulled Steven along as they climbed the teak stairs of the deck. "Elizabeth," Conrad called loudly after they entered the kitchen. "Come here." He pulled out a kitchen chair and had Steven sit down. Reaching into the mahogany cabinet, he retrieved a bottle of vodka. "First things first," he said, glancing at Steven over his shoulder. "A cigarette is not a cigarette without a cocktail on the side."
Conrad poured the clear liquid into two small, glass tumblers. "The first rule is, drink it hard and drink it fast." He placed the beverage in front of his son, and sat down in the chair beside him. "The second rule is, never drink on an empty stomach. When was the last time you ate?"
Steven's face crumbled in confusion. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Lunchtime, I guess."
Conrad held up his wrist and glanced at the silver Rolex. "Ouch. It's been awhile." He cringed. "Okay, this is probably going to hurt. Guess it'll be a learning experience for you."
Steven's eyes went wide with surprise. "You're not actually going to make me drink this, are you?"
"Of course I am. You want to play like the big boys then I'm going to teach you how to do it right."
He slipped the half-smoked butt from the pack and placed it between his lips. Reaching into the pocket of his dress jacket, Conrad recovered a lighter buried inside and gave it a flick, bringing the quivering flame to the tip of the cigarette. He drug in deeply, allowing his lungs to expand with the warm, smoky air. Slowly, he exhaled, then raised the drink to his lips, tipping back the contents inside.
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, stepping into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw the glass of alcohol sitting in front of her son. "Conrad... What are you—"
"I'm teaching Steven how to be a man," he said, interrupting her. "Your son stole my cigarettes from the garage because he wanted to see what smoking was like. But he was doing it all wrong. Lucky for him, I'm going to teach him the proper way to enjoy a nicotine break."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "You can't be serious?"
"Oh, I'm dead serious," Conrad said, nodding his head toward the drink. "We're starting off with a smoke, then we're going to share a drink together."
He watched as his wife's face paled. "Please, don't do this," she whispered. "He's only twelve! He's too young for this nonsense."
"I disagree. He was going to smoke behind the garage with no problem. Now, he gets to smoke with me, instead. Isn't that right?" he said, looking at the frightened boy.
Steven didn't answer. His eyes were pleading as his gaze met his mother's.
"I won't let you do this, Conrad. Steven does not need to have a cigarette or a drink. I think he's learned his lesson, don't you? Look at him—he's terrified!"
Conrad lifted the box off cigarettes and turned it upside down, giving it a shake. "Uh, oh. Looks like this one's empty." He took another long drag. "We'll have to open this box now." A long, stream of smoke slid from his lips as he pulled the plastic wrap away from the box. "You get to start a fresh pack, you lucky kid! There's nothing like that first smoke from the box. That's when they're the freshest, you know." The slender, white roll slipped out, and Conrad handed it to Steven. "Put it between your lips and give it a hug. I'll light it for you."
Steven stared motionless at the cigarette in Conrad's hand. Finally, he shook his head. "I changed my mind. I don't want to try it."
"You don't want to try it?" Conrad asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"No, thank you."
Conrad clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "That's too bad. You're smoking it." He pushed Steven's hand toward his face, forcing the cigarette inside his mouth. He flicked the lighter and held the flame to the tip. "You need to suck in so it'll light."
Steven's eyes were wide with fear as he obeyed his father. Slowly, he took in a mouthful of smoke, letting it slide quickly out.
Conrad nodded his head in approval. "Nice job, Steven. Now you just need to inhale."
A look of confusion flitted across the boy's face. "What do you mean? I did inhale."
He let out an ill-humored chuckle. "No, you didn't. Inhale the smoke deep into your lungs, not just inside your mouth. You'll know when you do it right. Try again."
"Conrad, don't do this to him. He's just a child," Elizabeth pleaded.
Slamming his fist down on the table, Conrad screamed, "A child who needs to grow up! If you're not going to join us, then you can leave. You're killing all the fun."
Elizabeth's face was heavy with worry and disapproval. Her eyes moved from her husband then to her son and her expression softened. She opened her mouth to say something but turned away instead, quietly walking out of the room.
"Alright," he said, nodding toward Steven. "Go ahead."
Steven took another deep drag, this time allowing the smoke to enter his lungs. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and his face turned red. Coughing loudly, Steven released a thick cloud of vapor from his mouth in ragged spurts.
"Okay, now take a drink," Conrad insisted, pushing the glass toward him.
With a shaky hand, Steven lifted the tumbler to his lips, inviting the clear liquid inside. But before he could swallow it all down, he spit the beverage out, the droplets splattering across the kitchen table. "I'm think I'm going to be sick," he confessed, choking violently.
Conrad let out a loud laugh and raised his glass. "Cheers, my boy! Welcome to manhood." He took another pull on his cigarette and slapped Steven on the back before downing his drink in one swallow. "You might want to hold off getting sick. You're not finished here yet."
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Hello, and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! This was another ugly peek into Conrad and Steven's troubled life. It's not too difficult to see why Steven ended up the way he did. If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a vote/comment.
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My dedicate for this chapter goes to a new Wattpadder named NikkiDAllen. She is sharing a collection of startling poems she found in her daughter's room after she unexpectedly passed away. In between her daughter's work, she is sharing her own words and stories from her daughter's life. So far, I have been deeply touched by what I have read. If you're looking for something new and unique, stop by her profile and check it out, it's called Words A Mother Never Heard.
Next, I want to give a shout-out to readers in Jamaica, Australia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria! Thank you so much for reading! XO