Chapter Fifteen - The Past Brought to the Present
«Adam»
We sat in the living room. Jace had put me on big chair only big enough for one person. Everyone else sat in front on me on chairs and sofa.
"So, are you going to explain?" Harold, the cop, asked.
I took a deep breath, a not in my throat. "I was abused . . . sexually . . . by my . . ." I tried off. Disgust travelling through my body.
"Mother?" Mary asked, I shook no, covering my eyes for a second as tears filled them.
"Father?" Jace said with a quiet voice. I nodded, taking in a deep shaky breath.
I removed my hand, looking at them all. "My . . . father," my voice became high as I said the word. Chocking on it as tears fell down my face. I hadn't said that word in six years. "For five years . . . until I was ten."
"So it started you were five?" Harold asked as if he was interviewing me.
"Kids usually don't remember things when that young, but I remember. God, I remember. Every detail, every word, every . . . touch that I didn't understand until I was laying in the bag of filth called my body. If . . . if only I could forget . . . forget . . ."
"Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday!" I yelled back as I blew out the candles on my cake.
"How does it feel to be five big man?" Dad asked, cutting me the biggest piece of cake he could.
"Awesome! Imma big boy now!" I yelled proudly, a smile on my face. Five years old meant you were a big boy, dad explained that too me last year.
"Yes you are!" He shot back laughing, handing me my place of cake and ice cream.
I shoveled it in my face as if it would disappear. "When's mom going to come home?" I asked.
He patted my head, giving me a small smile. "Not for a few days buddy, sorry she had to work on you're birthday."
"It's okay!" I beamed, "We can have fun by ourselves!"
He chuckled, ruffling up my hair. "And that's just what we'll do!"
We finished our cake and ice cream, opened presents, joked around and watched a movie past my bed time. I, of course, got what I wanted for my birthday. I got a big boy bike without training wheels. I couldn't wait to ride it, but I had to wait until mom came home so she could see me.
"Hey bud, I have a surprise for you," Dad smiled, shaking me as the movie ended. I was tired, and it was way past my bed time. Not that it was a problem, but I just want to go to sleep.
"What is it?" I asked, my eyes half closed.
"Come on," he said, tugging on my arm.
I got up, yawning, and slowly followed him to his and Mom's room. I walked in to see candles, red flowers, and red flower petals all over the bed. I saw dad give on of those red flowers to mom before.
"So, what do you think?" Dad asked, looking at me with a proud look on his face
"Good job," I said, just to be nice. Maybe he was going to let me sleep in his room tonight. Mom always did when dad was gone for the night.
He picked me up, and I leaned against him, ready to sleep in his arms. He sat on the bed, lightly stroking my hair.
"You know daddy loves you, right Adam?" He asked.
"I know, I love you too," I hummed out, my eyes closed and body curled up in his arms.
"Adam, can you get up for a second?" He asked.
"Yes," I sighed, getting off his lap and sitting on the floor in front of me.
"I need you to stand," he smiled, chuckling as I groaned and stood up. "Can you take your clothes off?" He asked.
"Why? Am I going to take a bath?" I asked, pulling down my shorts.
"Soon, yes," he smiled, pulling off my shirt as I held my arms up.
I stood there, naked, tired and ready to sleep. "Can I go to bed yet?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"No yet," dad said, pulling his own shirt off.
"Why are you getting undressed? Are you going to get changed?" I asked.
"Soon," he smiled, dropping his pants, showing his private parts. "Adam, you know I love you, right?" He asked again.
"Yes, I love you too," I said as dad picked me up and put me on the bed.
"Can I show you how much?" He asked.
I put my arms out, "This much?" I asked.
"Nope, even more."
I strained my arms out as far as I could, "This much?" I smiled.
"Even more."
"How much?" I giggled.
"This much," he said leaning towards me and giving me a kiss.
Mom always kissed me before going to work, or dropping me off at school, sometimes dad did to, but this was different.
Dad put his tongue in my mouth, which felt nasty. I pushed away from him, wiping my mouth. "Daddy, that's not how we kiss," I complained.
"How do we kiss?" He asked.
"Like this," I said, leaning up and giving him a quick small kiss on the lips, but as I tried to pull away he grabbed me, putting his tongue in my mouth again. I tried to push away, but he held me too tight. Finally, he pulled away, a happy look on his face.
"I don't like that," I whined, wiping my mouth again. "It feels weird."
"Adam, Daddy loves you," he said.
I didn't say anything this time.
"You love daddy right?" He said a twisted smile on his face.
Silence.
"Adam?" He said, angry
"Adam!"
I looked over at Jace, blinking, remembering where I was.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah," I coughed, wiping my cheeks. "I suffer from RTS," I just said, trying to pick off from where left.
"What?" Charlie asked.
"Rape Trauma Syndrome, which explained why he freaked out when I pinned up against the wall," Harold explain.
"Then why did you give that killer scream when Jace grabbed your ankle?" Charlie asked. He was so calm, as if he was talking about the lightest subject in the world.
I stayed silence for a second. "I would hide in the closet in his room when he brought me in his room and locked me in. . . He would find me there, grab me by the ankles . . . and drag me out . . ."
"How many times were you raped?" Charlie asked.
"Charlie!" Mary yelled.
"I stopped counting after on hundred and seven," I answered, making everyone look at me in shock.
"That's not even possible," Charlie shot back.
"After two years, my mother going on week long business trips and him locking me in his room the whole time, it was."
Everyone just remain silent. Uncomfortable was an understatement at the point. I felt like a fish that just climb a tree, I shouldn't have done that, shouldn't even be able to but did. That's what it was like telling them the truth.
"How did it end?" Harold asked.
"Jena, my mom, walked in on us. Coming home early from a trip. Saw us, made him leave, and beat the crap out of me. Last I heard he moved to California."
"Wait, he's here?" Jace asked, shocked. "You're mom didn't get him arrested?"
"No, she didn't, because it was my fault he did that to me so she let him leave as long as she got a pay day and never saw him again," I laughed. "Mother of the year award."
Silence filled the room, not even Charlie was willing to say anything.
"Well, this was fun and all, but I should got home. I miss the smell of alcohol as it's pours from my mother's breath," I laughed, standing up only to have my leg give out. My knees cracked against their wooden floors. I kept my smile in tact and struggled to stand.
Jace got up and grabbed me, picking me up and putting me back in the chair. "You're not going home," he said.
"Yeah, I know. I was going to find a park bench to live for the next six days," I laughed, trying to stand again. "Let's not be so serious, bad stuff happens to everyone right?"
"Adam, sit down," Rick said.
"Sorry, I just got a phone call, my brother's in the hospital and I need to go now," I gave an obvious lie, not even having a real brother.
"Sit down!" He barked, making me jump. I just set myself on the floor and started crawling away.
Jace got up again, just to pick me up and hold me in his arms this time.
"Can't you guys just let this go?" I snapped. "I'm damaged goods, fucking what? Let me get on my way."
"You need to file a a report and give his name. You're still in the statue of limitations. He can still be charged," Harold said.
"What is this Law and Order SVU? I know that already. If I wanted to press charges I would have. Anyway, I have no proof other than what I say and there's no way Jena would testify. Stay out of my way and let me life my life, it's not even that bad," I said, crossing my arms, breathing deep to keep myself from bursting into tears again.
"Adam," Harold started.
"Can you put me down? Or walk me to my car so I can leave?" I looked up at Jace.
"Adam--"
"No!" I interrupted Jace. "I don't want any of this. I just want to college and live my life!"
"If ya want to leave then you have to go home," Rick said.
"Dad--" Jace started.
"No boy, he dug his grave, he can lay it in if he want," Rick said, crossing his arms.
"Make sure to stomp on the dirt when I'm completely covered," I shot at him, he just ignore my comment. "My duffel bag is up stairs if someone can get it for me."
"I'll go get it," Charlie said, jumping up and running up stairs.
"Okay, let's get ready to go," Rick said.
"Wait what?" I asked, they were coming?
"We're all coming, except Harold. Our family will promise not to tell anyone about you," he said and I just clenched my jaw. I knew there was no use arguing.
"I'll take you to the car," Jace said, carrying me out and placing me in the passenger seat of my rust bucket on wheels.
After a few minutes we all left.