Monday, March 21, 2011

Father and Son

FATHER AND SON
A short story by Diana Weeks

Erik’s first born; Cory was seven, his sister Paulette, four. The family had just moved into a new neighborhood…because Erik got promoted to assistant manager of a big grocery store and makes more money than the… public housing project they lived in…allowed…in 1958, Austin.

The rent on the three bedroom they now live in costs more than Erik’s raise…Betty finds a job to help but there are no neighborhood playmates, for Cory and Paulette. The project was filled with TU student’s families… an average of three kids in each apartment. Erik dropped out of UT his senior year to take the full time job.

A pregnant teen age neighbor keeps the kids while Betty’s at the ad agency, but everyday during nap time…Paige is on the phone. Cory undoes the window screen and helps Paulette sneak off to go visit their friends at the project. Cory and Paulette are out of sight… by the time Paige hangs up.

Paige panics at the thought of losing her job. It allows her to pay her parents rent. They are already mad at her. A kidnapping…just what she needed. She calls Betty and tells her the children are missing from their naps.

Betty burst into tears, realizes that won’t help…and takes a deep breath… “I’ve got the car, I’ll pick up Erik. I don’t think anyone would take the kids.”

Paige mutters “No one who knows them”.

“Wait, we taught them how to open the window screen in case of a fire. They may have walked over to the project. We’ll go there first. You have his emergency number …call Erik and tell him to be out front of the store. Stay there Paige… in case the children get back!

Erik starts running toward their 1952 Chevy and opens the door and jumps in...Before Betty can completely stop. Erik is crying. “Have you called the police? Paige thinks they’ve been kidnapped.”

Betty had never before seen tears on her husbands’ cheeks. She takes his face between her hands and kisses him. ”We’ll find them”. But no one they knew at the project has seen the children. The now silent parents drive up and down the streets between…and find the kids sitting on a curb… lost.

As soon as they get back to their house, Erik, a thoroughly frightened father takes off his belt and starts whipping Cory, who jumps around his father in a circle… his hands trying to protect his bottom from the leather waving in the air….Cory is yelling “Help, help” and Erik is ordering “Hold still”.
Suddenly, Cory shrieks loudly and holds out his left hand towards Betty. Cory’s’ little finger hangs at an un-natural angle; Paulette sobs “Don’t hurt my brother”!

Erik knew he went too far. “Betty can you get me back to work and take Cory to the hospital?”

“Oh no you don’t”, tears fill Betty’s’ eyes. “You were so scared he would run away again…you didn’t know what you were doing. Well Erik, you can explain to the doctor.”

Betty picks up Paulette and walks to the next room... Paulette leans over her mothers’ shoulder and sticks her tongue out toward Cory who sticks his tongue out at his sister…and wiggles it. Paulette laughs.

Erik clears his throat. Cory looks at his bent finger…and back at his daddy. “I think I hit it on the corner of the coffee table trying to get away.”

Eirk looks at his son and pulls Cory into his arms. Cory hugs his father’s neck with his right hand “We didn’t run away… we didn’t have anybody to play with.”

“You have your sister.” Erik told his son.

“She’s nobody!” Cory explains. “Can’t we move back?”

His father holds him,“Cory, you are one fast twirling kid. Maybe you’ll be a quarterback someday. And I’ll come to all your games…and say, I taught him everything he knows”.

The father-son laughter lures Betty. She comes in with a pillowcase pinned to make a sling and puts it around Cory to hold his arm and hand. She gets down on her knees to adjust the sling. “There, Cory, we don’t want you to leave without permission ever .again.”

Cory nods agreement and smiles. Betty gasps. “You’ve got a loose tooth. I’ll pull it in the morning.”

“I want dad to do it tonight when we get back”

Betty looks out a window, cups her hand above her eyes, “There’s the tooth ferry outside now…look”…Paulette and Cory peer out..”Oh, now she’s hiding?” Erik winks at Betty. She winks back.

THE END
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED