Chapter One- Saint
“You worthless piece of shit,” my dad growls. “What the fuck is this?” He bellows in my face the smell of alcohol, strong on his breath.
“That’s all they gave me, papa,” I say to him.
In his hands are my wages, all week I’ve grafted my ass off in the fields, and what he has in his hands is a standard wage for someone of my age. At fifteen years of age, I was forced to work in the fields collecting crop for twenty dollars a week.
Fred, my boss—took pity on me when I told him I’m the only man in my house and I need to help my mama earn money to help feed her and my little sister. He didn’t know my papa sat on his fuckin’ ass day and night while me and mama worked ourselves to the bone. Twenty dollars was a lot for a kid my age, my papa didn’t think so though. “Papa, that’s a lot for someone my age,” I tell him.
“Who you speakin’ to like that, boy?” He growls angrily as stumbles toward me.
“I’m sorry—I,” I say before he backhands me across the face making me drop to the floor.
“Disrespectful little runt” he bellows. “I’ll teach you some manners” he chuckles darkly as I hear the buckle of his belt.
“Daddy” I hear a soft trembling voice say.
My head snaps quickly to my little sister who is stood at the foot of the stairs. “What are you doin’ outta your room?” He bellows at her making her jump.
“I heard shouting” she trembles.
“Get the fuck back up those stairs before I have you tasting this metal” he growls darkly hold his belt up.
“Michael” she whimpers looking at me.
“It’s okay, sunshine—go back upstairs, I’ll come to tuck you in, in a bit,” I say softly with a small smile, the movement has me wincing as I’m pretty sure I’ve got a bruise there from the backhanding papa just gave me.
“Daddy, he’s hurt,” she says, boldly stepping closer.
“What the fuck—” dad growls angrily. “I’ll fuck show you hurt, you little bitch,” he says stepping towards her.
“NO!” I bellow clutching at his leg stopping his movements. “Elora” I beg. “Please, little sis—go to your room, now—oooffh” that earns me a swift kick to the ribs.
“Don’t you touch me, you little cunt” dad spits angrily.
“I want my mommy” Elora sobs.
“You want your mommy?" He whines teasing her. “You fuckin’ stop that cryin’ girl, or I’ll give you somethin’ to cry about” he growls raising his hand as if he’s going to hit her.
“Don’t you touch her” I growl.
“Why?” He chuckles darkly. “What’re you gonna do? fuckin’ pussy boy”
“I’ll kill you if you touch her” I vow.
He loud booming laugh echoes through the house. ”You? Kill me? Don’t make me fuckin’ laugh”
“Elora, go to your room—now" I growl.
“But” she cries.
“NOW!!!” I shout making her jump with fright but she turns and runs up the stairs sobbing.
“Well, well, maybe you’re just like me after all” he chuckles. “Eh, Boy,” he says kicking me once more whilst drinking his whisky from the bottle.
“I’m nothin’ like you” I hiss. “You’re a monster”
“A monster, am I?” He laughs humourlessly as his dark eyes fix on mine. “Let’s just see how monstrous I can be then shall we?” he says before his boot comes down hard on my head several times, I start to blackout when suddenly I hear. “Oh, my god—stop, Abel, what’re you doin’ you’re gonna kill im’ ” I hear my mama’s voice cry frantically.
“Oh, here she is— the whore, tell me, wife, who’ve you been spreadin’ your legs for today?” He slurs.
“What?” She cries. “You’re drunk, put the bottle down and go to bed” she pleads.
“Don’t fuckin’ tell me what to do” he grunts.
I hear my mom cry out and something smash, followed by a thump. I try my best to lift my head, open my eyes, fuckin’ anything. “Mama” I croak.
“Fuckin’ whore should of kept her mouth shut—” he slurs. “Smashed a good bottle of whiskey as well, stupid cow”
“Mama” I call out weakly again reaching out for her. “What’ve you done to her?” I grunt in pain.
“The whore should have just shut her damn mouth” he growls drunkenly. “She didn’t, so I shut it for her” he chuckles.
“Now—I gotsta finds me some more booze,” he says to himself. “Here, booze—boozey” I hear his voice goin further away from me then the door slams shut.
“Mama?” I croak. “Mama, wake up,” I tell her wincing as I force my swollen eyes open as far as they’ll let me.
There on the floor is my mama, with a pool of blood around her head, my heart leaps into my throat at the sight before me, knowing this much blood can’t be good. “Mama” I sob as I crawl over to her as quickly as my pained body allows me to.
I shake her frantically. “Mama”
“Mama?” Elora says softly. “Mama” she cries as she kneels next to me.
“Elora” I croak. ” I need you to do something for me”
“What?” She sobs.
“I need to be a brave girl for me, and go next door to Mrs Johnstone—tell her, we need her,” I say wincing as pain shoots to my ribs.
“But papa?” She says in a scared tone.
“Shit—okay, just in case, go through the back way—can you do that for me? Can you be my brave little sunshine?”
“Okay,” she says softly before running through the kitchen and out the backdoor.
Minutes later, I hear Mrs Johnstone’s Gasp as she sees the scene before her. “Michael, Oh, dear Lord—what has he done to you” she cries.
“Mama” I croak in pain.
I see her kneel down beside me as she checks my mom over. Her head suddenly drops, then starts to tremble. “Oh, my sweet boy—I’m so sorry” she croaks and I know that my mama is gone, he took her from me, from Elora.
“No” I sob. “Mama, please—please, wake up, I need you, Elora needs you, please" I beg shaking mama’s still body.
“I’m so sorry, Michael” Mrs Johnstone sobs.
But I can’t believe she’s gone, I won’t believe it. “She’s just sleepin’, ain’t that right mama, she’s got a headache, she always goes to sleep when she has a headache. Sleep makes it better, Mrs Johnstone, you told me that” I say more to myself than to Mrs Johnstone.
“No, sweet child—” she coos trying to console me.
“Stop it” I hiss pushing her away from me. “Where’s Elora?” I ask her.
“I told her to call the police,” she says. “She told me to come over to you straight away, as you needed my help, and I told her to call for help—she’ll be back any second now”
“Let me check you over, Michael” Mrs Johnstone says as she touches my face.
“Don’t” I say avoiding her touch. “I’m okay”
I hear the sirens then, in the distance. “I called them, I got help, I was brave, Michael” Elora’s sweet voice comes running back into the house.
I sniffle to myself as my little sister touches my leg. “The ambulance will make you and mama all better soon,” she says happily.
“Police” a voice calls out from the door.
“In here, officer” Mrs Johnstone calls out.
“Jesus Christ,” the police officer says above me. “Are you okay, young man? Can you tell me who did this?”
“Papa, did it—he was very angry, wasn’t he Michael?” Elora says softly.
“Okay, sweet girl—how about you go and have a play in your room, so I can have a little chat with your brother, would that be okay?” The officer asks Elora.
“Michael?” Elora asks worriedly.
“It’s okay, sunshine—I’ll be okay,” I tell her.
“Okay, But then you have to make him and my mama feel all better, okay?” Before she skips off happily unaware that her mama isn’t coming back.
“What’s your name, son?” The police officer asks me.
“Michael, Michael Saint—sir,” I tell him as I wipe the tears I didn’t know had dropped from my cheeks.
“Okay, Michael, my name is Officer Morris, But you can call me Louis,” he tells me in a warm and friendly voice. “How about we go into the living room—”
“NO!” I shout. “I’m not leaving her,” I tell him adamantly.
“That’s fine, it’s okay son,” Louis says softly. “How about you tell me what happened, an then we’ll get you checked over, Okay?”
I nod and tell him everything from when papa got angry to when he attacked mama. “Has he ever hit you or your mama before today?” Louis asks me.
“I told Elena, I told her she should have left his ass ages ago,” Mrs Johnstone says angrily. “She was scared, but she loved the bastard”
“Has he hit you before, Michael?” Louis asks me again.
I nod without making eye contact, I hear Louis sigh sadly as another knock comes on the door. “Paramedics” the voice shouts.
“In here” Louis shouts.
“Jesus Christ” a woman gasps as she enters the house.
“Hey, Joslyn—can you check over Michael here, please?” Louis asks her.
“Sure,” she says and I hear them whispering to each other.
“Hey, It’s Michael, right?” Joslyn asks me.
“Yeah,” I say sadly.
“My names Joslyn, am I okay to check you over, sweetie?” She asks me.
I nod not saying anything else when suddenly I hear a bang. “Elenaaaaaaa, where’s my supper?” Papa slurs.
I hear him stumble closer. “Elena,” he slurs. “Boy, wake your mama up—who are you, and what’re you doin in my house?”
How he didn’t even notice the police cars and ambulance, I don’t know—probably too drunk to even notice.
For the first time since he left, I force myself to stand, ignoring every painful movement as I try to open my eyes to look at him. “She’s dead," I bellow angrily, my heart breaks as I acknowledge the truth of my words. “You fuckin’ killed my mama”
He chuckles darkly. “Nah, she’s just sleepin’ is all—Elena wake up”
Louis steps closer to him reaching for dads hand as he cuffs one of his wrists, he has other officers with him standing by. “Abel Saint, I’m arresting you on the murder of your wife Elena Saint—”
Dad looks to Louis confused shaking off his hold on dads wrist as he looks to mama on the floor. “She’s not dead, Elena—Elena, Baby, tell them,” he slurs as he kneels before her, his hand’s cup the back of her head and frowns in confusion once more before his eyes widen as he realises he’s covered in blood. ”Ohhhhh, noooo—Elena” he shakes her. “Elena, baby, I’m so sorry baby, please—come back to me” he croaks as tears cascade down his cheeks. ”Elenaaaaaaaa" he wails in sorrow, rocking back and forth, then looks at me. “Son” he croaks reaching me.
"Don’t you fuckin’ touch me—you killed my mama” I cry angrily.
“I didn’t—I didn’t mean to, she wouldn’t shut up—I” He croaks. “Oh, god, what have I done?" He wails rocking mama in his arms, his face in her neck as his body shakes with sorrow.
“Daddy?” Elora’s soft voice echoes in the silent room.
“Elora, baby—daddy’s so sorry, I didn’t mean to take your mama away from you—I’m so sorry, sweet pea, please forgive me” he pleads as he tries to crawl to her. “You believe me, don’t you?” he croaks.
She looks confused from his words when suddenly they register as she looks at my tears stained face. “Mama?” she cries.
Louis and the other officers stop dad from reaching Elora, arresting him then, cuffing his other wrist whilst reading him his rights. All the while dad’s begging for us for forgiveness as they start to take him from the house.
“Hey,” I shout as they get to the doorway, they turn, my dad’s cheeks have tears falling down. “I want you to know, that I will never forgive you for this—never" I tell him before his head drops and his body shakes with sorrow before he’s taken from the house, his cries are heard still until he’s placed in the police car and taken away.
“I should have saved her” I whisper to myself. “I wasn’t strong enough”
I should have saved my mama...
