Chapter 5 #2
“You’re going to be just fine living here.
We’ll make sure that you get better, and then we’ll figure out other things that go with having you live here.
Like things that you like to do. My mom and dad are looking forward to meeting the two of you, too.
” He asked if he had a lot of family, that he’d heard that he had a lot.
“I have five brothers and their wives. Your aunt and I have gotten married, so you’ll be safe living here.
Not that we’d not take care of you anyway, but this way, if it comes to it, we can say you’re our children if you need us to. Do you understand?”
“You’re going to be our parents if mom and dad go to jail.
It happened to my friend Colby. His parents are both in jail on drug stuff.
” He could tell that Marshall was getting tired again.
“I want to make sure that my sister is all right, but I don’t want to wake her up.
She was hurting pretty badly when Mom hit her with the bat. ”
“She’s got a broken arm, but she has pain medication to take like you do.
You just tell me when you need it, and I’ll make sure you have it.
” He said he just wanted to sleep. “Good for you. I’ll leave you to it for now, but I’ll check up on you throughout the night.
I don’t want anything to happen to either of you. ”
“I don’t either. Seeing my mom with that bat scared me something terrible.
I hope she gets in big trouble for hitting us.
I’m not supposed to say that, but I’m not lying when I tell you how scared I was that she was going to kill us this time.
” He asked how many other times she’d hit them.
“Whenever she has a bad day. Mostly, it’s when Dad is in jail.
When he gets caught, she gets lonely and does things that he would do to us, so we don’t forget him.
I’ll never forget him because of that. Momma thinks, too, that we need lessons in discipline.
I don’t know what that means, but it sure is painful when she teaches us. ”
After leaving the room, he made his way to the kitchen with the tray that Marshall had used.
He was so upset that he thought about going out into the yard and shifting to his great beast to run free for a while.
Standing at the door, he decided that he’d go and see Emmie first to see what she was doing.
When he found her asleep on the couch, he stripped down to his boxers and made his way outside.
He needed this more than he needed anything else right now.
Calling out to his brothers, he invited any one of them who could join him for a good run and tree climbing, and was happy that they all could join him.
It was nearly sunrise when he started to feel better and was glad that they’d been able to join him in feeling better.
Even Dallas said he’d needed the same thing, as he’d been having trouble today, too.
~*~
Mary Beth couldn’t believe they’d put her in jail.
She couldn’t see Bash, but she could hear him when he’d called out for her.
After a couple of times yelling for him, the officers told her to stop, or they’d put them in separate hallways, and they’d not be able to hear one another at all.
She didn’t realize that there were different halls in the jail, but believed them when they said that.
She just wanted her Bash and to be next to him.
She didn’t understand why they couldn’t share a jail cell. They were married after all.
“I’d like a pencil and paper to write letters to my Bash.
” They told her no, they were still getting her situated.
“I can be situated and have pencil and paper too. Just hand it over, and I’ll not tell anyone else.
I need to make sure he knows that I love him and that I’m not going to be able to visit him anymore until I get out of here. ”
“You’re not getting out of here until the judge comes around.
Even then, I’d not expect to be able to see the light of day for a while.
You hit a state officer and your kids. Not to mention all the other stuff that happened with your house in the welfare area.
” She told him what it was called. “I don’t care what it’s called.
You took advantage of the system, and they’re fighting back.
You should have taken better care of your stuff. ”
“I thought they had to give me a week’s notice.
” He told her that it would have taken a month to get some of the house cleaned up.
“I did let it get out of hand this time, but I was busy with seeing Bash all the time. If you hadn’t arrested him, then the house would have been in better shape.
See? Between you and my sister, this is all your fault. ”
“Your sister doesn’t even live around here. How is your nasty house her fault?” She told him about the bail money. “There is no bail money going to be paid if he doesn’t see the judge. I’ve told you that before. You just don’t want to listen.”
“I know my rights. He is entitled to bail when he’s in jail.
My sister said she’d pay it.” He was shaking his head even before she finished speaking.
“Yes, she did. She said that she’d pay me five grand so that I could get him out so that we could be together.
Now I’m in here too, and it’s going to cost her twice as much. ”
“I don’t think she’s going to pay for either of you to be getting out of jail.
She’s been taking care that things are mounting up for you and Bash so that you spend more time in jail.
” She called him a liar. “Believe what you will, but I’ve spoken to her since you were arrested.
She’s not even going to come and see you before the judge comes into town.
I think she’s washed her hands of you. Don’t you even care where your kids are right now? ”
“In the hospital. I put them there so that’s where they’ll stay until I get out of here.
And if anyone thinks I’m paying that hospital bill, they’re out of their mind, too.
I’m not. It’s not my responsibility to pay it when it’s all your fault that they’re in the place in the first place.
” He asked how she figured that. “You made me hit them when you came after me. Bash always told me that the police would help kids before they arrested you if you had them around. I guess he was wrong about that, too.”
“So you hit your kids, thinking that we’d take care that they’re all right before we arrested you?
That’s the stupidest thing that I’ve ever heard.
Of course, we’re going to arrest you first. You’re the one causing trouble by beating your children.
Not to mention the state guy that was there to inspect your house.
” She told him that they shouldn’t have been able to do that.
“Well, I guess you’re wrong about that, too.
When we had to go there when you were hurt, we took pictures.
It’s our job to make sure that you’re all living in a stable home environment when you’re living in the subsidized housing.
When we see something, we’re required by law to report it.
And since they had a report from us, they don’t need to give you any kind of notice when they come to inspect your home. ”
“That’s not right. You messed things up for me.
” She looked around the cell and saw that there was no one on either side of her.
“Why don’t you put Bash in one of the cells next to mine?
It’ll be nice for us to be together. I love him so much that I can’t stand to be without him.
It won’t cost you a dime to put him in there.
In fact, it’ll be easier when you have to bring us our meals, since we’re so close. ”
“No. You’re fine where you are.” He dropped off the jumpsuit and sheets for her bed. “Have that on before meal time, or you won’t get any food. If you don’t do it, we’ll have some of the officers do it for you. I’m serious right now. Get it done, or we’ll do it for you.”
She put the suit on because she knew it smelled better than the clothing she had on.
After that, she sort of made her bed. She didn’t make her bed at home, so why would they think she was going to be making her bed at the jail?
After sitting on the cot in clean clothing, she was happier than she’d been.
Now all she had to do was figure out what to do about Bash and getting him closer to her.
They’d not been sleeping apart, other than his jail cell days, since they’d gotten married.
He’d even stayed with her when she’d had the kids, much to the anger of the nurses at the hospital.
They just loved one another and didn’t care who knew it.
They were like two peas in a pod when it came to being together, and she hated being away from him even for a couple of hours.
Dinner was brought to her, and she couldn’t believe that they considered this a meal.
When she had the food card at the beginning of the month, they’d have steaks and baked potatoes every night.
Then, as the money started to run out, they’d be stuck with having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Tonight she was having a bologna sandwich with chips and a bottle of water.
They told her that there wasn’t enough time to get her a good meal.
She wished she’d asked for half of Bash’s meal, and they could have shared.
It was what they did when things were tight around the house. Then she thought of the kids.