8. Corinthians #2
“Again, you don’t pay attention to the small details,” I heard Robert say.
“Which is why this is the closest you will ever get to my pet.” There was a pause; then the feeling of something slamming into my stomach made me jump and gasp, but I couldn’t go anywhere or breathe.
I fought against everything holding me down to try to catch my breath.
I could hear Robert talking, but I couldn't make out his words.
Everything was getting foggy, and my ears were ringing.
Another hit came to my stomach, then my chest.
Then, everything went dark.
***
“You're still losing in boxing, huh?” Granddaddy asked me as he ate his cereal. I looked up from my plate and shrugged. “What the hell is that coach teaching you? How to take a hit and a hit only?”
“It feels like it,” I mumbled, then took a bite of my eggs.
Madea called Daddy a few days ago and told him that all the grandkids were spending the weekend at her house.
He said no, but she didn’t listen, and this morning she was at the front door waiting for us.
Daddy tried to argue with her, but she was his mother-in-law, and that was the end of the conversation.
“Oh, nah,” Granddaddy replied. “After breakfast, you and I are going to the garage to practice some more. That way, when your big head daddy finally gives us a schedule, we can come see you win.” He ate the final spoonful of his cereal, then stood up. “That sounds good to you?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, even though it didn’t. I didn’t want to fight; I didn’t want to do anything. But I didn’t have a choice.
“Alright, I’ll be out back when you’re finished.” He kissed the top of my head, then walked to the sink and put his bowl in it.
Once he was gone, I sat back in my chair and waited. I could hear my cousins running around and playing in the living room, and Madea cleaning up the bathroom. All morning, she’d been fussing at Krude about taking forever in there.
“Hey,” Cross said, coming into the kitchen. She had on her favorite T-shirt and jean shorts. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she wore what looked like a million ball-balls to hold it in place. “What are you doing?”
“Eating.” I hit my spoon in my bowl. “What are you doing?”
“Getting away from Krude,” she sighed and sat in the chair Granddaddy had been sitting in before he left. “He wants to go to the park again, and I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” I picked up my spoon to finish my cereal.
“I just want to relax,” she replied. “My daddy said I’m starting up the same boxing classes that you’re taking.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised, and she nodded. “Did he say when?”
“Nope, just said that somebody named Mr. Robert would be calling him soon with my start date,” she said, shrugging. “I’m excited.” She smiled and shrugged. Out of all of us, Cross enjoyed fighting the most. She said it was relaxing.
“Tell your daddy you don’t want to do it,” I said, shaking my head. “Tell him you want to play piano or something.”
“I don’t want to play piano,” she replied with an attitude. “I want to fight.” She smirked. “My daddy said I had to win since you don’t.”
“Your daddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” I said, then stood.
I picked up my bowl, took it to the sink, and set it next to Granddaddy’s.
“You will regret having to fight. Trust me on that.” I left the kitchen before she could say anything else.
I loved Cross; she was one of my favorite people, but I didn’t like her right now.
That didn’t take away from the fact that I didn’t want her to deal with the same thing I was.
“Corinthians?” Madea called me as I was walking through the hallway.
“Yes, ma’am?” I replied without turning around. I could fake it with Granddaddy, but not Madea. She would see through every lie I told her.
“Check on your sister for me, please,” she replied. “I told her to go change her clothes and eat, but she never came back out of the room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, nodding. I took off down the long hallway to the girls’ room.
When I got to the room, I knocked first just because of how scared she had been over the last year.
“Bug?” I pushed open the door, walked into the room, and shut the door behind me.
“Bug?” Madea always said it was our responsibility to keep our room clean.
Cross, Mercy, and I cleaned the room up earlier.
“Bug?” She didn’t respond, and I knew exactly where she was.
I opened the closet door and bent. “Bug?”
“I’m here,” she sadly replied.
I closed the door and climbed to the back of the closet. I made sure not to close the door all the way. I didn’t tell Bug, but now I have a hard time sleeping or being in the dark. I spent too many days locked in the cage or strapped to the table upside down with something over my face.
“What’s wrong, Bug?”
“My stomach hurts,” she answered and rested her head on my shoulder.
“Did you tell Madea?” I asked even though I knew she didn’t. Psalms shook her head, and I sighed. “You want me to rub your belly?” Whenever her stomach hurt, she always wanted me to rub her belly.
“You promise not to get mad?” she asked, and I nodded. “Okay.” Psalms moved, put her head in my lap, and lifted her shirt. Even though the closet was semi-dark, I could still see the dark bruises and bite marks on her stomach.
My hands shook as I touched her skin. As soon as I made contact, she jumped, and her face twisted in pain. “What happened to you, Bug?” I asked her. “Who did this to you?”
“Mr. Jonathan,” she answered, then sniffed. “Daddy keeps making me go back to his house, Cori. I don’t want to go back.” My thoughts went back to Daddy agreeing to Psalms spending the week with Jonathan. It hadn’t happened yet, but I knew that school was about to be over soon.
I softly placed my hand on her stomach and nodded. “Okay, Bug.”