Chapter 2

Love is for suckers. So suck me. (Some offensive Language!)

Chapter 2: Love is for Suckers.

  

   Winter had passed and the concert went better than anyone ever thought it would. We made a s**t load of donations; which meant one thing. I actually got to eat something decent for a couple weeks. The snow melted away and the sun chased away Jack-Frost.

   The Lucky B*****d got away.

   My birthday was coming up in April; I was going to be eleven. I wondered what normal eleven year old boys did on their Birthday? Would they get pie, cake and throw a party?

   Possibly get new toys to harass the neighbor girls with, I didn’t know. I wish I did.

   I herd the morning bells start ringing and watched everyone walk out of their beds. It always seemed to be the same every month and every year.

 I had fifteen minuets to arrive to the concert hall; we were going to go sing with the girls today. Make sure we both sounded good together. Mr. Scheck knew what he was doing with music, he used to be in big musicals and I even herd he did his own concert! We all gathered together and sat down in our assigned seats. Butch sat behind me. He always pulled my hair or wiped his snot on me.

   Mr. Schenck walked in and fixed his tie. He gazed around the room staring at all the kids sitting. He frowned.

‘Why the long faces my children?’ Mr. Schenck asked. ‘It’s a glorious day God has givin’ us. So smile and sit straight up for goddess sakes!’

   We all slumped up and gazed over at him. He tapped his pointer three times. When he did the girls stood up. It was quite. He tapped it three times again and the boys stood up. ‘Boys try that again. We got all day.’

Mr. Schenck tapped it three times again and the boys sat up. ‘Much better Gentlemen. Now lets do some warms ups. Do Re Mi in Alto please.’

   We sang “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.” About twenty times in a row. After two hours of warming up Mr. Schenck sat down in his own seat.

‘Today class we are going to learn a new Old Catholic song called “Immaculate Mary”. But first can anyone tell me what immaculate means?’

   A girl raised her hand. ‘Yes darling?’ Mr. Schenck asked.

   She continued. ‘It means very clean?’

‘Correct! To add on it’s also means free from blemishes.’ Mr. Schenck said as he clapped his hands. ‘And how do you know that my darling?’

She looked around at everyone then looked at the teacher. ‘Because it was in our Bible Study last Sabbath?’

 

‘That’s right. Can you explain to me why your colleagues didn’t know what that word meant?’

   She shrugged. ‘Perhaps some forgot; or maybe some didn’t hear that.’

‘You can sit down now honey. Now I have a question for Butch Foreski.’

   We all looked at him. He was picking his nose. He looked up. ‘Yaw what?’

‘Why do you think this song “Immaculate Mary” is called this?’

   Butch said under his breath ‘Cause she’s a f****n c**t.’

   All the boys started to giggle; even I found my self laughing.

‘What was that?’ Mr. Schenck said.

   Butch smiled. ‘I said “Cause she is fabulously clean” sir.’

‘Explain why Foreski.’ Mr. Schenck said in a low tone as he waved his finger back and forth.

Butch sighed. ‘Because Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ. She is clean and pure. I suppose that means she had no pimples?’

   Once again I found myself laughing; just like everyone else. Mr. Schenck rubbed his hand into his face. ‘Butch Foreski! Get over here!’ He inched his finger to him. All the kids stopped laughing and Butch walked over; Butch stood tall and brave. I would’ve pissed myself. He wasn’t scared of anyone. ‘Yes Sir?’ Butch asked as he faced Mr. Schenck.

‘If you joke like a little kid, I will treat you like one.’ He raised his ruler and spanked him twelve times. He broke the skin on Butch’s back and a welt formed.

‘Let this be a lesson to all of you. I will treat you like kids if you so act like one. I am one hundred percent serious so don’t test me.’

   Butch’s back started to bleed once he sat down. Everyone had questions but didn’t dare to make a peep. The only sound they would make is from singing. Butch was embarrassed I could totally tell; I wasn’t going to say anything though. I knew what I had to do; which was absolutely nothing.

We sang “Immaculate Mary” about a hundred and seventy times. If I had to hear the name Mary one more time I swear to God, and his son Jesus Christ that I would strangle the little b***h till she could meet her maker.  

 

   My jaw ached I could hardly talk after eight hours of singing one song. It’s not even a long song, it’s like what? Fifty lines? I knew the song so well I could sing it backwards, but enough of that f*****g song I had better things to do. I was going to find food. The shelter is settled on five hundred acres. In those acres there were four apple tress planted in random locations. I am the only kid that knows that there’s even an apple tree; so I was going to fest like a king tonight on some tick red apples.

   I waited for the night to form. I eat my dinner and waited for everyone to sleep.

My throat hurt badly today. As if you were screaming all day without water. This is pretty much what I did.

I could hardly eat since it burned so bad, but I figured that watery apples would help my burning throat. I was so excited. I wasn’t too hungry when I looked at the menu tonight anyways. It was black bread smothered in gravy and old corn. You couldn’t put any letters together to make a word that would make me eat that gravy. Nope no chance. I watched everyone gobble it down. It made me sick. I gave my food to Dewitt; and I sat there wait for the bell to dismiss us. I herd it ding a couple times and I got up and started to run out. I herd a whistle and I looked over my shoulder. There was Mr. Schenck; he waved his hand over to me. I looked around and shrugged. I walked over.

‘Hello Jackferd.’ He said kindly.

‘Just Jack, and that’s my name. Jack.’ I said quietly; it hurt to talk. I hated it when people called me Jackferd. That was my Father’s name. Not mine.

‘Oh! Well it says in your file it’s Jackferd, but I guess I can just call you Jack. So do you have a minuet Jack?’

   I nodded shyly. He smiled and rubbed my head.

‘Good. It will only be second.’

‘But you said it was a minuet.’

   He laughed and put his hand on the back of my neck.

‘I suppose I did... You are quite the observer Jack. Well right this way please.’

   I followed him to his office and sat down on a small chair. He sat down at his desk. He had a big office full of famous pianist and singers. I noticed one. Mr. Schenck caught my glimpsing eyes. He looked over at the poster I was staring at.

‘That Mrs. Elizabeth isn’t she gorgeous? She is from Broadway and her voice is from heaven! Why did that one catch your eyes so fast?’

   I cleared my throat and looked up at her. ‘She’s pretty that’s all.’

‘I see Jackferd; oh I mean Jack.’ He said over his glasses. ‘How about I put some of her music on for you. I know you’ll love it. When I saw her live the first time I cried. Her voice is very power. It cuts right thru your soul.’ He got up and dusted off his record and turned it on. Her voice scared me; it sounded so graceful and so powerful. It stabbed me so hard I died.

‘Why the long face Mr. Jack?’ he asked sympathetically. ‘How come you look so nervous Jackferd?’ He stood up and cleaned off his glasses with his vest. ‘You know she married someone named Jackferd? Isn’t that a concordance? He was a good man. He died about four or five years ago. I looked in your file to Jack.’    He sat down and leaned in; he gazed over at me.

I looked away. ‘Yeah what about it?’

‘You’re Jackferd Adams the third? Yes?’ he asked.

I nodded. ‘Yes Elizabeth and Jackferd Adams they were my parents. Well “were”’ my rubbed my throat.

   He got a big smile and picked me up. ‘Oh God has givin’ me a gift! Thank you Jesus!’ He sat me down and looked over at me.

‘You have to tell me everything about your mother. Isn’t she alive? Why are you here then? I need to know!’

   I shrugged my shoulders. ‘It’s nothing to freak out about. My mother ruined my life.’

‘Oh impossible! You are so young! You’ve been here for about five years; so when you came here you were around five almost six! So tell me how she could have done something bad to you? Tell me that son?’

   I clinched my fist underneath the table. I didn’t want to talk about it, my throat hurt. But to make him shut up about that b***h I would tell him the truth.  

‘She is bad. She is evil.’

   I paused and started to think while I had his attention.

‘She is the reason I am starving everyday. She is the reason I get beat up by these punks. She is the reason I freeze at night. She is the reason I fear my life every minuet of every day. She is the reason I have no home; the reason I have nothing…She ruined my life. That is how. Even before I came to this Hell-Hole she beat me with her drunk and battered heart. She wouldn’t feed me, love me, bathe me, nothing. She would let me die out like a candle in a stormy night if she could. She has no love in her alcoholic lifestyle. She could never make a gift from God. Her heart is stolen from the Devil’s addictions cocaine. She doesn’t deserve any of the praise you give her. She is everything and nothing.’

 

   Mr. Schenck stared at me. ‘Oh Jack a mother would never do that! Don’t make up silly stories!’

‘You’re right Mr. Schenck, a mother wouldn’t do that. If you just wanted to see me because my mother is “famous” and ask me senseless questions; then I am going. She is dead to me.’

I got up and looked over at the poster of her. I looked at her head to toe. I wanted forget her face. I could never though. I left the room.

   Mr. Schenck rubbed the back of his neck. He looked down at Jack’s file. ‘This boy is going to have an interesting life. Someone should make a book about him…’

   He closed Jack’s file and put it away, he put his index finger and his thumb against his forehead and rubbed it in circles. ‘What am I going to do with all these messed up kids…”

   A Nun walked in.

‘Oh! Hello Sister Martha!’ Mr. Schenck said getting up and waving.

‘Hello Mr. Schenck! It’s dinner!’ She held out a bread bowl filled with corn chowder. ‘This time I promise it won’t get stolen like last time.’ She laughed.

   He smiled. ‘It’s okay. Kids will be kids now won’t they? Thank you Sister Martha!’

She nodded and left.

He sat down. ‘At lest it’s not the gravy...’ He cringed and started to eat his dinner.

Well while he was munching down on his warm soup I was running in the wet grass looking for an apple tree. It was getting dark, but that was no concern. The fireflies always lit up the field in the spring and summer; so it made finding things much easier.

   I looked around for a couple hours I just found myself laying down in the empty field. It was only lightly raining so I could sleep fine.

   Once again I started to count the stars. It just seemed that life repeated it self over and over. As if there was no end to this Hell, but I guess that was life, overall. But was it supposed to be my life? And if it was; was it too soon?

   No, nothing made sense. That’s what I hated it. I wanted to know everything, now. Nothing happened. No knowledge; just sleep.

 

 I just laid in the grass until the morning due woke me up with its kisses. Once again silence filled my lungs. I was too far to hear any bells. Today was my day, and no one would change that. I got up and shook off the wet grass off my pants. I could hardly see the shelter. The farther I found myself from there; the happier I was. I smiled and started to walk around. Maybe I could find the apple trees in the day? I had to be careful. Adults were always out in the day walking around to find kids tying to escape.

   Escape. That’s what I needed to do. I had no idea where this shelter was, but anything better than here. I saw the twenty foot fences boarding my half broken body. I felt like a bird in a cage. All I was good for was my singing and that’s it.

Maybe I could open my wings and fly one day?

   If anything I needed a friend at least. Oleg is a two face a*****e; but he’s the only friend I have. I needed someone that would understand me. No girls though. They don’t understand anything about boy problems.

Besides they couldn’t even connect with me. They like flowers and dolls. I like mud and dead frogs.

   It’d never work. There were no apple tress out there; there was nothing. I just turned around and just went back to the shelter.

   I was so close and so far. Every step that took me closer to my personal hell I could feel my heart drop a stage lower.

 

   When I arrived in the shelter it was empty. It was singing hour and everyone was in their class rooms. Today we weren’t going to play with our instruments; but I herd a violin and some flutes going. It reminded me of Ireland. How crisp it was and how fast it was. It was annoying.

   I looked around to find the music. It wasn’t in the band room. I rubbed my head a couple times.

‘Well where is that music coming from?’

   I herd a girl voice behind me. When she talked the flute stopped. ‘Over here?’

I turned around and saw her. She was kind of tall and slender. Her eyes were the color of some magical rain forest and her hair reminded me of hell. My stomach hurt.

She smiled and waved. ‘Hello Partner!?’

   I looked at her weird. ‘Partner?’

She pointed at my straw. ‘Well yea? Aren’t you a cowboy?’

   I laughed.

‘Oh no! I just have it in my mouth…cause…uh-I forgot to take it out…ha-hu?’ I scratched the back of my head. I was trying to act cool. It failed. I looked at her and her friends. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be in class guys?’

 She gave me a cleaver smile. ‘Aren’t you?’

   I froze nervously as I played with my fingers ‘Well...’

   She continued ‘Besides we are. We don’t sing we just play our instruments. So why aren’t you in class?’ she poked my chest.

   I shrugged. ‘I dunno.’

She smiled. ‘Good enough for me!’

   She looked over at her friends. ‘Well I am Kerstien and these are my friends Baoth, Cathal, Dairinn aka Dolly, and Fionúir; but we just call her Spooky. Who are you?’

   I looked at everyone and waved. ‘I am Jackferd?’

   Kerstien giggled a little. My face turned red. ‘What’s so funny?’ I asked.

‘Well you look American, but you’re name is silly! Can we just call you John?’

I put my hands on my hips. ‘American? No! I am German and English excuse me! And you cannot call me John! My real name is Jackferd, but I am known as Jack!’

   Baoth put an arm around me. I felt his armpit hair on my neck. ‘Awe its okay Jack! We like to joke with people! We knew you were English.’ He looked around. ‘But I don’t think we would ever guess you’re German? You’re so dark!’

‘My mother had the dominate colors.’ I said as I turned my head from his pit hair.

‘Oh I see! Well it’s a pleasure to meet you Jackfer… Oh I mean Jack; sorry! You wanna hear what we’re playing? We’d love to have an audience! Wouldn’t we guys?’ Baoth asked with a grin.

   They all nodded. I smiled. ‘Well I guess so. It beats singing for eight hours.’

   Baoth smiled. ‘Well let me tell you who’s playing what. Kerstien is playing the tin whistle, Cathal is playing the fiddle, Dolly is playing the bodhrán, and I am playing the concertina! So make self all cozy and listen! We’d love to hear what you have to say!’ He pushed me down; I guess I had no choice now but to listen.

When I listen to them I herd something more than a catchy tune. I herd a friendship; and I know how cheesy that sounds, but I did.

   It was warm and welcoming. It made me smile. I found myself clapping along and the next thing I knew I was smacking my hands against a bodhrán laughing and playing along. After a couple songs we sat there and talked for a couple hours. It was nice to know I was safe with these people. I didn’t have to worry about getting beat up or hurt. They were good people. It made me think about everyone in the whole world. Where they good people too? I just didn’t understand it. I suppose I never would.

   I looked over at Baoth. ‘How old are you Baoth?’

 

   He looked over at me and smiled. ‘I am sixteen years old.’ He put his hand on my head and rubbed it.

‘How about you Jack? Wait lemme guess…thirteen?’

I laughed lightly. ‘Well I am turning eleven in April, so you were a bit off.’

He looked a bit shocked. ‘Wow I would have never guessed you to be ten? I guess that’s why you are so small!’ He looked at everyone. ‘Lets see if I am right… Cathal is seventeen, Dolly is fourteen, Kerstien is eleven and Spooky is fifteen.’ He put an arm around Cathal. ‘He’s my man! And Spooky and Dolly are “engaged.” So yeah!’

   My face turned red. ‘You guys are homosexuals? Isn’t that against God?’ I asked nervously. I didn’t want to offend any of them, but I had to know. Baoth smiled. ‘God knows our hearts. We love God and he loves us! I think that’s what matters the most.’

‘Oh I guess as long as you’re happy… it’s just something I never seen before…’ I looked over at Kerstien. ‘What about you?’ I asked Kerstien.

   She smiled. ‘Well I am kind of dating someone.’

   I leaned my head to the left. ‘Who?’ I asked.

   Baoth smiled. ‘She’s the only straight one in our group. Loser!’

   Kerstien smacked Baoth. ‘Screw off you pink banana butt stuffer!’

 Baoth started to laugh. ‘Nice one?!’

 Kerstien looked at me as she buried her foot into the dirt. ‘Well I don’t think you know him since he is older than you, but his name is Butch.’ She paused then continued. ‘He kinda made me go out with him, but whatever since I get more food from him. If you ask me he’s kinda a punk b***h.’

   My stomach started to hurt again. ‘He is a jerk! I don’t see why a nice and pretty girl like you would even consider a loser like that.’ I didn’t understand why I was so offended by it; I just couldn’t understand the anger I had because of her and him. Baoth got a twisted smile and chuckled. ‘Hey Kerstien I think Jackie has a little crushie poo on you! He’s totally jealin!’

   It made since, but I wouldn’t admit it. ‘I do not!’ I blurted out. Spooky pinched my cheeks. ‘Then tell me why you’re blushing darling? I don’t blame you. If I was a single I would go for her!’

   Kerstien’s face turned a bright red. ‘Shu’d up guys! You’re embarrassing Jack!’

   I just hid my face. ‘No it’s okay guys. I am going to go to class now; I guess I will see you later!’ I herd them “Awe” when I left but it was too much pressure to be around them when they talked about “mushie love stuff.”

   Speaking of the “Loser” there he was walking down the hallway with Oleg, Zach, Dewitt and Adalwin like the good old days. Kids moved out of their way, Butch looked pissy today. I stepped to the side. It didn’t want to be Butch’s stress ball today. But I thought to soon. Butch looked over at me and grabbed me by my shirt collar.

   When he spoke spit landed on my face, it gave him the appearance of a hungry grizzly about to eat his prey. And I was one big salmon.

‘Why were you f*****g missing today you piece of s**t?’ He shook me a little. ‘Hu speak!?’ 

   Once again fear shook my body. ‘Hum… I was playing instruments?’

   He dropped me. ‘It’s not this week dumb f**k. Besides you play the guitar and everyone knows that they learn last, so don’t you lie to me; F****t!’ 

   Kerstien came over. ‘Butch Foreski! Put him down! He was playing with Baoth’s friends and me!’

 Butch dropped me and I hit the grass. It was soft. I just looked up at her. ‘What is she doing?’ I asked myself.

 Is she standing up for me? Rising up against Butch? I’ve never seen such an odd scene before.

‘He was with you?’ Butch asked? He scratched his head for a second as if he was picking lice out of it. He looked down at his nails with a disgusted face and flinged something.

   I wrinkled my nose. ‘Ew…’ I said under my voice. 

   There was a long silence. Butch looked down at me and then up at her. ‘Why?’

   Kerstien rolled her eyes. ‘Because Bucth; Baoth invited him.’ Baoth looked over at Butch and put an arm around Cathal. ‘Is there a problem here Boy?’ He looked down at Butch.

   Once again Butch being…Butch stood up straight. ‘Uh yeah actually. That little b***h right here.’ He picked me up by my hair and put me into Baoth face. ‘Him, yeah Jack. Don’t talk to him. He’s not your business; and if I see that you were hanging out with him Jack, me and my boys will teach you a lesson.’ He dropped me again.

   Baoth rubbed his own head. ‘And who made you God? Jack is his own person! He can see anybody anytime he so pleases too.’

Butch shrugged. ‘Yeah but the kid is a big problem. You should just leave him alone.’

‘No.’ Baoth said with a smile.

Butch looked over at Kerstien. ‘Baby talk some sense into your F****t friends.’

She slapped her forehead. ‘Butch just go! You’re becoming a big problem. Just please go. If it makes you happy I will go with you. Okay?’

   Butch looked down at me. ‘Fine... Whatever common lets get out of F****t Central; and now that I think about it… Jack these are your kinda people! Maybe you should hang out with them. Bye.’ Butch put an arm around Kerstien and they walked off with Oleg, Zach, Dewitt and Adalwin.

   Baoth helped me up. ‘You okay Jack?’

I felt a scuff on my face. ‘Yeah I am okay. He’s just an a*****e.’

Baoth laughed. ‘Yeah I noticed! So Jack… How come you let him beat you up? I mean I would get tired of all that s**t!’

   I looked down. ‘Well I just get scared; that’s all.’ He put an arm around me. ‘It’s okay Jack. We are all here for you! There’s no reason to be intimidated anymore. All he is; is a bunch of words. He doesn’t offend me, so you should try to smile!’ He took his two pointer fingers and made my lips lift up and smile. I laughed.

‘Okay I will try!’ I said.

‘Hey, this is F****t Central isn’t it?’ Baoth looked around. ‘Then I am the Mayor of F****t Central!’ He laughed for a little bit. ‘Why do you go eat? It’s dinner time.’ Baoth said kindly.

I nodded. ‘Yeah that sounds good.  

 

 

Author's Note

++Note:
Some offensive Language! So don't freak out...jezz++
Read and Review Okay?

Be as mean as you want, criticism is better than none.

++Note:
Spelling Errors are common is their speaking sequences; so deal?!++
This Chapter is done!
9 Book Pages(-: