Chapter Six-New Beginnings

Chapter 6

            Jim and I stepped up the porches to the house. The others had left to sneak into the drive-in movies while us two didn’t particularly favor the beach films. Jim and I were a lot alike and knew each other well. We had been friends since the second grade and most importantly, he knew about Kirk.

            I looked in through the kitchen window-a habit that had grown on me-and saw Carmen. To my horror she was leaning against the kitchen counter covered with dirt and blood. Her eye had been blackened along with parts of her arms. Kirk held her arm gingerly dabbing a wet rag on her cuts.

            Jim looked through the window, cursed, and held me back as I charged through the doorway. As I opened the door it swung back against the wall that sent the house shuddering.

“Kirk!” I shouted.

“Milo calm down!” Jim said, he had a strong hold of my arm as I dragged him across the tile floor nearly tripping him in the process.

            As Kirk jumped up and backed away from me Carmen stood in my way.

“What did you do to her!?”

“Stop! It wasn’t him!” Carmen shouted, she pressed her hands against my chest. They were weak against me and she had a pleading look in her eye that made me compliant to stop.

“Just here me out.” She said quietly.

I looked from her to Kirk who stood a few feet behind her. With my fists still clenched and my muscles tensed I said, “Okay.” I could wait a few seconds to pound Kirk’s head off. Jim still didn’t believe I would give up so easy so he still had ahold of my arm.

“Okay.” Katie said and she lowered her arms, “At school today, a kid thought he could take me in a fist fight.”

“And he was right I’m guessin’.”

“Guessed wrong, you should see him.”

“And where do you come in?” I said to Kirk.

“He was here when I walked through that door.” Carmen said.

            I paused and let my fists unclench. I jerked away from Jim, “Well I otta pound your head in anyways.” I said quietly and sat down on the couch.

            Kirk stepped forwards, “Milo I’m sorry.”

            I huffed, “To late for that.”

Kirk sighed, “I will prove it to you.” he looked down and walked towards the door that still hung open, “I ah, stocked up your fridge.”

“Just get out of here.” I told him. He didn’t say anything more he left closing the door behind him.

“You should trust him, Milo.” Carmen said.

“Trust him?” I stood from my seat on the couch and lifted up my shirt, “You want to know how I got these?” Scars ran up my back, there were only two but they were still there. Jim looked down not wanting to see anymore. Carmen’s gasp was what I was waiting for. I pulled my shirt back down, “I will never trust him again.”

“Milo, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Carmen embraced me, he arms wrapping around my waist, “But-“ she pulled away, “Maybe he has changed.”

“No. No one like that could ever change.”

            Carmen studied my face and Jim still studied the floor.

“Where’s Don?”

“Out.” Carmen said.

            At that point I didn’t really know what I was saying. Why should I care about Don?

            I left Jim with Carmen and started to walk. I had no place in mind as to where I should go, I just needed to clear my mind. Things I hadn’t thought since he had left started to come back to me. It was like the ghosts of my memories were haunting me. It was like reliving those night mares over and over again.

 

            When it first happened I was seven. Kirk walked through the door, his speech was slurred and he walked off balance. I was alone in the house while mom had gone out to pick up groceries with two year old Carmen. As I sat in front of the television watching Mickey Mouse cartoons, kirk walked through the door with a bottle in his hand. As his arms swung from side to side, the beer from his bottle sloshed out and fell in small droplets to the floor. When he spoke he was too drunk to understand. And there I was, a seven year old kid who had never seen anything like this before so I laughed, the worst mistake I could ever make.

            Kirk looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. I figured he tried to say something like, “You laughin’ at me boy?” but it sounded like complete gibberish to me at the time, so I smiled thinking it was some kind of new game between us. Then, as fast as lighting, my cheek had begun to burn and turn sore, I realized he had slapped me, I didn’t cry, I just sat there with a confused look on my face wondering what had just happened. That first time I didn’t tell mom, thinking it would never happen again, another terrible mistake I had made. She never knew until three years later. Whenever Kirk had a binge, mom and Carmen would always be gone, unlucky timing on my part.

           

            I had never really known what had gotten him so drunk. My best guess was that the stress of having two kids, a wife, and a house to take care of was too much for him to bear. He had once been the only person I listened to, one might say my hero, but not I can hardly stand to call him my father. I always hated how he would drown his feelings in the meaningless liquor. There would be no point because no matter how much you drank, your problems would always be right there in front of you growing bigger and bigger as you feared to face them.