Thirty Three
The rain battered against the windshield
as Inger made her way to the hospital.
Someone had called to tell her Christian had been taken there by
ambulance. As she drove, thoughts rushed
her mind. Had he been shot? That was her worst fear. She had called Kate
on her cell phone and was expecting to meet her there.
Kate jumped out of her car and dashed
inside, her heart racing as she made her way to the desk. The girl looked up and smiled, “May I help
you?” Kate frowned and was about to give Christian’s name when Inger approached,
her face pale and drawn. “It’s okay
she’s with me” she said.
Kate felt the
older woman place an arm around her shoulder and lead her along the hallway to
a side room.
Christian lay in bed semi conscious,
medical staff coming and going. Kate
stared lovingly down at him, “Hey” he swallowed painfully; she placed a hand on
his head and smoothed his hair. “Are you
okay?” he nodded, and then eyed the police guard outside his room. “They still think I killed Larry” he
muttered, Kate kissed his forehead, “It’ll be over soon, you’ll see” she
whispered, he blinked painfully a few times then focussed on her once again,
she was staring down to where his arm was, she couldn’t believe they’d handcuff
him to the bed. “What the hell do they
think you’re gonna do?” she snapped then whizzed round, “Hay you” she called,
the young cop turned round, “Yeah you, is this really necessary?” he merely
shrugged and went back to the job in hand.
Inger returned to the room seconds later
having spoken with the Doctors, “Well, seems you’re to stay here for a while”
she said happily, for this would mean she’d be able to be with him. “I wouldn’t be too sure mom” Christian’s
reply was sceptical; “Surely they can’t send you back to jail, not now?” Kate
inquired, Christian pouted solemnly.
“They can do what they damn well please Kate” he sighed, Kate looked as
if she were about to cry. “I’ll be back
in a minute, I just need some air” she said.
Christian looked up at his mother then
asked the question she’d been dreading all this time. “Why didn’t you take care of Jess?” she
closed her eyes then turned away, unable to look him in the eye, “I’m not
really sure what happened, only that Georgia came and got her, or at least that’s
what Henri told me, I tried to get her back sweetheart I really did but the
courts said Georgia had a right to her” Christian felt a tear roll down his
face.
“I love her so much, more than I ever thought
I would, I think of her everyday, wonder what she’s doing, if she’s happy, if
she remembers me at all” his mother saddened, life so far for Christian had
been one hurdle after another, not the kind of life she’d wanted for him, she
wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay but would it? Would it ever be okay again? “You were right mom” he said suddenly, her
eyebrows knitted together “What about hon?” he closed his eyes, “About me
regretting not wanting Jessie” his words stung as she recalled the day she’d
told him that…
Christian sat on the old porch swing that warm August afternoon, he
should have been taking care of his daughter but had no intentions of doing
so.
He folded his arms across his chest as the
wails got louder and louder, this really was taking liberties.
A car drew up and out stepped his mother, a withering look on her tanned
face, someone had called her at work with concerns over the way Christian was
treating his daughter. “What the hell
are you doing?” she sniped, he raised the black cowboy hat which he’d placed across
his face and stared up to where she stood, hands on hips. “Getting some shut eye, what the hell does it
look like?” he retorted, she stood there staring in exasperated silence.
“Go and get your daughter right now!” she
said at last.
“The hell I will!”
“Chris go see to her!”
“No!”
His mother straightened up and thundered
inside, Christian now smirking as he placed the hat back over his face, the
cries got louder and louder, Christian now looking to where they were coming
from.
“Take her!”
“No!”
“Take her Chris!”
He shook his head then stood up.
“Chris I said take her!”
“And I said no, I don’t want her, I never
wanted her, I wish she was…” His mother took two strides towards him, drew her
hand back and slapped his face twice. “I
don’t know you anymore” she whispered, he scowled, “You know something, you
don’t deserve a beautiful little girl like this, what the hell can you offer
her? Look at you”, he glanced down at himself, she was right he couldn’t offer
her anything, she was better off without him.
“You know, one of these days you’ll look back and you will regret what
you just said, not wanting her is one thing but wanting her dead is something
else!” Christian caught his breath.
“I didn’t say that” he defended quietly.
“No but you thought it!”
Kate, who’d witnessed the whole scene hurried along the pathway after
him. “You deserved that” she said
truthfully, he remained quiet.
“Chris what are you gonna do?”
“I’m going for a walk!
“About your daughter?”
“Nothing!”
“Nothing?”
They headed along the pathway and then
down towards the river.
“That’s what I said, nothing”
“But she needs you”
“Oh sure”
“Chris, why are you being like this, I
don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand,
“What?
I think you had a hand in it somewhere”
He took a few paces away but she followed
him down to the rivers edge.
“I’m not ready for fatherhood Kate”
“Well it’s a darn sight to late for that
now ain’t it, Chris Jessie is here and she needs her daddy”
He lifted a stone and threw it into the
river watching it skiff along the top.
“Kate what kind of life can I offer
her? She’d be better off without me”
“That’s the biggest cop out Chris, every
child needs a daddy”
He looked through her. “I didn’t, not one like I got, Kate you know
how I was raised, what if she does something wrong and I completely lose it?”
So that was it? Thought Kate, he was scared of what he’d
do. “You wouldn’t” she said positively,
he raised an eyebrow, “Wouldn’t I, you know what my temper is like.” She sat
down on the river bank and he sat down next to her. “You wouldn’t hit Jessie
Chris, I know you wouldn’t” she said firmly, he looked thoughtful, “What kind
of life would she have with me, I ain’t even got a job” Kate smiled at him,
“Well get one then”
He scoffed, “Oh sure, who’s gonna employ
me?”
“There must be someone in this town that
you ain’t upset?”
Christian drew in a deep breath. “Err no; I’ve managed to upset pretty much
everyone around here.”
“There must be someone”
“What about old Mr Copeland? He’s always looking for people to work in his
factory?” suggested Kate.
Christian screwed up his face, “Might be a
bit difficult, I don’t think the Copeland’s ever forgave me for cutting the
heads off of Mrs Copeland’s prize roses.”
Kate sniggered on recalling that beautiful
summer morning when Mrs Copeland had discovered her roses scattered all around
and with only a day until the show. That
was the year old Mr Cuthbert, who had been growing his rose bushes for years and
had always come in second had actually won.
“Okay, what about the fish market?”
“What?
No, I’d always smell of fish Kate”
“Well what job would you like to do?”
He’d never really thought of work, he had
been happy to live off the state and bum around town with his particular group
of friends.
“How about, let me think, oh I know I’d
love to be an actor, like that Tom Cruise, earn heap loads of money and be
famous.”
Kate chuckled, “Well it’s a start but
there’s only one slight problem.”
“What’s that?”
“You can’t act”
“Oh that’s right neither I can, oh Katy I
don’t know what I wanna do, I know what I don’t want. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life
bumming around, if I’m gonna raise Jessie, then I’m gonna do it right, I’m
gonna get her everything and she’s gonna be so proud of me”
Kate smiled warmly at him, “You’ll find work
Chris” she assured, he drew in a deep breath then stood up.
They were just making their way back home when they were accosted by
Aggie Bryant. Her face contorted into an
evil sneer. Christian stared at her,
wondering what accusations would fly now.
“You should be ashamed of yourself” she yelled, “Leaving a little might
to holler all day long.” Christian felt guilty, a feeling new to him, “Go away
Mrs Bryant” Kate told her, she now turned her poisonous tongue on her, “You
madam are nothing but a little tart!” she hissed, Kate’s eyes widened, “I think
you’re mistaken there” Christian cut in, his tone surprisingly calm. The woman’s eyes bore into him, “I hardly
think so” she replied, Christian stood his ground, “I know so” he said, his
tone still calm. The woman huffed, “You
can say what the fuck you like about me, and hell knows most of it will
probably be true, but lay off Kate coz she don’t deserve it, okay?” The woman
didn’t know what to say, Christian had always argued back, had always called
her names, had even reduced her to tears but today she just stood there
staring, wide-eyed and open mouthed, “Now if you’ll excuse us, I have to go and
take care of my daughter” she watched him manoeuvre Kate away from her, and
escort her along the street.
Inger smiled to herself, she’d just saw her son react in a way she’d
never thought possible, “Wow hon” she whispered in Jessica’s ear, “I think your
daddy’s finally grown up” she added as he left Kate at the entrance to her home
then continued on down the street to his own.
“Hey mom” he greeted quietly, she looked at him “Are you okay?” he
nodded as he came towards her, “I’m sorry mom” he said, she hugged him close.
“I know” she whispered, he stepped back
then took hold of his baby, “Remember to support her head” he nodded happily
then glanced down to where the tiny bundle lay, blue eyes darting from side to
side. Inger left them to get acquainted.
When she returned she found him sitting on the porch swing with Jessica
cradled in his arms, she folded her arms across her chest and just watched
them, a smile crossed her face as she listened to all his plans for her. She was going to have the world, no-one was
ever going to hurt her, and no-one would beat her, starve her or make her
cry. If they did, then they would have
him to answer to “I’m gonna get a job mom” he suddenly announced, she smiled
and went to sit next to him. “I have
responsibilities now, I want her to have everything she wants, I best start
saving right now if I’ve to put her through college, I wonder what she’ll be
when she grows up mom?” his mother smiled then shrugged, “A Doctor or maybe
even a lawyer, what d’you reckon mom?” she placed a hand on his arm. “Slow down, enjoy having her around before
you go off planning her whole future” Christian looked down then smiled; “I
just want what’s best for her, that’s all” his mother nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I know you do sweetie, but just enjoy
these moments, coz they’re over in an instant” he suddenly handed Jessica back
to her and stood up.
His mother watched with interest, “Could
you take care of her, just for a minute” his mother nodded, a puzzled look now
crossing her face, “Sure hon but where are you going?” he grinned proudly, “To
get a job mom, I’m gonna get meself a real job, and get real money” she shook
her head as she watched him hurry along the street…
Inger suddenly bent down and kissed her
son’s forehead, “I’m sure once all this Is over with you’ll get her back” she
tried to reassure, he slowly shook his head, “Mom I’m going back to jail” he
said sharply, she looked down to where he was cuffed and it broke her heart all
over again, “No, no you wont” she vowed and he scoffed, “Yeah, yeah I am” he
disagreed solemnly, “Cops are cops, it wont matter that I helped one get away,
to them I’m still a convict” he tried to explain “But surely they…” he shook
his head wearily, “Mom, give it up, I want you and Kate to get on with your
lives”
“Why not wait and
see what Mark has to say, he’s really good darling”
“Okay I will but
I won’t hold my breath, cops are cops, they stick together like glue and screw
the rest of us over when it suits them”
His mother bowed
her head; she didn’t want to face it but knew she had to. From her own appearance she knew that the
chances of cops turning in other cops were very slim indeed.