Conquer (Control) by M.S. Willis Read Free Book Online Page B

Daddy said he was sorry and that we could go back to living as a family again.  I didn’t believe her when she first told me we were coming back, and I don’t believe her now.  He’s still the same; angry and mean.
    “Can we go back to the Center, Mommy?  I miss Paige.  You said we could go back to visit.”  I looked up into my mommy’s sad eyes and hoped that she would finally tell me we could go back for a visit.  I promised Paige I would go back to play with her, but Mommy keeps making excuses why I can’t go.
    Mommy sighed and turned to start putting away the first aid supplies she had pulled from the cabinet in the bathroom.  She turned back to me and placed her hands on either side of me on the counter.  “Now Buddy, you know your daddy doesn’t want us going back there.  We need to get back out into the living room before your daddy gets upset.”
    “He’s always upset, Mommy.  You said he’d be different…but he’s not.  We need to go back.  Please, Mommy.  Please, can we go back?”
    Mommy looked like she was going to cry as I begged her to leave Daddy and go back where we could be safe again.  “No, Buddy.  Don’t ask again.  You know we can’t.”  Mommy put her arm around me and walked me back out into the living room.  Daddy was sitting on the couch watching T.V.  I couldn’t help but look at him as Mommy directed me to the chair farthest away from where Daddy was sitting.  Even though Mommy couldn’t physically stop Daddy when he got mad, she tried to keep me away from him.  It was the only defense that she had.  He never seemed to notice or care where she put me.  He’d just ignore me until I did something wrong again.
    Mommy went into the kitchen to clean up the milk I’d spilled earlier.  I wiggled where I sat because I was bored and had nothing better to do.  Daddy never bought me any toys and Mommy had no money to buy them for me.  Most of my days were spent sitting here as he watched boring T.V.   I was supposed to be going to school, but Daddy wouldn’t let me.  He said I would only get in trouble and embarrass him.  He also said I was too stupid.  I hated waking up early in the mornings and watching the other kids as they waited for the big, yellow bus.  I always wanted to ride on that bus.
    After Mommy finished cleaning the kitchen, she came back into the living room and sat on the couch with Daddy.  He didn’t even look over at her when she sat down.  She was always so quiet around him, never wanting him to notice she was there.  They were so different from Paige’s parents.  Her parents always smiled, never yelled, and I never saw Paige’s dad hurt Paige or her mommy.
    We sat in the living room for an hour, silently watching whatever Daddy decided to watch.  When Daddy got up to go to the bathroom, I looked over at Mommy.  Her eyes followed him as he crossed the room and closed the bathroom door behind him.
    Speaking in a whisper, I said, “Mommy, I’m bored. I wanna go see Paige.  I promised.”
    Mommy’s eyes shot to mine and her face looked afraid.  She silently shook her head and placed one finger against her mouth to tell me that I needed to be quiet.  I looked over at the bathroom door and saw that it was still closed.  “Please, Mommy.  Can we go do something?  All the other kids are outside playing.  I can hear them.  Can I go out with them?”
    My whispers must have gotten louder as I continued begging Mommy to let me go play.  When the door to the bathroom swung open, it slammed against the wall, leaving a hole where the knob had hit.  Daddy stomped out and I looked up to see that his face was bright red and scary, like a monster under my bed.
    “What’s your problem now, boy?!  What makes you think you get to go out and play?   You can’t even eat without spilling shit!  You’re too stupid to go playing by yourself.”
    I was sick of Daddy calling me stupid.  They taught me things at The Center and I always