when I played football. Of course, I didn’t think before I tackled him, and I almost broke my mother’s neck because he didn’t release his grip from her hair. Once I had him against the wall, I reared back and slammed my fist into his nose; his blood splattered all around us. As a result, he let go of my mom. As I had my eyes on her, making sure she was okay, he tackled me to the floor.
His fist collided with my temples multiple times. I heard my mother cry for him to stop, but her pleas seemed to fuel his anger. My head pounded as black and white spots took over and clouded my vision. As I began to fade out of consciousness, I heard my dad grunt in pain. I couldn’t lift my head to see what had happened, but I heard my mother gasp as Kyle threatened my father. He demanded my father get off me, and if he didn’t, he wouldn’t think twice about stabbing him in the neck. Everything that happened after that was a blur, I can’t remember shit.
The next day I woke up to Lucille’s fingers pressed into the side of my wrist as she checked my pulse. Kyle brought me here so his mom could check me out. Lucille said that she assumed I only had a mild concussion, and there didn’t seem to be a reason to take me to the hospital. Not only that, but she was sure I didn’t want to deal with officers, or defend Kyle’s reason for stabbing my father. She stayed in Kyle’s room and watched me the entire night.
After Lucille allowed me to get up, I went down to talk to Kyle in the living room. He explained to me how he walked in and saw my mother nestled into the corner, crying for my father to stop hitting me. Kyle went to pull him off, but suffered an elbow to the jaw instead. The only thing he could think to do was to run into the kitchen and grab a butcher knife. He ran back in, and seeing me fading, he jabbed the knife into my father’s shoulder. He wasn’t trying to kill him, only trying to get his attention, and it worked. So yeah, I haven’t seen or talked to my parents since then.
***
I went by my house yesterday, and to my surprise, a big ‘For Sale’ sign in the front yard greeted me. Since I tossed my key a few weeks back, I had to peek through the windows to confirm our home was truly empty, and it was. I called my mom’s cell, but her number has been disconnected. I attempted to remember my father’s number, but since I’ve called him maybe twice throughout my entire life, I couldn’t figure out the last three digits. Am I hurt that they up and left without notifying me? Yes. I know my father and I don’t get along, but I figured at least my mother would reach out to me. My mother and I have a close relationship; it’s been us against the world most of my life. So for her to leave me behind, it stings a little.
My father served twelve years in the military, so it was just the two of us while he was away. Once he retired, he became pure evil. The man I once knew as someone who never believed in abusing women, who promised to have my balls for dinner if I so much as laid a finger on the opposite sex, turned into the most abusive person I’ve ever known. My mother has always tried her best to protect me from him, and even though she knew what the outcome would be, she never backed down. I have to admit that I have concerns that he’s killed her. This isn’t normal behavior for her, and it’s the only excuse I can think of as to why she wouldn’t call to let me know that they were leaving.
Fuck it. I don’t need them. I don’t need anyone, besides Allie. Allie is the reason I get up each morning, my reason to keep on going. How in the hell am I going to tell her what I’ve done without breaking her heart? As much as I hate to see her cry, I have to stay strong. Besides, there’s no going back now. Our time together is limited, and I don’t want to spend it fighting, or drying her tears. I know that there’s a possibility I’m going to lose her once I tell her I’ve joined the