The Man on the Bench (Novella): A Tale of Suspense by Robert Swartwood

Author:Robert Swartwood [Swartwood, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: RMS Press
Published: 2012-02-05T05:00:00+00:00

21

When we returned home, Mother was running all over the house, up and down the stairs, getting our clothes together. Judith sat alone in the living room, staring at the wall and crying.

Mother came to meet the four of us in the kitchen. She flew across the wooden floor, her eyes red, and slapped Uncle Grant across the face.

“You bastard!” she shouted. “How could you? How could you keep this from me?”

She slapped him again, and again, and again. Uncle Grant stood still the entire time, silent. Finally she broke down, her red eyes now accompanied with tears, and fell into him.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, holding her.

William, Fred and I didn’t move. We didn’t speak.

“We have to leave, Grant,” my mother sobbed. “We have to take the children and leave. We have to.”

Uncle Grant said nothing. He held her head against his chest.

“We have to,” my mother continued to sob.

“We can’t,” Uncle Grant said. “At least not until this is all behind us.”

Mother’s body went rigid in his arms. She stepped back, stared at him through her tear-filled eyes. Then she glanced at me. Stared at me. Shook her head.

“No,” she said. “Not Ethan. Take them two other boys, but not Ethan.”

I looked at William and Fred, uncertain of what my mother was saying but knowing there was more to it than I could ever guess. Before I knew it she came forward and bent down, wrapped her arms around me.

She screamed at Uncle Grant, “Not Ethan! Not my son!”

Grant stared down at us, my weeping mother hanging onto me like her life depended on it. I wanted to tell her not to yell, not to squeeze me so much, but I had no voice.

“That’s fine,” my uncle whispered. “I only need two.”

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