A Ghost Of A Lesson part 2

Chapter 35-1

A Ghost Of A Lesson

Part 2

Jeff had been silent through most of the day as if he was gathering strength for his next lesson in humility. I had asked what he intends to do and he said that something that the Rothwell’s each needed to learn, but for me, I had nothing to fear, but fear itself; and suggested that I prayed that they learned from it. He didn’t say what they needed to learn, but when you have pissed off a spiritual being like Jeff anything could happen. I knew better to stay out of his way.

My opinion of Shane had changed considerably since working in the garden and most of all the prison style strip search. Not once since then has he been unkind to me while his brother Shawn and his older sister Kerry have seen fit to ignore me altogether. Not even his to younger brothers are willing to say more than two words to me. I am not sure if is fear or something else. Not even Arthur will say anything but scowl at me for making him clean up after me. Who could blame him? I wouldn’t want to clean up after me either. Twice I had wakened during the day finding him scrubbing the blood stains out my carpet and having to come back and clean up the vomit that didn’t make the bucket. I tied to say I was sorry, but it didn’t make a difference. This guy really hated me.

After Dad helped me back to bed he seemed a little bit off as if he was reconsidering the idea if I needed to be punished for having everyone wait on me hand and foot. I tried to apologize for being so sick, but he said. “Life just happens when you are not expecting it. And being sick is part of life. That it was his fault for losing his temper.” 

I told him “if it makes him feel any better. That my father has had the same problem since the day I was born.”

He said, “he knew about it from my record, but he couldn’t believe anyone would do that to their own child”. 

I told him “I had pictures to prove it.” Saying he had seen them one of the reasons that I am here instead of a place they could easily get to.

I nodded saying thank you anyway. However, I didn’t point out that I would have been safer fleeing the United States with the Downing’s; and lived a very happy life with people that didn’t beat children regardless of who they are. Something’s are better left unsaid. It wasn’t long before Mom came back, while Shane was taking a more private shower. You could say I envied him a little and wonder if he would save enough hot water for everyone else including me. Dad had left saying “when your mother is done will pray together.” I nodded that it would be fine.

Have you ever thought how hard is to eat laying flat on your stomach having your back torn apart from the shoulders down to your waist? Trying to stay half decent; because you didn’t have any clothes on from the waist down? I don’t know how I managed it when I lived with the Downing’s those first few days. I was beginning to see a pattern. Stating this is third foster home that I have been in this situation. When I lived with Steeds I was sick with grief and made myself sicker by hurting myself in a cold dark basement. Then with the Downing’s, I survived a beating from both my parents and my sister by jumping through plate glass window. Now I am sick again and torn apart as I lay here from another beating and another high fever. I beginning to think that fate was cruel and it doesn’t like me.

I knew the fever was rising again as my teeth once more begin to chatter. Telling me it’s going to be another long night freezing to death as they try to reduce it with another cold shower. I was beginning to wonder if the tub would have been better, but I have grown taller. Not as tall as most boys my age, considering both my parents are consider short people. My father’s height was 4 feet 6 inches and my mother was 5 feet 6 inches. By the time am I turned 17 I was 5 feet 9 inches. Both Aaron and I are the tallest of our entire family even my sisters didn’t grow taller than 4 feet 6 inches. We get our height from my mother’s side of the family. Most of her brothers are a little over 6 feet tall closest to 7. On my fathers side, they are all short anywhere from 4 feet 2 to 5 feet 9.

Since I had grown 1 foot taller since the last time I was injured by my parents; when I had jumped through a plate glass window. It made it impossible to lay completely flat because of my long legs. So I did my best to delay it as long as possible. Hoping Mom would give me nice sleeping tonic. Even though it tasted almost like horse dung, I’d kill for one good night sleep without dreaming of my father and the many beatings he had given me. Worst of all the church house boiler-room and the church's attic.

Mom did her best trying to spread the lotion as thin as possible, practically wiping the jar clean. I said. “Maybe you should add a water retardant so it would last longer.” She laughed, of course, saying she didn’t know of one, but would ask at the store when she calls in the order in the morning. 

Shane groaned “Mom you know I hate going there because it smells so bad that makes you want to gag.” I completely understood. Just the smell of it on my back and on my shoulders was bad enough.

It wasn’t long before Dad came back in, noting it was pasted ten o’clock according to my clock on the dresser. Dad had just finished his shower drying his still wet hair. Saying the water should be nice and cold at this rate. Feeling my head telling Shane it’s going to be along night. Mom said she had asked Jody to help if he needed her. I blushed, just thinking of the idea of her seeing me like this; certainly didn’t make my life any easier. I did still have some pride after all. I don’t care if she has house full of brothers that are comfortable running around in their boxers or have bathed countless little boys. I put Arthur in that category, considering that he has a mind of a child and don’t seem to bother him in the least.

I was already praying that my legs wouldn’t give out as I paraded my little bare butt through the dining room to avoid waking Mom and Dad. To bad my room didn’t have a direct short cut. Dad helped me down on my knees considering he was lot bigger then Pa and muscular if that was possible. Picking me up as if I weighed nothing at all; I groaned stifling a scream as my lower back bent.

While Mom did her best to keep me covered from the waist down which was hard to do as Dad swung me in the air, high enough to let my knees bend on their own. He refused to let me pray lying in bed even though he had for family prayer, but again he didn’t want to expose me more than he had to. I had feeling that God would have understood that it was nearly impossible, but Dad had a thing about rules and guidelines and that included praying on your knees. I don’t how I would have managed it if I had a broken leg. Thanking God that I didn’t. It was one of my shortest prayers I had done because my teeth wouldn’t stop long enough for full complete sentences.

Getting in bed was easier with Dad wrapping me around the front my chest laid me down like I was piece of wood; sounding if it was going through a buzz saw. Mom had left me a hospital jar to pee in so Shane wouldn’t have to get up and take me to the bathroom unless he had to. I was getting quite used to having someone present while I did my business. Wondering if I will ever be left alone in the near future; Jeff still hadn’t returned, but I could feel him close by.

Mom made me drink that awful concoction and gave me and Shane a kiss good night. Saying Jody will be by around at three to check if everything was all right sating if my temperature goes past 103 then come get her, but I better have been that shower long before then. Shane said. “Yes, Mom. I think the two of us handle it.” She nodded and turned out the light.

I whispered as my teeth chatter “that I would prefer not to wake Jody just so I could parade in my birthday suit through the dining room.”

He laughed, “but you have the cutest little butt she had ever seen,” digging deep inside his sleeping bag. “Besides you are not the only one that my sisters seen naked enough times that really is nothing for you to worry about.” Somehow that didn’t make me feel any better.

It was almost two hours before I heard the first scream and wasn’t coming from me. It was coming from across the hall. It brought me to a start wondering why Dad was screaming as something terrified the crap out of him. I couldn’t feel Jeff, or sense him anywhere in the house, nor did the lights come on to see what was the matter. Shane hadn’t stir as he mumbled something that could be “Arthur no more,” tossing in his sleeping bag.

It was two more hours before Jody came in turning the lights on, rubbing the sleep and tears from her eyes; watching Shane toss and turn back and forth in a fit full sleep. She knew I wasn’t sleeping as my teeth chattered as I stared up at her, my face and arms covered in sweat. She knew the fever was causing it and I couldn’t sleep as the pain was reaching its critical point.

She placed the thermometer in my mouth as it clicked noisily against my teeth. Asking me why I hadn’t said anything to Shane. I said. “I couldn’t wake him,” between chatters. “So I thought if waited long enough someone would. Plus I really, really didn’t want you to see me parade around naked. Just so I could cool off.” She glared at me then walked over to Shane and shook him really hard, getting no response. So she came back with a glass of water and threw it in his face.

That seemed to wake him. I didn’t know for sure if he was mad or glad as she showed him the thermometer. Rubbing his eyes from sleep and sprinted out of sleeping bag. Threw off my covers and exposing my so cute little butt to the one person I didn’t want to see it. I groaned loudly as they moved me with each grabbing an arm, and dragged me down the hall as I stumbled. Trying to get my legs to work, the dining room had enough moonlight that we could see; Jody cussing me out for waiting just because of my boyish pride.

I sat there on the shower floor as Shane turned on the water and started to fill the bucket up with cold water. Dosing me before he order Jody to wait outside. It didn’t seem to matter much that his boxers were wet and were almost see-through; Taking them off long enough to wring them out asking if she would be so kind enough to get him another pair. Hiding his manhood behind the door, then closing the door and proceed to dump more water waiting for my temperature to drop down once again.

Mom opened the shower door seeing two nude boys in the shower, as Jody opened the door seeing the same thing giggled. Ready to hand him a new pair, he blushed, hiding behind the shower door said. “Mom, would you please knock were naked in here.”

Mom stating; “And your problem is?” Hearing both of them giggle.

Shane calmly said. “I was in a hurry; his temperature was 103 and climbing. I figured better get him cold and wet and worry about decency later; were guys Mom so please leave; it's bad enough having your little sister see you standing naked in the doorway, then having your own mother following right behind her.” I couldn’t help laugh between chatters. 

Mom and Jody left giggling “boys.”

After I was cooled and semi-dry and used the toilet. We made our long trek back, Shane and I blushed all way down as he tried to keep the towel around us both and his dry boxers under his armpit saying. “Decency be damned.” Dropped our towels from around our waist; since was nearly impossible to half carry me, and hold our towels from slipping off just to stay decent from your own little sister; while we both walked completely naked back to our room.

Jody pinched Shane’s butt saying he too had a nice cute butt; even cuter than mine, which I am sure didn’t make his day as he closed the door with his foot leaving her outside while he put me back to bed and dressed in his dry boxers, making sure I was well covered before she was let back into the room.  Not that it matter much, one naked brother was nothing when you have whole house full of them.

Besides what was there really to hide when she had like her sister Kerry seen their share of naked brothers then I care to think about and that included Shane. Considering when they younger they had always shared a tub together into their early teens; and the still bathe Jared, Jason, Arthur and Sometimes Shawn and now me from time to time. It was what it was; just something you just lived with. Besides there are a lot worse things than losing your boyish pride; when it comes to the Rothwell's.

Mom said since she was up anyway it wasn’t worth disturbing Dad’s sleep as he tossed and moaned the rest of the night. She yawned and made a hot breakfast of whole wheat pancakes for me, Shane, Jody and herself, and whatever she could scrape together for the ointment; and gave me a large dose of sleeping tonic and orange juice, Sent us back to sleep. Climbed in the shower, herself; I could only imagined she was most likely laughing think of me and Shane parading through her dining room without a stitch on. I once again dozed off to sleep. Until the sun was high in the sky, warming my bare back in the window as I waited for Shane to make the trip back to our favorite watering hole.