"You aren't flying to Indianapolis."
"Sweetheart, I need to. I have to make sure he is okay."
The two voices had been going for what seemed hours, but in reality they had been arguing no more than five or ten minutes. At least what my mind perceived to be five or ten minutes, as time wasn't something my tiny mind had yet to fully grasp.
I could hear them, though most of the words they used were outside my small grasp of language. The one thing I was fully able to grasp was the sadness I felt when they argued. It wasn't like they hated each other, quite the opposite. I would often see them hug and kiss each other, but not in the same way they would do with me. It was more sensual, as if they shared a deeper connection. Maybe as I got older I too would feel the connection they felt with someone other than them. Maybe we were the only one who felt that connection. Were the three of us special? My brain began to hurt and I missed mommy and daddy. I knew if I began to cry they would come running.
"Good job, your yelling has upset Oliver."
"My yelling? I was only raising my voice so I could hear myself over the harpy in the room."
"Oh, so now I'm a harpy? Real low James."
"Come on Dinah, you know I didn't mean it like that. I just miss him and I've been thinking about him. You know how he talked."
"Did you ever stop to think maybe words like that are the reason he is alone in life."
They were still going at it as they came into the room. The only thing I could think of was to cry louder.
"Now it looks like your yelling has gone and upset him more."
It only made things worse. I grabbed hold of the top bar of my crib and slowly and uneasily pulled myself to my feet. Mommy was still yelling at daddy, so I had to do something to get her attention. She gave daddy one last mean look before she plucked me from my crib.
"Dinah I have to go. You know you care about him just as much as I do."
"No. I used to care as much as you do, then we had Oliver. I can't babysit two children. Especially when one of them is a grown ass man!"
Mommy was especially upset. She never said the bad words in front of me. She was much better at it than daddy. Daddy was always using the bad words around me. His favorite was a word that mommy said was demeaning to women. I didn't know what it meant but it started with the same sound that cookie did. Grown up language was still a mystery to me.
Daddy began to open his mouth but mommy simply pushed us past him. I looked back at daddy as we walked away, he looked sad. I didn't like it when daddy was sad. When we were in the scary place together he would sing to me each night until I fell asleep or one of the ladies in white would take me away from daddy. I think they hurt him, because each time the man in white came in, daddy wasn't happy. They would touch his neck and make him move it all around and daddy would always whimper and groan. I didn't like the man in white, especially since he spanked me the first time I saw him.
"Your father can be so bullheaded."
Mommy talking startled me. I looked around and saw that we were in the kitchen and mommy was making me a bottle.
"It isn't that I don't care about Mikey, its just that I have you now Oliver, I can't worry about an adult with low self esteem. Especially one who was as messy as him."
I missed Uncle Mikey. I hadn't seen him in so long. He always had a treat for me, even though it made mommy mad. I don't she why she got so mad at chocolate. It was yummy. I missed pulling on his long hair and making him yell. Sometimes when mommy was gone daddy and Uncle Mikey would play wrestling with me. Daddy would dress me up in my black onesie and put on my black winter mask on me and we would kick Uncle Mikey until he fell, then daddy would help me climb on stuff and then help me do a flip onto Uncle Mikey. Daddy always announced me as Sab...Sabo....I forget the name but it was fun. One time daddy's friend Ricky came over and and tried to play with me. He tried to put his shiny glasses on me, but he poked me in the eye with them. My eye still hurts and mommy and daddy worry about it because it won't open all the way. I don't miss Ricky, he smelled funny and had girl hair. Mommy won't let him come over anymore.
As mommy started feeding me, I saw daddy go into his special room. I don't know why, but he always went in there when he was upset. Mommy and me tried to stay out of the room when daddy was in there.
I was just starting to enjoy my bottle when I heard the phone ring. It always scared me, so I spit up a little milk on mommy. She rolled her eyes and sighed as she grabbed the phone.
"Just a second, I need to have James take Oliver."
Mommy put the phone down on the counter and walked to daddy's room. She knocked on the door and told daddy that someone was on the phone and that she needed him to watch me for a few minutes. Daddy opened the door and took me into his room, not shutting the door behind him. On the TV I saw Uncle Mikey, but he had on a scary mask. I missed Uncle Mikey so I tried to get to the TV to see him.
"You miss Uncle Mikey don't you buddy? I miss him too. I wish he would come back, or at the very least let me, anyone, know where he is."
Daddy pressed something on the remote and Uncle Mikey started to talk on the TV. It was hard to see him because he kept moving away and walking around a dark room.
"Young Dustin we all wear masks. Some of us wear a physical mask to hide the shame we feel. Do you ever feel shame Dustin? I think you do. You and I aren't that different Dustin. We both wear masks, yours the metaphorical mask that is the front you put on. You act like a tough man, you say you enjoy inflicting pain. Is it because your father inflicted pain upon you Dustin? When you were nothing more than a child, an innocent soul, a child that still had the potential to see all that is beautiful in this world, your dad beat you and your brother. Your daddy was a mean old man, my daddy was a mean old man as well. Our fathers shaped us into the men we are, but it isn't too late young Dustin. Come to me, I can show you the beauty in this world. I can help you take your mask off and see clearly. "
Uncle Mikey disappeared for a few moments before he popped back up on screen, startling both daddy and me.
"You follow a false prophet Dustin! Chris K.O. won't lead you where you wish to go. He will simply cast you aside like the filthy dog you are when he finishes with you. Don't be fooled by his empty promises. He simply peddles snake oil and wolf tickets. He will use you to help him dispose of James Howard, and then shun you. James Howard is a strong man, a man who pushed me aside when he grew too strong, and Christopher see's him as a threat. You see Dustin, Christopher, he hates heroes. To his credit he once vanquished a great evil that threatened this world, but instead of singing his praises and showering him with gold, we pushed him aside. So now he makes it his mission to slay the heroes who would rise up against him. He was nothing but a pawn who was forgotten once his sacrifice was made, and so are you. I pray thee young Dustin, allow me to show you the beauty that Christopher will lead you astray from. Let me help you Dustin, let me unmask you and show you the beauty I see, so that I may unmask myself."
Daddy looked scared when the video ended. He turned to see mommy standing in the doorway.
"I'm sorry James, he needs you."
Daddy stood up and walked to mommy and hugged her with his free arm.
"No honey, he needs us."
Daddy sat me in the floor as he and mommy hugged tight.
"Wait here buddy, me and mommy will be right back."
Daddy and mommy walked off and I sat in the floor for a few minutes. I heard something behind me and I turned to look. Uncle Mikey was back on the screen.
"I know you want to find me James. I invite you to send someone to try to find me. Just don't send anyone you want to come back."
