Chapter 71
~A Dangerous Memory~
Viento picked up the heavy bucket of murky water with one of his hands. He placed it against his left crutch and walked off. The bucket of water wobbled about as he huddled forward, careful not to place his injured foot on the ground. It hurt, the pain of the tight cushions against his armpits was unbearable. Yet, he still persisted on the duty at hand.
He approached the mop warily, carefully putting the bucket aside. It wasn’t easy! Viento approached the mop and carried it aside his crutches. He was finally next to the bucket and he dipped the mop into the murky, dark water while standing on one foot. Viento was careful not to get the wet mop anywhere near his leg, because it was the only thing holding him up.
Viento hated chores, such as mopping and vacuuming. He couldn’t go anywhere due to his busted leg, except for doctor’s appointments. His mother, Marina drove him all over town, making sure that his busted leg never touched the floor of the car. If it even slightly touched the ground, his mother would give him the scariest scowl she could muster. It was always a boring, dreadful ride to and from appointments.
Viento pitied himself on a daily basis. His father kept on saying, “Well, when I was your age and I broke both my legs, my old man didn’t go soft on me. No, he made me do a thousand times the work. So, if you think I am going to baby you just, because you busted your petty little foot in a petty little fight against a guy you could have taken. You wouldn’t be in this mess! Gee, your brother never complained as much as you do.”
The words stung. Viento cried himself to sleep everywhere night. The bedrest, the doctors’ appointments, the rides to and from the hospital, the chores and his father were just too much. Viento would defy his father and walk on his bad leg. It sure did hurt! But, it was worth being able to walk and for a brief amount of time not be judged by his parents’ strict gaze.
Viento did break his tendons. Oh boy, he did! He had to go from broken cast to broken cast. However, he didn’t regret anything! He was able to get around.
His mother screamed at him and his father offered to saw his leg off. Viento screamed at them as he feared losing his temporary, painful liberty. “NO, I promise I won’t walk on my injured leg anymore!” he busted into tears as he made his parents leave the room.
Viento cried as he sat on the floor, screaming and wailing both in the same voice. He hated his parents and he hated his brother! Why did Ventus have to leave him with these psychos?! Why didn’t anybody
show him any pity? Wasn’t he worth it?
The days of injury became months and Viento was officially allowed to walk on his foot again. Ventus came back from camp and
school was starting up again. School, another doom, but at least he could cram himself in the library for hours on end and be away from his parents and his brother. Viento studied and played on the computer, it was his only haven from the nightmare at home. Viento smiled as he finished typing an email to his friend and logged off the computer as the library closed at just the brink of eight at night.
Viento carried his
books home. The quiet night air kept him company as he walked by the shadows of the dimly lit street lights. He knew Uranus and Marina would scream at him, “WHERE WERE YOU?!” Ventus would either be in bed already or just give him a sad look from his upstair bedroom window.
The cars rushed passed him as resulting wind played with his bangs. He smiled slightly and kept walking slower and slower. The moon rose higher and higher in the sky. He whistled as tears dripped from his eyes. Disbelief came upon him as he looked at his digital watch, twelve past one. Oh boy, his parents were going to kill him!
Viento stopped and looked up at the stars. He sighed and thought to himself, “Why am I going home?”
He turned around and looked for the nearest place he could find. It was a bus station. Viento had very little munny on him and it wasn’t enough to afford a motel room. Plus, what type of person would rent a room to a boy his age? But, then again, his father had married and owned his own house at just fourteen. Ten wasn’t that big of a deal, right?
It started to rain and Viento ran to the bus station. He set his books to the side and placed his sweater on the graffiti-covered bench. Viento placed his backpack under his head, the books inside serving as a pillow. His heavy coat covered over him like a blanket with only his leather
school shoes sticking out. It wasn’t much of a bed, but it would have to do for now.
The cars passed and Viento watched as the street light flashed red, then yellow and finally green quite a few times. It was calming. His parents were probably freaking out, but he didn’t care. They needed to worry, it was the only comforting thought that helped him sleep in the cold night on that wretched bus bench. He didn’t sleep long.
Morning approached. Viento was knocked off his bench by some odd guy. The guy had eyes that just seemed to pop out of nowhere. He wore a beige trenchcoat and he was barefoot. The man smelled of beer and Viento panicked as the man grabbed him.
“Let me go!” Viento screamed, but the man didn’t relent. He kept a firm grasp on the child.
“Give me your munny!” the man ordered.
“I have no munny!” Viento yelled.
“LIAR!”
“I am being honest, sir. Please, let go of me!”
“Not until you cough off the munny,” the buggy-eyed man stammered.
Viento reached in his pocket and threw out the loose change he could manage. “Here,” he yelled as he ran off.
His heart throbbing with each step. The sirens of the police car echoed in the distance as he tried to outrun it. The car stopped right in front of him. A giant figure launched out of the tiny
vehicle and within a second, Viento was in the back of the police cruiser. Handcuffed and unable to get out of the back seat.