by A. E. Albert
Billy had never felt so wretched in his life. Great! he thought. You want human psychology, here's human psychology. When you're down, bring everyone else down with you!
Billy continued to walk home, deciding not to make his daily jaunt to the Quarter. He didn't notice, as he usually did, the various bird calls or fragrant smells that were associated with New Orleans. He kept on his way at a slow and thoughtful pace. Jeanie didn't deserve that, he thought. But it was for the best. Ya, he kept telling himself that all the way home.
Chapter 2
“Oh, hey, Billy, I thought you would’ve gone down to the Quarter after school today?” Sandy casually inquired, as Billy made his way through the front door.
“I didn’t really feel like it. Um, I’m going to go upstairs and study, ok,” he said, as he was already starting to jog up the stairwell.
“Ya, no, it’s resident meeting time soon, darlin’, as you well know. I need your help anyway, so come on back down here, please.” Sandy had a way of giving complete and utter demands, all the while using a sweet as pie voice.
“The other boys aren’t home from school yet, so hurry up and help me make dinner. Ham, scalloped potatoes and corn!” Sandy made this last statement sound like it was a commercial jingle.
“I like eating it, not making it,” grumbled Billy, as he began to peel potatoes.
Suddenly, the front door slammed, and the house vibrated with, “The man has arrived!” Joe moseyed into the kitchen holding a white plastic bag containing one black forest ham and handed it over to a delighted Sandy.
Sandy smiled at Joe. “Thank you very much, sir,” she said as she took their dinner out of the grocery bag. Joe held out his hand, accompanied with a toothsome smile. “Sorry, I don’t tip poor service. If you wanted a tip, you should’ve brought it to me cooked,” she said tartly, while Joe responded with his usual belly laugh.
Sandy and Joe both worked in the group home where Billy lived, and both were in their early thirties. Sandy was married with two kids of her own. She had long straight brown hair that grazed her shoulders and was on the short side. She was very serious about her job but was also warm and caring, which was evident when you looked into her warm brown eyes,
Now, Joe, on the other hand, would say that he’d never even heard of marriage. He was tall, muscular and very determined to never say a serious thing in his life. His hair was always shaved clean off, and he thought it was pretty funny to keep some of the kids guessing what color it was. He had one boy in the house utterly convinced that he had shocking red hair. Everyone else thought this is pretty funny, considering Joe’s dark skin tone and the black hair on his arms.
Joe had the most amazing store of knowledge pertaining to sports. Name the sport, player and even the era and the guy knew everything about it. He would try to throw the football around with Billy, but Billy wasn’t interested. Of course, that didn’t stop Joe from attempting this regularly.
“Hey, Billy, what you say you and me throw the ball around the backyard?” asked Joe, as he threw a football in the air.
Before Billy could give his usual response, Sandy cut in. “I don’t think so, Joe. Billy’s helping me with dinner so we can get the weekly event done before Christmas.”
Billy smiled at Sandy’s response. Resident’s meeting wasn’t exactly a favorite pastime in the house, and the complaining made it last forever. If everyone was quiet and just got it over and done with, the evening could progress as usual. However, that was usually not the case.
Billy had just finished peeling and cutting up the potatoes, when a herd of buffalo entered the house. These animals were much smaller and hairless, but they made just as much noise.
“Stop punching me, Robbie! Sandy! Robbie won’t stop punching me. Ow!” yelled Toby from the front hall.
“Hey, I’m just prepping you for your birthday next week. See how considerate I am Tobe.” This was the usual sarcastic statement made by the resident tough guy, Robbie.
“Enough! Both of you! You’ve both just walked through the door, and it starts. Robbie, apologize to Toby now! No, don’t even try that birthday jazz with me!” Sandy stood before the two boys, her arms crossed in front of her chest, awaiting Robbie’s response.
Robbie turned to Toby with downcast eyes and in a very sorry and contrite voice said, “Tobe, I’m sorry. Sorry, that you’re such a wuss!” He then ran into the kitchen to grab a fruit for snack, laughing hysterically the whole way. Fruit was all anyone was allowed to eat in between meals and it got to be really boring. But of course, the house had to follow the four food groups.
Sandy merely sighed and ruffled Toby’s hair. “He’s just playing around. Deep down he’s sorry,” she said, as she looked down on Toby’s blond curly head. Toby leaned in to give Sandy a hug as he sniffed his nose.
“Why don’t you get a snack from the kitchen?” she suggested. She then hastily added to the whole group, “You boys need to get your homework done pronto. You all know what’s on the agenda tonight.” Sandy didn’t expect an answer to this weekly reminder, but she wasn’t surprised to hear the collective groans.
Billy finished washing his hands and went into the front hall to get his school bag.
“Billy, did you see Aaron on the way home from school today? He’s not home yet. I wonder where he is?” asked Sandy, as she picked up the boys’ coats after they threw them onto the floor.
“No, I rushed home after school. Anyway, he probably went to the school library.”
Billy found it difficult to look Sandy in the eye as he said this and pretended to pick the lint off of his T-shirt. He knew that Aaron was taking a detour on the way home from school that included the banks of the Mississippi.
As Billy stood at the front door, it suddenly swung open, hitting him in the back. “Oh, sorry there, Billy,” said a breathless Aaron, as he began tearing through his bag and from the look on his face, very excited.
He finally found what he was looking for and thrust the mysterious item into the air. “I found one! I found one!” he yelled to anyone who would listen. Nobody seemed very interested, only because these outbursts were quite common for Aaron. “I knew that it was only a matter of time! Sandy, I finally found a gold coin by the river! I knew that if kept looking I would find treasure. I’m going to be rich, I tell you!” He was convinced that pirates had buried treasure along the river and went on daily excursions in order to prove his theory.
Aaron ran to Sandy thrusting a dirty and scarred coin into her hand. She carefully inspected it, narrowed her eyes and then smiled down at the excited boy. “Well, Aaron, see what happens when you don’t’ give up trying. You should put this in a good hiding spot in your room,” she said, as she winked at him. “But no more adventures by the river!” she called out after him as he ran up the stairs, rushing to hide his new found treasure,
Billy knew that Aaron hadn’t really found a gold coin. But Sandy believed that dreams were important, and she would encourage the boy the best she could. Billy wondered if humoring Aaron was beneficial in the long run. But then again, dreams were all any of them really had. Billy picked up his school bag and headed to his bedroom to start his homework.
Chapter 3
“Robbie! Come on!”
After dinner and evening chores, Billy went upstairs to use the bathroom before residents meeting. He could hear yelling coming from the upstairs hall, which was not necessarily unusual for the house on Pine St. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he saw Aaron sitting on the floor beside the bathroom door.
“Come on, Robbie! I have to go!” This was definitely a pitfall of having only one bathroom. Everyone had to share it with Robbie.
“Oooohhh, I think the ham was bad!” Billy could hear him moan. Of course, Billy didn’t believe that for a second.
“I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes!” Aaron yelled as he banged on the door.
“Really? I’m sooo sorry, Aaron. Please say good things about me if I die. Oooohhh,” Robbie continued to
groan. Billy could hear sounds coming from the other side of the door that he didn't need to hear in the whole of his life. Ever.
Aaron’s face was a mask of horror. “You’re disgusting, you know that,” he accused in a deadpan voice.
Suddenly, the door jerked open. “Ahh, I feel so much better. Take a whiff, buddy! Now that’s what I call good digestion!”
Aaron stood up and shook his head. “You have the manners of a horse!”
“Wait! I’ve got an idea! This is a great opportunity for scientific advancement! How long can a human live in a confined space with toxic waste?”
Suddenly, Robbie grabbed Aaron by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the bathroom and held the door closed. Aaron immediately began banging on the door and yelling for Joe and Sandy.
Robbie turned to Billy, “If you even think about yelling downstairs, you’ll be next!” he threatened.
“Billy, please help me!” begged Aaron from the other side of the door. Billy felt bad, but he knew there was no getting through Robbie.
“Hey, now don’t say I never think of you, Aaron!” Robbie laughed.
Billy knew there was going to be trouble when he heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Joe stood in the hall with his hands on his hips and demanded, “What’s going on?”
“Joe? Robbie won’t let me out of the bathroom! And he dropped a nuclear bomb in here!” For a second there, Billy thought Aaron was going to cry.
Joe didn’t say anything for a long minute. He just wore an expression that said, ‘Must I actually deal with this?’ “Robbie, go to your room until I call you down for the meeting, please,” he commanded calmly.
As Robbie sauntered to his room, he turned around and announced, “Ahhh, I gotta tell ya, some things are just worth it.” He pointed at Aaron and smiled, “And you, Aaron? Oh ya!” He gave a quick wink and ran into his room, hitting the trim above his door as he went in.
Classic group home! thought Billy, as he turned around and went into his room to finish his homework. He suddenly didn’t need to use the bathroom anymore.
Later, Billy sat in the living room waiting for the house residents meeting to begin. He looked around the house that had been his home for the past six months.
It was a neat and tidy two story home, with one bathroom and four bedrooms. The living room furniture was clean, but observing from the scratches on the tables and the faded upholstery, they had seen better days. The carpet was a dull green, but when Billy moved the couch to vacuum, he could see that it had once been a vibrant and rich color. It was plain to see the effort put in by the staff to make the house as comfortable and homey as possible, but they could only do so much with the funds allotted them.
The house always smelled like apples and cinnamon from the fragrant candles that Sandy displayed in the living room and kitchen. The scent of homemade meals wafted through the lower rooms at around 4pm, announcing that dinner would be ready soon.
The truth was; Billy had been in many homes like this one throughout his short existence, and he concluded that overall he liked the place. He smiled to himself as he watched Sandy wipe down the old wooden kitchen set, which looked as though it had been in use for one too many decades.
The house was situated in ward 14, Gert Town, one of the many districts of New Orleans. Pine St. was lined with many homes and included many commercial and industrial plants. It was at one time a manufacturing district, but since the destruction that Hurricane Katrina wrought, this district had all but closed down. Billy didn’t feel that the district was very lively or exciting. However, that didn’t matter since the French Quarter was close by and the banks of the Mississippi were due south.
Although Billy had fought them, thoughts continued to find their way into his mind. Thoughts of how he had treated Jeanie that afternoon.
He kept telling himself that he had done her a favor. Eventually, he would leave this house and who knows where he would move to next. What was the point of starting a friendship that can’t last? Billy’s head flopped against the back of the couch and he made a soft groan. Ya, you act like she wants to marry you or something, Billy thought to himself.
Billy would rather not have any ties, even a small one, which he would have to eventually give up. Besides, Billy thought to himself, she’ll get over it. Jeanie had lots of friends. Why should she care if he didn’t want to be one of them?
As he completed this thought, all three of his housemates came running into the living room.
“Hey, Billy, heard Wilinski gave you a work over today,” said Robbie, as he dropped himself onto the couch while holding his football.
“What’s this?” called Sandy from the kitchen. “What are you boys talking about? Who gave who what?”
Billy glared at Robbie, then yelled, “One of the kids at school today was just being a toad, that’s all. No worries!”
“I think me and you should tag team that jerk,” uttered Robbie in a low voice, as he pounded his fist into his other hand. Robbie turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Hey, Sandy?” he called, “Can I make an ice cream for everybody?”
Sandy poked her head out of the doorway. “Really?” she asked, genuinely perplexed as to why he would want to do so.
At seeing her face, Robbie’s expression took on a wounded cast. He put his hand on his heart and tilted his head to the side and said, “Sandy, come on, I’m that kinda of guy.” He smiled as he walked into the kitchen.
Billy appreciated Robbie’s quick departure. He didn’t really feel like discussing today’s events with him, especially him. However, although Billy tended to take the brunt of Scott Wilinski’s bullying, that didn’t mean that he didn’t give some of that attention to the rest of the boys on Pine St. Scott didn’t pick on Robbie as much due to his tough exterior. But the boys were definitely not accepted by the majority of the school population. Even little Toby, who attended the nearby elementary school was teased for his lack of parental units and where he lived.
Billy focused his attention solely on his housemates. Toby, sweet little Toby. He may be only nine years old, but he was still afraid of the dark. He sucked his thumb and carried a small baby blanket around the house with him. Sandy once discovered that he had shoved the blanket down his coat, attempting to bring it with him when they were about to go on a short trip to the supermarket.
He was short for his age. He had blond curly hair and big, bright blue eyes. It was little Toby who would always offer someone a hug when they were sad or give away his last cookie. He would ask Robbie to go for a bike ride, even if Robbie had just given him a noogie only a moment before.
He was a good kid, Billy thought. Pine St. was Toby’s first group home. He was put into Children’s Services after an old neighbor found out that his mother was working nights and left Toby home alone. He spent every Saturday with his mother, playing at a nearby park or going out for ice cream. Billy thought she was a nice lady. It was unfortunate that lack of money kept her and Toby from being together as a family.
Now Robbie was a horse of a different color. If you fell down the stairs or stubbed your toe, he was the first to start laughing and call you a bonehead. He had a quick temper and a sarcastic wit that could make someone cry.
Robbie had been in many group homes. His mom had a boyfriend that used to hit her and even after being warned by Children’s Services, she wouldn’t ask him to move out. So it was thought that it was in seven year old Robbie’s best interests that he not live with her anymore. He hadn’t seen her since.
Billy felt that he understood why Robbie acted the way he did. However, Robbie was twelve years old and he would yell and bang on walls like a little kid when he was angry. He was tall, had a strong physique and dark coloring, which made him look older than his actual age. Billy truly tried to sympathize and like him anyway. Only, Robbie made this a very difficult feat at times.
Billy turned his gaze to Aaron. He felt that Aaron was the most difficult to understand. He was also twelve years
old, but short in height and reed thin. Aaron had a quick smile and found joy in almost anything, especially when he was learning or discovering something new.
He lived at the local library and always had his nose in a book. Once, Billy had even seen Aaron reading while walking down the street. Billy asked him how he managed this and Aaron’s response was; “All things can be mastered.” Billy really didn’t understand what that remark meant; he just shook his head and laughed to himself. Aaron was always talking about some new fact he learned, from the origin of the cosmos to when paperclips were invented.
Aaron had been living in group homes since he was five years old. He was taken into the care of Children’s Services when his school had reported bruises on him. After a formal investigation, it was discovered that Aaron was being physically abused by his father.
There had been a few times when Billy used the bathroom in the middle of the night and he would hear crying coming from Aaron’s room. But the next day, Billy would witness him pouring milk into his Cheerio’s and talking nonstop about the Theory of Relativity. Actually, his light brown hair was wild and crazy just like Albert Einstein’s. Billy had always been somewhat suspicious that this was done on purpose; of course, Aaron maintained that it was carefully cultivated bed head.
That’s was what amazed Billy. He’d met many abused kids through the years, but Aaron’s control and optimism made him feel a little jealous. Billy was more than a little ashamed of this. He didn’t have the same past or experience and hurt that Aaron did, yet he felt that Aaron held it together better. Ya, he heard him cry sometimes, but who doesn’t cry sometimes?
Billy had to quickly re-focus since he hadn’t been paying attention to the meeting at all.
“Robbie, hurry up. You’re missing the meeting!” Sandy called into the kitchen.