by Jesse West
He told his father about Bobby and that he was coming around a lot. Mike was nervous but he counseled Jack as best as he could from so far away. Jack would have to do his best to handle things while he was away.
He didn’t mind Bobby either, which made it a bit easier. They got along well and he got used to having him around. Jack still had to deal with one thing, their fighting.
Bobby and Jeanette were happy together, but they would drink a lot after all that’s how they met and they both enjoyed it. When they drank, they would get into arguments. Bobby was the jealous and demanding type so he would enforce that whether sober or intoxicated. Things were never pleasant in the house for very long. Jack would sit in the living room, which at this point was his room since Emily didn’t live there anymore, and try to watch TV. He couldn’t concentrate because all he would hear from the other side of the apartment was yelling and eventually hitting. He would hear slaps so loud that it sent chills through his body.
Their arguments would leak out into the rest of the apartment sometimes and he would hear things banging and breaking. Bobby had broken two fish tanks, a bookcase, and nearly ripped the front door off the hinges one night when he came over and couldn’t get in. Jack eventually let him in that night, though he was terrified from hearing him screaming and banging on the other side, but once he did, Bobby had given him a look that could kill. Jack feared him ever since that moment. The look he gave him from just not opening the door quickly enough was soul piercing to a ten year old. The only good that came out of Jack witnessing this, each time Jack stood in the doorway and listened to them scream, or watched Bobby beat his mother, the only thing that helped Jack to keep the major part of his composure and possibly the biggest part of his own sanity, was that Bobby never laid a hand on him. Not once did he ever touch him.
Redemption
Jack sat in his chair and gave the room a quick once over look. He took in all the information of what was happening. The kids were hugging Sue after her break down. Gene looked straight faced, untamable, and full of rage as he starred at Jack. Sal was still sitting on the floor with his head down, disappointed in himself for being a fool for so long. Pauline sat with disgust on her face, shaking her head, and not making eye contact with anyone. Bobby continued to stare at Jeanette who was sitting right next to him. He had a look of anger in his eyes as if this was all her fault.
All Jack could think to himself as he noticed this was “Look at her all you want, I’m not done with you yet.” He leaned forward in his chair as he contemplated the next step. He gave another quick glance over to his mother, who hadn’t lifted her head up after Jack’s comment about her, said a word to Bobby, or attempted to acknowledge herself in any conversation thus far. He looked at Bobby once again, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off her. His upper body rocked and you could tell he wanted to go off. He was angry and he was going to take it out on someone.
“Alright.” Jack said breaking the silence “that’s enough. Get back in the corner, guys.” He told the kids. Jimmy looked up at him as if to ask for them to stay with her but he saw the look on Jack’s face. He nodded and stood up.
“Come on, guys.” He told his sisters.
“I love you mommy.” Sabrina said with tears in her voice “I don’t care if grandma and grandpa don’t. You’re my mommy and I love you.” Words from her mouth struck volumes in the ears of Gene and Pauline. Both their heads whipped across and their facial expressions shrunk to disbelief as she spoke.
Jack grinned with enjoyment.
Vicky whispered in her hair that it’ll be ok and guided her back towards the corner they were sitting in. As they walked, Sabrina looked over at Jack with her tear filled eyes. Jack caught her stare and looked elsewhere. He didn’t want to see her like that. He didn’t want it to change what he had to do. He let it slide off of him without leaving a mark on his thoughts.
Silence filled the room. He stood up and began to pace around the dining room. He scratched his head and took out the gun from his pants. He held it in his hand, tapping it against his leg, as he ran his hand through his hair then began rubbing the back of his neck. He exhaled deeply as he stared out the window on the other end of the living room. Everyone sat and watched as he did this, unsure of what to expect next. No one could see his face as his hand dropped to his side.
Jack’s eyes were closed as he stood there in thought.
“The only answer” he thought to himself “is to leave a mark equal to that which has left you scarred. Scar those which have marked you for life. Let them feel your anguish. Let them feel your pain. Show them what you’ve been scarred with. Scar them and see how they deal with the circumstances of their own actions. Only then will you feel redemption.” Jack’s eyes opened as he turned and looked at Bobby having his final thought. ”Do unto others what has be done onto you.”
He knew what the next step was.
“What?!” Bobby said with an attitude as he brought his attention to Jack “What are you looking at, huh?!”
Jack stood there, staring, then he brought his gaze to Gene. Bobby looked over at his father, Gene saw that Jack was staring at him, burning a hole into his very soul with his eyes. Bobby looked back over to Jack who was fiddling with the gun in his hand. He just stood there, staring.
“You got something to say to me?!” Gene yelled at him.
Jack still stood there, staring.
Bobby began fearing what this constant stare was for, why he kept looking at his father like that.
“You better point your eyes somewhere else cause I’m no-“ and before he could finish his sentence, Jack walked over to him, stern and quick.
“No.” Bobby said, expecting the worse “No. Don’t you dare, Jackie! DON’T YOU DARE!” deep down, Bobby knew what could be coming.
Jack approached Gene, knelt down in front of him, and held the gun to his face. He stayed there pointing the gun right between his eyes. Gene had nothing to say at this point. Bobby and the others, including Sue, continued to scream in the background though Jack ignored them all. He wanted them, especially Bobby, to see him bring their father an inch closer to them never seeing him again. He wanted them to know that fear.
Eventually, he took the gun away from his face, but he wasn’t finished.
“Open your mouth.” He told Gene.
“You leave my husband alo-“ Pauline tried to intervene, but Jack slapped her across the face with his free hand.
“YOU SON OF –“ Gene attempt to yell but Jack cut him off by shoving the gun into his mouth unwillingly.
The others were still yelling behind him, but Jack focused on Bobby. He heard him above everyone else.
“SHUT UP!” Jack yelled to shut them all up and pulled the trigger back to show he was serious. Everyone fell silent accept for Pauline. She looked at Jack with a bloody lip.
“You bastard.” She said in anger “You take that gun out of my husband’s mou-“
Jack cut her off.
“You are in no position to say a goddamn thing to me! Sit there, shut up, or your next!” He shouted at her with conviction.
“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” Bobby shouted from behind him “YOU TALK TO MY MOTHER LIKE THAT! YOU PUT A GUN IN MY FATHERS FACE! I’M GONNA TEAR YOUR FUCKING HEART OUT, YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!”
“YOU DON’T LIKE THIS, DO YOU?” Jack turned to him and yelled back, at this point he didn’t care to get on Bobby’s level. He was making a point.
“YOU DON’T LIKE THAT I’M BEATING ON YOUR FAMILY, THE ONES YOU LOVE, WHILE YOU SIT THERE DEFENSELESS!”
Bobby just stared at him. Jack continued his rant,
“YOU DON’T LIKE FEELING HELPLESS WHILE THE ONES YOU LOVE ARE HURT? YOU DON’T LIKE THE FEELING OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP THEM? ALL YOU CAN DO IS SIT THERE AND WATCH, IT’S NOT A GOOD FEELING IS IT?!”
At this point, Jack knew he was making his point loud and clear, and no one could dispute against him. The rest of the family just watched on as Jack yelled and you could tell that the
part of him that was yelling at Bobby was the 10 year old boy that used to watch him beat his mother.
“You don’t like getting what you give in return, do you Bobby?” he asked him. Bobby just stayed silent.
No response made Jack angry. “Why so quiet now? Is it because I’m right? Is it because you finally understand that what you thought was raising me was actually poisoning me?”
“I never laid a hand on you.” Bobby attempted to say in his defense.
The rest of his family turned and stared at Bobby. It was always a rumor amongst the family of whether or not Bobby really did hit Jeanette. He’d never say or talk about where her bruises or black eyes came from. They just brushed it off as if it was nothing. Now, listening to Bobby, watching Jackie, they all understood, even the kids, why Jack was doing this. This wasn’t Jack’s fault. This was Bobby’s fault.
“No you didn’t. Physically.” Jack shot back, nodding his head “But mentally. Did you ever consider the mark you left on me? The deepest scar you cut into my memory of watching you hit my mother? You punched her. You pulled her hair nearly out of her head. You ruined my home. You ruined my childhood!” Jack began to get emotional as he burned a hole in Bobby’s eyes as he ranted on about how much damage he did to him.
“It’s my turn to scar you, now.” With that being said, Jack took the gun out of Gene’s mouth, held it sideways, and then whipped it across his face. Jack heard them all shout behind him as he came back with the pistol again, whipping it across Gene’s face the opposite way this time. He heard them all yell and scream, beg him to stop, he saw the fear in Pauline’s eyes in his peripheral vision but he ignored it. He went back and forth again across Gene’s face with the pistol. Blood splattered on the wall and some on Sue the second time. She cried out and turned away. All of them yelling. All of them watching. Jack did it again, back and forth, whipping Gene with the pistol. This didn’t give Jack any satisfaction. He found satisfaction in the audience.
He stopped hitting Gene with the gun and looked at him. Gene’s head hung low, almost resting on his chest. He was breathing heavily, barely keeping his eyes opened, and blood dripping out of his mouth. Jack watched him breath and heard the others crying. He looked over at Pauline who was calling his name. Jack knew Gene would be fine, so he continued with his game.
He stood up and turned to Bobby, whose face was red with anger.
“You see that, Bobby?” he pointed to his father “Do you understand what it fills you with? That hate. Do you feel it? That hate you have for me right now? All of you,” he spun around and looked at everyone “do you all feel that hatred you have for me, right now, for making you watch me beat on someone you love?” he looked at all of them and knew he hit his mark. The kids hadn’t moved from the corner the whole time, till now.
“Jackie.” Jimmy stood up and tried to say something but Jack stopped him immediately.
“Jimmy.” He stood there for a second “Don’t.” Jack pointed at him as Jimmy froze in place. “Sit down. Stay with the girls.” Sabrina was still huddled under Vicky’s arms, as if they were wings protecting her. Vicky, however, stared straight face at Jack. Her makeup was running down her cheeks. Jack could tell she was upset, torn, yet not how he expected. Her stare seemed more cold then angry. Almost like part of her was happy to what Jack did. Jack ignored his mixed thoughts about this and turned back to Bobby.
“Do you get it, Bobby?” he knelt down to his eye level, not breaking the lock on Bobby’s eyes he had since he turned back around “Do you see what it’s like to be helpless?”
“I’ve got nothing to say to you.” Bobby replied as if it was going make Jack apologize.
Jack took his gaze off of Bobby, looked at the floor while he wiped his face, and then stood back up.
“Ok,” he turned away from him and walked to his jacket. He dug into the pocket for something then walked back to the edge of the table “nothing to say on the matter at hand. I get it.” He sat back down in his chair “But I know you’re lying.”
Bobby just stared at him.
“I know you have something buried in you.” He continued “You want to hurt me. I mean you must want to hurt me. I’ve seen you slap mom in the face just because she thought Kevin Sorbo played a good Hercules” he chuckled a bit to himself “and I just pretty much pistol whipped your dad across the face about six times, so you must REALLY want to hurt me.”
Bobby’s nostrils flared as his face got more tight and red. Jack was hitting all the right buttons. The whole time, Jack held something in his hand, something he got out of his jacket. In that moment, he tossed it in between Bobby’s feet. It was the key to his cuffs. Bobby stared at it then back up at Jack who stood up from his chair.
“Now,” he put the gun back down on the table “it’s your chance to hurt me. I’ve done something horrible to your loved one in front of you and left you helpless as you watched” he began rolling up his sleeves “and you beat my mother in front of me for years as I stood and watched as a helpless child” even Jeanette was watching on as Bobby picked up the key and she listened to every word Jack said.
“What do you say we see who wants to hurt the other more?” Jack said as if beckoning for Bobby to use the key.
He did.
Bobby couldn’t get the key in the cuffs fast enough to unlock them. Once he did, he stood up fast and charged at jack with full force. Jack took a stance and braced himself for Bobby’s impact. He could’ve maneuvered himself to the side and slipped Bobby’s spear, but he wanted to take it. He wanted the hand to hand with Bobby. He wanted to finally get to hurt him with his bare hands as he watched him do to his mother all those years ago. Finally, he could defend not just her, but himself. He could put to rest the choke hold that these memories have had on his mind, once and for all.
Bobby’s spear was so forceful it sent them both collapsing backwards into the dining room table. Jack’s back went first into the edge of the table which caused him to lose his composure for a second. Bobby stood up and grabbed his neck with both hands, squeezing tightly as he put Jack on his back on the table. Jack grabbed him by the head and kneed him, pushing towards his knee with his hand and applying enough force to run with his leg. He did this three times until Bobby let go of his choke. Jack got to his feet and caught his breath. Bobby tried for a right hand. Jack saw it coming, caught it, and spun his arm out till he had it wrapped around Bobby’s arm. He applied pressure out and upwards to the elbow, knowing pressure to that joint causes the person’s body to stand upright. Bobby couldn’t defend much like this so Jack hit him with a few fast gut and rib punches. Bobby then turned into him and grabbed him in a head lock.
From there, Bobby spun him around and threw him into the living room. Jack tumbled to the floor and got up to one knee, getting ready for Bobby to come back at him. Bobby stumbled a bit himself from throwing Jack so he came at him a bit lop sided. He threw a straight punch at him which had very little force due to his poor stance, and Jack easily deflected it. Blocking the punch with one hand, he counted with a throat chop with the other, then he hit Bobby with a fast left and right. Both connected to Bobby as he stumbled back into a case holding dishes which fell over and shattered on the floor.
Jack took a step back and collected himself as he waited for Bobby to get up for more. He knew Bobby wasn’t going to give up easily but he didn’t want him to either.
Bobby got up and shook himself off. He put his hands up to show he was ready to fight. Jack did the same. They stepped in closer to each other and waited to see who would make the first move. Not much sound came from the others who were stilled tied up in the other room. They just watched on in shock, waiting to see what was going to happen.
Jack threw a couple of quick lefts, no force behind them, he just wanted to test Bobby. Bobby didn’t seem fazed by Jack’s nothing jabs so he gave him one of his own. It caught Jack off guard and slipped his defense, got him right on the nose which sent him back a step. Bobby caught this so he took advantage of
it.
He pushed him up against the wall hard, held him up with his elbow to his throat then gave him three hard right shots to the kidneys. Jack grunted and took action so to not take any more hits. He kicked Bobby in the leg, right on the knee, knocking him off balance. He took Bobby by the arm and the shirt, spun around and threw his hip into flipping Bobby clean over himself and sent him crashing into the coffee table in the center of the room.
Jack took a step back for a second then approached Bobby who was attempting to get up on his own. He grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him. He thought he had the upper hand at this point since Bobby was pretty old to take an impact like that, but Bobby charged at him again, knocking them both down to the ground. They landed back in the dining room. Bobby was trying to get on top of Jack but he slipped out and gave him a hard elbow to the jaw. Jack turned away from Bobby and attempted to get to his feet when Bobby grabbed him in a choke hold. He squeezed tightly, no one was sure whether or not he was attempting to kill Jack in this moment. Jack struggled and stared off into the distance, trying his best to get out of Bobby’s choke, with little success. A couple elbow shots but Bobby wouldn’t budge.
As Bobby took the shots, he saw the gun teetering over the edge of the table. He let the choke hold go and got up to grab the gun. Jack caught his breath fast enough to notice what Bobby was going for but he couldn’t stop him. Bobby picked up the gun and turned to point it at Jack. Whether to shoot him or not, he wasn’t waiting to find out. Jack spun around on the floor and took Bobby down by wrapping his legs around and buckled him at the knees. Bobby fell on his back making a loud thud sound. Jack got up to his knees and began coughing, still trying to catch his breath. He turned to where Bobby fell on the floor and saw that he had turned onto his stomach and was crawling towards something. He looked ahead and saw that Bobby had dropped the gun and was trying to get it back. Jack sprung forward and got to the gun just as Bobby did.