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Topic 143. Revenge
Sep. 14th, 2006 11:33 am"Let me see, baby."
Will tilted his head up so his mother could see his nose. The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurt enough to make his eyes water. He would never admit to crying.
"I hate him, Mom," Will said, the words nasal because of his swollen nose. "I fucking hate him."
"William, please don't use that language," Inez Porter said as she cleaned away the dried blood on her son's face. "And you shouldn't hate your father."
Will grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face. "How can you say that? Look at the way he treats you. I don't care what he does to me, but he shouldn't treat you like that."
Tears began to well up in Inez's eyes, and she tried to shake it off. "It's not that bad, baby. I promise," she whispered, cradling his cheek with her hand. "But... I wish I could stop him from hurting you."
"I'm seventeen," Will frowned. "I should be defending myself. One of these days I'll be ready for him, and then he'll be sorry. I'll be able to make him pay for what he's done to us. And I'm always going to hate him, Mom, no matter what you say."
Inez shook her head. "No, baby, don't say that." She forced a smile and stroked his hair for a moment before once again tending to his wound. "We don't make our parents pay for what they do. If we did, your grandfather would have died a lot sooner than he did."
"What?" Will blinked a few times. "Grandpa?"
His mother raised her eyes to his. "Don't worry, Will," she said softly. "Time takes care of everything and we don't have to lift a finger. You'll see."
It wasn't until Will attended his father's funeral ten years later that he understood what his mother had meant. After years of abuse, the both of them were finally free, alive and well. That was the sweetest revenge of all.
Will tilted his head up so his mother could see his nose. The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurt enough to make his eyes water. He would never admit to crying.
"I hate him, Mom," Will said, the words nasal because of his swollen nose. "I fucking hate him."
"William, please don't use that language," Inez Porter said as she cleaned away the dried blood on her son's face. "And you shouldn't hate your father."
Will grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face. "How can you say that? Look at the way he treats you. I don't care what he does to me, but he shouldn't treat you like that."
Tears began to well up in Inez's eyes, and she tried to shake it off. "It's not that bad, baby. I promise," she whispered, cradling his cheek with her hand. "But... I wish I could stop him from hurting you."
"I'm seventeen," Will frowned. "I should be defending myself. One of these days I'll be ready for him, and then he'll be sorry. I'll be able to make him pay for what he's done to us. And I'm always going to hate him, Mom, no matter what you say."
Inez shook her head. "No, baby, don't say that." She forced a smile and stroked his hair for a moment before once again tending to his wound. "We don't make our parents pay for what they do. If we did, your grandfather would have died a lot sooner than he did."
"What?" Will blinked a few times. "Grandpa?"
His mother raised her eyes to his. "Don't worry, Will," she said softly. "Time takes care of everything and we don't have to lift a finger. You'll see."
It wasn't until Will attended his father's funeral ten years later that he understood what his mother had meant. After years of abuse, the both of them were finally free, alive and well. That was the sweetest revenge of all.
