Chapter 3 I Hate it Here

Chapter 3

One week later-Friday After School

"Mom we're home! Luke and Lucy are here too," Cody yelled when he opened the front door.

He didn't see his dad's twobeige and dark forest green 1989 Nissan Sentra in the driveway.

"Cody! Why the fuck are you yelling in my damn house," Lester said coming from his office with his shirt unbutton while trying to button up his pants.

"So-sorry sir. Is Mom here?" Cody whispered and lowered his eyes when he was speaking to his father.

"No she isn't. That's all you are going to get because you don't pay a damn thing in this house. Where is Lekki?" Lester said angrily closing the door to his office.

"She's outside with our friends. They wanted to know if they could come over to the house to play some games until their dad came back from work," Cody said trying not to stutter in his response.

"No! Bring her ass in and go to your room. You guys are grounded. Now move!" Lester said and went back inside his office.

Cody heard a woman in his dad's office asking what was going on. Cody wanted to yell and scream, something because it wasn't fair that his dad was so mean and unfair. He didn't understand why he was being grounded for especially since the next day was Luke's birthday. For 24 hours he would be free from the tyranny of his father.

'I hate him so much,' Cody thought to himself and walked back outside.

::: :::

"Hey Cody what did your mom say? My dad is going to be working late tonight. Cody what's wrong?" Luke asked his friend.

"I'm grounded," Cody said trying not to cry.

"Huh? Wait- why?" Luke asked.

He was scared because he didn't want to go to Discovery Pizza by himself.

"I don't know. My mom isn't even here. I hate living here. I just wish that I could run away or something because I hate him. I hate that he's my dad! I wish he would leave us alone. Nobody likes him. Why is he even here? He always come home late on Friday. It's so unfair! I just want to run away and never come back," Cody covered his face so no one could see his tears.

Luke, Lucy and Lekki walked to Cody and sat on the porch steps. Lekki laid her head on top of her brother's shoulder and grasped his hand. Luke patted him on the shoulder and Lucy squatted in front of him rubbing his other shoulder.

"I don't like when you talk about that. I love you big brother and I don't want you to go anywhere. You are my only brother in the whole world. If you go who is going to look at my drawings or make sure that I can reach the sink to wash my hands. If you go who-who is going to read to me when I can't sleep. Or hug me when Mommy and Daddy are fighting? Pl-ple-please Cody don't leave me,"Lekki said crying into Cody's shoulder.

'I didn't know it was that bad at their house,' Luke thought to himself.

Lucy went to comfort her best friend. Minutes later Madeline was walking down the street and she saw hers and the neighbor's kids sitting outside on the porch with their backpacks on. She walked faster because they could have been snatched, shot, raped, anything. Where was her good for nothing husband at?

Lucy turned her head and she saw Lekki's mom power walking towards them. She tapped on Lekki's knee. Lekki looked up and saw her mom.

"Mommy," Lekki quickly got up and ran towards her mother.

Cody looked up as well and quickly wiped his tears away. He ran to his mom and grabbed a bag from her hand and tried to turn around. She stopped him and looked in his red eyes.

"What happened Cody?" Madeline asked still holding his chin.

"Nothing Momma. Some dust got in my eye," Cody said avoiding her eyes.

He didn't want to get in trouble from something he didn't know he had done. He also didn't want his parents to fight over him being grounded as well.

"Cody Davidson answer me truthfully. Why were you crying?" Madeline squatted down in front of her son.

Tears started to gather in his blue eyes. He was trying to hold back his tears but it was still raw.

"Dad-daddy said that I was grounded. I do-don't know what I-I-I did wrong. He's in his office with some lady. He also told me to bring Lekki inside and go directly to our room. I stayed out here be-be-because, Luke and Lu's dad won't be home. They wanted to stay for dinner. Bu-bu-but Dad is ho-ho-home. He-he-he he is ne-ver home on Friday nights," Cody said wiping his tears away from his face.

He hated crying but it was too much for him to handle at age 9.

Madeline hugged him and rubbed his back to soothe him from crying.

"First off you are not grounded. Your dad, I don't know what he was thinking. Yes, your friends can stay until their dad comes home. We'll make some homemade hamburgers, fries and we can make chocolate ice cream for dessert. I also bought Luke a birthday present for you to give to him tomorrow ok. Are you better now Cody?" Madeline asked while wiping tears from Cody's red tear stained cheeks.

He shook his head and hugged his mom again in appreciation of always being there. She hugged him and Lekki then stood up. She grabbed Lekki's hand while she still held the other grocery bag in her hand. Cody lead the way back to the porch. Luke and Lucy stood when the Davidsons came back to their house.

"Good afternoon Mrs.Madeline , can I take that bag from you?" Luke asked Madeline .

"Sure honey. My! so many helpers. How would you guys like to help me make...umm," Madeline paused letting the suspense gather.

"What Mrs. Madeline!What!" Lucy asked bouncing on her tippy toes.

"Guess!" Madeline said while walking up the short steps to the front door.

She opened the front door and checked inside to make sure the coast was still clear. The kids other than Cody and Lekki guessed because they already knew. They threw in weird stuff like frog eye candy or apricot, liver and kiwi pie.

"I bet my dad would think that those foods would be good," Luke whispered to the other kids.

They laughed and walked to the kitchen quietly.

"Well did you guys guess?" Madeline asked placing her apron over her clothes.

The Callaghan children shook their heads no. Cody and Lekki snickered because they knew and was dying to tell.

"Well go in Lekki and Cody's room and finish your homework. Lekki and Cody can tell you guys what's for dinner and dessert. Remember keep the noise level low until dinner ok. I might let you guys go outside and play but you have to have homework complete," Madeline said.

The children nodded their heads and did as instructed. Madeline giggled and got to work on putting up the food, preparing the hamburgers and peeling, washing, and cutting up the potatoes into fries. Madeline was prepared to start dinner.

She then walked to her husband's office and knocked. She heard giggling and a female voice asking who was bothering them to her husband. Madeline shook her head. Lester came and forcibly opened the door about to yell at his oopies and not expecting his wife.

"Ma-Madeline! I thought you was at the store, when did you get back? I told you to call me to come and get you. I thought I gave you enough to get groceries and not to come back here by bus. What did you do to get on the bus? You gave head to the bus driver to get home?" Lester asked while making himself presentable and not that he was cheating on his wife in their home.

"No Lester, I had change from the groceries and that's what I used. Plus I did call you! Five times and they all went straight to voicemail. I see why. I was wondering if you and your friend is staying for dinner?" Madeline asked looking inside and narrowing her eyes at the half dressed woman.

"What are you making," Lester asked thoughtfully.

"Hamburgers and fries,"Madeline said calmly.

He turned his head to inform the half naked chick and she replied back.

"No. She reminded me that I have a business dinner at this restaurant tonight. I don't know what time I will be back. So don't wait up. I'll bring some clothes with me just in case I have to spend the night in some hotel. I'm not cheating on you baby," Lester said reaching up and placing a piece of her black hair behind his wife's ear.

It took everything in Madeline 's willpower to not slap him. She could care less. Her mother was right about him. He just wanted one thing and when she got pregnant she begged him to stay with her. She lost just about all of her support from her friends and family. Her brother checked on her every so often but he was in college and didn't need to know the bull she was going through. She was secretly taking college classes to get her degree in Accounting. She was also working secretly part time as a librarian to make extra money for days her husband grew a wild hair and would just up and leave them. She was also working on divorcing him and probably moving out or asking the judge to grant them the house and alimony plus child support and he to move out. Plans that she has been working on since she first saw her husband's infidelity at first hand.

Flashback

Madeline was meeting a friend at the local coffee shop to catch up with each other. She was there earlier than the agreed time. The waitress sat her down in a booth that was a little secluded but still could see the other patrons. She looked around and spotted her husband sitting alone. She smiled and was going to say hi but then another woman with a small little boy and two little girls walked towards him.

He got up from his chair and smiled.

He kissed the woman on the lips and squeezed her ass and picked up the small girl. Madeline heard the children call her husband daddy. The couple giggled. The woman then rubbed her stomach and Lester's eyes bulged out and spun the giggling woman around. Madeline couldn't get a good look at the woman but she was crushed. Her husband had another family.

End flashback

Madeline turned to walk back to the kitchen but Lester stopped her. He brought her to his lips and kissed her. She didn't respond back. He pulled back and snarled at her.

He slapped her and shook her.

"Kiss me! I am your husband," Lester said and brought her close to him again.

She kissed him with no feeling as tears were rolling down her face. Madeline heard a gasp and small feet patter towards her children's room. Madeline pushed herself away and walked towards the kitchen. She heard the door close and she wiped her mouth. She went to the children's room and made sure that her face was together.

"Hey, who came out of here?" Madeline asked and hoped it was her kids and not the Callaghans.

"It was me Mrs. Madeline. I was going to ask if I could help you cook. I-I didn't see anything," Lucy said and wiped her eyes.

"Sure honey. Come on let's wash our hands and start the hamburgers outside ok," Madeline said and held out her hand.

"Can I help too Momma," Lekki asked.

Madeline giggled and held out her hand for her daughter as well. Cody and Lekki knew that Lucy saw their mom getting hit by their father. Luke was still asking what happened.

"I'll tell you later," Cody whispered.

::: :::