“Did you know that Caleb suffers from middle child syndrome? The fuck!
“Why do you say that?”
“Because he’s the middle child.”
“Technically you are.”
“No, because the trips count as one because they came together, so Caleb is the middle.” I can’t today with this shit.
“Your point?”
“Oh nothing, I was just thinking that you should take him to the store or something and let him get something he really likes.” You see I’m reading between the lines like a motherfucker, you have to with this one. And what I’m getting from this conversation is that her brother has something on her and sent her to do his dirty work.
“And what is it that he wants?” She shrugged her little shoulders and peeped through her lashes at me. She’s eight but she hasn’t grown much since she was five so these idiots around here think that shit is cute.
“A game!”
“This game? Is it a video game?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What’s the rating?” She gave it some thought and then looked at me like she didn’t know what I was talking about, which I knew was bullshit because she’s been reading those shits since she was like three.
“Is it an E or an M or a T?” Now her eyes widened because daddy knows his shit. “Go and get your brother.” She wasn’t looking so sure of herself when she left and I knew they were getting their stories straight because they took way too long to come back.
“Yes dad!” He stopped just inside the door.
“What is it that you have on your sister? And before you lie, think of the consequences.”
“She didn’t do anything…yet.” The yet was barely above a whisper but her reaction was more than enough to tell me that the shit was not going to be good.
“Caleb, you snitch.” She punched him in the arm.
“Apologize to your brother and then tell me what it is that you did or were about to do. I didn’t ask you Caleb. Catalina I’m waiting.”
“I’m sorry Caleb.” At least she sounded sincere.
“I asked Caleb to cover for me.”
“Cover for you how?”
“I wanted to do something.” I didn’t say anything, just waited. “I tried to take Bunny for a walk after dark.”
At first it didn’t register to me what she was saying and then I got it. My blood ran cold. She’d been planning to go look for that damn truck I’m sure of it. I couldn’t even speak for the first five seconds as fear clutched my gut.
“Caleb!”
“Yes daddy.” I had to take a deep breath; there are too many witnesses in the house. “You knew your sister was about to do something dangerous and your response was to bribe her?”
“I…dad…”
“Let me ask you, did you do anything wrong?”
He looked at me with just a little bit of hope until he thought it over. I knew he had when his shoulders slumped and his head went down. “Yes!”
“What did you do wrong?”
“I didn’t think it through.”
“How old is your sister? Your little sister.”
“Eight!”
“Is she allowed outside by herself after dark?” He shook his head no.”
“Answer me, for all I know you might think that means yes.”
“But daddy it does. In India that means yes.” Swear to fuck Mengele.
‘This isn’t India Mengele.” That’s what her mother gets for broadening her horizons.
“No dad!”
“What can possibly happen to your little sister if she goes outside in the dark on her own?”
You see, with my kids there’s no point in yelling and screaming, they don’t hear that shit. You have to make them see in what way they have monumentally fucked up, and then you bring down the hammer.
I saw the second he remembered what had happened to her and tears came into his eyes. “I’m sorry daddy, I messed up.”
“Yeah, you did, and now you’re going to pay for it. Bring me the console; in fact bring me all your games and your phone the iPad, everything you use to play games. You can keep the Mac because you need that for class. And you’re not allowed to play with your brothers’ games either.”
The other one tried sneaking out of the room. “Catalina bring me your computer your iPad and your phone as well, you’re grounded for a month. No lab with grandpa either.” She looked like I’d gut punched her but I gave her a look that dared her to say one word to me.
She thought better of it and headed to her room to do as I said. They know better than to go to their mother that shit doesn’t work in this house. And Kat knows the few times she tried that shit in the beginning I put her ass in time out too. It’s called the no dick zone. And my freak don’t like it there.
I don’t understand how this kid’s mind works. How she can go from being afraid one minute to no fear the next. And what was she planning to do? Sure, most people cross the street when they see that damn dog coming, but still. Something must’ve happened or she’s just plain impatient and that’s why she was trying to make a move.