The Perfect Solution-A Suspense of Choices (16 page)

"You're so welcome."

Mona leaned her back against the sofa, smiling and giggling as she watched Brhin driving the little car haphazardly around the room. He laughed and bounced around as the little car banged into the walls and legs of the furniture. Chuckling loudly and talking a mile a minute, he cheerfully played with the little car, driving it through every room of the house. For half an hour, he was captivated and delighted with its antics and Mona listened to his lighthearted chuckle coming from the other room and took a self-satisfied breath of air. All was going well. Brhin was happy. She flicked on the television.

"Can I bring this car with me when I go home?" Brhin stood by her chair, clutching the car in his arms and smiling in anticipation. "My momma would really like it."

Mona, breaking from the reverie that had absorbed her in the television show, turned to look at Brhin as if she had forgotten his existence. In actual fact she had. The imagery of the happy family life she thought she was living shattered at his words.

"Brhin, I have really gotten fed up with you." She mentally absorbed the fact that Brhin had let the controller of the car drop from his hand and was slowly walking towards the recliner dragging the car behind him by the antenna. His little face was construed in a mixture of sadness and apprehension when he turned to look at her from over his shoulder.

"This is your home now." Mona was so angry that she did not care that the little boy looked as if his heart would break. "You and I are the only ones that are going to see that little car. And don't start crying." She yelled when he picked up the stuffed dog and rubbed its fur across his face.

"I'm not cryin'," he hiccupped. Holding the stuffed dog tightly in his arms and looking at her over its head, he tried to make a deal. "If I don't cry will you let me go home? Will you let me see my momma? She's sick ya know. I just wanna see if she's all right." A tear escaped from the corner of his left eye and fell on the stuffed bear. The drop of tears made a damp indention on its fake fur and Brhin quickly rubbed the spot and then his eyes. "I promise I'll be ba…" He scrunched his body closer to the back of the chair in fear when she rushed from her spot on the floor to stand in front of him.

"The only place we are going to go," she leaned over and menacingly pressed her face so close to his that their noses touched, "is across the street to get you dinner." She held up her hand and halted his words. "You didn't eat well earlier, so I think I should get you something else before bed time. I'll get my coat."

Crossing the room to the small table that held the telephone, she removed her jacket from the back of the chair sitting in front of it. Brhin watched her buttoning the first two buttons of the jacket and then turned his head, pretending he was watching the television. He didn't want to go anywhere but home. The clock on the VCR had the numbers 7, 4, and 5 on it. When they had arrived at the house it had said 3, 3, and 0. How long have I been here? He wondered. I bet my momma is looking for me. He looked at Mona and made a decision. He would not go with her across the street. Sitting on his hands, he prayed over and over that she wouldn't make him go with her. He would tell her that he was too tired to walk across the street. He would cry and beg to be left alone and when she was gone, he would use the phone.

Brhin had been sitting in the chair and thinking about it for a long time. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to call his momma. He was tired and wanted to lie down in her big comfortable bed. He wanted to rub his face in her neck and go to sleep. Leaning back and pulling up his knees, Brhin hugged the dog tighter. Maybe if I close my eyes like I am asleep, she will leave me here.

"Brhin sweetie, it has really gotten cold outside so I'm going to leave you here while I run across the street."

Startled, Brhin opened his eyes and stared up at Mona. Happiness bubbled in his heart and he did his best not to show it.

"There is nothing to be afraid of. You'll be all right. You won't open this door while I'm gone, will you?" She asked.

"No." He sat up and shook his head rapidly. I won't touch it."

"You won't play with anything, right?"

"I won’t. I'll just wait for you."

"Okay. I'm going to bring my keys and lock the door." She opened the door. I'll be right back. This will be my last time going. It is starting to get late and you need to get to bed."

"Yes." He leaned back into the chair. "I'll stay in this room."

"And I'll be right back." She promised.

As soon as the door snapped shut and the key turned in the lock, Brhin jumped from the chair and ran to the window. Moving the curtain just enough so he could peek out, he impatiently watched the lady as she waited for the traffic to clear before she sprinted across the street and opened the restaurant's doors. Once she entered the building, he dropped the curtain back in place and ran into the kitchen.

Pulling one of the chairs from under the round table sitting in the middle of the dingy little room, Brhin dragged it to the back door and pressed its back to the frame. Climbing on the seat of the chair, he reached for the chain. It stuck in its groove as he pulled at it. Jiggling it back and forth as he had often seen his mother do theirs, it eventually unlocked. Jumping off the chair, Brhin returned it to its place and ran back to the door. Turning the tab on the door's knob, he unlocked it and pulled the door open. The cold wind blew hard and swift into his face and he took a deep breath at the sudden chill it gave him. It was getting very dark. Swallowing his fear, Brhin ran out of the door and into the garage. He had to run around the car in order to get out of the garage and into to the backyard.

Resting his hand on the hood of the car, Brhin visually explored the layout of the yard. It was unkempt and very uninviting. There were four or five trees growing around the yard. Half dead azalea bushes lined one side of the fence. Large, forgotten bags of leaves lay scattered around a pile of decomposing leaves and a rusting rake. Twigs and windblown branches littered the yard along with empty soda cans and McDonald's cups and papers. And near the opening of the gate, a big green garbage can stood over flowing.

The walk across the yard looked daunting in the dimming daylight. He had forgotten his coat in the house and he felt like he was freezing. There was no way he was going to walk home. The opening of the gate seemed miles away from the garage and he was too cold. Turning around, he ran back into the house. He was going to go back inside and call his momma. She would come and get him.

Shutting the kitchen door, Brhin quickly ran to the table holding the telephone. His tiny hands eagerly snatched the receiver from its cradle. In his rush to turn it over and get it to his ear, it slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. Bending to pick it up, he hit the middle of his forehead on the table's edge. Tears pooled in his eyes, blurring his vision and making it hard for him to see the numbers on the dial. With one hand, Brhin wiped the tears that had escaped from his tired eyes and rolled down his cheeks and then rubbed the knot that was forming in the middle of his brow.

He wanted to cry like a little baby. “If my momma was here,” he took a deep breath and tried to comfort himself. “She would kiss it better. She would say 'take a deep breath, count to three, and the pain will disappear.”

Taking a deep breath, blinking his eyes rapidly and rubbing at his cheek, Brhin studied the dial. It didn't look like the phone at home. At home the numbers were large with lights behind them. This one was dark and had small numbers. He recalled the games he and his mom had played until he was able to remember their phone number. Remembering the game helped him to recognize the numbers.

After pressing his chubby little fingers to the first two numbers, he quickly dialed through the rest.

"Momma, Momma." He shouted into the telephone. "Come and get me." He said excitedly. He listened for his mother's response and then felt totally heartbroken when he realized he was listening to the answering machine.

"She's not home." He sadly whispered. He felt his bottom lip began to tremble and pulled it in. He wanted to cry. “Where was she? Maybe she really doesn't want me. Maybe she did give me away.”

Slowly, he replaced the receiver on its hook and began to walk away. He had only taken two steps when he remembered that his mother never lied to him and promised to always look for him. He ran back to the phone. Picking up the receiver, he quickly dialed 911. Suddenly, Brhin realized that he was not doing things in the order that his mother taught him; he hung up the phone just as a voice answered. His mother had taught him to call home first, leave a message on the machine if she was not there and then call 911. When all else failed, call the operator. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the numbers and dialed his home again.

Kneeling on the chair, Brhin wiped his eyes and waited for the beep to sound. He didn't know what he would say. He just wanted to go home. Brhin talked to the machine as if he were talking to his mother. He swallowed hard and talked slowly in order to control the trembling of his voice. He took deep breaths and counted to three over and over as he begged her to come and get him.

Brhin was so engrossed with the idea of getting a clear message to his mother that he did not listen for Mona's return. The first indication he had of her return was when she stood beside him at the table, holding out her hand for the receiver.

"What are you doing, my son? Are you playing on the telephone?" Mona questioned Brhin a little and chose not to believe his answers. She put the receiver to her ear. "There is no one there. No more playing on the telephone, understand?"

"Yes lady."

"Don't call me 'lady', call me 'momma'. I have...." She put the receiver on the hook and stooped to lift him up to her eye level. "Listen, I want you to come with me to McDonald's. They said it is going to be a few minutes for our chicken sandwich and apple pies. They have to be cooked and I don't want to leave you here on your own too long."

"But I don't wanna go. I'll be real still in that chair." He pointed to the item of furniture he now considered to be his sanctuary. His jacket was bundled in the corner of the chair, being guarded by the stuffed brown puppy. "I'll sit and won't move. I'll…"

Brhin stopped talking as the phone rang. Watching the lady's face as she spoke into the phone, he became nervous at the way she stared at him. Her face seemed to turn hard and the smile she had on her lips did not reach her eyes.

"It must have been my little boy. Yes, yes," she said into the receiver. "I'm sorry. He's just three years old. No, Ma'am. There are no problems here. I'll be sure and do that. Thank you."

Replacing the receiver, she shifted Brhin's weight in her arms so that she could look into his face.

"Did you call 911?"

Brhin nodded slowly in the affirmative. Afraid of what she would do, he covered his eyes with his hands.

"You see, that is why you're coming with me. I forgot how smart you are." She gave him an angry little shake.

"Can't I stay here? I won't do it again," he tearfully promised.

"No. You'll just keep playing on the phone until you cause some kind of trouble. Anyway, it is getting late. It's dark outside, see." Carrying him to the window, she pulled back the curtains. "You don't want to be left alone in the dark, do ya? Anything could happen in the dark. Someone bad could break in and get you. Do you want someone bad to get you?

"N-no," Brhin answered slowly. Looking over the lady's shoulder at the telephone he asked. "What if my momma calls while we're gone?"

"She'll never call."

Angrily dropping Brhin to his feet in front of the chair, squatting to his level she forced him to stand still facing her.

"How do you know that? My momma loves me. I know she'll come and get me. She's always gonna look for me.”

"I don't want to hear this."

Mona yanked his jacket from its trapped position in the corner of the chair. The force of the jerk caused the little bear to fly from the chair and land on its head in the middle of the floor. Brhin made as if to go after it and she pulled him back.

"Hold still. I've told you and told you. I am your momma. If you can't call me mamma, call me 'Mona'. That's my name. I've told you that before. That damned little red head will not be calling or coming here." She forced his stiff little arms into the sleeves of his jacket, shaking him a couple of times by the shoulders. "Hold still."

“I don’t wanna go.”

Twisting his body with all of the strength he possessed, Brhin pushed hard at Mona's shoulder. The suddenness and surprise of the movement freed him from her grip and he ran to the kitchen.

Under the mistaken belief the door was still locked and that she could easily catch him, Mona released an irritated breath and slowly turned on the tips of her toes to follow his movements. When Brhin turned the knob and pulled the door open, she stood in shock. A shock she immediately shook off when the cold air from the garage blew in through the open kitchen door and slapped her in the face. Yelling and running after him, she rounded the car just as Brhin crossed the yard to where the bags of leaves lay forgotten.

"Brhin, get over here."

Brhin continued to run. The chilling breeze from the cold rush of air filled his eyes with tears and stung his ears and nose. Scuttling through the clinging wet leaves he hoped that he could make it to the other side of the yard before Mona caught him. His little legs moved as fast as they could as he dashed across the yard in a zigzag formation, barely staying out of her grasp. Wet leaves and pieces of paper flew in the air, stuck around his ankles and clung to his shoes. Almost tripping over the branches and twigs, he ran around the bags of leaves multiple times as she chased him. He could feel her anger every time she reached out for him and missed. The frustrated curses she shouted at his back spurred him on. Fleeing from her grasp, Brhin dashed around a tree and towards the opening of the gate.