The Perfect Solution-A Suspense of Choices (17 page)

Determined not to let Brhin get away, Mona lengthened her stride and increased her speed in order to catch him just as he reached his destination.

Brhin screamed as the collar of his jacket was caught and he fell to the ground. Kicking and scratching at Mona in his struggle, he fought the hands that tried to get a firm hold on his arms and body.

"Boy, get a grip and calm down." Mona pulled Brhin to his feet gave his little body several enraged jerks and roughly slapped the leaves and dirt from his clothing and hair. "We’re going across the street," She said through her gasping struggles for air, "to get something to eat and when we come back to this house," she stressed, "You will take a bath and go to bed." She shook him again. "I have had enough of dealing with you tonight."

Tears dropped from Brhin's eyes and fell onto the back of Mona's hands. She could feel the trembling of his tiny body as she zipped his little jacket and she felt ashamed of herself for yelling at him. Pulling Brhin close, she held him tight and rubbed his back. After all, he was only a little kid. The changes of the day probably were upsetting him.

"Don't cry, Son I'll take care of you. Nothing will happen to you. If it makes you sad to be here, we'll move. Remember, I told you that before. We can play a super game. We can play hide and seek. We will move, change our names, and see if that little red head will find us. If she does…then bam….she can have you back."

Mona pulled Brhin into her arms and carried him into the house. And this time closing and locking the kitchen door before leaving the room. Without a pause in her stride she opened the front door and stepped on to the porch.

"But I don't wanna leave here. I wanna go that way," He pointed left when they were outside standing on the curb. "And go home," he continued.

"Well, we're going that way," She pointed straight ahead. "And get us something to eat. After that we're coming this way," she used her thumb to point behind her and to the house. "Back to the house, you'll get a bath, watch some TV, and then we'll go to bed."

"Why don't we ride in your car, Lady? You won't have to walk in the cold. You can bring me home. We can go that way. It's not really far from here."

"I'll be bringing you across the street and back in this house and don't open your mouth to say another word or you’ll be sorry."

Standing stiffly when Mona put him down to open the restaurant's door, Brhin tried to shift his weight so she couldn't pull him through.

"Get in here." She yanked his arm. "I'm not in the mood and I'm about to lose all of my patience with you. Sit right here while I order and don't dare to move or you will be sorry." She hissed in his ear.

Evading her eyes, Brhin looked over the woman's shoulder. Spying the sign to the restroom, he remembered that he had not gone in a long time.

"I have to go to the bat'room. Lady, I have to go to the bat'room." Brhin repeated in a much louder voice when he realized he was speaking to her retreating form.

"You just sit there and wait a minute and remember what I said."

Brhin turned to face the back of the restaurant's vinyl seat and knelt to watch Mona as she waited in line to make their order. She stood the fifth in line, arms folded, body held stiffly. Every couple of seconds she would turn her head to look at him and he would shout out his need to use the bathroom and she would silently mouth or signal for him to shut up.

With each request, Brhin became louder and more tearful until he was in a hysterical torrent of tears. He was tired and distraught. No matter how he tried, he was unable to get control of his emotions. All he could think about was the fact that he wanted his mother.

He missed the way she rubbed her hands around his cheeks before she kissed him. He missed the smell of the perfume that clung to her neck. Most of all, he missed her smile. She smiled all of the time. Even when she was angry at things he did, she smiled at him. She fussed at him, gave him a hug, and then smiled at him.

"I wanna go home. Lady, I want my momma." He yelled across the room at Mona. He was standing with his hands in the air, tears running down his face and he didn't care what he looked like to the people that were staring at him.

Mona looked around the restaurant and watched as heads of the other patrons turned and searched the restaurant for the person responsible for fulfilling his needs. She could see the sympathy for him in all of their eyes and she could understand it. Even though she was struggling through her anger and irritability she was falling victim to the vulnerability that his tiny form emulated and for or all of a second Mona wished that she had never taken Brhin from his daycare.

His constant unhappy crying was beginning to take a toll on her nerves and the nerve, the vein or whatever it was, behind her right eye was beginning to throb.

She had never seen Brhin behave in this manner. He’d always been laughing, giggling, or just smiling. Why was he being such an irritant? Why was he crying so much? This was his favorite place. She looked at Brhin. All she could see was the top of his little head. His forehead was pressed against the back of the seat and his shoulders were shaking with the intensity of his crying. God, why have I put myself in this predicament?

"I said wait a minute." She yelled across the room in annoyance and received foul looks from the people standing near her. "I'll be right there." She amended in softer tones and trying to smile through tightly clinched teeth.

"But I have to go to the bat'room, now."

"Ma'am, I could bring him to the restroom if you want."

Mona turned her head to look at the person speaking to her. Standing in front of her was a thin adolescent boy. He was already resting the broom he had been using to sweep the vacant area of the restaurant against a wall and was walking towards Brhin.

"Thank you, I would really appreciate that." She gratefully said to his back.

"No problem." The teenager lifted Brhin from the booth and put him on the floor.

"Come on, Buddy. You can stop crying. I'll bring you to the restroom."

Holding onto the teenager's hand, Brhin walked with him out of the room. As soon as they were in the restroom, he turned to face the teenager, Brhin searched his face anxiously.

"Sir, can I tell you somethin'?"

"Yes, and you don't have to call me 'sir'. Do you need help? Can't you get your clothes a loose?"

"Yes." Brhin proceeded to do so. "If I tell you somethin', you won't tell anybody?" He asked.

"It depends on what you tell me." The teenager squatted to Brhin's eye level. "Is it a big secret?" Believing he was about to be told a cute little story, he smiled indulgently.

"Uh huh," Brhin nodded emphatically. "You can't tell anybody." He whispered. 'Specially not that lady out there."

"You're talking about your mom?"

"She's not my momma and you can't tell her I tol' you."

The teenager smiled slightly, thinking Brhin was playing game. His smile disappeared when he saw the tears forming in Brhin's eyes. Putting both of his knees to the floor, he looked deep into the child's eyes. Determining that Brhin was telling the truth, he gave a low whistle.

"What's your name?"

"Brhin-Kristoffer Teddi, my auntie was 'sposed to get me from the daycare center, but that lady came. She said my momma sent her, but she doesn't even know our password or anything." Brhin talked quickly in his agitation. "I din't want to go, but my teacher made me. That lady told me she was bringin' me to my momma, but she din't. She says she's going to change my name and move out of town. I don't wanna move outta town. I want my momma."

"Hold up. Wait a minute," The teenager stopped him in shock. "Do you go to The Perfect Solution Daycare Center?"

"Yep, I don't like it there."

"I saw your mother on the news when I was watching TV in the break room just now. She was really upset. She was saying how much she loved you and will always look for you. When I saw you I thought that I had seen you before, but I figured it was because a lot of little kids come in here to eat. I'll tell you what, I'll go and call the police, okay?"

"Okay. You won't tell the lady will you?"

"No. When I leave out, you lock this door and don't open it until your mother comes. The police will bring your momma here. I'll tell the lady that you asked me to leave out of here and when I did, you locked the door. She won't be able to do anything about it. Just don't open it until your real momma comes. Not even if someone else comes to the door. Only open it when your real mom comes."

"Okay." Brhin smiled. "I'll sit right here and wait for my momma."

"And try not to worry. Your mom will be here before you know it."

"T'ank you." Brhin's smile showed radiantly.

Thrilled with the knowledge that he would soon be seeing his mother, Brhin bounced to the door and turned the lock as soon as the teenager walked out.

"Remember what I said." The boy's voice reminded him from the other side of the closed door.

"Remember, what?" Mona questioned.

Brhin scuttled away from the door at the sound of Mona's voice so close. Laughing when he realized that she couldn't get in, he moved back and pressed his ear to the door paneling so that he could hear whatever his friend had to say.

"Remember what?" Mona repeated irritably.

"Oh, I was just reminding your son to come out when he finished or when his momma comes." The teenager stressed the last four words a little louder than the others.

"I'm here now, sweetie you can come out." She said to the door.

"I'm not finished." Brhin yelled from within the locked restroom.

Mona tried the knob on the door. Finding it locked, she glared over her shoulder at the teenager. The boy shrugged his shoulders at the unspoken question.

"He told me to leave. He said he could handle it and so I left him."

Inching away from Mona, he turned to walk away.

"Why did he lock the door?"

"I don't know, Ma'am. I have to get back to work."

"Fine."

Mona acknowledged his departure with a slight nod of her head. Giving little thought to the boy's abrupt departure. Her mind was focused on Brhin. The way the child had been crying earlier, she was afraid that he had made himself ill.

"Brhin honey, open the door."

"No. I want my momma not you." He yelled out angrily. "Go away."

"Brhin, don't start anything. Come out and we will talk about it."

"No."

"We can go to my house and call your momma."

"No, go call her now. I can wait right here for you."

"No."

Mona hit the wood of the door with her closed fist as hard as she could. Her anger was getting beyond control. She heard Brhin's little screech of terror and the slam of a stall door.

"Damn it." She muttered to herself. Slapping her forehead hard and cursing her stupidity at banging so loudly on the door, she tried to entice him to come back to the door.

"Brhin, come out here, now." She raised her voice, hoping that he would hear her across the room and through the stall door. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to yell. Please come out. Let's talk. While we wait for your mom, we can play with the car."

"No, I want my momma."

Brhin's loud sobs could be heard through the door and when Mona turned to look around the restaurant, she turned to face a multitude of curious stares.

"The boy is kind of upset."

Stepping away from the door she hurried to the counter. This scene had the potential of getting her into trouble. She had to get him out of the restroom with as little commotion as possible.

"May I take your order, please?" A teenage girl, smiling and showing her shiny new braces stood patiently waiting for an answer.

"Yes." Grabbing the girl by the collar of her blouse, she practically yanked the child over the counter. "Get me your manager." She gritted angrily.

The girl pointed to her right and barely choked out an answer.

"He's over there." The shocked and frightened girl croaked and cleared her throat, "The one coming this way." She moved out of reach as soon as her collar was released.

"Ma'am,” The manager walked up, made an almost imperceptible sign to the girl and she quickly vacated the area. "May I help you? Is there a problem?"

"Yes."

Mona took a deep breath to get calm. She pushed her hands into her coat pockets and looked around. Strangely, no one in the entire restaurant was paying attention. It was as if they were studiously avoiding being part of any confrontations. She watched them with a kind of myopic fascination. Things seemed to be moving along as normal.

A couple sat at a booth, both wearing sickening smiles and sharing a super-sized order of fries. Three lines, consisting of one to two patrons had formed at the counter and a group of kids standing near the drinks fountains were laughing and mixing their cups with the various flavors of drinks while their mother stood smiling as if she were an idiot. Everything seemed normal. Except for the urge she had to search for something.

Mona's gaze swung back and around the restaurant in the opposite direction. It was night so there was no one outside in the play area. This side of the room was empty of customers. A broom was leaning against the wall. Why was a broom standing alone? All thoughts were stopped like a scratched record at a party. Where was that boy? The one who had seemed so helpful? Examining the faces of the uniformed workers, her gaze landed on the face directly behind the manager's left shoulder. The teen boy was on the telephone and staring directly at her. From the guilty look on his face, she knew exactly whom he was talking with.