Paralyzed

Hermanito

Little Andrés de Fonollosa was sleeping peacefully until a strange noise woke him up. He quickly realized his parents were fighting, again. He got out of bed and went downstairs to listen to their conversation, like he always did, but this time something was different. His father seemed angrier, and his mother was not hunched or submissive. This time, her head was held high, and she looked confident. It was the first time Andrés had seen his mother like that since she left them three years ago.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" his father shouted. "Three years ago, you left because you couldn't handle having a family, and now you come crawling back, begging for money. But not even for yourself—for your son?!"

"Javier, please, don't scream. I don't want him to wake up."

"Oh, now you care about him," Javier scoffed. "Don't mess with me, María. I've been stuck with this useless piece of shit because of you. Because of him, I'm poor as hell and can't even pay my own bills. So how the hell do you expect me to help you?"

"I do care. He's my son, Javier. I just don't think he's ready to know he has a little brother.""Correction—half brother," Javier replied bitterly. "And for Christ's sake, he's nine years old. He's old enough to know he has a half-brother."

"Javier, please, just listen to me. I—"

But before she could finish, Andrés appeared in the doorway, eyes wide. "I have a brother? That's so cool! What's his name? When can I see him?"

María opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say a word, his father grabbed him by the arm and dragged him roughly back up the stairs.

"First of all, he's only your half-brother. Second, his name is 'little shit.' And lastly, no, you can't see him—and you never will."

"Ow, Daddy, let go—you're hurting me!"

"Oh, hush. I'm saving you from hell. Now shut up and go back to sleep," his father growled.Javier opened the boy's bedroom door and shoved him inside with a force that sent Andrés tumbling to the floor. Behind him, his father slammed the door shut and locked it. Andrés scrambled to his feet and ran to the door, banging on it with all his strength, crying and begging to be let out.

"If you don't stop that right now," Javier threatened from the other side, "I swear I'll make tomorrow the worst day of your life."

But Andrés, too stubborn to stop, continued to bang on the door and sob until exhaustion finally overtook him, and he fell asleep in front of it, curled up on the floor.