Remember Who I Am

Chapter VII

December 10, 2023

7:01 PM

Jersey City, New Jersey

Marin Levitt, a half-Bulgarian, half-Canadian man, sat with his family at the dinner table. They were surrounded by Christmas decorations; lights, mistletoe, mini trees and all. Even a little bit of fake snow. His wife, Stephany Levitt, his 2 sons, Johnnie Levitt and Wallace Levitt, and his daughter, June Levitt, sat at the dinner. They held hands around the dinner table as they prayed before they ate.

"Father, We have gathered to share a meal in Your honor. Thank You for putting us together as family, and thank You for this food. Bless it to our bodies, Lord..." Marin prayed before the kids whispered, but he didn't hear.

"This is stupid as hell." Johnnie whispered to Wallace.

"I'm telling dad you said that." June whispered, eavesdropping.

"...each member of our family use these gifts to your glory. Guide our mealtime conversations and steer our hearts to Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Everyone else said amen, before they started to eat.

"Johnnie called your praying stupid, daddy." June said.

Marin looked at Johnnie.

"Come here, Johnnie." Marin said, getting up from the table.

"No, I didn't. She di--"

"Bah-bah, no blaming, come here." Marin interrupted.

"Dad, he didn't say anything. June is lying." Wallace tried to back his brother up.

"Wallace, shut your trap."

June smiled as she continued to eat. Johnnie reluctantly walked into the living room with his father. Johnnie hated his father. He was an abusive man. He would pray to the lord, call drinking a sin, but get black-out drunk. He would hit his mother but when she fought back, he would threaten to call CPS.

Johnnie knew what was going to happen. He knew that Marin would beat him until he was bruised. His mom couldn't help. No one would. June was obviously Marin's favorite, because she always followed him and would always side with him. He felt indifferent about her. As Johnnie and Marin walked into the living room, Johnnie closed his eyes.

"What are you closin' your eyes for?" Marin asked threateningly.

Johnnie put his hands up, he looked like he was praying.

"Oh, you wanna pray now? You wanna fucking pray now, huh?" Marin threatened.

Marin then grabbed Johnnie's head with both hands.

"You'll have another reason to fucking pray." Marin said.

Marin balled up his fist, and right as he was about to hit Johnnie's face, a brick slammed straight through the window. It landed onto the floor and slammed into Marin's heel. The man screamed. Johnnie stared, wide-eyed, at his father on the ground, before he saw the assailant crawl through the window. The man was armed with a gun. Johnnie backed up.

"Please, God... I'm sorry." Johnnie whispered to himself.

The man looked at Johnnie.

"Run. Now. Tell your family that someone's in the house. Tell them that I killed your father. Leave. I saw what he does." The man said in dramatic sentences.

Johnnie, sort of relieved in a weird sense, nodded at him unassuringly, before running into the dining room.

"There's a man in the living room! He just killed papa!" Johnnie yelled.