ꫝꫀ᥅ ꪊᜣ᥅ﺃᦓﺃꪀᧁ

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒙

The next few weeks after that were the longest in our entire lives. The police were around the block for a month straight. It was a total lockdown. No palors, barbers, not even school. Not like I minded, though. I spent so much time with Gloria. My mother helped her with makeup and chick stuff.

"Patrick, I could hear them." She was laying below the closed window on the bed one night. Only her eyes were visible.

I laid next to her and peeked outside. I could see the outline of her parents. The two of them were going at it like cats and dogs. He started beating her around, Gloria had to look away.

"What will they do to my sisters?" Her hands were trembling. Gosh, I hate seeing her scared. "Patrick, what will they-"

I grabbed her shoulders. "Now don't you be worrying your pretty little head off." I closed the curtains. "I have another idea."

"What?"

Here I go, making myself sound like a sap. I was so ridiculous. I got down on my knee and held her hands. She was laughing, tears in her eyes.

"I know we can't get hinged in a legal sense, but..." I pulled out my great-great grandmother's evening ring. It came all the way here with us from Ireland. Can you believe it? She was born in 1813, and we still have a ring of hers. "I know it's cheesy.."

Again, I was blushing and giggling like a doll. Gosh, you could only imagine my shock when she pulled out a ring. It was more modern than mine.

"I had the same idea." She bent down too. Now I was the broad!

We put our rings on each other. I picked her up and twirled her around, making her laugh. I didn't care if the whole block was peaking.

"I have a whole plan for us!" We landed on the bed, laughing. I pulled out my tiny notebook I keep in my pocket all the time. "Look." I showed her the papers. I must admit, my writing isn't the bee's knees. "I graduate in June, and I was already fixing on leaving the state and going to Baltimore. You can come with me."

She touched the notes. "Oh, that sounds good."

I closed the book. "I think it would be better for us. I could finally have my siblings quit breathing down my neck, and you-" I didn't have to spill it. We could still hear them screaming bloody murder. She nodded.

As I write this, I realize how much she had to part with. She doesn't talk about her parents, but gosh, does she miss her siblings. The baby is now ten. I can only hope she's alright, but that's wishful thinking. She never finished school. She's happy now, but I think about it, and I feel so terrible for her.

---

The months passed like a paycheck after that. The death of Giuseppe was the cover of the newspapers until February, but by April, it was forgotten by the public eye. The birth of Gloria was a family secret. She blossomed. Sometimes, I even forget that she was a man.

After my graduation, we actually did it. We moved to Baltimore, and we've stayed there ever since. I work as a wet nurse now, of sorts. Gloria originally didn't work, but because of this depression thing, she works as a babysitter and cleaner for people around us.

We're not rich, and we're not even middle class, but we're happy. She doesn't do that dangerous stuff anymore. She doesn't talk about death. I feel lighter.

Now, the reason why I write this whole thing now is because of a death in a family. My mother recently passed on. It was a peaceful sleep. It rattled these writing juices in me, and I needed something to take my mind off my despair.

I can't publish it now, unfortunately. We don't have money, nobody is really interested in books, and honest to God, I'm scared of reactions. People don't enjoy people like me and Gloria. I believe that for our safety, it should be published when we're all safe. When we can be out like the sun and nobody can rain on us. I hope it's in my lifetime.