Bruises

¢нαρтєя тнιятєєи

Today's the day. My dad is coming out of prison. I think Uncle Jerry is driving him here, then, he's off to be with his family back at his house.
I sit in my room reading a book that Jerry bought me. I'm not too far into the book. Just Chapter Two.
I set me book down, and walk into Andrew's room. He is sleeping. I tug on his arm to wake him up.
"Wake up, dad's coming home today," I tell him.
He wakes up.
"I don't wanna see him! I know you forgave him and can't wait to see him, but I don't like him!"
"Come on, he might've changed!"
"You don't know that," Andrew said.
"Just get out of bed, and come in the living room."
He gets out of bed. I hand him clothes that I pulled out of his closet for him to wear.
"Here, wear this, I'll wait in the living room," I said, walking out of his room.
I walk in the living room. I sit down. I just stare at the door, and I start thinking of that day when we found out Andrew was in a coma. That was just about four months ago.
***
"Andrew is in a coma," said the doctor.
When he said that, my eyes just filled up with tears. I didn't hear what else the doctor said because I was just staring at Andrew.
Before I knew it, the doctor walked out of the room.
That night, when my uncle was in the bathroom, I decided to talk to Andrew in a whispered tone.
"You better stay alive, you hear me, don't die. If you die, my life would never be the same. You make my days better, and I'm glad that your my brother," I said, having tears run down my face, breathing heavy in between sentences.
***
"Bryce, Bryce.."
"Huh, I'm here!" I said.
He laughs.
"What were you thinking of?"
A smile just comes on my face.
"Nothing," I said, but as soon as I say that, we hear a car come up the driveway. My heart races. I was kind of nervous to see my dad again.
I walk up the front door, but I don't open it immediately. I stand there for a minute with my hand on the door knob. I take a deep breath that makes me feel a little better. Andrew doesn't say anything. I think he understands. He was being really quiet.
"I don't think I want to open the door," I tell Andrew.
I can see Andrew look at me through my peripheral vision.
"It'll be fine," He tells me.
I turn around.
"I know, I'm just hoping he learned his lesson in prison," I said.
"I bet he did, but if he didn't, I don't know."
I take another deep breath. Then, I finally open the door. When I do, I stand in the doorway. I make enough room for Andrew to stand.
I look at the car, and see my dad come out of the truck. He walks in a not fast, but not slow stride. He looks at me as he walks towards me.
"Hi, dad," I say with a red face.
But when my dad finally comes up to me, he doesn't say anything. All he does is push me out of the way to get inside.
Has he changed? Is he still the same? I thought.
For a minute, I was confused about him.
I didn't notice it, but Uncle Jerry was walking towards me.
"Wait, Bryce," he said.
I stand there waiting for him to get to me.
"If he abuses you again, or does any harm to you or Andrew, call me, I will handle this."
"Bye, Jerry," my dad said from behind me. He sounded as though he knew what he had just said.
"Bye, Bryce, Bye Andrew," he said, waving at us.
Me and Andrew wave at the same time. I watch Jerry get in his car, and drive away. Hopefully, in the future, I will see him again.
I walk back inside, close the door, and walk towards the living room to see if my dad is there. Before I know it, my dad walks in quickly and hands me a plate.
"Here, eat this, I made it for you quickly," he said.
He handed me a glass plate with a hot pocket on it. That's basically what I eat all the time with him. All he knows how to do, is make things in the microwave.
As soon as he hands the plate to me, I think I grab it wrong or it just slips, but I accidentally drop my plate. It breaks in little, tiny pieces.
"What the fuck!" He said.
I look at him, and realize he hasn't changed.  I realize that all that time, he hasn't made any effort to change.
I go down to pick up the pieces, but he pulls me up and slaps me across the face.
"Ouch!" I said.
"That's what you get, you little fuck brain. You fucking broke my plate," he said.
"Wow," I instantly said, "you haven't changed a bit, even though I say I forgive you, you haven't made a single effort to change your pathetic ways!"
"That's right, I don't want to stop beating you because that's what I love doing."
I look at him with a face that says 'not a surprise.'
"Whatever, I don't have to deal with this shit, I'm going to my room," I said.
I start walking, but then my dad grabs me and throws me back to the broken plate. I land on every piece of the broken plate. I have to say, it hurt a lot! There were cuts all over my legs and my left arm.
"Clean this shit up," he said.
I start cleaning it up. In the middle of cleaning up this mess, I think of the that day I was in the living room with my uncle a couple months ago.
***
Me and Uncle Jerry were watching TV. All of a sudden I start crying. He looks over and turns the TV off.
"I can handle this anymore," I said, "I want my brother back!"
"I know, Bryce, he'll wake up, quit worrying."
I look at him, and I start crying more hard.
"What if he dies? What if I lose Andrew?"
He comes over and gives me a hug.
"Don't say that! He will not die and he will wake up!"
***
Just then, my dad interrupts my thinking.
"What are you doing, clean that motherfucking mess!"
"Ok, gosh!"
I thought he was going to punch me for saying that, so I cringed. I open my eyes, and see that he's not there, but in the other room.
I clean up the mess by picking up every piece with my fingers. My dad never bought a broom and dust pan. I guess he wanted us to clean stuff up the hard way.
I got up and threw every bit in the trash can in the kitchen.
When I threw the glass in the trash, I had an idea, I could try to talk to my uncle. Tell him my dad is still his ugly ways.
I tip-toe towards the phone in the kitchen. I pick up the phone. When I was dialing his number, My dad instantly grabs the phone and chucks it through the door and it hits the wall to the living room.
"If you ever try to call your uncle again, I will kill you!" He said.
My eyes widened.
"Go to your room now!" He said.
I didn't move. I was shocked to hear that. He has never said that to me. All he does is beat me up. And he has never killed anyone. At least I don't think.
When he sees that I didn't move, he punches me right in the temple, and he knocks me out cold.