Sleepers

Chapter 8

While James Caldwell was slowly recovering at St. Clare's Hospital, we were charged and remanded into our parents' custody.

Shakes' P.O.V

"I'm sorry, dad" I pleaded with my father as he smashed his surroundings.

"'Sorry' ain't gonna do you much good" He continued to smash.

"Take it easy! This is no time to get crazy!" I yell in my defence.

"You're going to jail and you don't even know what the fuck that means!" Pa continued.

I thought, as I knew what he just said was sort of true. He's right I don't even know what the fuck going to jail means, i'm fourteen, and i'm a criminal already?

"Ma! Come look, Ma!" I said to Ma who was cowering in the kitchen.

"I don't know. Bastard!" She replied through tears.

"He's just a kid! He shouldn't have to do time! Nobody in this family should have to do time. I done enough time for everybody!"

"Pa I ju-"

"JUST GET OUT! GO GET OUT YOU FUCKER!" My father bellowed. I left immediately making my way to Fat Manchos place where we originally planned to meet up.

John's mum took the same action as mine, swore continuously under her breath giving him the cold shoulder.

Nicole turned up with a bust lip, Michael said nothing but sighed as he wrapped her in his arms.

Michael didn't say what his father did.

Tommy's parents kicked him out for a while, were all sat outside Fat Mancho's place. Silence.

Until, "You kids shouldn't be allowed outdoors, your devils. every single one of ya'" An elderly woman cursed pointing a crippled finger at us.

I looked up squinting from the sun.

She continued cursing, until "be gone" was said none other than Father Bobby. The five of us raised our heads. Our sun blocked by him.

"Just ignore her" Father Bobby sighed as he sits on the pavement with us.

"It's not just her, its everybody" John says

"Besides she right. We are devils" tommy replied staring at the ground.

"I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss all of this." I moan.

"Well... wait a minute... we could run, we could all run!" Michaels eyes lit up. "Disappear for a while Nobody's gonna come looking. Nobody's gonna care about us... about where we go"

"You run now, you're gonna run till you die. Hiding's not gonna make it go away. People aren't gonna forget. You've gotta face this" Father Bobby stated the obvious.

"I don't think I can Father" Nicole replied.

Mike shook his head "This is all my fault..."

"You guys shouldn't have to go triugh this. I'm the one who thought it would be fun to move the cart-"

"Yeah. But we went along with it. Look it's not anyone's fault" I tried to calm the atmosphere.

...2 days later..

We never saw the vendor as a man not the way we saw other men of the neighbourhood. And we didn't care enough about him to grant him any respect. We gave little notice to how hard he worked, or that he had a wife and two kids in Greece and hoped to bring them to this country. We didn't pay attention to the long hours he worked. We didn't see any of that. We only saw a free lunch.

We walked to the courthouse in silence, our parents close behind hot on our heels. None of us spoke. At the concrete stairs leading up to the huge building we came face to face with the hotdog vendor guy he didn't speak either he never even winced.

We wore suits, Nicole in a black dress.

I was terrified. One at a time we are called into the court room. After our individual trials we were all brought and sat behind a long wooden table police/ security men surrounded the doors.

"Thomas Marcano, the court hereby sentences you to be remanded for a period of no more than 18 months, no less than 1 year to the Wilkinson Home for Juveniles" The Judge demanded.

He continued... "John Reilly..." John looked down at the floor, "...the court hereby sentences you to be remanded for a period of no more than 18 months or less than 1 year to the Wilkinson Home for Juveniles"

"Nicole Martinez... Taking into consideration that you arrived on the scene after the theft of the cart had already occurred in consideration of that, the Court hereby sentences you to serve no more than 1 year, no less than 6 months at the Wilkinson Home for Juveniles"

"Michael Sullivan..." The judge chorused "... The Court hereby sentences you to be remanded for a period of no more than 18 months no less than 12 months at the Wilkinson Home for Juveniles. And I might add... had it not been for the intervention of Father Robert Carrillo who spoke in glowing terms on your behalf l would've sentenced you to a much stiffer punishment. I still have my doubts as to your inherent goodness.Only time will serve to prove me wrong."

The Next day, next thing we know were boarding a bus, Being strip searched and cuffed.

I saw Father Bobby behind the mesh, I walk over to him.

"Could you do me a favour?" I ask.

"What do you want? Name it" He replies.

"The past couple of weeks my mother and father looked like they were ready to kill each other. Could you watch over them for me?"

He looed at me with sorrowful eyes. "I will."

"And no matter what you hear, tell them I'm doing okay."

"You mean, you want me to lie?"

"It's a good lie, Father. You can do it."

"C'mon lets go." I felt a stern hand grasp my shoulder, I turn to see a dark officer guiding me toard the bus.

"Well... see ya" I hold a hand up to Father Bobby.

"Stay strong"

"I will"

Nicole and Michael exchanged looks before Nicole was cuffed and boarded on bus B, The girls bus.