Betrayed

The Angel

I woke up later in the evening, and I found AJ asleep on my chest.

She looked so innocent, an innocent angel with no impure intentions, just a small child. I carefully slided out of the couch and let her down, covering her with the bearskin blanket. I heard rattling from the kitchen, I walked in to find AJ's mother, Alicia, preparing dinner.

''That's a wonderful daughter you have there.'' I said trying to make conversation, but she seemed more interested in hammering the chicken breasts.

''Yeah, thanks.'' She smacked the chicken harder than usual, making it squirt blood on the wall.

''Yeah, well thanks. You know for rescuing me from the blizzard. Probably would have died there if it weren't for you and your daughter.'' I said, biting my tongue..

''Feel free to yourself out when the storm is gone.''

I felt curious, she told AJ to stop talking when she mentioned her father.'' What happened to AJ's father?''

She stabbed the cutting board, leaving the knife standing erect on the wooden board.'' He died when she was 1'' She spoke bitterly, she didn't want to talk about this.

''I'm sorry. What happened?''

''Hunting accident. He was shot in the head by a hunting rifle.''

Suddenly the images of my father came back. I looked at AJ, she went through the exact same thing I went through, but yet she didn't lose her innocense. She still acted like a child, like nothing ever happened, but her mother. She acted like me, like she lost everything in her life after her husband died.

''My father died too. He was shot by a robber, and died in front of me.''

She couldn't care less, she kept preparing dinner. ''Are you going to join us?''

''No, I'll be leaving soon.''

She took two plates to the small wooden table in the corner, wiping her hands on her shirt. ''Yeah, I was just wondering. AJ has taken a liking to you.''

''Why AJ? Why that name?''

''Joseph was the name of my husband, and my name is Alicia, so we named her after both of us, as a token of our love.''

''It's a nice name. Hey, I know I'm in no position to judge but, you should let her outside. Maybe just in your backyard, childhood. Its a state of mind, it has nothing to do with age.''

She looked at me, confused. ''As long as she is inside, she'll be safe.''

''And she won't see the world through her eyes. Perhaps she will get hurt, a cut, scrape, or bite. But she won't enjoy her life stuck in here.''

She looked down. Inside she knew I was right, I walked slowly towards the door, taking my jacket off the coat rack.

''Childhood will only last as long as a child is happy, not as long as they are innocent.''

I walked out the door.

Hope AJ likes the chocolate bar I left in her hand. It will be a nice treat when she wakes up.