🏁 Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 1: From The Sea 🪼🔨💻 💞 🔮

Eight

Some years went by and even though Travis and Shana were friends, Aylin didn't like him for some reason and so always made sure that Shana didn't hang out with him. Travis didn't know much about anything because he didn't get to watch the things the other kids did and soon they began to make fun of him. He liked things about the sea and secretly talked to the fish in the classroom during recess since he had no friends. One day, a kid found him talking to the fish and laughed at him. They told the other boys and they all made fun of him, calling him The Little Mermaid because he also had a fascination with mermaids.
He would draw mermen and mermaids and seahorse people like he was. The teasing never relented though and soon, it became too much and it made him less vibrant and reluctant to go to school. Ruth noticed that his demeanor had changed drastically within three years of being with him and she finally asked him what was wrong.

*********************

"Travis?"
Travis looked up from the puzzle he was doing at the kitchen table.
"Is there something wrong at school?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Travis, don't lie to me. Are they hurting you?"
"Uh uh..." he said, going back to his puzzle.
Ruth went over to him and lifted his head.
"Tell me the truth."
Travis bit his bottom lip but finally grabbed her around the waist and began to cry.
"They make fun of me! They call me names and no one will be friends with me!"
Ruth stroked his head for a moment as he cried in her stomach, already tall for his age.
"What do they say?"
"They call me The Little Mermaid because I like mermaids and they make fun of me cuz I talk to fish and they call me fat!"
"Fat?" she said, looking at him in puzzlement.
He nodded. "They call me a fatty and a weirdo."
Ruth's anger flared and she walked him to the couch, making him lay his head in her lap.
"I try to be nice and stuff but no one will be my friend. Even Shana doesn't like me!"
Ruth's ire burned in a hot rage. If anyone could see her, she had no doubt they would see a huge fire blazing from her body. No one hurt her baby.
"Do you want me to talk to Fred?"
"No... She's not mean to me and she sometimes stops them from calling me names. She just doesn't play with me anymore... Mom, why do they hate me?"
"I don't know, sweetheart."
"And they call me girly because I like princess movies."
Ruth made a face at that one. She blamed herself for that part. I'll have to tone the chick flicks down a little...
"Well, that part we can fix easily. It's okay to like mermaids and princess movies but some things are best left at home. Let's keep that a secret just between you and me, okay? Don't tell anyone at school about those." Travis nodded. "Now, you're not fat. Remember that. You're perfectly normal."
"No I'm not... I'm a mermaid."
"Well, they don't know that do they?" He shook his head. "Then you're perfectly normal to them. Don't let them hurt your feelings too much. If you feel they are starting to hurt your feelings, defend yourself. I guess I'll have to get Josh over here to teach you some ways of keeping your man-card."
"Man-card."
"Yes. Every man has an imaginary card for their manhood. Sometimes, things happen that cause a man to give over his man-card so to speak. It's not a bad thing though, so don't worry. Sometimes it's easy to keep it in front of people but sometimes things unexpectedly happen that one would give up their man-card for."
"Do you have a man-card, Mom?"
"No." she said with a smile. "I don't have one. Women don't get one."
"I wanna keep mine."
"I know you do. Now, don't let those boys hurt your feelings. Stand up for yourself and just know that you are who you are, not what they say."
He nodded and Ruth wanted to growl at the wind.

*****************

"You want me to do what?" Josh asked as he typed in some patient information into the computer.
"Show Travis how to keep his man-card. He's been hanging around me a little too much and you know I don't do the sports thing..."
"Yeah, but I mean what do you expect me to do?"
"I have an idea... but I need you to help me with it."
"What is this idea?"
"I'm thinking about actually making him a card that says 'man' on it and then having him give it up to me when things happen around the house so that he knows how to keep himself from giving himself away so to speak. I don't want him so lonely anymore."
"That's a good idea but what do you need me for?"
"Well he needs to know what a man has to like or he can't get his man-card taken away, now can he? I don't know every little thing that you men consider 'forfeiting the man-card'."
"Alright... I can try but I don't know how well I'm going to be at it."
"It'll be better than anything right now, Josh. I'm just so worried about him... Oh, he's coming in so I'll see you later?"
"Yeah."
Ruth hung up the phone and went to the front door to meet Travis at the door but gasped. Travis was covered in scratches and bruises and blood was dripping out of his nose.
"What happened to you?!" Ruth said quickly, walking to him.
Travis just stared at the floor as Ruth wiped the blood from his nose with her finger and made him look at her.
"Travis, what happened?"
He moved his face out of her grasp and just looked away from her.
"Travis, sweetie, what happened?"
"They beat me up."
"Who?"
"Aylin and his friends. They said I was a freak and that I can't talk to Shana anymore."
"Why?"
"He said his sister doesn't talk to weirdos anymore since she's going to be a cheerleader."
Ruth made a feral noise and grabbed Travis' hand, dragging him out of the house.
"Mom?"
"I'm going over there and telling him-"
"No! Mom, if you do that they'll beat me up again!"
Ruth looked at him and grabbed his shoulders.
"Travis, you're my son and I love you but when it comes to your safety and your well being, I will fight for that protection. Those two things are the only things that matter to me."
She pulled him along and knocked on the door of the Gray house.
Shana opened the door and when she saw Ruth at the door she knew Aylin was going to be in trouble.
"Where's your brother?"
"Upstairs..."
"Get him."
Shana nodded and ran up the stairs to call for her brother. He walked down the stairs and up to the door.
"Hey, Auntie Ruth."
"Aylin. Did you beat up Travis?"
Aylin looked behind Ruth and frowned.
"You told your mom?"
"Answer the question, boy, or I'll have my own rounds with you." Ruth snarled.
Aylin crossed his arms and looked at her defiantly.
"So?"
"Travis?" He looked at her. "Don't ever do this without my consent. For the sake of the start of your man-card, I am giving you permission to punch him in the face."
"Like The Little Mermaid could throw a-"
Travis pulled back and hit Aylin straight in the nose. He fell back onto his carpet and Ruth glared at him with all the deaths of the Seven Hells in her eyes.
"When your father comes home, I will explain to him what happened. I'm going to call him now."
She and Travis walked back to their house and she ruffled his hair a little.
"That was a good one."
"Do I get to keep my man-card?"
"Yes. You get to keep it."
Travis gave himself a small victory, even if his hand did hurt from the punch. It was worth every pain.