A Tortured Soul

Chapter 38

A new school year started for Haley; she was now a first grader! She had been going to the same school since pre-k, so she knew almost everyone there. A new girl moved into the neighborhood and Haley took notice. The two met at school when she realized the girl, Carmen, was shy and afraid. There were times when the girl would have tears streaming down her face and other kids would laugh “Ha! What a baby!” they would say. This infuriated Haley and caused her to lash out at other kids and get sent to the principal’s office. Haley decided to befriend the girl and stand up for her when needed. The little girl introduced herself as Carmen Blane. She and Haley clicked quickly and became inseparable. After school Haley would walk to Carmen’s house to play or vice versa with Kim standing in the road watching the two walk from one house to the other. Haley was to call her mother before walking home so Kim could stand in the road and watch to make sure she was safe.

A few months into this, someone else moved into the neighborhood, a man, on the opposite side of the road, slap dab in the middle of Haley’s house and Carmen’s house. This man’s appearance caused concern in Kim’s mind and she no longer wanted the girls to walk alone. The man sat on his front porch with a cold canned beer in one hand, and the other hand resting gently on his knee, dirty white muscle shirt, filthy red pajama shorts looking like neither he or his clothes had been washed in at least a week, and flip flops with long broken up toe nails hanging off the tips of his shoes. This man obviously had no idea what personal hygiene was. He just sat there and watched Haley skip happily towards her mother paying absolutely no attention to the an watching her. I mean why would she? She was just a child with no clue what danger really was, like most kids, they don’t know it until it’s in their face. Kim never took her eyes off the man until she and Haley were safely inside.

Kim immediately told Justin about it and he offered to walk with Haley to and from her friend’s house to ensure her safety. Haley over heard the conversation and disagreed angrily, “No way! I’m a big girl now daddy! I’m in the first grade, I can walk by myself!” She defended herself. “I know you are sweetheart, but we just want to keep you safe, ok!” Kim tried to explain. “No! I have been walking by myself and I am fine!”  Justin watched Kim and Haley talk, well, Kim talked, Haley yelled, and decided to chime in. “What if I let you walk in front of me a little ways, so you are still walking alone? I promise to stay behind you.” Haley looked at him with her eyes scrunched and thought about his suggestion, “Ok, deal!” She finally said extending her hand for an official business handshake.

From then on Justin walked with Haley to and from Carmen’s house making sure to stay a good distance behind her, not to close for her to feel like she is being monitored and not to far incase something happens he can easily take control of the situation, just close enough for her to know she is famous in her daddy’s eyes and she has her own personal bodyguard. JT walked with Justin on several occasions after he caught wind of the new guy and wanted to check him out. JT was always good at reading people, so Justin encouraged him to tag along.

JT waved at the man noticing his porch was in desperate need of a garbage pick-up, beer cans, snack cake boxes, and wrappers littered his porch along with moldy bread and Hungry Mann microwaveable meal boxed. “Obviously he lives alone.” JT said softly. The man waved back and nodded his head slightly, keeping his eyes locked hard on them. After getting back to Justin’s house Kim immediately ambushed them asking JT what he though. “Well, I think you two should keep an eye on him. He seems like he has a screw loose or missing a few tools in the ultimate tool box if you get me.” He answered giggling slightly at his own joke.  “Who is this?” JT asked pointing at the girl on the couch. “That is Jessie, Kim’s friend.” Justin said. “Why? You think she is hot don’t you!” He said laughing. “Why would you think that?” JT asked. “Well, because you haven’t stopped staring at her since you spotted her!” Justin answered. “Oh, ok.” JT said dismissing the comment.

Two weeks later Justin fell ill with a severe cold and couldn’t take Haley to Carmen’s house, and Kim was on the phone attending a mandatory conference call and wasn’t able to walk with her either. Haley begged and pleaded with Justin to feel god enough to walk, she tried everything including her famous puppy dog eyes, but nothing worked. He smiled and punched her cheeks like a grandmother would to a child with thick cheeks and said, “Look at that sweet face!” She poked her bottom lip out to go along with her cute, sad puppy eyes, but it only made Justin smile more with a new response, “Aw, look! I got a new sad little puppy!” Haley, being amused with her daddy’s response stuck her tongue out and began to pant and bark like a dog. Justin laughed so much with Haley it threw him into a coughing fir. Kimi walked in with cough medicine and helped him sit up to drink it. “OK, Haley daddy needs to rest right now so let’s be quiet.” Kim whispered placing a finger over her lips.

Justin turned over in his bed facing the wall to keep from coughing on Haley so he wouldn’t get her sick. She dropped the puppy act and crawled onto the bed curling up behind him against his back with a concerned look on her face. “Are you ok daddy?” She placed her tiny hand on his back between his shoulder blades where a tattoo of her rested. It was a picture of her as a new born baby, a picture Kim gave to him the first time he met Haley, she was being held by an angel, which a lot of people mistaken for being Kim, there was a beautiful tribal design all around it that stretched from shoulder to shoulder, mid back up to the base of his neck slightly creeping over his shoulder. Haley loved it; it was her favorite of all her daddy’s tattoos. “Yes Haley, I’m ok.” He said turning over only long enough to smile at her. “Great! That means you can take me Carmen’s house!” Justin laughed slightly being cautious not to cause himself another coughing frensy. “Unfortunately, sweetie, daddy don’t feel that great, I’m sorry.” He said calmly. “What about mommy!” Before Justin could stop her, she was already off the bed and running into the office room with Kim. Without thinking she allowed Haley to walk to Carmen’s house while she stood watch and remained on the phone.

Carmen wasn’t home so Haley began walking back. That was when the thoughts started running through Kim’s mind. She looked over at the man’s house, he stood up, Haley was skipping back home unaware of the man watching her. Kim’s heart began to race, she threw the phone down in the grass and began running towards Haley. She scooped Haley up quickly holding her tight with fear and adrenaline running through her veins. “I can walk on my own mommy!” Haley said. Kim scooped the house phone up and ran into the house. Unfortunately, Kim’s boss realized she left the call due to the loud thud sound that came across the line when Kim threw the phone down. The line was dead when Kim put the phone back up to her ear and a text came through on her cell phone. “You are fired, you shouldn’t have left the call causing everyone’s ear drums to burst.”