Open Secrets✔️

II

My brother always seemed to be very protective of me. At the time, I wasn't sure why. It was usually towards Mom. He was always very good about not allowing me to see or experience her bad side. At the time, I didn't even know she had one. I just thought that she had a little bit of a drinking problem. Danny was definitely the definition of what brothers are supposed to be. 

He always made sure that I was never alone. He also made sure that I was never picked on at school. All we had was each other. I didn't know I had problems learning at the time, but Danny was smart enough to know. I don't even think that Mom knew.

Danny was never good in school, but he often told me that when it came time for him to go to middle school, that he would purposely get held back to stay with me. And he did. He is supposed to be in the eighth grade but he is now in the fifth grade with me.

Danny came back upstairs from putting the pudding cup back. I had already finished mine.

"Are you done?" He asked, while picking it up from my nightstand. I nodded.

"Ok. I'll be right back, ok." I nodded once more. He quickly took the cup and spoon downstairs. I heard water running from the sink. He washed the spoon. Then I heard what sounded like trash being thrown everywhere. I couldn't hear any voices or anything. I walked downstairs to see what he was doing.

"Danny? Why are you going through the trash?" He looked up at me in panic. He walked over and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Chad. It's ok. I'm just throwing your cup away."

"Why do you have to go through the trash to throw it away?" I asked. He took a deep breath.

"Chad, I told that this pudding cup was Mom's right? Well, if she finds out that we took it, than she will get really mad, ok. We don't want her to get mad, so I'm making it look like she ate it."

"But she didn't." 

"I know, Chad. You trust me, right?" I nodded.

"If Mom asks, just tell her that you didn't do it, ok."

"But I did do it."

"Chad, its called lying. We are going to lie to Mom about this, ok. You don't want Mom taking her anger out on you, right?"

"No." I calmly say.

"Good." He walked over to the trash. He looked through it a little more and found a pudding cup from the last time Mom had one. He put the empty cups together, Making it look like they were thrown away together. Danny was so smart, it was hard to believe he wasn't good in school.

After he put the cups together, he was even trying to put the trash back the way it was. I didn't say anything, I just watched. He was stumbling around, and mumbling to himself about how the trash was before. I don't think I grasped just how afraid he was of Mom.

After about five minutes, He had the trash back to normal. He wiped off his sweat and softly whispered, ok. He walked to the stairs and grabbed me hand.

"Chad, everything is ok now, right?"

"Yeah."

"Mom is the one that ate that pudding cup right?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath.

"Good. Now let's get baths and get ready for bed."

"Ok." I said, running upstairs. We got baths and climbed into bed. A few minutes of silence passed. I looked over at Danny and he seemed to be asleep. Suddenly, I heard a door open and close. I assumed it was Mom coming through the front door. 

Danny's eyes opened wide. He took a big deep breath. He glanced over at me. I was still awake. He put his fingered over his mouth, signaling me to be quiet. I nodded. I was usually always asleep by the time Mom came home, but I never knew if Danny was. 

I heard Mom coming up the stairs. Danny had told me before that she always comes and checks on us when she gets home. Danny quickly motioned me to roll over. He quickly rolled over and so did I. I was now facing the wall and Mom couldn't see my face from the door. She didn't say or whisper anything. She closed the door and went downstairs. 

Danny quickly sat up in bed trying to hear what she was doing. A few minutes passed, and Danny kept whispering to me what she was doing. 

"She's in the bathroom." His eyes widen. He took a death breath, "She's in the kitchen. She's drinking. She opened the fridge." When Danny said that, it seemed like I could feel his heart stop. Seeing him getting scared, made me scared; especially because he was supposed to be my protector.

At times, it seemed like he was so afraid of her that he was afraid to even breathe the wrong way in front of her. What was so terrifying about Mom? What did Danny know? After he heard Mom open the fridge, everything was silent. We were hoping that nothing would happen, and that everything was going to be ok.

"Danny." I whispered.

"Shhh." He said, "It will be ok." We heard the door shut. Maybe she did think that she ate it. Suddenly we heard footsteps coming upstairs. Danny looked at me in panic.

"Get dressed." He whispered, "Take your bag. Put clothes in it, and get your shoes and blanket ok. Trust me. Just do it." Danny quietly locked the door. He also quickly but quietly got his things as well. He grabbed my hand and walked over to the window.

"Chad, if you hear Mom trying to open the door, climb out the window and sit on the roof until I come for you."

"Are you coming?" I asked. He looked at the door again.

"Yeah. I will always be with you." He gripped my hand tightly as we heard Mom walk up to the door. I could see his breathing get heavier. We seen Mom try and turn the door knob. Before she said anything, Danny opened the window.

"Its ok. Climb to the tree bub. I know you can do it. I promise I will be right behind you." As I quietly climbed out the window, I could hear Mom yelling our names.

"DANNY! CHAD! YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" She was definitely what you call a mean drunk. Once I climbed onto the branch I heard Mom trying to break the door down. Finally I seen Danny climbing out the window. He quickly made his way to the branch as well, but as we were climbing down, Mom seen us.

"What are you doing? You kids better get back in here now!"

"Come on Chad." He said helping me down. Mom quickly walked away from the window. We were certain that she was coming after us. Now I was really scared. Why was Mom like this? What was she planning on doing to us if she caught us?