Black to the Past

Chapter 14

"He's coming up. Hide in the bathroom," Halle hurriedly whispered to Meredith. Meredith ran into the bathroom. Stepped into the tub and closed the shower curtain.
    "Halle?" Harvey Blackmon called out to his daughter.
    "Yeah, dad? Hi. What took you so long to get home?"
    "Stuff at work. I'm sorry your mother wasn't here. I saw you fed the kids. You did a great job today," her dad told her as he kissed her forehead and relieved her of Stephon. "Here's my little man. Hey Seth, hi Maya."
    Maya had a look of fear on her face. Seth wasn't eagerly headed his father's way either. Hearing their mother cry out was more than their little minds could comprehend.
    "Maya honey, say hi to daddy," Halle urged her little sister smiling at her.
    "Hi daddy. Where's mommy?"
    "She'll be up as soon as she can. She's not feeling good right now. Let's get you three off to bed," Harvey said. Seth wasn't budging. He didn't want to be with his father right now although he didn't quite understand why. Halle didn't want her father to get upset with any of them and start yelling so she scooped Seth up into her arms.
    "I'll get Maya and Seth to sleep dad. Why don't you take Stephon? He's had a bottle and a bath he just needs to be cuddled," Halle suggested.
    "You're so responsible, Hal. Thanks. Here," her father reached into his pockets and pulled out a $100 bill. Halle took it.
    "You don't have to," Halle said before she put the money away.
    "I want to. You shouldn't have had to do your mother's job today," Harvey said in a tone that even Halle couldn't quite pinpoint.
    "It was no trouble. I promise," Halle didn't want her father to think that her babysitting the kids was an issue. And she didn't want her father mad at her mother any longer than necessary. Things would be strained for the next few days at least, of that Halle was sure.
    "I'll send your mother up as soon as she's feeling a little better," Harvey told his oldest daughter.
    "I got it, it's cool," Halle told him.
    Her father headed downstairs and after she heard the door shut she opened the bathroom door and told Meredith it was safe to come back out. The two girls quietly held a toddler while Halle read them a book about their favorite cartoon characters. Once they nodded off, Halle took Seth down to his crib and put him gently in so he wouldn't wake up. She tried to peer down the stairs because she had yet to hear her mother come up. Her mother was lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.
    "Mom," Halle couldn't help but to rush down the stairs. "Mom, please, mom! Get up," Halle lifted her mother's head. Her makeup was smeared across her face. She had been crying inconsolably and was simply staring off into space.
    Her mother had a blank look on her face. Halle didn't know what to do! Her father had obviously left her just like this after physically hurting her.
    "Mom? Mom please just blink your eyes if you can understand me," Halle begged.
    Her mother blinked her eyes once, then twice. After clearing the remaining tears that were causing her to lose focus she looked at Halle. The daughter that she sometimes felt she loved more than the children she had birthed.
    "Halle, you need to go on back upstairs," her mother told her.
    "No. No mom, no! Come with me," Halle begged her softly.
    Halle stood her mother up and walked her to the powder room that was off the mudroom near the kitchen. She sat her down on the toilet, grabbed the hand towel, and ran cold water on it. After the towel was wet she rung it out and wiped her mother's face until it was clean. "I'll be right back."
    Halle knew enough about alcohol that she knew her mother could use a stiff drink. One wouldn't hurt anything so she poured her mother some scotch from the bar. "Here. Drink this."
    Her mother shook her head in protest.
    "Mom please. You just need a little something," Halle assured her. "One drink will be okay."
    Sherry obediently took the drink in her hand and downed it in one swallow.
    "I'm going to go put Maya in her bed. Wait ten minutes then come up. I'll have run your bath, okay?"
    Sherry simply nodded her head. Halle had no idea what to do really so she just casually went upstairs to her room. "I really need to get my mom in a bath," Halle told Meredith.
    "Do you think your dad will let you do that?" Meredith asked. She was as scared as Halle looked.
    "I don't know. I'm hoping that he'll leave back out or something. He does that sometimes. Comes and goes," Halle paced the floor. Maya still had a stricken look on her face.
    "Mommy?" Maya was asking for her mother.
    "She's not feeling good right now Maya. Can you be a big brave girl and go to bed without her tonight?"
    "No, Halle," Maya said in tears. More than anything now Maya felt like she needed her mother.
    "Okay, sleep with us okay? It'll be a big sleepover," Meredith told little Maya with a smile. Maya only gave her a half smile back then looked to Halle for reassurance.
    Unfortunately, Halle had nothing to offer her.