But here I am, sharing with ALL of you what I'm working on ( bare in mind this is still in rough draft so all comments about grammar can go to the left LOL)
Book two does not continue where the first one leaves off (that's actually book three) so if you're familiar with book one or not familiar, you won't be out of the loop.
This is a different story entirely. It's about Alex/Henry...and the secrets from his past (Hence Blood Of Secrets)
Next O Kin
Blood Of Secrets
Book Two
* * * * *
1
A black
1963 Ford Mustang emerged from the cold, wet streets of Youngstown, New
York. A child was being born before his
time. Not just any child. Their first.
Wanting kids of their own, William and Karen Vada tried endlessly after
they were married. Karen, although
susceptible to pregnancy, was incapable of carrying them to term. They had several miscarriages and nothing to
show for it. William gave up on the idea
of being a father and was content with only having one person in his life.
He was
the kind of man with nothing to lose.
The kind of guy everyone liked and was secretly suspicious of. They didn’t ask too many questions and he
didn’t get too familiar. A tall, slender
man of generous proportions with eyes that were crafty as well as wise. His wife was the exact opposite. The pin-up girl type with a smile and
audaciousness that could light up the dimmest of rooms.
They
were together for twenty years and married for ten. They were just two kids playing in the
sandbox when they met, they liked each other right off and developed a lifelong
friendship until they could engage in extra-curricular activities.
Sandbox love never dies. He
thought, paced up and down the linoleum floor.
The sound of his soles adding pressure to the tiles with every
step. He finally settled down in the
chair, legs crossed and the pointy hat in his lap. William extracted a silver cigarette case
from the Houndstooth check sport coat, stuck one in his mouth and lit up. He exhaled deeply, remembering how his eyes
grew wild with wonderment whilst hearing his son’s strong heartbeat and
completely immersing himself with the conception of fatherhood.
William
nursed his second cigarette to the bud, noticed a man in all white walking
toward him—his shoes squeaking with every moment—the white gloves marked with
blood. William searched for an
expression on his face. His appearance
left less to be desired.
“What’s
up Doc?” William asked.
“Will.”
The middle-aged man addressed.
William
looked at the gloves—the large specks of blood that covered, causing his facial
expression to vastly change.
“Is
that her blood?” William asked, furrowing his brow.
“I’m
sorry. I did everything I could to save
her...but there were some hiccups.”
“What
kind of hiccups?”
“Her heart
rate slowed down dramatically. She bled
to death Will.”
Will
covered his mouth, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t even begin to fathom the
circumstances that lie before him.
“I
warned her this would happen if she had another baby.” The middle-aged man
shook his head.
“Another
baby?” William asked, darting his eyes.
“Don’t
flip your wig, I’ve said too much already.” The middle-aged man said.
As the
doctor retreated back to his office, William grabbed him by the collar and
demanded answers. Why would she keep
this from me? He asked himself. If there
was anything he hated more it was keeping secrets.
“Get
your damn hands off me!” The middle-aged man uttered.
“Tell
me.” William demanded, loosening his grip.
“Okay,
okay. It was before you two were an item. She got pregnant by some Gook fresh off the
boat, I didn’t catch his name but he wasn’t around very long. Her body wasn’t strong enough to
deliver. Karen almost lost the baby, by
sheer determination she survived and the half-breed was born. Can you imagine the toll it took on her? Karen was in the hospital for months. Even though
she got her strength back but her childbearing years were behind her. Satisfied?”
“Where’s
the kid?”
“Hell
if I know. It was a mistake that she
regretted for the rest of her life.”
“Why
didn’t she tell me?”
“She was
ashamed. Karen knew how much you wanted
a rug rat of your own and wanted to give that to you even if it meant her death.
You have a son, would do you intend to
do about it?” The middle-aged man asked, gave him a pat on the back.
Thoughts
and questions consumed William’s cerebrum whilst traipsing toward the
nursery. How can I look at him? How can I
look at him and not see her? He killed
my wife. How can I love someone like
that? I don’t need another mouth to
feed, all I need is her. He’s a part of
me, but I didn’t sign on for this.
“Look
at him, can you imagine anything more beautiful?” The middle-aged man peered
through the window, smiling at the red-haired cooing baby.
“Yes,
my wife.” William said, staring at the baby intently as the nurse held him up.
All he
wanted was to be father. Now it seemed
less desirable to him. It came at the
expense of his wife and with that, his perfect family image faded away. He didn’t have the capacity to be a single
father, thus he contemplated how he would get rid of it.
“Aw
will you wake up and smell the miracle.
Got a name yet Will?
“Henry.”
Two
days later William took him home and tried to see it for what it
resembled. Ill-prepared and distraught
over what he had become, he despised it and saw it as a tragedy, an entity that
needed to be extricated by any necessary measure. On top of it all, William had to face that
the one person he trusted betrayed a sacred vow. He had no secrets from her yet she kept one
from him. The very thing he detested.
2
An unkempt Will cracked open the
bottle cap and indulged in his 4th beer, removed his wedding ring and
put his feet up on the table while inadvertently knocking off the empty beer
bottles and ashtray. As the bottles hit
the floor, Henry’s infernal wailing took its course. William was annoyed and also wallowing in his
own sorrow. He had retrogressed. He didn’t show up for work for weeks at a time
and wore the same suit for three weeks in a row. The upkeep of his house was in ruin.
“I
can’t get keep doing this Will. The baby
needs food, milk and your love for Christ sake.” The attractive old German woman
said, hauling groceries, then unloading them.
She was known as Lorna, his caregiver since he was a little boy. William Sr was an infinite disappointment or
so that was the tale that was heard around the neighborhood. Lorna was everything a mother should be. Warm, caring, and firm when needed. She took pride in raising William and was
adamant on turning him into a man any woman would want on their arm.
“There
is no god.” William said, sipped the beer.
“Karen
wouldn’t allow this, where is she?”
“She’s
gone.”
“You
said that the last time.”
“It’s
the truth isn’t it? Karen died giving me
what I wanted most. In life as well as
in death she’s a “real hero to the cause.”
She’s also a rotten liar.”
“Why
didn’t you tell me? When’s the last time
you ate, or even cleaned yourself up?” She asked.
“Are
you writing a book?” He said, swallowed the beer.
The
woman comforted the child, advanced to the kitchen and warmed him some formula
on the stove. She glared at her
broken-down son and shook her head.
“If you
need help with the funeral arrangements--“She said, placing the bottle in the
child’s mouth.
“I
don’t.” He interrupted, swallowed the last drop of beer and slammed it on the
table.
William
patrolled to the kitchen, averted his eyes and grabbed another beer from the
refrigerator. As he fished for the bottle
opener, Lorna snatched it from his grasp and poured it down the sink. She stood in front of the refrigerator door,
ordering him to hold his innocent baby boy.
“I
can’t look at him.” He said, turning his head, reveling in his drunken stupor.
“He’s your
son.” She said sternly.
Lorna
tried to talk some sense into him but her efforts went unnoticed.
“He’s
the devil.” William said, looked at the infant like he was an insect.
* * * *
The
newborn fell asleep on her chest, formula still on his lips. She utterly adored Henry. Cute as a button, red hair, and creamy jade
eyes like her mother, dimple chin like his father, dressed in a hospital
onesie.
* * * *
Lorna
entered the baby room and put him down for a nap. She draped the blanket over him and watched
as he slept. She leered at him,
imagining her son lying there. So
peaceful, like an angel. She thought. Lorna lightly stroked his face whilst singing
an old lullaby she learned as a young girl.
Twenty
minutes later, Lorna crept out of the room and informed her disheveled son she
would be back within the hour. She
opened the door, took another look at him and mumbled obscenities in her native
tong as she shut the door.
William
sprung from the sofa, sauntered in the kitchen and took the last bottle of beer
from the shelf of the refrigerator. His
hand shook as he popped off the cap. William
put the bottle to his fine lips and downed the bitter brown suds that proved to
be his solace.
He
traveled to the deep and darkest places of his mind, finding fault with the
emotional turmoil that befell him.
William couldn’t live without her.
They vowed to be together forever.
William felt as if someone had ripped his heart out and fed it to the
sharks. He picked up the ring and read
the inscription. Always and
forever. Forever wasn’t long enough in
his world.
“Damn
you!” William shrieked.
In
a drunken rage he knocked over the table, sending countless beer bottles
crashing as they hit the floor. William
kneeled down and screamed in agony, thus waking up the child in the next room.
He
extracted the pistol from the secret hiding place Karen new nothing about. William always kept it loaded just in case it
came in handy. It added a level of
security that he was accustomed to.
William
switched off the safety, lodged it in his mouth and cocked the gun. He stared as his finger moved dangerously
close to the trigger. A small tear
trickled down his cheek. It’ll be quick
and painless. He thought.
William
closed his eyes, exhaled and squeezed the trigger as life flashed before them
like a movie projector. Good
things. His life with her, the day they
met, a string of firsts, which included their first date and first kiss. The
kind of stuff they promised to tell their grandchildren. He remembered how she was—her eyes glistening
in the moonlight—her free flowing hair always smelling of jasmine—the way she
looked at him like he was the only one in the room—her golden skin—how
beautiful she looked in the sunlight.
He
grinned at the image in his head as the revolver went off…
* * * *
William
misfired and the bullet punctured his left cheek. The sound of the infant’s cries banged in his
eardrum. He then directed all his anger
to the source of his heartache. Henry. William knew something had to be done. He took away his one true love. He was half a man without her. William had to kill him and banish him to
hell. There was no other choice.
William
entered the baby’s room, glanced at his innocent face as he raised the pistol
and aimed it at his temple. Sorry kid,
but happily ever after isn’t in your future.
He thought, taking a slow pull of the trigger.
Over
his shoulder he heard the deafening sound of knuckles pounding on the front
door.
“Youngstown
PD! I got an anonymous tip about a disturbance.
Open up.” The patrolling officer said, with a thick New York accent.
William
ignored him and continued concentrating on putting an end to his son. He eyed the child closely. Instead of seeing him as an adorable creation,
he saw him as a monster. William quietly
cocked his gun. Before he drew a long
pull from his gun, the door took another pounding from the antsy police
officer.
“Open
up or I’ll beat the door down!” The antsy detective shrieked.
William
was a man on a mission and acted as if he was compelled by some dark
force. He took a tug of his revolver,
disregarding the detective’s attempts to break the door down. The outside noises vanished from his mind
completely. In that moment there was no
one else but them. In that moment
something inside him snapped.
3
The
statuesque detective forced himself in with one powerful kick, his .38 special
at his side. He reached for it and
hoisted it in the air, checked the perimeters as the screaming baby became his
guide. He followed the sound to the
cornered off room. It was cold and
dreary. Two hot tears formed in the
infant’s eyes, almost burning him. The
tears streamed down his face as William took the shot. The bullet oozed out of the barrel, heading
straight for Henry. The cop quickly dove
in front of the infant as he risked life and limb. The pellet came flying toward him as it
penetrated his shoulder, forcing him to retaliate. William plummeted to the carpet, felt the blood
from the gunshot wound.
“Good
shot Frank.” William said.
His name was Frank price, a
thirty-four year old cop with a tough-as-nails attitude and a squeaky clean
record to boot. Tall, lanky, had a head
of hair as black as a raven, eyes like emeralds and a unique beauty mark on the
left side of his face. He had an air
about him that screamed confidence and due diligence. Frank was still working his way up and
getting praise for his hard work and devotion.
Frank’s colleagues saw him as a valued asset to the force and predicted
he would be chief one day.
Frank
extracted the cuffs from the holster and held his arms down, tightening them
around his wrists.
“You
have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of
law. You have the right to an attorney,
if you can’t afford an attorney one will be appointed for you--“
“You
gonna tuck me in too?” William interrupted, treaded to the door.
“Keep
walking dipstick. I don’t get you. I would give my right arm to have a little
tike like yours. My old lady stopped trying
weeks ago.” Frank said in a cavalier sort of way.
“You
want him? You can have him. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” William
instructed.
“Less
yammering more walking.” Frank demanded as he guided him out the door. William gave a grimacing look whilst trudging
past the broken beer bottles to the driveway.
Frank
assisted him in the back of the police car and closed the door. He then went back in the house, grabbed a
blanket and wrapped the infant in it. He
looked at the green-eyed monster William
dared to exterminate and felt nothing but pity.
Every child that’s born into the world should be a blessing, not a
curse. That selfish prick doesn’t
realize what he has. He thought.
Cradling
the cooing child in one arm, Frank carried him out to the car and placed him
under the glove compartment, laying him down on the plush carpet. He inserted the key in the ignition and put
the car in drive. Pressing his foot on
the gas pedal, Frank barreled off. William
peeked out the window, averting his eyes at the cop in the driver’s seat. As they passed the neighborhood, he saw his
former self on the sidewalk accompanying a gaudy redhead that bore a striking
resemblance to his wife. William turned
away for a brief second. When he
returned, they were gone. They were
figments, not of his imagination but of his former life. William was a different man now, a soulless
shell of a human being. Life saw to
that, as well as death.
Frank
stared at a scruffy-faced William as he closed the holding cell. He turned the key counter clockwise and
locked it. He went back to finalizing
his report on his trusty typewriter while the newborn lay comfortably in a
compartment below his desk, even though the report he so eloquently punched up
showed no record or attempted killing of a minor. He had planned on putting him away for a long
time. He charged him with voluntary
manslaughter and child abuse.
William
sat on the well-made cot. Never in his
wildest dreams did he think he’d end up here.
This was the last place that anyone would suspect, a strange turn of
events that led to his spiraling downfall.
He had gotten to the point that he didn’t care where he was or how long
he was going to be out of circulation.
William’s mind ran wild of Karen’s deep secreted past and he blamed her
for the child that was supposed to be his and for letting another Gook walk the
earth. He wondered where he was
now. The thought of a mixed breed being
related to him in any way turned his stomach.
Who was this Gook fresh off the
boat anyway? And why was Karen so
willing to fuck him? He asked
himself.
* * * * *
“I’m
here to see William Vada.” A soft voice said.
The word oozed out of his mouth effortlessly like butter.
“And
just who are you, boy?” Frank asked, sizes him up while dunking a donut in his
strong coffee and taking a bite. He
thought it was redundant for a monkey to be in a monkey suit. Where people considered him a racist, he
considered himself to be a realist. But
fortunately everyone in the precinct didn’t share his sentiment.
“I’m
not a boy. Nicodemus Stiles, public
defender. The judge assigned me to this
case” Nicodemus replied, smiled to keep an even keel. He’d been around people like him half of his
life and compared to them he was a bunny rabbit.
“It’s
an open and shut case. Plain as black
and white.”
“I’ll
be the judge of that.”
“It’s
your dime, brother.”
Frank
dusted the sugar from his hand, grabbed the key and led the way downstairs to
the holding cell. He was still hoping
things would go according to plan. He
had planned to raise Henry as his own and tell him he killed his real father in
self-defense. He’d be on death row before anyone finds out what’s really going
on. He thought.
As they
walked to the cell, Nicodemus took in the steel bars and a slumped over
William, a hint of despair that seemed to permeate the room.
William
took one look at the defense lawyer and didn’t think nothing of him at the
time. He didn’t want a lawyer, didn’t
matter what color he was. He had nothing
to live for and wasn’t sorry for what he did.
I only wish I could’ve finished
the job. He thought.
“Aye Will, lawyer’s here.” Frank said, shoved
the key in the keyhole, opening the cell.
“I
don’t have a lawyer.”
“Sidney
Poitier over here begs to differ.”
“We all
look alike to you don’t we?” Nicodemus replied, giving a polite grin.
Frank walked away before a derogatory comment oozed out of his mouth.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm--"
"You're wasting your time."
Frank walked away before a derogatory comment oozed out of his mouth.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm--"
"You're wasting your time."
* * * * * *
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