Chapter 8

3:10 A.M. 

Meanwhile, in lockup…..

Willy and I were curled up in our sleeping bags, close to each other. It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t alone in this bed, cut off from the rest of the world. I had my eyes closed and was trying to sleep, but the fear was killing me. Not physically nor psychologically.

“Have you fallen asleep yet?” Willy inquired gently.

“No, I just can’t sleep,” I explained.

“Neither do I, and I doubt I’ll get any sleep before I get out of here. It’s creepy in here.” He shivered.

“What did you expect? A VIP bed, a royal treatment?” It was a sarcastic statement rather than a question.

“You know, for a mute, you are one hell of a sarcastic person.” He told me with a frown on his face.

“I will take it as a compliment,” I told him with a blank look.

“You’re weird, but so am I. I wish I had known you in different circumstances.

“Me too. That would have been fun.” I gave him a friendly smile.

“Yes, it would have been. You know what? Once we are out of here, I am going to give you a brand-new look. Your hair needs better treatment. It isn’t as shiny as it should be.” Willy told me with glee.

“I am not sure whether that’s a compliment or an insult,” I explained.

“That is unquestionably a compliment. We will also have a spa day. We are going to have a wonderful time.” Willy said this with a goofy smile on his lips.

“You are weird, dude,” I told him.

“Well, that’s what happens when you have a screwed-up dad.” He stated with a disappointing voice.

“What exactly did he do to you? If you don’t mind me asking.” I asked him hesitantly because I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries.

“Do you really need to ask?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “It was enough for him to hate me because of my choices. I tried hard to be the man he needed me to be, but I couldn’t. I can’t turn myself into something I am not. But he just couldn’t embrace it, which is his fault because he doesn’t have what it takes to be a parent. After all, he couldn’t even have a decent relationship with Mike, who is the closest thing to a great son anyone could have.” Willy chuckled.

“Mike,” I repeated his name with a slight smile on my face.

“Yes, my elder brother. Michael Anderson. I used to be so envious of him as a child because he didn’t have to go through what I did, but he always got my back. Nonetheless, I love him. I can’t blame him for our father being screwed up.” He told me honestly.

“I’m glad you have someone you can rely on,” I said wistfully.

“What about you?

“I wish I had a sibling, but I am grateful I don’t because I wouldn’t want him or her to suffer through life as I did. My father never wanted children in the first place. But if it came to that, he always wished for a boy. However, he ended up with me. I was still frustrated with what he was doing to me, and it got to the point where I lost all will to either retaliate or speak.

“Have you ever considered reporting him?” Willy asked the question, which had always occurred to me when I thought about my father.

“Every moment, but I also realized it was pointless. He is Jimothy Patterson, and no one can pull him down.” I told him the facts.

“Both him and Nathanial Anderson. Two peas in a single pot. The similarities between these two are uncanny.” After a brief pause, he asked, “Have you ever considered walking in your father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor?

“Initially, I felt that maybe that would help him see me in a better light. I am certain that I would have succeeded in being a doctor. But then I gradually wanted to be far from his sight, and it could only happen by keeping away from something medical.

“So you chose to become….

“Baker,”

“That’s why the Bossman called Cookie. Damn, you are going to make me taste some of your food.” This made me laugh.

“Done” That was a deal that I won’t mind fulfilling. 

“You know, you and Mike are very similar in this regard. He admired our father’s profession and the fact that he was saving lives, but our father’s mentality drove him in the opposite direction. But he always tried to do something positive because there is more than one way to save lives, isn’t there?

“That it is, and I am confident he is doing an excellent job.” And I just meant that.

“Life would have been easier if my father had loved my mother,” I remarked out of the blue.

“I agree with you. Perhaps that’s why they took their frustration out on us. Our lives would have been so much simpler if they had stuck with the one they love.

“Well, then, dummy, we wouldn’t have been born.” I flipped his forehead.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, but I knew that Willy wasn’t offended. He was just too sweet. I wanted to chuckle at his smile, but that soon changed into a scowl when he pulled my cheeks.

*****

In the Bossman's Den...

Bossman sipped his coffee while keeping an eye on Ivy and Willy. He listened to their entire conversation and was relieved that they were getting along just fine. He may have been the mastermind behind it, but he liked to think of himself as a decent guy. He is neither a murderer nor a thief.

Even though he was made to choose this dark side, he can see the light in it. After all, even darkness in the dead of night converts into light in the morning.

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