Brief Eight

Randy


I was a child when Randy came to us. My father met him one winter when they were both stationed up in the mountains. There had been some trouble with some guys and someone’s daughter who was visiting up there and Randy trying to protect her and someone got hurt and they were after Randy and he had to disappear. So he came to live with us. Which was good because at that time my father got stationed away every winter and my mother was alone with my brother and I. And it was cold and she was scared.

We loved Randy from the start. Mother was not amused at first but with time, she got to like Randy too. He used to carry my brother on his back and I used to feel sad that I was too big and too heavy for such games. But Randy never left me out and we played together till I was exhausted and carried away to my bed half asleep. My brother and I wanted so much that Randy stay in our room with us, but grown-up rules were grown-up rules and Randy stayed in the living room. Some cold winter nights, though, when my father was away, Randy stayed with Mother. Which was good, because Mother was always afraid to be alone and she felt safe with Randy.

Then one dark day, the police came knocking on our door looking for Randy. Somehow they had gotten wind that he was there. There was some trouble, the police, Randy, my father, big mess, no one got hurt but Randy had to go away for good. My brother and I cried the whole night that night. Mother too. In the following weeks, the house was just not the same without Randy. Empty. Sad. Until Randy Junior arrived.

My father brought him one day. Randy’s son he said he was. We never knew Randy had a son. My brother and I jumped for joy. The house was alive again. Mother was not amused at first but in time, she got to like Randy Jr. We had to promise not to mention Randy to Randy Jr. Grown-up rules. Randy Jr. only knew his Mom, Eva, and he knew nothing about Randy all those years. To this day it’s not clear to me why Eva gave Randy Jr. up and why we had to change his name to Randy Jr. when he called himself Wesley, but one thing is clear: we stayed innocent because we didn’t know what went on and we didn't question and we did what we were told and we followed grown-ups rules.