Far Away From Home

" It doesn't feel right . I wanna go. Mommy " Edgar shouted.

"Shhh" Leah silenced him " Calm down boy, your mom's not home. I am babysitting you. You are far away from home.  " 

" I am not a baby " he said scowling. 

" Yes exactly, you are 12 , you are a man " she said kissing his cheek and rubbing his arms. He smiled back. 

" Can we get some ice cream Aunt Leah ?"

"Sure honey , come this way " she lifted him up from the bed walking towards the kitchen. She kept her sweaters in the bed . 

" Mommy never gives me ice cream during Winters. She says I will catch cold and fall sick easily  " Edgar told her. 

" Aww you poor soul. Why would she do that to you. C'mon let's have a box full of ice cream and enjoy."  Leah opened the refregirator and took the ice cream and gave Edgar two scoops and slipped some ice cream on top of her accidentally while serving.  "Oh god ! I should wash up . I am going to take shower . Sit here.  " 

"Okay ." Edgar said

"No , come with me " she ordered him soon and moved to her bathroom.

                                   ******

" Ed wake up , wake up " Sarah woke him .

Edgar was panting seeing a nightmare and shivering and mumbling words. 

"What happened ?" He asked. He was sweating.

" It's okay. You had a nightmare again. " His mom consoled him . " Are you sure you don't wanna a see a doctor about it. " It's been four years. Now it's everyday. "

" Am fine mom , I really am. " He told her irritated.

" No son. You are quite . You don't go out. You don't like seeing people. You'd don't make friends , you are in highschool and still no date. What's going on ? Am worried sick." His mother was at a point of break down, tears whelming her eyes.

" Am fine. Am just not social. Whatever is wrong with you. Leave me alone. " he shouted.

They sat in silence . Sarah looking at him feeling shocked and terrible seeing her son totally going out of control .

" Tomorrow am calling your dad. " Sarah told him

" Don't bother . He is happy with his wife number two . Let him go. " He told her.

"Is that your problem?" She asked him searching for an answer.

" He is nothing in my life mom ever since he cheated on you. " He said angrily.

" Fine " she said thinking for a moment " I'll let you sleep" she took a deep breath  laying his quilt and switched off the lights leaving the door open behind her. 

                                    ******

Edgar Stanton is 16 and an angry young man. Everything around doesn't feel fit for him. His high school, Friends everything for him is such a mess. And he has never talked to any girls except his mother and his aunt. 

Edgar always seems to be afraid of something. Something he doesn't know. Something he is not sure about what to call. 

Sarah on the other hand is struggling with her growing up son. But she handles it best than any mothers of her age. But she feels sure that something is troubling her son, something other children do not go through.

Some days she find Edgar coming home late. And she doesn't know where he goes . He doesn't have such friends to hangout . He is not into drugs nor alcohol but he is late most of the night. Sometimes he is happy and in merry and other times he is too sad to even talk or eat. 

It was Sunday . One day Edgar always looked forward and also dreaded. He heard a car stop in front of his house. It is his aunt Leah. She visits her sister and her son every Sunday. She is 35 and still single. She take Edgar to the nearby hotel for dinner and to the mall every Sunday and buy him gifts. Sarah is very happy about how much her ex husband's sister care for her son . 

" Hello Ed " she walked to his room after and hour while he was doing his homework. But he didn't even look at her face." What happened?" She asked.

"Nothing " he replied 

" Are you sure. ?" She said playfully coming close to him. 

" Yes" he said this time looking at her face. 

"Okay c'mon. Am leaving the town for couple of months for work. Let's get it done before I leave. Where do you wanna go today. What all do you wanna do " she said taking his hands. She could see his jaw tightened. " I promise you once again Ed " she whispered into his ears and laughed.

                                   ******

Edgar was back only by ten past eleven. And Leah said goodbye and went straight to the airport .

" How was today ? What did you buy this time ? " Sarah asked him

 

But He rushed back to his room not minding his mother's question.

"Edgar stop." She called him. " Am asking you"

" Nothing mom " he answered and climbed the stairs.

After a moment he started shouting " where is my diary mom ?" 

"What?"

" My diary ?"

"You write diaries ? I never knew " she said running upstairs . " What happened ?"

" I can't find my diary . Where is it ? I know you took it. You always wanted to know things."

" No I didn't . I didn't know that you write diary. I had no idea. Why would I take it?" She assured him

" If you don't return now, then I will trash this room " he warned her shouting and going out of control. Anger and panic together.

" Jesus Edgar stop being hysterical" she told him trying to stop him from ruining his room.

" So I am mad. So what. I have always been that in your eyes. " He said

" Edgar stop. You are my son noty enemy. What happened? What's wrong? What's in the diary.? She asked 

He paused on trashing his room and pushed her out of the room forcefully. 

" Am your mother Edgar stop " but he pushed out and shut the door on her face. Sarah laid there crying for a long time looking at his door to open. But he never did . But it was silent inside the room meaning he had slept.

Sarah slowly walked down . She drank some water and sat in her usual place in the kitchen table. Her face buried in her hands. 

 

She sent a message to his father " we need to meet tomorrow it's about our son ."  And switched off the phone avoiding calls.

Someone was ringing her doorbell. Sarah got up washed her face and opened the door . It was Mia Morgan from next door. She is in Edgar's class. 

 

" Mia what are you doing outside at this hour.?"

"Mrs. Stanton I came here to tell you something " Mia said.

"Yes please"

" First of all I want you to know certain things. Number one keep it a secret. Number two I come here all the time only to see Edgar because I like him. But he is always quite . "

Sarah looked dumbstruck hearing her neighbor's daughter confessing her love for her son Ed.  " Ok "

" Third , I always wanted to know him more and talk to him. So I always ask help during lunch with calculus but " she started crying .

" What happened ? Oh my god did he hurt you or something ?" Sarah started to get  worried.

"That would have been better Mrs. Stanton but no. I found a diary in his bag. So I took it. I thought when I know what he likes I could impress him. But I want you to read this. " She kept talking along with crying. " I think I know what has happened to him, and why he is always silent and afraid of talking to people. Sarah hugged her and consoled her taking the diary from her hand . But she cried and walked out of the door.

                                     *****

Sarah hesitated to open the diary. She didn't want to intrude in her son's privacy but she wanted to know what his problem was. 

It was dated September 7 2011 

He had scribbled in a poor handwriting

' I love Aunt Leah. She always buys me chocolates'

Next date October 11 2011 

' Today Aunt Leah took me to her apartment and we watched many movies of girl and boy. We had ice cream. It was fun '

October 27 2011 

'Aunt Leah took me to park . She said am a good boy and kissed me.'

April 11 2012 

'Aunt Leah took me to dinner and we had fun '

July 9 2012 

'Aunt Leah kissed me all the time. She loves me more than mom and dad does. '

October 31st 

Halloween. Aunt Leah and I went for trick or treat and went to a room. She taught me magic tricks. 

November 21 2012 

Dad cheated on me and Mom. But Aunt Leah stayed. She took me to her house and she taught me more magic to do with her . I told her it's not real magic . But she hit me for telling that.

" Oh my god " Sarah gasped reading them. She skipped some pages unable to bear what she was reading.

May 19 2014 

Today I understood what Aunt Leah and I do are not magic but something adults to do and I can't even spell it without shame. I am afraid now. I am afraid how people would make fun of me when they know my secret. I am scared to tell Mom. 

August 7 2013 

Aunt Leah and I did it again in her room. But today I am happy because she bought me my favorite bike with gear.

Sarah went pale reading it. That's how her son got his cycle from his aunt . She skipped the pages again. And the handwriting was getting better as he grew older threw the pages.

February 14 2014 

Aunt Leah said she loves me more than anything in the world for being her boyfriend. She considers me as a man and her boyfriend but in secret. But I didn't like that.  But she bought me new clothes.

March 24 2015 

I know exactly what I am going through. I googled . Am being abused by Aunt Leah. She is a bitch. I am more scared . When  I said I don't want this anymore she threatened me to kill and kill mom and tell everyone about us. 

Sarah cried reading it. She couldn't believe her eyes what she was reading. 

There was a date that happened last week 

March 26 2016 

After dinner We did asusual and I was in a verge to kill her after that. I don't want anymore nightmares and worry mom. But I can't ever tell her this. She will hate me if she knows this. She will put me in an asylum. I wanna make friends . And spend more time with people . But am afraid. I want to be like his mom wants me to. I really like Mia so much. But am afraid. Help me.

                                   ******

Sarah closed the diary and lay crying. Unable to handle the shock. It was past midnight. 

She had enough anger to kill Leah for doing this to her son.

She waited till the sunrise. Edgar walked downstairs for breakfast . Sarah was still sitting in the place holding herself not crying.

 He went to fetch his plate not looking to her.

" I need to talk you . " Sarah spoke slowly.

" What ?" He asked.

"Sit down here " she ordered him.

"Okay " he understood that his mother was in a bad mood. He obeyed has she ordered him to. 

" Tell me everything you wanna open up about" she gave him a chance really hoping he would. And this he saved her from a real heart attack. 

"Mom" he sobbing.

She kept the diary on the table. I found this in your bag in the hall she lied. 

" That has everything I wanted to tell you all the time." He told her.

" Promise me this won't happen anymore" 

" I promise mom " he cried 

" We are going to see a therapist . U have informed your dad. He is on his way. We are filing a case against your Aunt Leah she needs lesson to be taught. "Sarah told her plans.

" No don't" Edgar begged.

" Are you scared if her threats."

" Yes " he agreed. 

" You have me . Don't worry about That son." They both cried. She hugged him until he stopped crying. 

" Does anybody know ?"he asked

"No . " She assured him. Saving the truth for some other time trying not to upset him more. They sat there all day talking about his worries and his pain. 

Next day Sarah and his father took his to the best therapist in the town and later filed a case after she let her ex husband read his diary. He grew angry every moment he saw his son and his ruined childhood. He did his maximum to make Edgar happy. 

                                   *****

Two months later Leah Stanton was imprisoned for child sexual abuse. The case was kept a secret without medias to not ruin Edgar's life. He was constantly given classes with his therapist . And after an of work Edgar was finally back to himself normal like a high school kid. Making friends and dating his love Mia who understood every bit of Edgar and happily handled his past. 

Sarah was finally releaved and happy to see her son happy as ever. Leah had ruined his life but he had fought hard against it. Only of he confessed all of them early so many things could have been avoided in his life. Now looking back at the past everything seems to be buried in a dark cloud and that wouldn't interfere again in the new chapter of life. 

Many children in every corner of the world go through this. But only if they have the courage to speak up or given them proper awareness, this could be stopped forever.

To every parents out there.