Six

Ken Kedem runs a hand down her hair for a moment, pats her back and stands up. He sighs heavily as he sees just how frail and vulnerable she looks. Without another word he turns for the door.

"Dad?"

At the sound of her forlorn voice he stops and turns.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Where did they take him?" she asks without looking at him. "Where would they take him?"

"Well, it's too late now to arraign him before a judge," Ken Kedem says thoughtfully. "Under normal circumstances any police chief can let him go and report in the morning, but I don't think they're going to do that in Chris' case. I'm certain they would book him and lock him up for the night at the Central Police Station, and arraign him tomorrow."

"But he didn't know about it, Dad," she whispers in a despaired voice.

"Didn't know what?"

"That there was a restraining order against him. He was so shattered."

"Well, how do you know about that!" the elderly man says with a scowl. "Well, if he didn't know it means he was not served. Not knowing about it doesn't absolve him completely from the offence, as you well know. But this one is different. The cops should use it as an opportunity to serve him and let him go, but I doubt they'll do that. Don't worry, dear, I'll get Joshua Darkwa to look into it and see to it that Chris is released right away."

Effe sighs tremulously.

"Thank you, Dad. Please do that for me. I would be very grateful. I don't want him to spend his first night out of jail in a police cell because of me."

Her father nods and leaves the room quickly, closing it gently behind him. He is convinced that his daughter needs a little time alone. When the door closes Effe stands up and walks to the window. She remains standing for a while and then the hot tears finally spill down her face. She tries but she cannot blot out the image of Chris' shattered expression when he learned about the restraining order.

She also remembers seeing that he was still wearing his wedding ring although he knew she had filed for and received a divorce five years previously. He had refused to sign the divorce documents when they were presented to him in prison on several occasions by their family lawyer, Joshua Darkwa.

Effe places her hand on the glass pane of the window and leans her forehead slowly on its cold surface.

"Damn you, Chris!" she whispers, her lips shaking. "Why now? Dear sweet Lord, why now, Chris?"

***

It is late, time for Junior to sleep after a hectic and furiously emotional birthday play date.

He emerges from the bathroom in his blue pajamas designed with images from the BEN 10 cartoon franchise. Effe pulls back the sheet of the bed for him and he gets into bed. He curls up on his right side and she draws the spread over him. She notices that he is still wearing the wristwatch his father has given him.

"Honey, aren't you taking off the watch?" Effe asks carefully.

"I want to sleep with it, Mommy." He replies, his voice soft and muffled.

Effe hesitates for a moment as she considers asking him to take it off, and then she sighs and decides to overlook it. She kisses him on the forehead and then she reaches out and presses the dangling switch above the bed. The bright light goes off and when she presses the switch a second time, the soft-shaded blue bulb comes on.

"Good night then, honey," she says gently. "May angels continue to guard you."

He makes no reply, and again Effe hesitates. She sighs and stand up, then walks toward the door. She stops abruptly when she hears his muffled voice.

She is concerned and alarmed instantly, fearing that he is crying, and she hurries back to the bed. She notices, however, that his hands are clasped and he is saying a prayer.

"…and thank you, Lord God, for bringing my daddy back. Take care of him and please, please, pleaaaase God, don't send him to prison again. Guard over mommy, guard over daddy, and guard over me and all grandpas and grandmas. Amen."

"Amen," Effe responds, her voice unsteady. "Goodnight, honey."

"Nighty-night, Mommy," he says, and it is not with his usual contented verve, and once again Effe is worried.

She turns to the door again, but then his little voice arrests her.

"Mommy, the Social Studies teacher once said that people are taken to prison because of the bad things they do to other people."

Effe tenses, and for a moment she is lost for words. She turns and sits down on the bed and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, that's about right, prince," she says carefully.

She knows there will be more and she waits patiently for the catch.

"So if people come back from prison it means they're free from the bad things they did that sent them to prison, isn't it?"

And there it is: the catch.

She chooses her words carefully.

"I know where you're headed with this, honey. But it's late, and it has been a very busy and tiring day for both of us. So, here's the deal; you rest for me. Tomorrow is Saturday, and I promise we will have a long talk about this subject, alright?"

Junior clamps his lower lip between his teeth and even in the dim light Effe can see how pained his expression is.

"But Daddy is back! You told me he did some bad things and they locked him up. But he's back now, and that means he's no longer bad, as Social Studies teacher said. Why didn't you allow him to stay with us then, Mommy? Why do you still want to marry Uncle Steve?"

It is Effe's turn to bite her lower lip as she rubs her son's arm gently. She purses her lips for a moment and then sighs. She knows she is on a precipice, and she has to tread very, very cautiously.

"Do you remember how that favorite cup of yours that got broken? The Ben 10 cup?" she asks softly.

"Yes, Mommy, I remember," he says with a slight pucker between his brow as he concentrates fully on her words.

"Do you remember how you were so unhappy about it and how Grandpa helped you fix it all back again with the glue gun? Afterwards, when you poured water into that cup it leaked all over, and you really couldn't use it again?"

"Yes, Mommy, I remember." Junior supplies, nodding once.

"My dearest prince, sometimes life is like that. No matter how well you fix something, sometimes it never really gets to be the way it used to be. That's what happened to Daddy and me, honey. Believe me, we've tried really hard to get everything back to where it was and be happy again but it just couldn't be the same."

Junior flips on his back and regards her with huge eyes brimming with the beginning of tears.

"Mommy!" he begins in his all-knowing voice. "I think the problem with fixing that cup was that we used the wrong stuff. I mean the glue! Grandpa told me that if we had clay, we could have fixed the cup with it, and heated it and it would've been as good as new. I think if we use the proper things to fix the bad things, it can be just like the way it used to be."

"What are you talking about, Junior?" she asks, almost exasperated, quite angry with herself to realize that her defenses are springing up again when Chris is on the discussing table.

"Maybe the two of you didn't use the right stuff to fix the bad thing between you. Maybe you also use clay instead of glue! Think about it, Mommy. You should really, really, really think about it," he says, and his voice is both agitated and desperate.

Effe is stumped for words. She has not expected that, and once again, like it sometimes does, his sudden wit and thrust in the argument leaves her wondering at how unbelievably matured and brilliant he sounds.

She sits for a long time just looking at him and rubbing his arm, and a moment later he drifts off into sleep. Effe gets up after a while longer and walks out quietly, closing the door behind her.

Then, she descends to the living-room where Elaine and Steve are waiting, both holding tall glasses of wine on ice. Steve drains his cup and carefully puts down the glass, and then he approaches her with a worried expression on his face.

"You look stressed, darling," he mutters gently. "Is Junior alright?"

Effe laughs shakily and tosses her hair off her face.

"It's funny, you know," she says listlessly. "You always think of them as babies, as little tots you need to protect. And then, suddenly, they just say something that makes you wonder if some adult has been feeding them with something different than fairy tales."

"He wants you with his father, doesn't he?" Steve says as he takes her in his arms and smiles wanly.

Effe laughs shakily and puts a hand on Steve's chest.

"He didn't talk about you, my love. But yes, he wants his father."

Elaine snorts and shakes her head, evidently boiling with fury and seeking the tiniest of sparks to erupt.

"Well, ain't that a tad unbelievable?" she says, ejecting her words like little bullets. "After all that you've done for that boy, he still prefers his sorry ass of a father to you? Jeez!"

Effe, frowning darkly, leaves the circle of Steve's arms and fixes her dark gaze on her best friend. She sounds a little angry when she speaks.

"He's a kid, Elly! He remembers the good times he had with his father! Granted, Chris turned out to be a damn bad peach, but as a father he was the best! Don't blame the little boy for loving him!"

"And don't blame me for hating Chris either, Effe!" Elaine faces her friend with a blazing look of her own. "Chris Bawa raped me, do you understand that? He raped me, your best friend and your maid of honor! So, don't you dare stand there and blame me for hating him!"