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right as the kitchen phone shrilled. I counted the rings, hoping someone would hang up. I became tense after the nth ring. Aunt Mary turned toward the kitchen. I grabbed her arm.
Come on,
I said to myself.
No one’s home. Just hang up.
But the phone kept ringing – 16, 17, 18 times.
Just hang up! Just hang up!
I could feel Aunt Mary lean forward to get up. I kept my hand on her arm, trying to force her to stay. When she stood up, I followed. My right hand clamped onto her left arm. She stopped midstride and pried my hand off, finger by finger. “David, please. It’s just the phone. For goodness sake, don’t be rude. Now go back in there.” I stood still. I locked onto Aunt Mary’s eyes for a brief moment. Aunt Mary understood. She nodded her head. “Okay, ” she said in a low voice. “Come on, you can stay with me.”
    I let out a sigh of relief as I followed her feet to the kitchen. Suddenly, I felt my left arm being yanked backwards. I nearly lost my footing. I fought to regain my balance. I closed my eyes as I bit my lip. My legs began to shake. Inches in front me sat Mother. Her heavy, raspy breathing made me quiver. Mother’s face was dark red. I could tell that from behind her glasses her eyes were on fire. I tried to search for my savior, but Aunt Mary had already turned into the kitchen.
    I stared down at the carpet, wishing her away. Mother squeezed my arm tighter. “Look at me!” she hissed. I became frozen. I wanted to yell, but my voice became mute. Her evil eyes locked onto mine. I closed my eyes as I felt Mother’s head inch its way toward my face. Mother’s monotone voice became vicious. “Cocky little bastard, aren’t you? Well, you don’t look so tall now. Do you? What’s the matter? Has your little Aunt Mary left you?” she said in a sarcastic, whining voice. Mother then yanked me so close to her face that I could smell her breath and feel droplets of saliva spray on my face. Mother’s voice turned ice cold. “Do you know what in the hell you’ve done? Do you?! The questions they’ve asked me? Do you realize the embarrassment you’ve cost
This Family?”
Mother asked, as she spread her left hand at my brothers sitting beside her.
    My knees began to buckle. I wanted to go to the bathroom and throw up. Mother smiled, showing me her dark yellow teeth. “They think I tried to hurt you. Now why would I do that?”
    I tried to turn my head toward the kitchen. I could barely make out Aunt Mary’s voice on the phone.
    “Child!” Mother hissed. “Boy … get this straight! I don’t care what they say! I don’t care what they do! You’re not out of this yet! I’ll get you back! You hear me?
I’ll get you back!”
    When she heard Aunt Mary hang up the phone, Mother released my arm and pushed me away. I sat back in the wide chair and watched my savior stroll back into the living room and sit down beside me. “I’m sorry about that, ” Aunt Mary said.
    Mother batted her eyes and waved her hand. Suddenly she became regal. The act was on. “That? Oh, the phone? No problem. I have to … I mean, we have to get going anyway.”
    I stole a glance at my brothers. Their eyes were hard and fixed. I gazed at them, wondering what they thought of me. Except for Kevin, who was still a toddler, the three of them seemed as if they wanted to throw me outside and stomp on me. I knew they hated me, and I felt I deserved it. For I had exposed the family secret.
    I tried to imagine what it must be like for them to live with Mother now. I prayed that somehow my brothers would forgive me. I felt like a deserter. I also prayed that the cycle of hate had not moved on to one of them. I felt sorry for them. They had to live in total hell.
    After another round of pleasantries and final warnings from Mother to Aunt Mary,
The Family
departed. As I heard the sound of Mother’s tyres from her station wagon mash down on the rocks as she drove away, I remained glued to the chair. I sat in the living room for the