BooBoo

Chapter V: The Wooden Bat

     Delphine couldn't sleep. She lied there, staring at the streak of light on the ceiling from the flickering streetlight outside of their window. She could hear Marcel slowly breathing in and out beside her. She suddenly heard a faint "mommy" from downstairs. She knew that she would get in big trouble with Marcel if he caught her leaving their room in the middle of the night, but she couldn't just ignore the cries of her child. She slowly sat up and got out of bed. She walked down the stairs, through the living room, and into the hall where Levigh and Boo's room was. She slowly opened their bedroom door and peered in. She saw Boo sitting up in his bed, tears rolling down his cheeks, his head and arms twitching. She sat down on the bed and hugged her son.
     "Shh, it'll be okay. What happened?" Delphine whispered softly.
     "I can't sleep—" Boo took a sharp and painful inhale, "My head and arms won't stop moving!"
     Delphine hugged Boo tighter.
     "You're going to be okay, Sweetheart. I love you," Delphine mumbled. Boo cuddled into his mother and closed his eyes. Delphine found herself going to sleep in Boo's bed with him.
     Delphine was woken by a sharp shout.
     "Delphine!" Marcel sternly shouted. Delphine woke up and looked to her husband with wide eyes. Boo and Levigh also woke up, tiredly blinking their eyes at their father. Marcel strongly grasped Delphine's arm and drug her out of Boo's bed. Delphine clenched her teeth and tearfully closed her blue eyes. "You do not leave our room during the night, you hear me?!" Marcel fumed. Delphine nodded her head, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Marcel shook his head and growled before angrily walking out of the room. Delphine shakily stood up and looked to Levigh and Boo. Levigh's face was loose and shocked, and Boo was hiding behind behind his blanket, his wide eyes poking out of the top.
     "Mommy?" Boo shakily said. Delphine immediately went to Boo's side and hugged him. Levigh climbed out of his bed and hugged his mother tightly. Delphine hugged both of her children, sniffling her nose.

     Boo ran through the sprinkler in the back yard while Delphine tended to her tomato plants. She loved to garden, it was her favorite hobby. She harvested the fruits and vegetables to make sauces, ice cream, and more. Boo's favorite dessert was strawberry ice cream, so Delphine found herself making it a lot for him. Delphine was letting Boo play in the sprinkler wearing only a pair of shorts. This would never fly with Marcel around, but since he was at work, she felt free to dress Boo how she wanted to.
     "Mommy!" Boo called, a smile on his face. Delphine looked behind her to her son. "Come play!" exclaimed Boo. Delphine smiled, stood up, and walked over to Boo. She disconnected the hose from the sprinkler and started spraying Boo. Boo chuckled.
     "Let's see how high you can jump over the water," said Delphine. She held the hose low first, and Boo stepped over it. Then, she held it higher and he had to jump to get over. The next level was too high for Boo, he couldn't clear it. The water caught his foot, and he landed in the grass in laughter.
     "The water got you!" Delphine giggled. Boo smiled and looked back at the water. "Mommy has to get back to her tomato plants, but you keep playing, okay?" Delphine connected the hose back to the sprinkler and sat down by her tomato plants again. Boo giggled and ran through the water. Then, Delphine heard crying. She looked behind her to see Boo running to her, tears rolling down his heavily freckled cheeks. "What happened, Baby?" Delphine asked softly. Boo hugged his mom tightly, still crying. Delphine lovingly hugged him back, stroking his wet hair.
"A bee stung my leg!" cried Boo, pushing away from his mother to look her in the face.
"Oh, no! Let's go get that taken care of." Delphine carried Boo into the house and placed him on the couch. She went into the kitchen to get the needed supplies for Boo's bee sting. While she was in the kitchen, Levigh came out of his room and walked into the living room. Delphine walked back into the living room and placed the supplies next to Boo on the couch.
"Where's her shirt?" Levigh asked.
"She was running through the sprinkler, Honey. I took it off so it wouldn't get wet," replied Delphine.
"But I thought only boys take their shirts off."
"Well.. Cosette can too."
"And how come you dress her like a boy when dad isn't here?"
"Because, Levigh."
"Because why?"
"Because Cosette is a boy. He always has been."
Levigh's blue eyes widened, he did not expect that.
"What..?" Levigh gasped.
"Your father has been forcing me to pretend like Cosette was born a girl ever since he was born. He doesn't want me to tell anyone the truth, so don't tell him I told you this," Delphine said, putting a gel on Boo's bee sting.
"You're lying.." uttered Levigh. Delphine shook her head.
"I really wasn't supposed to tell you.." Delphine said in shame. Levigh numbly turned around and walked back into his room. Delphine sighed and put a bandage on Boo's bee sting. She then looked at his innocent, soft, freckled face. He was so confused, she just knew it. He had been called both a he and a she, he had been in both girl and boy clothes, he had been referred to as both a boy and a girl. She knew that his concept of gender at this point was completely destroyed. She knew that Boo may not ever truly know what gender he actually is. She sighed and stroked his damp blonde hair.
"Does it feel better, Sweetie?" Delphine softly asked Boo. Boo grinned and nodded, his eyes still red from crying. She put a shirt on him and took him to the kitchen where he sat down at the table. She put a bowl of three strawberries down in front of him and then sat down next to him. He smiled and ate the berries.
"I'll make strawberry ice cream for you tonight," Delphine said. Boo looked to her and nodded.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed. He had clearly forgotten about the sting in his leg, he was too focused on the strawberries. When Boo was done eating the strawberries both him and Delphine went outside. Nicolette and Sylvie came over. Boo and Sylvie played in the sandbox together while Delphine and Nicolette talked.
"Something weird happened today," said Boo.
"What happened?" Sylvie asked.
"I think that I'm a boy, not a girl," Boo uttered, playing with a truck in the sand.
"What? How?"
"My mom calls me a he, and all of the boys in my class are called a he. She even calls me 'her boy'."
"That's so weird. But everyone else calls you a girl."
"I know, and I'm confused. But my mom told Levigh today that I wasn't actually a girl, and Levigh looked really shocked. Then, she said my father was forcing her to pretend that I was a girl, so I think that I'm actually a boy."
"Are you sure, Cosette?"
"Mhm."
"Whatever you say.."
Sylvie filled a bucket with sand and tried to make a sandcastle, but the sand fell as it was not wet. Sylvie frowned and looked at the sand that she was sitting in.
    "Boys have different body parts than girls," said Sylvie, putting sand back in the bucket.
    "Really?" Boo asked.
    "You're seven years old and you don't know that?" Sylvie scowled.
     "I was never told," said Boo. "What body parts are different? Hair?"
     "No.." began Sylvie.
     "Kids, do you want ice cream?" Nicolette called. They both sprang to their feet and ran to their mothers. They all went into the house and into the kitchen.
     "I'll be right back, I need to go get something really quick," Delphine said, leaving the kitchen. Sylvie sat down at the table and interlocked her fingers on her lap.
     "Tell my mom what you said, Cosette," said Sylvie.
     "What is it?" Nicolette looked to Cosette.
     "Uh.. I think I'm a boy," uttered Boo.
     "What makes you think that?" asked Nicolette.
     "Mommy said to Levigh that Daddy forces her to pretend I'm a girl," said Boo. Nicolette sat down, pressing her lips together.
     "Is that so?" Nicolette uttered. She didn't know what to think. She knew that Marcel was a bad man, and Delphine wouldn't admit it. "Come here, Cosette." Nicolette held her arms out. Boo ran to her and hugged her tightly. Nicolette smiled and hugged him back. Delphine walked in with a bowl of strawberries. She looked at the two hugging in confusion.
     "What's going on?" Delphine asked. They separated and looked to her.
     "Delphine," said Nicolette. "Is Cosette actually a boy?"
     Delphine clenched her jaw and widened her eyes, her grip on the bowl of strawberries growing tighter.
     "Uh.." Delphine uttered, slowly walking to the table and gently putting the bowl on its surface.
     "You can tell me the truth. I just want to help you," said Nicolette. Delphine sat down by Nicolette and put her face in her hands, crying. Nicolette rubbed her back.
     "Yes. Yes, he's a boy. I can't lie to you," Delphine cried, her voice muffled as she held her face behind her hands. Nicolette carefully moved Delphine's hair and rested it behind her shoulder.
     "Does Marcel want you to pretend that he's a girl?" Nicolette asked. Delphine nodded. "How about you come and live with me for a little while? You can bring Cosette and Levigh," said Nicolette. Delphine looked to her and smiled painfully.
     "Really? What if Marcel gets mad at me?" Delphine asked shakily.
     "We will call the police on him. You're going to okay," Nicolette said softly. Delphine cried even harder.
     "But I love him! I love Marcel so much!" sobbed Delphine. Nicolette hugged Delphine.
     "But he's abusing you, Del. He's abusing you and your children," Nicolette said, a small hush in her voice.
     "But I love him.."
     "Delphine, please. Come to my house. I'll give you tonight to pack and you guys can come over tomorrow morning."
      Delphine nodded, stood up, and walked over to the counter.
     "Do you want us to stay here until Marcel gets home?" Nicolette asked, holding Sylvie's hand.
     "No, go home please. I need to be alone for awhile," Delphine said painfully. Nicolette nodded and walked to the door.
      "I'll see you tomorrow, Delphine," Nicolette said, opening the door and walking out, closing the door behind her. Delphine took Boo's hand and brought him to the couch. She sat down and sat him down next to her. They cuddled for awhile until Boo wanted a story read to him. Delphine sat down in the rocking chair in the living room and Boo sat down on the carpet in front of it. Delphine started reading a book, her smooth voice soothing her son's ears. Boo listened closely to the words being fed to him. Suddenly, the front door was opened and closed. Delphine stopped reading and slowly looked to the door. Boo clenched his jaw and clenched his fists against the carpet.
     Marcel walked through the kitchen, grabbing the wooden bat that leaned against the kitchen wall as he exited the kitchen and walked into the living room.
     "What is this mess in the kitchen, Delphine?" Marcel growled, coming up to stand next to the rocking chair Delphine was sitting in. Delphine's jaw quivered, her blue eyes were looking to her husband. Marcel grabbed her arm and threw her out of the chair. She looked up and saw Marcel holding the wooden bat up in the air, ready to hit her with it.
"Don't hit Mommy!" Boo shouted, standing up. Marcel looked over to Boo, his eyebrows furrowed. Marcel moved the bat and faced his son.
"Don't hit him! Don't touch him!" Delphine screamed. Boo looked at his father, his lips pressed together and his fists clenched. Marcel held the bat up, ready to strike his son. "Marcel!" Delphine yelled. Marcel's bat collided with Boo's head. Blood splattered across the white carpet. Boo fell down, unconscious.
"Cosette!" Delphine screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Marcel dropped the bat and walked to the stairs.
"You better be upstairs soon," Marcel told Delphine before walking up the stairs. Delphine hurriedly lied Boo down on the couch.
"It's going to be okay, Sweetie," Delphine whispered, looking at the gash in her son's head, right above his temple. Levigh peaked around the corner, looking at his brother on the couch. He decided to stay quiet and unheard. Delphine ran into the kitchen and came back to the couch with bandages. She patched up the bleeding gash on Boo's head. She thought he was dead. She cried, sitting against the couch on the floor with her face in her knees. She looked to Boo and rubbed his forehead. His skin was still warm, which made Delphine's lips tremble. "BooBoo..?" Delphine uttered, her vision blurred with tears. He was alive, but she wasn't sure he'd make it through the night without her being there. But she couldn't not sleep with Marcel, she'd get them in even more trouble. She stood up and carried Boo to his bed. Levigh was sitting on his bed reading.
"Mama..?" Levigh whispered, seeing Boo's bandaged head and Delphine's red eyes.
"Go to sleep, Levigh. Please," Delphine whispered, heavy emotion in her voice. Levigh slowly put his book down on the end table. Delphine tucked Boo in and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.
"I love you, Baby," Delphine shakily said, her lips quivering. She turned to Levigh and kissed him on the head.
"I love you, Levigh," Delphine whispered, a painful smiled on her face. Levigh looked at his mother in confusion. She gave one last look at her children before leaving the room, gently closing the door. Levigh looked to Boo, blinking his blue eyes.
"Cosette? Are you okay?" Levigh asked. "Cosette?" There wasn't an answer. Levigh sighed and went under his covers. He pressed his teary eyes closed and went to sleep.