SECRETS

Chapter 5: Evil Is A Strong Wind.

The next day, Jimmy was too occupied with evil thoughts of his father falling back to drinking, ill treating his mother - and of all things, being told that he didn't have to come back home if he tried to return to school. Jack has run mad, Jenny thought. But she understood the cause of all that. Her man had started earning some money and it was his biggest weakness. He loved money and whenever he had a coin, he would pull up a face of a criminal come alive.
'The child will do his exams'
'He will not' Jack responded roughly. His eyes were red that you almost knew he meant his words at a slight stare.
Out of his worst experience, Jack thought that even if Jimmy finished his primary level, he'd still come back home and ask for what to eat and drink and wear. He knew not what education meant and had no closer idea of what the child would do thereafter. What he knew for certain was that the child would still come home. Home! Only that.
Jimmy had thought it was drink's effect until it was a day he was supposed to report back to school for his final exams that something mysterious happened.
Jack woke up very early in the morning as this was now his usual routine and knocked off softly at Jimmy's room door.
'Who is there?' Jimmy inquired in a sleepy tone.
'Jack!' the old man responded coarsely. 'I want to speak to you, will you open?'
'In a minute'
The door was shortly creaked open and Jack rushed in without a moment's consideration.
He pushed the boy, and staggering forth, syringe in hand, injected some chemical in the boy's arm, stood back, closed and locked the door and walked off rapidly.

•••••••

Monday: Examination Day!

•••••••

'Where's Jimmy? Has he not returned? It's getting late and the examinations will begin soon' inquired the headteacher worried.
'Has his parents no phone to call on?' asked one of the examinations supervisors.
'No, no phone'
'No pupils who stay close to him?'
'I doubt not'
'Ummh, and he can't miss exams. What can we do?'
'I have sent someone there; I hope to have the response sooner' added the Headteacher pulling off his phone from the jacket.
'His mother says that she doesn't know where he is either' cried the voice on the phone. It was Jez who was sent to discover why the little boy wasn't showing up for examinations.
'What hell has gotten into the child's life?' reddened the Headteacher after receiving the news. It was further discovered that Jimmy was not at home, not at school and not on the road coming. The mysterious cameos of the day ended so rapidly that he, Jimmy, still lying on the floor where his father, mad with terror, had left him unconscious rose up - looked around without recognising anything in the world.
What he remembered was: he was supposed to be at school today for his final exams. But he didn't know what the time of the night - or day it was. He then jerked into motion and went to open the door. Suddenly for him, it was locked from outside.
'Open there' he cried making quick rapid movements backwards. Something must be wrong, he thought and felt he was actually so weak in the entire body.
Horror and amazement struck him after seeing the syringe. 'And what about this?' cried Jimmy frightened. While he was still so shocked and unaware of the uncertainties, the door was pushed open and it was at that instant moment that he realized it all - his mother entered weeping so, so loudly like a child beaten up and starved by its stepmother.