It's a kind of magic

Part 4.

It was a hot summer day in August. Ben's little sister was sleeping peacefully, holding her mermaid Barbie tight, while his younger brother was at the neighbour, watching cartoons and playing with action figures.

Ben was around five years old. He was eating spaghetti and drawing at the table. His shirt and his whole face was covered with tomato sauce, not even mentioning the paper. But who cares about the paper? He made a really nice elephant to his beautiful mum. He watched it on the television before lunchtime, and he couldn't wait with portraying it until he finishes his meal. Ben was the oldest child in the family, but still the one, who was really attached to his mother. Everytime he saw a flower on the street, he ran there to pick it up for her. He made drawings for her every day. And when he went to the kindergarten, he told everyone, that he'll marry only those girls, who look like his mom. His mom was above everyone. His mom was his best friend.
Yeah, he had siblings and friends, but his mom was the only one who knew, who was his crush in the kindergarten, and she always allowed him to sleep next to her, when the little Ben had a nightmare. Just right after he peed in his bed, of course.
-Just one tiiiiny line!- said proudly the little blond angel, as he finished his artwork. He wiped the remaining tomato sauce on his shirt, grabbed the paper, and started running to his mom with the happiest, and proudest smile on his face. But as soon as he reached the door (which was slightly opened), he slowed down and hesitated to enter the room. His parents were arguing - again. Ben curiously peeped through the gap, trying to figure out what's going on inside.

-My mother was so damn right about you, you are the worst decision of my life, Andrew!- shouted his mother with tears in her eyes. -You give no fucks about me and the kids, all you can care about is the-
-Really??? Who maintains this fucking family??? It's ME, it's been always ME, who did everything for the kids and for YOU! -shouted back his father, and threw a glass to the wall. This gave his mother a scared jump, and she stepped backwards, until her back hit the wall.
-Other men are working as well, but they still have time for their family, and do you know, what's the fucking best? THEY DRINK LESS!
It was the point, where Ben's father had enough. He nodded, opened the wardrobe, threw his wife's clothes on the ground, and kicked them, like those pretty dresses were empty plastic bottles on the street.
-Here you go. Grab your fucking stuffs, and leave my house. You have failed in everything, Emily. Failed as a wife, failed as a mother... and I'm not interested in a failure like you are. Go, get yourself a dick, it's been your wish all the damn time, right? Go then, and get one, you deserve some trash, because it would fit you sooo well! -Andrew turned away from her, opened a bottle of vodka, and drank a huge part of it, within a second.
Emily grabbed her clothes and threw it in a travel bag she used to bring for their family holidays. She couldn't stop crying, but she packed without any break or hesitation. She always knew, this moment will come. It seems, it was time. It was time to close a bitter chapter. As she packed, Andrew was standing at the window, drinking alcohol and looking outside. They haven't looked at each other the whole time. The disgust and the anger created a choking atmosphere in the whole room.

-Mom... where are you going, mom? -asked Ben with his adorably high voice, holding his drawing to his tiny chest, entering the battlefield slowly.
-Oh fuck, GREAT, that's what we really needed right now!- said his father with a spectacular eyeroll, and turned back to the window.

-Sweetheart, go back to your room! -told him his mother, trying to wipe her tears as quickly as she could, just to hide them from her son.
-But where are you going, mom? Have I done something wrong?- asked Ben, looking curiously at his mother. He was so tiny and innocent. And he was so young to understand the cruel world of the adults.
He didn't have a clue about the fact, that everything ends one day in this world.
He didn't know, that people's heart gets empty the same way as the cardboard box, after he drinks the milk from it.
He didn't know about electricity bills, madness, wars, politics, and divorce.
He only knew about love and his little, imaginary world, where no one can harm him.
He didn't know, that love could end one day, so he thought, his mother is leaving because he did something wrong.

-Go back to your fucking room, Benjamin Jones!!!- shouted his mom, and then it happened: She punched the little guy in the face so strong, that he fell on the ground. Just in the moment she hit her son, she regretted it immediately. But she couldn't take it back anymore.
-You see? I was right. You have failed as a mother!- laughed Andrew, like punching a child would be the most simple thing to do.
Ben was just sitting there on the floor, looking at his mom with a terrified and confused sight, while huge teardrops were growing on his eyelashes. With his right hand he held his face, that was aching because of the slap, and with his left hand he still held his drawing about that elephant. He was deeply shocked, frightened, disappointed - he felt like all the negativity and sadness on this world was locked in his tiny body.
His mother covered her face with her hands because of the shame, but didn't tell a single world to her scared son. She didn't even look at him anymore.
She closed her bag, grabbed it, and simply walked out of the house, without looking at anyone. She threw her bag on the backseat of her car, and then started the engine.
Ben got up as quickly as he could and ran to the window. He watched helpless, as his mother steps on the gas, and the car departs. She didn't even look back at him, like he never existed.
-Why are you leaving me here, mom? What have I done? -asked Ben, while huge teardrops started falling down on his face. But of course, it was only him who heard this question. He didn't understand anything. He looked down at his drawing, that was covered with tomato sauce and now with his tears too. "She didn't even look at my elephant!" -thought Ben with a really deep sadness. He tore his drawing in pieces, sat down on his bed and started crying even harder, burying his angelic face in his tiny hands.

He never drew again.

A couple of days later the three children moved to their grandparents. Their father spent every weekend with them, but their mother kept the contact with them only via letters. At the beginning, she sent them an owl every week. And then she met a muggle, fell in love with him and gave birth to 2 children. As soon as Ben figured it out, he asked his mother in a letter to break the contact with him. He couldn't forgive her, that she left them/him so easily. He could bet on all his treasures, that his mom loves those other kids way more, that she ever loved him.

He decided that day, that he'll never love any women, because at the end, they are all the same pathetic whores. And Benjamin Jones won't let any women to destroy him again. His mother was the first and the last person, who was able to do it.