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It wasn’t long after George and her went to bed when Evelyn heard the phone ring. She knew who it was before she answered naturally, and as she threw on her house coat and walked to answer the phone, she wondered what trouble her son-in-law had gotten himself into this time. Last time, a week ago, he’d lost his job again after showing up drunk and getting in a shouting match with his boss. It was frustrating, having Clara call in distress to report his antics only for her not to listen to her mother’s advice. She knew her daughter simply needed an outlet–she struggled to keep friends because of him, but it was like being stuck in a loop. He got himself in hot water, he took money without telling her, he broke something and/or he said something particularly nasty to her or Alex during one of his tantrums, he disappeared to go on a binge with whatever “friends” he had at that moment, the list was too long. Evelyn told her to leave him and come home. I can’t Momma. He needs me. Evelyn would say he needed a good thrashing, but so far none of the various brutish people he or his company mouthed at in bars could beat sense into him. They usually only got him roughed up enough to make Clara cry.
It’s only a rough patch right now, she would always say. Evelyn could admit that he did have his cycles. He’d behave awhile after something particularly egregious–just long enough to give Clara hope, but then once again fall back into his old ways. And sure enough, her daughter would stand by him, no matter how much Evelyn tried to reason with her. She was so sweet and mellow, but make no mistake, she was as bull-headed as her father. Evelyn never understood what she saw in him to begin with. Oh, well! She’d hopefully wise up eventually.
“Hello” Evelyn tried to not sound annoyed. All she was met with was crying.
“Clara, dear, what is it?” concern took over.
“Josh is gone now. He left, probably with everything we own, knowing him.” she responded in between deep breaths. Ah, this again.
“He’ll be back in a few days, darling”
“No. He’s not. I told him to not come back. He-” she broke back into tears again.
“He what?” Evelyn kept a calm voice in hopes to soothe her.
“I never thought he would do this.” Evelyn managed to make out. “I know he’d get mixed up in things with guys at bars when he was drunk, but I never thought he’d-”
Clara dissolved into sobs again. Evelyn felt her blood go cold.
“Clara, did he hit you?”
“I wish he did, Momma.” She cried, “I wish it had been me.”
“Alex.” Evelyn knew that Clara was very against spanking--she made it very clear, but Evelyn could tell this was something well beyond a simple swat. “Is he ok? Is he hurt?”
Clara didn’t respond for a second, clearly building up the courage to respond.
“We’re at the hospital.” she said quietly, her voice shaking “It’s terrible. It’s so, so terrible. He’s got bruised ribs, and his eye is practically swollen shut and–and it’s all my fault Momma!”
All Evelyn could do was cut in with a gasp.
“I might as well have done it myself! I left him with him! I should have known, Momma. I failed him. I saw bruises on him sometimes, and Alex would always tell me it was just from playing outside or something. I should have known better. I was stupid. I was beyond stupid. I was worse than stupid. I wouldn’t let myself believe it– not even entertain it. I told myself that Josh would never do that. That he wasn’t like that, he was just–I’m as bad as him, Momma! I should have protected my child, but I was too busy wasting my time on the man who was hurting him.”
Evelyn was at a loss for words. She was so appalled and overwhelmed and just plain angry, she wanted to hunt that man down like a dog.
“Surely, the police-”
“They don’t care, Momma.” Clara made a weeping gargle that perhaps was supposed to be a bitter laugh. “They don’t care about anything. Alex won’t say what happened. He’s even denying that Josh did anything, and so they say there’s nothing they can do. As if Alex fell and did that!”
Again, Evelyn didn’t know what to say.
“What do I do, Momma? What can I even do now?” Clara had stopped crying, her voice raw and hopeless.
“I don’t know, but I’ll be there tomorrow." she decided.
“Ok.” was all Clara said, she was so tired.
They said their Goodbyes and hung up. Evelyn returned to her room. George was awake and waiting for her.
“What happened now?” he asked bitterly. He hated Josh from the moment they’d met. He was right to.
“He left.” she said as she started showing things into her carpet bag. Evelyn opted to omit the details. She didn’t need George wheeling around searching for their son-in-law with a shotgun–as much as she wouldn’t mind him getting his just deserts at this moment. “For good this time.”
“Good riddance. It’s about damn time.” he spat out as he watched her pack, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to help her with Alex,” she didn’t lie.
“That’s good. Try to bring them home. There was never any use in her being far away. Better for the boy to be here in the country anyway.”
“I know, George.” Evelyn said as she went to grab Alex’s favorite blanket and a favorite teddy he kept at their house.