wrong with this one?” he asked the guard.
“Seems like he had trouble with his run this morning, sir. A bit out of shape.”
“Yes, indeed,” Mr. Hugo said.
Charles leaned over to gag again. The guard pulled out his billy club, pressed it on Charles’s chin, and raised it with force. “Stand in attention during headcount boy!”
Mr. Hugo calmed the guard. “It’s quite alright. Like you said, he’s out of shape.” He pulled out his clipboard, examining the list. “Charles Montgomery is it?”
“Yes sir.” Charles nearly gaged, swallowing the bile back.
Mr. Hugo was unamused and disgusted. He even rolled his eyes. “You seem to be ill Charles.”
“Upset stomach, sir.”
“Having too many biscuits, are we?”
Charles shrugged his shoulders.
“We are a bit pudgy, aren’t we?”
“I prefer to be called husky, sir.”
“Are you questioning my judgment?”
“No sir, I just...”
“Just what?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Nothing? You were in the middle of a retort. Am I incorrect?”
“Well I...”
“Mr. Montgomery, you seem to have very little respect for my judgment.”
“That’s not true, sir.”
“So, I’m a liar now?”
“No, sir.”
“You seem to be a very confused and ‘husky’ boy, Mr. Montgomery. Perhaps a little more exercise will do you some good.” Mr. Hugo snapped his fingers, before the guard barked orders at Charles.
“Alright, move it now, run, let’s go,” the guard yelled at Charles as he struggled to jog around the courtyard.
Mr. Hugo continued to examine each boy. Mr. Hugo reached me. He stopped for a moment, only to smile, then moved on.
Chapter 13
The light from the candle flickered in the darkness of the basement. It became our sanctuary away from the everyday routine of Crowam. Pots and pans were awful, leaving the smell of sub-par food on my hands and body. We drank vodka around the ambience of the candles that lit up the basement. Petey was by himself, looking down at the floor, as the rest of the boys had their fun. I felt sorry for him, a young boy alone in a teenage world, losing his childhood with every day wasted in this godforsaken place. In a way, we all lost our childhood there.
“How you doing, sport?” I asked Petey, who continued to stare down at the floor. “Rough day today, huh?”
He wiped his eyes a bit. It looked like he was going to cry again. I was shocked the kid had more tears left in him after this morning. “You’re not gonna cry again, are you?”
“I’m not crying.”
“Well, it sure as hell looks like you are”
His eyes squinted as he tried to fight back the tears.
“I gotta say, you’re a pretty tough kid.”
A smile broke out on his face. “Really?”
“Yea. I think you gave our PE instructor a run for his money. You hung tough even when he was getting underneath your skin.”
Petey jumped up with a renewed sense of vigor. “I guess I was tough!”
“That’s the spirit. You’re a regular Gary Cooper!”
“Yup, yup!” He pointed at the glass of vodka I was holding.
“What, you want a sip?”
He nodded his head.
“I don’t know kid. This stuff’s no good for you. It’ll rot your insides. Besides you…” Petey’s lips started to quiver again, his eyes were ready to burst into tears. To be honest, the kid cried too much for my taste. He reminded me when my mom died. I cried like I was a human faucet. I promised myself I would never cry like that again. I’d give the kid a break. He had a rough day. “Alright kid. Just a sip if it will keep you from bawling all over again.” I handed him the glass. He took a sip, his face cringed with disgust. He took another swig. I took the glass away from him. “Alright that’s enough kid. Christ, you’re going to turn into an alcoholic at the tender age of six!”
Charles was dining away on some biscuits and vodka, an odd combination for someone who was regurgitating his breakfast earlier in the day.
“Sure, that’s a good idea to eat all
“Seems like he had trouble with his run this morning, sir. A bit out of shape.”
“Yes, indeed,” Mr. Hugo said.
Charles leaned over to gag again. The guard pulled out his billy club, pressed it on Charles’s chin, and raised it with force. “Stand in attention during headcount boy!”
Mr. Hugo calmed the guard. “It’s quite alright. Like you said, he’s out of shape.” He pulled out his clipboard, examining the list. “Charles Montgomery is it?”
“Yes sir.” Charles nearly gaged, swallowing the bile back.
Mr. Hugo was unamused and disgusted. He even rolled his eyes. “You seem to be ill Charles.”
“Upset stomach, sir.”
“Having too many biscuits, are we?”
Charles shrugged his shoulders.
“We are a bit pudgy, aren’t we?”
“I prefer to be called husky, sir.”
“Are you questioning my judgment?”
“No sir, I just...”
“Just what?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Nothing? You were in the middle of a retort. Am I incorrect?”
“Well I...”
“Mr. Montgomery, you seem to have very little respect for my judgment.”
“That’s not true, sir.”
“So, I’m a liar now?”
“No, sir.”
“You seem to be a very confused and ‘husky’ boy, Mr. Montgomery. Perhaps a little more exercise will do you some good.” Mr. Hugo snapped his fingers, before the guard barked orders at Charles.
“Alright, move it now, run, let’s go,” the guard yelled at Charles as he struggled to jog around the courtyard.
Mr. Hugo continued to examine each boy. Mr. Hugo reached me. He stopped for a moment, only to smile, then moved on.
Chapter 13
The light from the candle flickered in the darkness of the basement. It became our sanctuary away from the everyday routine of Crowam. Pots and pans were awful, leaving the smell of sub-par food on my hands and body. We drank vodka around the ambience of the candles that lit up the basement. Petey was by himself, looking down at the floor, as the rest of the boys had their fun. I felt sorry for him, a young boy alone in a teenage world, losing his childhood with every day wasted in this godforsaken place. In a way, we all lost our childhood there.
“How you doing, sport?” I asked Petey, who continued to stare down at the floor. “Rough day today, huh?”
He wiped his eyes a bit. It looked like he was going to cry again. I was shocked the kid had more tears left in him after this morning. “You’re not gonna cry again, are you?”
“I’m not crying.”
“Well, it sure as hell looks like you are”
His eyes squinted as he tried to fight back the tears.
“I gotta say, you’re a pretty tough kid.”
A smile broke out on his face. “Really?”
“Yea. I think you gave our PE instructor a run for his money. You hung tough even when he was getting underneath your skin.”
Petey jumped up with a renewed sense of vigor. “I guess I was tough!”
“That’s the spirit. You’re a regular Gary Cooper!”
“Yup, yup!” He pointed at the glass of vodka I was holding.
“What, you want a sip?”
He nodded his head.
“I don’t know kid. This stuff’s no good for you. It’ll rot your insides. Besides you…” Petey’s lips started to quiver again, his eyes were ready to burst into tears. To be honest, the kid cried too much for my taste. He reminded me when my mom died. I cried like I was a human faucet. I promised myself I would never cry like that again. I’d give the kid a break. He had a rough day. “Alright kid. Just a sip if it will keep you from bawling all over again.” I handed him the glass. He took a sip, his face cringed with disgust. He took another swig. I took the glass away from him. “Alright that’s enough kid. Christ, you’re going to turn into an alcoholic at the tender age of six!”
Charles was dining away on some biscuits and vodka, an odd combination for someone who was regurgitating his breakfast earlier in the day.
“Sure, that’s a good idea to eat all
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