When Thomas showed up at the house in the middle of the night Hazel didn’t know what to think. She didn’t think she’d see him again in her lifetime – at least, not for another 15-20 years. At first, she thought she was dreaming. She had woken up to go to the bathroom and when she passed through the living room, Thomas was there. Lying on the couch, fast asleep.
It must have been exhausting for him to escape from jail. Jail itself must have been exhausting.
Hazel didn’t want to imagine what jail was like. She had seen the TV shows. It wasn’t as glamorous as they made the place out to be, she knew that much. She had visited Thomas in jail a couple of times. It was hard for her to go each time and, for some reason, it seemed to get worse each time she went.
Her visits became shorter. Hazel couldn’t stand being in such an atmosphere for too long. She couldn’t imagine what it was like on the other side, especially if you were locked in there for possibly the rest of your life.
Thomas had made a lot of mistakes in his life time. When they were kids, Hazel always got him out of trouble. She always protected him from the wrath of their parents when he got in trouble for doing something stupid. He always deserved the punishments and they were always as simple as lectures or getting a privilege taken away. Yet, Hazel always stood up for him and protected him, whether he was in the right or the wrong.
This carried on through adulthood. Hazel being the big sister she was and Thomas being the younger brother and eventually taking advantage of her and her kindness. However, Thomas had made a big enough mistake that not even his older sister would be able to protect him. In fact, Hazel felt as though jail was the right place for him. He needed to learn his lesson and take a good, long time-out.
Of course, now that he’s escaped, Hazel knew he wasn’t learning his lesson. Now he would go back to jail and be in there for much longer because he couldn’t sit still and carry out his sentence.
Hazel wept silently in the middle of her dark living room. She knew why Thomas was there. Her sister-in-law had filed for a divorce from him once he was arrested. She was tired of his shenanigans as well. Thomas know if there was anyone in the world he could trust, it would be his big sister, Hazel.
Except she knew she couldn’t protect him this time. She knew he was his own worst enemy and she couldn’t protect him from himself. Hazel watched him sleep through blurry eyes.
She couldn’t guarantee any more jail visits. He would be in there for much longer than 15-20 years now that he’s escaped. This would be the last time she’d see him for a long time.
She heard the sirens wail in the distance. Her little brother was in for a rude awakening.
Short Story Sunday: “Fork” [327]
“Stick a fork in me… I’m done,” Harry said, leaning back in his lawn chair. He put his hands on his belly and closed his eyes. Angela picked up his paper plate and tossed it into the trash. She...
