Cartwright

Glass shattered, the baby cried and the mother screamed. “Leave him alone John!” she shouted at her husband, watching him towering over their cowering son. The boy slid to the floor, his face in his hands. His entity stripped from his soul. The door suddenly opened and the happiness etched upon the face of the teenager who entered was quickly erased to be replaced by anger and disbelief. The teenage boy was several inches taller than his father whose face now wore an expression of resentment towards the boy who had just entered the home. “You detestable, malicious, mouse of a man!” shouted the boy, “didn’t even have the audacity to do it while I was in the house did you? Too scared of the battering you’d get if I was.” He looked towards his mother crying in a chair by the fire, clutching the baby girl in her arms. She gave a look of longing towards her eldest son. The longing that the family was once again a happy group. But it would only be happy without him, she thought, looking at her husband for a split second before looking back into her baby’s face and kissing its forehead. At least she had her children. The teenager walked across to where his younger brother was still trembling by the chair, giving his father a look of disgust as he passed. “Come on Luke,” he turned back to his father, “I’ll be back in about five minutes.” And with that, led Luke out of the house.
He returned, as he said, five minutes later, without Luke. “You had no right to take him anywhere, Will!” Shouted John, “Where did you go?” Will had sat down opposite his mother at the fire and relieved her of the baby. He looked at his father for the first time since he’d returned, “your parent’s. Uncle Rob and Aunt Ruth were there; said something about you not being fit to be a father. I didn’t really catch it all.” Will smiled, “Can’t say I said a lot to stop them though.” He watched as his father’s face got continually redder, “truth hurts doesn’t it, father?”
“Please, my love,” the mother spoke to her son for the first time all evening. “Leave it, it’s not worth it.”
“No, no Sarah. Let the boy continue. Clearly he believes I’m not fit to be his father.”
Will scoffed, “got that right old man!” his eyes narrowed. “You’re not fit to keep a dog, let alone raise a family.”
“I resent that remark William! I’ve tried my damned hardest to be a good father to you lot. But you’ve always throw it back in my face.”
Disbelief shadowed Will’s young features and, having given his baby sister back to his mother, stood up and turned on his father. “Chance after chance we gave you but, funnily enough, once you laid one hand on the pretty golden head of our mother, we decided not to forgive you any longer. I remain loyal to this family for mother’s sake, for Hayley’s sake, for Luke’s sake and for baby Laura’s sake. I know they need a real man around. One who doesn’t use his fists to deal with the smallest problems. ‘Cause God knows you’re no example!”
Anger was fuming inside John. He turned on his heel and left the house, slamming the old wooden door behind him.
“There he goes, running away again!” Will sighed as he retook his seat at the fire.
“He is your father though remember.”
“Do you love him mam?” Asked Will, rather bluntly.
“I…I…I don’t know anymore you know William, I really don’t”
Will shook his head. “Where’s Hayley?” he asked, as though he had just realised his younger sister wasn’t in the room.
“At Nicholas’ I believe, though she said she’d be back by now.” Sarah looked up at the clock on the mantelpiece; it showed it was 7.15. “You do realise your dad won’t be able to stand when he gets home.” She sighed.
“Stupid drunkard.” His mother looked at him. Her eyes begging him to be civil, “no mam! I have no sympathy,” he rose, “I’m going to get Luke.”
Will bumped into Hayley, as she entered and he left. He kissed her cheek and greeted her quickly before leaving. “Where’s he off to in such a hurry?” Asked Hayley as she sat down in Will’s vacated seat. Sarah began to explain the events of the evening.
“Oh no, not again! That man keeps over-stepping the mark! Will is only eighteen; surely his forty-three year old father should set a better example!”
“Your right, Hayley,” came Will’s voice from behind, “he should.” Luke enterer the room, he was quite small, but handsome, despite only being ten.
“I’m sorry mam!” He cried and went to hug her.
“No, Luke, don’t be sorry my love,” she kissed his cheek, “you did nothing wrong.”
**
“Go on now Luke, bed.” It was nine o’clock and for two hours the children had been engaged in a conversation with their mother.
“Okay mam.” Luke conceded to his mother immediately. He went to kiss her, Hayley and baby Laura. Will ruffled his brother’s hair and Luke exited up the staircase.
No sooner had Luke departed, did John return. The atmosphere within the room changed entirely when he walked through the door. Where barely minutes before the family had been laughing and joking; now silence prevailed. His stumbling indicated that he was drunk.
“My family,” he stooped into a low, mock bow. He walked over to his wife and kissed her on the lips. She flinched at the smell of his breath. “Get off me John Cartwright, you’re drunk!”
“Your intelligence astounds me, my dear,” his hand lay upon Sarah’s. Will exchanged a nervous, knowing glance with Hayley and immediately sat up straight in a more aware stance.
“Get off me John!” Sarah pleaded again.
“Oh, should I eh?” whispered John.
Will rose to his feet, “yes I think you should.” John turned around and looked as though he was going to make a remark towards his son, but he didn’t. He merely growled at Will and went upstairs.