Donnie
I ran crying back toward Ness’ after seeing my mom. I could have sworn as I was running I heard her scream. I was hoping it was in my imagination. My mother was a skeleton of a woman she was before. I couldn’t believe this was happening. This situation was something out of a book. It was something out of a B horror, exploitation movie. In all seriousness: This was way over the top and fucked up. Of all the people in the world this asshole could have kidnapped he chose my mother. Why?
I guess it didn’t matter why but it would probably baffle me until the day I die.
I walked up the sidewalk to Ness and Dug’s home. I pulled my shirt tail up to my face and wiped away the tears and snot. I had to be brave. I couldn’t be a pussy and be crying.
Dug opened the door before I could knock. “Oh my goodness, Donnie. Oh my goodness.” He took me in his gigantic arms and gave me a big hug.
Those words made me cry even harder. The next thing I knew Ness was there with her arms were wrapped around us both. These people were so free with their love. It was truly amazing that they welcomed me like they did. I was an asshole. A big giant, hairy asshole, but yet they welcomed me into their house and into their arms without reservations. I let my tears soak Dug’s shirt. I let the snot flow and it was a cry that was long overdue. It was a cry that had been building for months. Even before my mother was taken, I needed to cry and let out so many hurts and disappointments. It felt good to cry.
“I saw Mom,” I told them. “I talked to her.” This made me gain some composure and step away and look at them. “She’s in bad shape.” I thought of the screams I thought I heard when I was running this way. “Probably in worse shape now.”
“Let’s get in the kitchen and have some coffee,” Ness said. “I want to hear everything.”
“I miss Ev,” was all Dug could say. His eyes were red rimmed and I realized, he had been crying with me. I put my arms around his shoulders.
“She misses you too, big guy.”
We all sat at the kitchen table and Ness made coffee. She sat out some fruit and crackers. “You have to eat, Donnie.” I knew she was right, even though I really didn’t feel like eating, I did.
“I have to get her out of there. Ness, how am going to do that?” I asked.
She reached across the table and took my hand. “You aren’t. Your mother would never forgive herself if you got hurt, or worse, killed trying to save her. Go talk to the cops again. Make them believe you, Donnie. There has got to be one cop in that place who will believe you.”
I stared into her wrinkled face. I knew she was right, but how was I going to get them to believe me? I didn’t even know who this man was, but I could find out. I could do an address check online and see who the house belonged too. “I am going to get this guy’s name and do some online checking on him. I need to know who he is.”
“That’s a good start.” Ness said. “Now eat up, I don’t want your momma coming home to you being skin and bones. That wouldn’t be acceptable.”
“We want you to be neat and tidy,” Dug said and I had to smile. His innocence and belief in all good things made my heart feel somewhat lighter.
I wished that I could believe that things were going to end well. I didn’t. I knew things would never go back to the way they were. No matter how we rescued my mom, she was not going to be the same person. This horror was changing all of us and making me grow up faster. I wanted to be the man my mom could depend on. I never wanted to disappoint her again.
When I got home, I typed that mother fucker’s address in the white pages on the computer and guess what? A name came up on the owner of the house. A smile curved on my mouth, not one of happiness, but one of persistence. I had a name. Adam Smith. His days were numbered.
I went to school the next day but darted out right after lunch. I asked my friend if I could borrow his truck and he agreed. The whole damn town knew my mom was missing. Many looked at me with pity. Rumors were all over town that she left with a boyfriend. I couldn’t ever remember her ever having a boyfriend. Even when I was younger, she never had men over or went on dates. The thought of that made me sad. My mother must have been really lonely and I had been such a fuck wad to her. My grandparents weren’t all that nice to her either. I had a feeling of deep sadness for my mother. I hadnever thought of her as anyone but my mother-she was supposed to be at my beck and call. It was now official-I was a major dick head. How many of us teenagers ever think about our parents being “lonely”?
Hell, I don’t think it has ever crossed my mind until now and I sure know none of my friends had ever mentioned their parents being lonely. The truth was teenagers are selfish imbeciles, me included. That was going to change when I got my mom back. I hadn’t confided in anyone that I knew where she was.
That was going to change. I was going to go pick up Doug and we were going to the police station. There had to be someone there who would listen to us. I had never been in trouble with the law. The only reason they thought I was lying was because I was a teenager, who had a grown man with Down syndrome as my side kick. The thought of Dug made me smile. That person was the genuine article. He was a great guy. His heart was pure. I had never met anyone like him. I was glad he was my sidekick.
He was Robin to my Batman. I started to laugh then, because I pictured us wearing tights and looking goofy, then I started to cry, because how my mother looked kept flashing in my mind. She was so drawn and weak. I was afraid to think about what that man had done to her. Oh dear God, what if he raped her? I hit the steering wheel. Who would rape someone’s mom? Of course, I could only view my mother as “my mom”. I couldn’t see her as desirable, but rape wasn’t about desire, it was about power and control. It had nothing to do with attraction. If there is anything that I know about this monster is he craves power. Power over others is his drug of choice. Well, it was time for the motherfucker to go to rehab.