Chapter 14

There was apprehension all around the table as mom and dad walked in.

Mom, being first, looked surprised.

"Hi mom, Hi dad." from all of us. I got up, near them as I started to clumsily introduce Donna, and her mother.

"Oh my God, Marie???" I haven't seen you since high school.!"

Mom's wide smile as she reach to hug and equally shocked Marie.

"Oh Rita, its been so long!" Marie finally said.

Yak yak, and then we made room at the table for them. Cindi once again silently pouring coffee and asking if mom and dad were hungry?

"Oh no honey, We stopped at a nice diner an hour ago."

Mom's face still quizzical.

"Mom," I said, Donna here, is my new girfriend!"

"She went to the dance with me the other night."

"Dad, this is Donna." I said probably with my chet out to here!

He reached over and offered his hand to gently shake hers.

"Oh, you're so pretty Donna." remarked mom.

"Thank you." she smiled meekly.

"You mean she is YOUR daughter?" Mom asked Marie.

"Yes, she is," Marie now stroking Donna's hair softly.

I noticed dad's eyes as he quietly studied both Donna and her mother. I took the opportunity while mom and Marie were gabbing to ask him how the trip was to his sister's house?

"Oh, It was fine, Kenny. We all had a nice time and visit."

Karen helped me out with further questions and going around to him to give him a hug.

After a while of more and more chatter of remembering "Old times" at school, the silence seemed to return.

Finally, Karen, Donna and her mother staring at me... waiting!

Uh Oh... Well, here goes, I thought.

"Mom, Dad, There is a major problem right now."

Mom looked at me immediately and giving me complete attention.

"Oh Kenny, Oh Donna... You're not... ?"

"Oh no, mom. Its nothing like that."

"In fact, Its... Its far worse"... I finally blurted out. Mom, it seem's you've known Mrs. Sparks a long time."

"Well... Well I've come to really care for Donna here, over these past few days. I've known her from school a lot longer."

"There's a MAJOR problem mom, dad, that we need to talk about right away."

Mrs.,... Marie here, needs to leave her husband."

I rushed out quickly. "He beats them, and worse mom."

"Donna too."

Karen came to the rescue once again, "Yeah mom, daddy, Its horrible."

Cindi was standing behind mom, stroking mom's hair softly.

"Well, what could be so terrible, mom looking quite shocked at all of our serious expressions?"

"Mom..."

"Its like Kenny said, Rita." Marie finally added. He does beat us and..."

Her hands went to her face as she started to shake as she sat there. Dad was completely in wonder now. Donna reached to put her arm around her mother as she spoke up.

"My rotten father beats us and rapes me all the time." she finally said.

"He makes me..."

"Its OK, honey. That's enough right now." I said.

Dad immediatell snapped back in his chair in shock. Looking straight at Donna now.

"What do you mean honey? You mean your OWN father beats you and forces you to... ?"

"YES, YES he does." Donna started to cry now.

Now mom stood. Her hand went to her forehead.

"Oh My God!" "How horrible."

"He beats and rapes you honey?"

Now mom snapped to reality and leaned over Donna and patted her hair as Donna openly shook and cried.

Marie raised her head with tears streaming down her face.

"Why don't you call the cops?" dad asked. I answered and explained all that Marie told me last night. I added how Donna and her brother needed to graduate with Karen and me and all the rest, in just a couple weeks.

Karen finally came out with the immediate important next question of whether it would be OK for Donna to live with us, at least for a little while.?"

Cindi immediately adding, "Yeah, please mom, Please daddy."

"Donna can't go back there anymore."

I quickly told both of them that Marie's sister lived down the road in a small house that they were familiar with.

"Oh, that's YOUR sister, Marie?" "Yes, I was going to go down to see her this morning."

"She doesn't know anything about this either."

Ive been terrified to even tell HER." Marie started to shake again.

"Kenny suggested I wait until both of you got home."

"Kenny convinced me to leave my rotten husband, and I want to see if it will be OK to stay with my sister for a little while?"

"Her place is so small though!"

"They stayed HERE last night mom." I said. Mom looked at me quickly, and I knew exactly what she was thinking.

"We couldn't let her go back home to that slob, mom." Karen added.

"Donna was a complete wreck when we finally got the story out of her."

"Mom, daddy, Please let her stay with us?" Karen asked.

"We're in a lot of the same classes and all."

Her mom will probably be able to stay down the road at her sister's, but its a small place, and not enough room to include Donna."

Dad looked at mom now.

Mom looked back at me. I knew what they just said to each other without saying a word.

There was a quietness now, except for Cindi's urging dad to let Donna stay.

Mom stood again. "Kenny, come with me honey."

I got to the doorway of the kitchen as mom reached for my hand and steered me toward the stairs.

We were in her room now, making me sit on the bed. Standing there, looking down at me. 'Are you, have you and her... ?"

I looked up at her. Taking a deep breath, "Yes mom. The other night, before we all knew about this. It was after the dance."

"Yes we did. Mom"

"It was really wonderful."

"It really was mom."

"I really care for her mom." "She's been so very wondeful with me and for me." I added quickly.

"She's on the pill, mom. Because of what her father has been doing to her and her mother."

"Oh mom, its been so terrible for her, and none of us never knew until the other night."

"She's never had anyone she could trust."

"Kenny, I understand that you're pretty much grown up by now, but this, THIS, is a huge responsibility honey."

"I understand that mom." "I thought about it all night long, so upset, so worried about how you and dad would take all this shock?"

"I was hoping you could call Uncle Carl and ask about a Protection Order for them?"

"This can't get out at school, mom. It would destroy them. Her and her brother. He's nice too. I know him from last year's team."

"He stays with HIS girlfriend most the time anyway."

"He knows NOTHING about what has been going on."

"Donna insists that he be kept out of it."

"I was really hoping that Uncle Carl could do this Protection Order in Court, so that a whole lot of outside people never had to know."

"Maybe he could handle her mother's divorce too.?"

I stood now and hugged her.

"Oh mom, now you see what I meant when I said this was far more important than what you originally thought?"