Forgiveness in War

Three days after Joshua had come over to his house Kyle woke up on that beautiful Monday morning to the sun streaming in through his window. The sun danced on all his little action figures and made their defined feature glimmer brightly. His smile faded as he began to really wake up all over realizing it was Monday and it was time for him to go to school. “Ugh!” he groaned as he heard his mother coming up the stairs to his room to wake him up and then get his sister ready for school.

Amy Jones peeked into her older child’s room seeing him covered completely by his comforter, “Come on sleepy-head.” She cried in a playful manner. She pushed the door to its widest position and walked down to her daughter’s room. Amy opened Jennifer’s bedroom door to find her little girl playing house with her toy dolls. “Somebody’s ready to get the day going” Amy Jones said.

“Yeah but I still don’t want to go to school.” Jennifer retorted.

“Well,” Her mother replied, “We’ll just have to see if the tickle monster can fix that! Won’t we!”

“No!” screamed the little girl as her mother began to tickle her, and roll around with her on the floor. Richard Jones jumped with a start and nearly spilt his coffee all over the place due to all the squeilling going on upstairs. He looked towards where the sound was coming from, shook his head then proceeded towards the table to finish his breakfast.

“Alright little miss!” Amy Jones said, “You go pick out your clothes that you want to wear and then I will come back to check on you. I think the tickle monster needs to visit somebody else this morning.” Jennifer grinned knowing that her brother was going to get a good tickling too. Kyle overheard his mother in the next room and jumped straight out of bed and ran into the closet where he hid behind a toy basket. “Now” thought Amy, “How to hunt this one down and get him going.” Amy walked through the bedroom door and placed both of her hands on her hips, as a hint that she meant no nonsense in a playful manner.

“Thud!” came the sound of boxes crashing in the closet.

“I think the tickle monster is about to find its prey!” Amy Jones said rather slyly. Kyle moved to the opposite side of the closet and waited for his mother to open the other door. “AH-HA!” Amy shouted triumphantly. Amy looked around the closet stunned as her son pushes the other door open and dashes out of his room laughing with pride. As Kyle turns the corner through his bedroom door his father grabs him and proceeds to tickle him.

“Ah,” said Richard Jones to his son, “Didn’t you know that tickle monsters hunt in packs!”

Kyle screamed and struggled to get free from his father’s strong grasp. As his dad brought him back into his bedroom where his mother was waiting on his bed to add to the tickle barrage.

“Ok” gasped the little boy trying to catch his breath from all the tickling he had just received, “I’ll get ready for school and go eat my breakfast.”

“Good” replied his father.

“And I’ll go finish your lunches while your father goes and helps your little sister.” Said Amy Jones to her son as she patted her husband on the back, and made her way through the door towards the stairs. Kyle jumped down from his bed and went to his closet to grab some of his clothes to wear to school. Richard Jones head through the door of his son’s room as his wife met him with a kiss and then pushed him to their daughter’s room. “Oh and Kyle remember to brush your teeth after breakfast” Amy Jones told her son in a reminding manner.

“Alright, Alright… Sheesh!” the little boy exasperated.

“Kyle…” Amy said in a firmer tone.

“Yes, Mother” her son replied in an obedient tone. In the next room Richard Jones peeked around he corner to see his little girl dancing in one of her spring dresses as he watched her grow up in his mind. He continued through the door as his little girl turned to him and ran as he squatted and opened his arms to her.

“Is my dress pretty daddy?” Jennifer asked her father.

“Very.” Replied her father in a warm yet dream fashion. “Now” He continued, “Lets get you downstairs to your breakfast.” He said as he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Across the street things were going about as pleasant as could be expected. Charlie Cromwell had left to look for work earlier that morning or so he had said and Karen was waking up a little tired boy who had been up a lot of the night trying to keep the shouting out of his mind.

“Come on Joshy” she begged, “We have to get you up in time to go with the Jones children.” Her son sat up a little groggy and smiled at his mother whose hair was up in a ponytail that morning. “Hey there.” She continued with a smile, “There’s my ray of sunshine. Lets go get you something to eat and then we’ll get you dressed. Ok.”

“Ok” was the quiet reply Joshua gave.

Karen picked up her son off his bed and set him on his feet and led him into the kitchen where she mad him cereal and toast. Joshua finally opened his eye’s wide and looked around for a minute then picked up his spoon and started to eat. “Mom?” Joshua inquired between bites of his cereal.

“Yes Hun.” His mother replied as she finished a sip of her coffee.

“Where’s dad?” he asked with curiosity.

“Well…” Karen paused as she yearned to tell her son everything and wishing that he understood exactly how difficult the situation really was, “He went to find a job. So he can work again and make money for the family.”

“Oh, that’s good” came the reply of her very innocent son. As they both finished their morning drinks Joshua ran down the hallway to his room to get dressed. Karen picked up her sons schoolbooks off the coffee table the night before remembering the conversation she had with her son. “Why is Kyle’s family different than ours?” Her son asked inquisitively.

“Their family isn’t different.” She retorted.

“But it is.” Her son answered to her defensiveness. “They are always happy and smiling and… and… the are happy together.” Karen fell back into reality and found herself on her knees crying and at the same time she was thinking that she could not continued to live this way.

“Things need to change.” She said out loud to herself as her son walked into the living room. She turned away from her some to wipe her tears then turned back and smiled very warmly at her son, he flashed her a big grin as he took his backpack from her and grabbed her hand. Karen felt herself choke down more tears as she thought how little her son really knew and yet he always made the things that seemed to be wrong disappear. She reached for the door handle and proceeded to open I as her son let go of her hand and ran across to the edge of the street to meet his best-friend she watched as Amy Jones her best friend since high school came out with her husband and kids. Amy flashed a smile at Karen as she crossed the street with her son; both boys tackled each other and began wrestling as both mothers embraced each other. Richard Jones helped his daughter into his Ford truck and turned to the boys and began to referee the wrestling match into his truck. Richard shut the rear door of his truck and went back and kissed his wife good-bye and gave Karen a hug around the shoulders, Karen winced in pain and Amy proceeded to lift up her friends sleeve to her shirt.

“Oh my goodness!” gasped Amy Jones as she stared at the big black and blue bruise on Karen shoulder, as Richard Jones came around to see for himself,

Karen said, “It’s nothing it’ll go away eventually.”

“Oh my!” Richard reacted to the sight much like his wife. “That is nothing?” he asked in great sarcasm and concern.

“Yes.” Karen said in a very firm tone, “Please don’t say anything to anybody please?” she pleaded.

“Ok, but this has got to stop.” Richard Jones replied. Amy eyes began to swell with tears as she reached out to her friend and grasped her in a tight hug. Karen also overcome with emotion began to weep in her friend’s arms. Richard Jones moved to his truck and got in and pulled away from the dismal sight he prayed a very desperate prayer for the family that lived in disarray across the street from his home.

The three kids jumped out of the truck and said good-bye to Richard Jones and turned towards the place that was full of children eager to learn. Joshua began to strut along as Kyle held his little sister’s hand while all of them walked to Jennifer’s first class to drop her off.

“Bye” Jennifer said as she waved at her older brother.

“Bye Jenny!” Kyle yelled to his little sister with a smile as Joshua grabbed his arm and began to drag him to their first class. “We’ll meet you at the front of the school later at lunch, Ok!” he yelled over the bustle of many students pushing and shoving to get to their first class.

“Ok!” Jennifer yelled back into the mess of kids hoping that her older brother heard her. Both boys ran through the mess of kids that were trying to do exactly what they were trying to do, get to class on time otherwise they would get detention. Later both boys were in their gym class with Coach Grobly, they were doing the training course that the Coach had setup for them. It was a race to be a race between:

“Joshua Cromwell!” Shouted Coach Grobly, “And Alex Yang!” Joshua Jumped to his feet while Kyle gave him and applause. Both Joshua and Alex lined up parallel to each other while the coach stood behind them both. “TWEET!” Came the screech of Coach Grobly’s whistle, and both boys were off to the obstacle course. Joshua out ran Alex from beginning to end, of the course, and beat Alex out by a good distance. “Kyle Jones!” Coach Grobly shouted, “And Steven Kingsley!” Kyle Lined up next to Steven,

“Prepare to be smoked.” Steven Kingsley said in a mocking tone.

“TWEET!” the Coaches whistle shrilled and the boys were off this race was very similar to the last race but this one was won by Steven.

“Told you.” Steven said between pants.

“Hey he did just as good and wasn’t that far behind you” Joshua jumped to his feet and got in Steven’s face in defense of his friend.

“Whatever!” Steven said with a smug look at Joshua and then at Kyle who was shying to the back of the group. Joshua moved to the back with his friend,

“Hey you did good.” He said with encouragement.

“Not as good as you.” Kyle said with a grin, trying not to look disappointed.

Jennifer sat down at a bench outside near the playground and pulled her lunch out of her backpack. “Hey sis!” Kyle yelled as him and Joshua walked over to where she was sitting.

“Hey!” She cried almost dropping her chips jumping to her feet.

“Yo! What’s up?” Joshua said in a cool and confidant tone.

“Nothing” She answered, “How was your gym class?” she add.

“Joshua was the fastest in the class once again.” Kyle said with some sarcasm.

“Yes, but you were fast too.” Joshua retorted with spirit.

“You know I’ll never be as good as you in sports.” Kyle continued.

“That’s not that big a deal is it?” Joshua responded.

“Oh well.” Kyle said in defeat, “Let’s eat our lunch and get to our next classes.”

“Alright.” Joshua replied as he grabbed his lunch out of his bag as Kyle reached into his bag and did the same. They all began to eat their lunch when Steven Kingsley and a posse of boy’s from gym class came over to where they were sitting.

“So the little angel is eating with her two bodyguards.” Steven said teasingly towards Jennifer as the other boys laughed.

“Hey!” Kyle shouted as he stood to his feet to face Steven, “You leave my sister alone.”

“Or what?” Steven asked as he stood up to Kyle and looked down at him with a menacing stare.

“Or…” Joshua stood up and joined his friend, “You are going to have to deal with me and Kyle. I back friend on anything even his goofy little sister.”

“Hey!” Kyle groans at his friend.

“Okay, Okay!” Joshua concedes, but rolls his eyes at the same time. Steven looks at Joshua with a little intimidation in his eyes.

“Yeah… well…” Steven said with a shaken voice, “I have to go meet a friend by the swings.” Steven turned and ran towards the swings as he yelled, “Just you wait I will do something greater than you could ever do Josh!”

Jennifer face brightens as she watches her brother turn toward her with a smile. “He will always be my hero no matter what.” She thought to herself.