Moses’ Brother

“Fuck off.” Aaron shouted to his mother.

“You’re going.”

“Get away. No.”
“Rude little boy. Nothing you can—”

He yelled over her, “Sending me off to just get rid me. You’re white trash.” From the stained-glass windows with outlines of the Virgin Mary and an infant Jesus around the house, the high-rise ceilings, and tacky lion pillars in front of the entrance, his statement was as much a farce as the beef at Taco Bell. A bitter know-it-all, yet to reach a decade in years, Aaron assumed he had all the answers. “Bitch.”

His mom’s hand came down with a whack.

Aaron covered his eye. “Next time, I’ll hit you back.”

And five years passed. The front door slammed shut, keys clanked together. Aaron walked out from his room and ate a chip. He leaned against the entryway. Moses ran toward him. “Aaron, Aaron! Guess what happened after I finished my shift at Taco Bell. You’ll never guess.”

“You’re right. I suck at all games.”

Moses paced the den. He wiped the hardwood tabletop with his hand.

A girl. Aaron surmised. How’s he smell like a naked mole rat, who slept in vomit, and still get lucky? Yet, unlike Moses, Aaron hadn’t even kissed a girl. “Did you get laid again? No one cares.”

“Well I did, wasn’t what I wanted to tell ya. How’d you know?”

Same lame grin. “What did you want to tell me?”

“Little bro, our worries are over. Fifty grand.”

“Yeah? It’s a number. Did you steal it from work?”

Moses bumped a green vase. “Nah, man.” He caught the wobbly antique.

“I don’t understand. Whadda mean?”

“So, I was doing these two chicks after my shift.”

“I don’t care.”

“Hold on.” Moses thumbed his temples. “So, I was doing these two chicks, right—”

“I get it. You got laid.”

“They were hot.”

Aaron could feel Moses breathe all the way down his neck, desperate to explain his plan.

“After I got lucky, they asked me if I could get ’cid.”

“Oh, fifty gee’s for ’cid. A truckload?”

“No, no. Let me finish.” Moses paced up and down the hallway and fiddled with an antique vase—this one had a pattern of the Last Supper.

“You pace like a spaz. Too many meals at the bell must give ya the runs.” Aaron pretended to walk into a wall. “There’s you. Go to the toilet already.”

Unfurled brow. “You’re rude. You should never dis Taco Bell. You don’t deserve jack.” Moses opened one of the slide doors connected to the living room and went to the backyard where he lit up a cigarette.

Aaron relaxed with his brother. He observed the hickory tree that held a broken swing. He recalled, once hearing, “Come play with Daddy.” A voice called followed by the sound of the front door slam shut, keys clank together, and a blast from a shotgun. The memory of blood on his dad’s hand resonated. He saw his mom’s giant gaudy cross swing from her neck.

Aaron shook his head. “If Mom catches us with cigarettes,” he lit up, “she’ll be pissed—” a nefarious smile.

“I’ll be eighteen in a year. We’ll get our own place—smoke cigarettes all day. Heck, we’ll be able to smoke whatever we want. Boy, with this money, we’ll be able to move to L.A., away from this cesspool of a town.” Moses paced. “Guerra Town’s sticky. Makes me itch. I gotta get out of Kentucky, ya know?

“We’ll move after I get the cash. You’ll meet models, and they’ll suck your dick. You might even get laid.” He took a drag from his cigarette. “When I get the money, I’m gonna buy ya a hooker.”

Aaron blew a smoke ring. “Yeah? From this magical fifty grand, right?”

“So, I got the chicks the LSD. One of ’em told her boyfriend she loved the trip. He happens to be a Rich Guy from New York and wants the ‘cid bad. The Rich Guy ordered five hundred sheets of the stuff. The deal goes down tonight.”

“Where’s all the ’cid? What’s the initial cost?”

“Two gee’s.”

“Bull.” Aaron crushed the butt with his shoe. The sound from the shotgun blast echoed in his mind. His jaw quivered.

“No bull.” Moses went to the living room to turn on the Super Nintendo. “Jimi makes acid, remember? He’ll sell me the sheets for two thousand. Said he’d have ’em ready by midnight, ya know in Jimi language. The sale happens at three.”

“Jimi’s a jerk. What kind of a dude only speaks in Jimi Hendrix lyrics and solely eats those disgusting chalupas? All he talks about is kissing skies, purple haze in his brain, and god-awful watchtowers. I hate watchtowers thanks to him. Why doesn’t he call himself Cobain and spout Nirvana lyrics? A tribute: the guy died last week and all.”

“Why don’t you speak in Nirvana lyrics and call yourself Cobain? Besides, what kind of a sicko badmouths chalupas?” Moses thumbed Aaron’s ear.

“Fine, chalupas aside. Only morons rename themselves after musicians. Bet his name isn’t even Jimi.” He hesitated. “So, where’s the platform cash?” Moses slashed enemies in the video game. “Where? And if you say behind a burning bush, I will deck you.”

“I’ll get one gee from work. Clakon said he’d fork over five bills. I had hoped you could front the rest from your life savings. You’ll get the dough right back, plus interest.” Moses mashed the buttons to the controller with his thumbs.

“Let me think.” Aaron pulled a joint out from his pocket. He unwrapped his happiness from a piece of plastic. The smell from the marijuana consumed the air. The flame from his Zippo reached the paper. The front door slammed shut and keys clank together.

Their mom announced, “I’m home.”

Moses grabbed the joint from his brother’s hand and held the doobie between his lips.

Terrifying foot stomps. “Moses.” She smacked his cheek. “What did I tell you? You’ll end up stupid.” The joint hit the floor. “Go to your room. Apologize to Jesus. Pray he forgives you. Say five Hail Mary’s. You’d better do ’em on your knees, or you’re grounded until you’re eighteen.”

Moses held his cheek and ran. Aaron gawked at his mom. She lifted the joint. “At least you don’t smoke this crap,” she said.

“What if I did?”

“Are you fishing for another trip to you know where again? I don’t have time to argue with you.” She opened the slide door, walked outside, and lit up the joint. She kicked the broken swing. An old sapphire rosary hung from her wrist.

Aaron observed his mom take a drag from his euphoria. He heaved a loud sigh of frustration. Aaron squinted at the sight of his mom, who stole a drag. He learned after his last unwanted vacation, a year ago, the best way to fight back was to be hold his anger in. Kept him free thus far. In an instant the anger inside would scorch the earth.

He walked into Moses’ room, and found his brother with a comic book. A pager beeped, to be ignored. Aaron’s pager—a paperweight: his brother could ignore his pages. He glanced at his brother’s bright green beeper, at the comic book. “The new issue?” He saw the word new on the cover.

“Yeah?” he sniffled.

“Who is the guy with the claws?”

Moses chuckled the words, “You know.”

“Sure, I do. Okay.”

“Enough small talk. Will ya loan me the cash or what? I did save your ass.”

Aaron knew Moses parted the waters to their mom’s rage for him. She never punished the legendary older brother beyond a slap. Aaron recalled being strapped down and injected with a needle. He nodded his head. “Yeah.”

After a shoulder shrug, he went to get the money from his closet. Aaron lifted a green ceramic piggy bank with a missing right eye. He poured cash out from the open socket. Pennies, nickels, quarters, ones, fives, twenties, and three-hundred-dollar bills fell out and counted his funds. “Five hundred sixty-three dollars and forty-two cents.” When he entered the room with his pig and the money, he gave the cash to his brother. “Condition: I go.”

“Awe com’ on, don’t cha trust your own brother?”

“Trust? You treat me like an amateur and never include me in deals. If my money is in this, so am I.”

“Sounds like ya don’t trust me.”

“I do. I don’t trust your loser friends, in particular, Jimi.”

“Why do ya hate Jimi? He’s been a great friend to me. Remember when he saved my life?”

“I wasn’t there.”

“Dude, you were in Cancun with us.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Man. How could you forget such an adventure? The peyote. The pervert you knocked out. Classic, Aaron move. Even Jimi laughed.”

“Why’d I hit some guy?”

“You got all chivalrous after he caressed a little girl. She must’ve been twelve. Remember his tooth, the one you punched from his mouth?” He frowned. “Why do you always forget stuff? And get rid of the stupid pig.” He pushed the pig to its side. “Childish.”

“All Dad left me.”

“Toss the piece of junk away.”

“Why?”

“Faker. You know.”

“Wish I could remember. I really don’t. How did Jimi save your life?”

“I had an allergic reaction and passed out.”

“Something at Taco Bell I presume.”

“No. Dude, stop hating on the bell. They give me free food.”

“Got it. You love them. Which of their tacos made you pass out?”

“None of them, jerk. It wasn’t Taco Bell’s food. It was the peyote. Anyway, Jimi ran to the nearest drugstore and got me the stuff I needed. Did I mention he carried me there? I would’ve died. And he helped without a second thought.”

“Did you pay him back in chalupas?”

Moses shoved his brother. “Shut up.”

“Why didn’t I help?”

“You were crashed in the car the whole day. Man, all the peyote must’ve messed ya up. You are the one person I know who’s forgotten a whole week. You forget a lot, since the crap with Dad.”

“What crap with Dad?”

“Shut up. You know.” He lifted a towel. “Might help ya to talk.”

Aaron spotted a stain on his brother’s towel. “You do your laundry, right? You know that’s why you smell bad, even after a shower, and the crappy spray-on deodorant you use doesn’t help.”

Moses tossed a towel over his shoulder, lifted a spray can of deodorant, and turned to the restroom. “Go get ready, rude ass. We leave in a few hours.”

“Are we going to Taco Bell first?” He snickered.

“Be ready.”

Aaron took a shower. He lay in bed to dry off and fell asleep. After what felt like a second, he jolted up and leaped to his feet. Aaron tightened his robe and ran to his brother’s room. “Give me ten min…” the lights were off. “He l-left?” He sulked against his pillow. “Didn’t want me to come. How could he take my money and sneak out?” Tears fell from his face.

The piggy bank, “Childish,” Moses had said. Aaron punched the ceramic to pieces. Particles fell onto his dresser.

He mashed his fist onto the eye. The ceramic perforated his hand. Blood spread along the crackles of his palm. The image reminded him of the blood along his dad’s fingers. He saw a figure with a gigantic cross on her chest shoot his dad.

Aaron ran to the restroom to get a bandage. He closed the medicine cabinet door and jolted back in fear when he saw through the mirror a figure outside the window fixated on him. He sighed with relief to see Clakon. His friend tapped the glass. His exaggerated deep voice let out, “Aaron, Brother of Moses, let us in—let us pass, or the firstborn sons shall be sacrificed anon.” Laugher followed.

“I hate when you say that shit. Eh. Meet me at the front door.”

He opened the door to see a girl’s long red bangs that covered her left side. “Boo,” she shouted with a forward leap. Aaron jumped back. The girl moved her hair behind her ears. “Did I scare you, Evie?” She laughed and handed him a bag from Taco Bell. “We brought chalupas.”

Aaron shook his head, “No thanks,” he unsuccessfully attempted to hide a little boy’s fearful tone. “Hi, Jessie. Knew it was you.” He failed to mention how he hated his middle name and how her nickname worsened the pain. He let his friends in and closed the door.

Jessie asked, “Mind if I play one of your games?”

Clakon answered, “Go ahead, but we won’t be here long.” He grabbed the bag. “Can I have your chalupa?”

Aaron squinted, confused. “Sure. Whatever. Why are you here?”

“Your brother didn’t tell you?” He munched away at the chalupa.

“Hmm?”

“How he would page me with more instructions after he met the Rich Guy?”

“He did do the deal without me.” His fingernails cut into his palms.

Clakon rested his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Chill. You two got a bond like no other brothers on earth, man. For real. Moses spoke unto me, swore to the commandments, said he tried for ten minutes to wake you up. You wouldn’t wake up.”

“Dude, you gotta cut the Moses jokes. Anyway. I do sleep hard when I don’t get to smoke pot for an entire day.”

“A whole day?”

“Not a drag,” said Aaron.

“How? You’re such an addict. How’d you last this long?”

“What?”

“Dude, you like weed. Your bro likes women. Equal match.”

“No, I don’t.”

Clakon gave him a noogie. “Pot gives you zits, you know?”

“Chalupas’ll give you zits.

Aaron didn’t unleash tenth plagues. Rather, his anger got the best of him without his sacred happiness. He pushed Clakon away, in good fun. “So, Moses went to do a major deal by himself?”

“No. Jimi went with him.”

Aaron crossed his arms. “So, Moses went alone?”

“Wow. You hate Jimi.”

“I do.”

Clakon’s pager beeped. “911 signal. Never a good code. I’ll use the phone in your bro’s room. Wait with Jessie, yeah?”

“Um, okay.”

“And will you talk to her?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your quietness freaks her out. You don’t want girls to think you’re a creep? Go out there and be nice to her. She’s your friend, too.”

Clakon rushed past the hallway where family photos hung. He stopped at one picture of Aaron and Moses, young children, a larger fish than the two of them in hand. Clakon’s mouth dropped. “How’d you two catch this?”

“Oh. Mom did. She wanted us to hold the fish, so she could take the picture, even though she knew I wanted to take the photo. She knows my dream is to become a photographer. Selfish.”

“Or, she wanted her kids in the picture with a giant fish she caught to better remember the moment, maybe?”

“No. She doesn’t think like that.”

Clakon shrugged and dashed off. Aaron approached the couch and stopped. He got a whiff of strawberry-scented perfume. Jessie shouted, “Take that and that.” Her foe in the game screamed. “Evie, if you’re gonna stand there and stalk me, at least take a photo to commemorate the occasion for the rest of your short life.”

Frozen.

Jessie cleared her throat. “To reiterate, if you stare at me any longer, I will kill you.” Her character in the game sliced a ninja in half. “Like this.” Didn’t work. “I have a joint. Wanna share with me?”

“Would I?” He dove next to Jessie.

She handed him a small crumpled up brown bag from her purse. “Finally.” Aaron opened the bag to find the joint damp and broken. “Aw man, this isn’t smokable.”

“Oh, yeah. On my way home from school, a car splashed a puddle and the water hit my purse. Dang. Ha, ha, ha.” She messed with her hair. “Hey. Why weren’t you at school today, Evie?”

“I didn’t feel like it.”

“Cool. Sorry the joint was destroyed. Will you forgive me?” Her long lashes fluttered.

“I guess.” Aaron watched Jessie slash her enemies in the game. Moses would thrash around and stand in front of the screen, forget his brother. Sometimes he threw the controllers with rage: tablets heaved down from a mountaintop. The current ones were the tenth pair, care of Moses’s hissy fits. Jessie played peacefully. Her fingers toyed with the buttons rather than manhandled them.

Jessie asked, “True you’re a virgin?”

Sweat leaped down his forehead. Aaron blushed.

“Sorry. Sore subject?”

“Clakon has a big mouth.”

“True?”

“He told you?”

“Please, boy’s a gossip queen. Never keeps his trap shut.”

“Don’t you mean, king?”

“Oh sweetie, Clakon’s gay. Didn’t you know?”

“W-what? You’re always together. You two aren’t dating?”

“Good one.” Her nose made a snort sound. “He makes Liberace out to be bi-curious. You don’t hear his vibrant lisp when he speaks, or see how he sits on his palms when he’s nervous, or the way he shakes his hips when he walks? Get with it.”

“You don’t know?”

Jessie paused the game. “A girl always knows. And his boyfriend’s a solid hint.”

“He has a boyfriend?”

“How’d I miss this? You like him.” She added a joke, “Frankly, I’m surprised you go for older men, Evie.”

“I like girls.”

Jessie giggled. “I don’t know. You seem jealous.”

“I’m jealous he told you instead of me. I thought we were best friends.”

Jessie got closer to him. Aaron sat at the edge. Jessie rubbed his knee. “You are best, best pals. Don’t worry, Evie. Clakon always says you’re quite enigmatic in fact.”

“Wait. Clakon knows the word enigmatic?”

“Oh. You’re funny.” Jessie pushed him. His rear hit the floor. “Ha, ha, oops,” Jessie leaned down to help him. His hand touched her plum-like palm. He stared at her thumb, enamored. The tips of his fingers pressed hers. “This is the longest we’ve spoken, Evie.”

“Yeah.” A gold band on her ring finger caught Aaron’s attention. “What’s that?”

“My chastity ring.”

“Oh.”

The air thickened. “True you’ve never kissed a girl?”

Hairs on his arms moved up. Jessie got closer. “Clakon is the worst gossip queen.”

Jessie admitted. “I’ve never locked lips with a single boy.”

“Never?”

“Well, I smooched Moses last week.”

Aaron moved his head away from hers. “I see. You’re like all other girls. You got a thing for my brother.”

“I kid.” She pinched his shoulder. “He called me shorty at the last Halloween party and I’ve hated his guts since. I wouldn’t lay a finger on your brother. Hides his snide ways with a creepy smile. Besides, Moses smells like a naked mole rat who—”

“Slept in vomit, I know.”

“So, Evie,” her hand on his ribcage. Aaron’s heartbeat raced. He could smell her lip-gloss.

Jessie got closer. “You know the game Back in Time where you ask if you’d kill without consequence? Well, people always say they’d kill Hitler. No one gets the point of the question.”

“And?”

“Deep down, people are violent creatures who hide behind their supposed ‘medicines’ to fix their ‘anger issues.’ People hide from what they are.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one’s safe.” She lifted a fist and swung. Aaron flinched. Jessie messed with his hair. “Gotcha.”

“Clakon’s been gone a long time.”

Jessie fiddled with the controller. “I’m still in disbelief you flashed my parents at the town picnic.”

“C’mon. I was six.”

“Grown some?”

“Of course.”

Jessie bit her lip. “You wonder if you’re a good kisser?”

“Didn’t they call you Twizzler Head in elementary?”

Jessie hit start to the controller, her back to him, and played her game.

“What’d I say?”

“Never mind.” She continued to play the game. “By the way, why’d you give the chalupa I bought you to Clakon?”

“I like gorditas,” he lied.

“Oh. I see.”

Clakon rushed out. “Jimi’s been shot.”

Jessie dropped the controller. “What happened?”

“Is Moses okay?”

“I called three times before Moses answered. The Rich Guy showed up with the money and a gun. The douche told your brother if he didn’t give him the drugs and ten grand he’d kill him. Right before I hung up, I heard a gunshot and Moses yelled ‘Jimi got shot.’ Bottom line, I have a half an hour to get the cash.”

Jessie rose up. “Your college savings.”

“I have to. Dad will be pissed. I got robbed, I’ll say. You guys will vouch for me, right?”

Aaron jumped up. “You alone?”

“I won’t put you kids in danger.”

Jessie got in Clakon’s face, and she screamed, “If you go alone, I’ll, I’ll call your dad. And you wait ’til the wrong people hear how the D.A.’s son was involved in a drug deal. Wonder what mugshot of yours they’ll use for the cover page?”

“My brother’s in danger.”

“Settled. We all go,” said Jessie.

---

Clakon parked his car. “Okay, we stop here. Watch Jessie, and remember, gunshots equate to you outta here, dude.” Clakon walked toward the alleyway.

Jessie asked, “Who gave you your middle name?”

“What?”

“Evie?”

“Eval’s a family name, which by the way, I hate.”

“Short for?”

“You’ll laugh.”

“Won’t. Swear.”

“Evaline.”

Jessie pondered aloud. “The variant of Eva?”

“No. My grandpa’s name. Lots of men had the name.”

“Evaline Ness comes to mind, Eliot’s second wife. I love the Untouchables.”

“What a name? Bugs you, call me Aaron.”

“Tsk, your name doesn’t bother me, Evie.” She giggled, “Wait, Aaron, Brother of Moses? Oh.” She squinted. “Seriously?”

“Blame my loony mom. You just got that?”

“I’ve always used your middle name. Never occurred to me.” Loud snort. “Can I ask you something else?”

“This twenty questions?”

“Sure. This one’s real personal. Cool?”

“Shoot.”

She leaned closer to him. “They say your mom killed your dad in front of you and got away with murder. You ever talk?”

Aaron saw an image of his mom over his dad’s corpse. She had a devious stare. He could have sworn for an instant the gun was aimed at him. She fell to her knees and prayed to her rosary.

Shivers walked down his spine—the need to blow the question off. In fact, the thought made him angry. “Long wait.” He handed Jessie the keys. “If you hear gunshots, drive away.”

“Don’t go.”

Jessie rolled down her window. “Wait. Please.”

He approached her. “What? You don’t think I’m man enough for this? You think I’m some child who sat there while his mom murdered his dad? Well, I’m more, way more. Wait and see. I’ll do great things. I’m capable. Don’t care what you or anyone else thinks.”

“What? I think you’re amazing, Evie . . . Aaron, in any situation. I’ll deck anyone who says otherwise.” She showed him her white teeth. “You shouldn’t put yourself in needless risk is all.”

“You didn’t stop Clakon.”

“I’m not in love with him.” She covered her mouth. Tears made her dark greens sparkle.

Aaron’s mouth dropped. He reflected to all the hints she gave him. At school, she would always try to talk to him. Any chance, she would either hug him or take his arm. And tonight, she bought and delivered dinner to him, she all but said, “Kiss me.”

“Jessie,” he said. She gazed downward. “Jessica.”

Her twirling red hair made him say, “Hey, Twizzler Head. I’m talkin’.”

“Don’t call me—”

When Aaron and Jessie’s eyes meet, their lips did, too.

Jessie moved her head back. “Go make sure your brother’s okay. Return in tact, Evaline.”

“Okay, Twizzler Head.” Aaron ran toward the alleyway.

He saw the Rich Guy point a gun at his brother. Jimi held his leg wound tight. Clakon stood next to him and said to the Rich Guy, “You have your money. Now go.”

“See. This guy,” he waved the gun at Moses, “he slept with my girlfriend. He tried to make money off me after the fact. I’ll let you and the guy who speaks in Jimi Hendrix lyrics go. This odious punk ain’t gonna go nowhere.”

The hammer of the pistol pulled back. Clakon helped Jimi stand. The two stepped to the side. Aaron came forward from the shadows. “I’m sorry. Um. Don’t you mean ‘not anywhere?’ Dude, if you throw around words like ‘odious,’ at least have the decency to sound literate.”

The Rich Guy saw Aaron. “Who are you, the grammar police?”

“Funny. No. I wanted you to point your gun away from my brother.”

“Some rude kid wants to play with the big boys. Oh, step off.” The Rich Guy cackled.

“First, Mom steals my stash,” clenched fists.

The Rich Guy gripped the pistol.

Aaron finished, “My smelly brother ditches me and takes my life savings, and now you have the nerve to call me a rude kid and brush me off?”

The Rich Guy glanced at Aaron with his peripheral vision. “Yeah, and? Scram, boy.” He charged at the Rich Guy: a rhino to prey, tackled him. The gun fell. His fist united with his foe repeatedly.

“Bro, chill out. You got him.”

Blood covered knuckles. “And I didn’t get to smoke all day,” Aaron said as another fist hammered into the unconscious Rich Guy.

Moses and Clakon grabbed Aaron. The two dragged him off the unconscious and bloody body.

Jimi limped over to Aaron, fished into his fro, and revealed a joint in his palm. “Thanks, Jimi.”

Jimi patted Aaron’s head and lit up for him.

He helped Jimi walk to the car and smoked.

Clakon laughed. “You’re an addict, dude.” Tongues were aimed at him.

As Aaron entered the house, Moses counted the money. “Fifty grand four ways, twelve-fifty apiece.” The living room light turned on. Their mom held the lamp switch.

“Where did the money come from?”

Moses grimaced. “Here, Mom.”

“What the?” Aaron shouted, “No.”

His mom glared at him. “You smell like pot. Someone’s headed back to the psych ward. I hope you’re used to shots by now.”

“Give me my share, twelve-thousand-five-hundred, please. I’ll move out.”

His mom let out a laugh. “If you want this, take it from me. You don’t have the guts though.”

“I’ve had a long night and went above and beyond. Please, Mom. Don’t make me take my money from you.”

“You’re a coward.” She grabbed his arm. “Go on, try.”

“You’re an evil bully.”

“And you’re rude.”

“The whole town talks, didn’t you know? How you killed Dad. I lost count of how many times I’ve been asked what I did when you shot him right in front of me. The problem, Mom, is I can’t remember why you decided to kill Dad. Insurance money? All I know is you’re a psychotic sociopath, and you hide your sins behind the pathetic rosary you always carry.”

His mom smacked him. “You don’t have a clue.”

“I warned you.” Aaron punched his mom in the gut with all his strength. She gasped and fell. Cradled her rosary.

Moses ran to her aid. “You hit our mom.”

“That’s for killing Dad.”

She sat up. “This pathetic rosary belonged to your grandpa Evaline Moses Jaeger,” she dropped her charm on the floor. “And I killed your daddy because he raped you.” Aaron became motionless. “While I worked to support you and your brother, your daddy raped you both for years. When I caught him, yes, I shot him—twice. And I swear to the Lord above I’d kill him again.” She wiped her cheeks dry, “My job is to first praise Jesus Christ, and second to protect and love you and your brother.”

“Liar. You killed him for money.”

Moses shouted, “Ridiculous. Why do you think I handed her the money without question? To pay our bills . . . and why do you think I’ve wanted to get out of this town? Reminds me of what Dad did.”

His Mom added, “Same reason I sent you off, to get you to remember on your own and deal with the issue. You could move on. I love you, son. Sorry this happened.”

Aaron leaned down close to his mom, scooped up his money, and walked out.

His pager beeped.

Jesse.