Trembling With the Strings
Little Manly Men
“Grace? It’s Gracie!” Marcus yelled. I smiled as tears streamed down my cheeks. I heard screaming in the background as well as fumbling. I only hoped they wouldn’t need to be making a visit to the emergency room!
“Hi, Gracie!” Jonathan yelled.
“Gracie!” Demetrius squealed.
“Hi, guys! Ugh, I miss you all so much! But where’s Katelynn?”
“Kate gone,” Marty said quietly.
“Gone? Well, where did did she go?”
“She ran off somewhere. She ran away,” Johnny told me. “When we woke up, her clothes were gone and so was she. She didn’t leave anything behind.”
“Yeah. It’s just us manly men!” Marc piped up.
Good thing he wasn’t taking it too hard, but they’d never gotten along anyway.
“Okay. So the people here are really nice and I promise you can visit something soon. Doesn’t that sound fun, my little men?” I didn’t fully understand the replies I was bombarded with, but they sounded happy and excited to say the least. “I miss you all so very much and I love you. You know that, right?”
“Love you, too, Gracie!” they all screamed into the phone.
“Come home,” Marty whined, starting to sob.
“Honey, I can’t. Johnny, can you put Martin down for a nice little nap? It’s getting a little late.”
“Okay, Grace.”
“Thanks.” I waited until Marty’s cries faded into the background. “Marcus, do you have any idea where Katelynn went?” I didn’t want to discuss anything to upsetting in front of Johnny and Marty.
“I’m sorry, but no. After you left, she started mumbling nonsense about how everything good happens to Gracie and that our family is going to Hell. She locked her door, and when we woke up around ten we picked the lock to tell her good morning, but she was gone.”
“We’re falling apart,” I whispered sullenly, trying desperately not to cry in front of Marcus. “Marc, promise you will keep John and Martin safe until we’re together again. Please.”
“I promise. We won’t fall apart. We’re all we’ve got,” he whispered, voice cracking.
“And we’ll have each other forever. But Mom and Dad use the money, right?” I changed the subject: I didn’t want to make my brother cry.
“Yeah. Dad got a new job today and Mom bought me new clothes—new! And Johnny and Marty, too!” I smiled. At least something good came out of this.
“Just watch out for each other. I promise we will be a family again soon. But I should probably go. I’m using up my friend’s phone minutes. So I love you and tell our brothers that I love them and good night.”
“Okay. We love you, too. I miss you, Gracie. Call again soon.”
“I will. Good night, Marcus. Bye, honey.”
As soon as I closed the phone I curled up on the couch in the corner of the room and grabbed my picture. Holding it close to my heart, I started crying.
I only hoped I could keep my promises.
“Hi, Gracie!” Jonathan yelled.
“Gracie!” Demetrius squealed.
“Hi, guys! Ugh, I miss you all so much! But where’s Katelynn?”
“Kate gone,” Marty said quietly.
“Gone? Well, where did did she go?”
“She ran off somewhere. She ran away,” Johnny told me. “When we woke up, her clothes were gone and so was she. She didn’t leave anything behind.”
“Yeah. It’s just us manly men!” Marc piped up.
Good thing he wasn’t taking it too hard, but they’d never gotten along anyway.
“Okay. So the people here are really nice and I promise you can visit something soon. Doesn’t that sound fun, my little men?” I didn’t fully understand the replies I was bombarded with, but they sounded happy and excited to say the least. “I miss you all so very much and I love you. You know that, right?”
“Love you, too, Gracie!” they all screamed into the phone.
“Come home,” Marty whined, starting to sob.
“Honey, I can’t. Johnny, can you put Martin down for a nice little nap? It’s getting a little late.”
“Okay, Grace.”
“Thanks.” I waited until Marty’s cries faded into the background. “Marcus, do you have any idea where Katelynn went?” I didn’t want to discuss anything to upsetting in front of Johnny and Marty.
“I’m sorry, but no. After you left, she started mumbling nonsense about how everything good happens to Gracie and that our family is going to Hell. She locked her door, and when we woke up around ten we picked the lock to tell her good morning, but she was gone.”
“We’re falling apart,” I whispered sullenly, trying desperately not to cry in front of Marcus. “Marc, promise you will keep John and Martin safe until we’re together again. Please.”
“I promise. We won’t fall apart. We’re all we’ve got,” he whispered, voice cracking.
“And we’ll have each other forever. But Mom and Dad use the money, right?” I changed the subject: I didn’t want to make my brother cry.
“Yeah. Dad got a new job today and Mom bought me new clothes—new! And Johnny and Marty, too!” I smiled. At least something good came out of this.
“Just watch out for each other. I promise we will be a family again soon. But I should probably go. I’m using up my friend’s phone minutes. So I love you and tell our brothers that I love them and good night.”
“Okay. We love you, too. I miss you, Gracie. Call again soon.”
“I will. Good night, Marcus. Bye, honey.”
As soon as I closed the phone I curled up on the couch in the corner of the room and grabbed my picture. Holding it close to my heart, I started crying.
I only hoped I could keep my promises.