Heaven
The Only
The little boy’s idea of Heaven was a place where only love existed and mummies and daddies didn’t fight all the time. He imagined that Heaven didn’t have thunderstorms that did nothing to drown out the shouts from the room next door. And he just knew that little boys wouldn’t cry themselves to sleep every single night. He was sure that heaven would be the most fabulous place in all the universes.
“Jeremy, where would YOU go for vacation?” Miss Joyce had asked him this question one day at school and he didn’t even pause to think.
“Heaven.”
All the other kids laughed at him, but Miss Joyce was concerned. Little boys shouldn’t want to go to Heaven. She was convinced he wanted to die. So sure that a six year old boy was suicidal was she that she placed a call to Jeremy's parents, but they blew her off. She was told to mind her own business. After that day she watched Jeremy closely, paying more attention to him than most of the other children.
Her concern is how she first saw the bruises covering his tiny little arms. They varied in color, some fresh and blue-black, others old and greening at the corners. He had so many that it made Joyce cry. She knew what she had to do, she had to save this little boy before it was too late. And one day when the bruises began to appear on his sweet little face she placed the call. . .
“Am I going to Heaven? Do mummies and daddies fight? Do tears exist?” Jeremy asked the man in the suit holding his hand and leading him down a hallway in the police station.
“You aren’t going to Heaven,” his booming voice echoed down the corridors.
“Oh. . .can you take me there? I don’t wanna cry anymore.”
“I can’t take you to Heaven, BUT I am taking you where you won’t cry anymore.”
“But. . .Heaven is where love is. Is there love where we’re going?”
The man looked down at the little boy with bruises peaking out of his shirt, his eye swollen shut, and his tiny arm in a purple cast. He couldn't believe that this child that had barely been saved from an abusive home could be talking about love. Especially when just a few short days ago he had been taken from his home, pulled away from a father who was pounding him with his fists.
“I think Mummy used to love me, but Daddy didn’t like me and Mummy followed him. Am I getting a new Mummy and Daddy? Am I gonna be like Annie? Is my new daddy gonna be bald? You’re bald! Are you my new daddy? Do you love me? Where are we going New Daddy?” The man couldn't help but smile at the little boy and his never ending questions.
“I’m not your new daddy, Jeremy. My name is Cameron Miller. I’m a social worker.”
“So you work at Facebook?”
Cameron kneeled down “No. I’m like a superhero. I take little kids from sad homes where love doesn’t exist and I find them a new mummy and daddy.”
“It’s just a job?” Jeremy was sniffling and wiping at his eyes.
Cameron pulled Jeremy against his chest and stroked his blonde curly-Qs. He had never been affected by a child like this before. He wanted to be the one that saved this boy. Holding Jeremy and hearing him cry made Cameron remember why he got into this business.
“I can’t promise anything, alright? But you can come home with me tonight and I’ll talk to my wife about us becoming your new mummy and daddy. Okay? I just have to go to my boss and tell him where you’ll be.”
“Really? You’ll be my daddy?” Jeremy pulled back and looked at his saviour, his eyes still dewy with tears.
“Maybe. This is against the rules. Do you feel better? No more tears?”
“No more tears.”
Jeremy was a boy that made you feel even if you didn’t want to. When Cameron went to talk to his boss, Mr. Jones, Jeremy went into the office as well and started up a conversation about the bird pictures lining the walls. When he looked at Cameron and asked if when they got home they could go bird watching Mr. Jones was more than surprised.
“What is he talking about Cam?”
“He wants Rosemary and I to be his new mummy and daddy. We came to see you to see if I could take him home.”
“Please Mr. Jones? I’ll be the best son they could ever ask for. I won’t be a bother. Pleeeaaassseee?” Jeremy begged clutching Mr. Jones’ sleeve in his little hands.
“Of course you can, Jeremy. And Cam, I’ll help you and Rosie with the paperwork. I gotta make sure that this little guy gets a good home.”
Jeremy launched himself into Mr. Jones’ arms and hugged him for all he was worth, “Thank you Mr. Jones!”
“It’s no problem Jeremy. If your new daddy doesn’t take you bird watching we’ll go.”
“Come on Jeremy. Let’s go home.”
“Coming Daddy,” Jeremy gave Mr. Jones one final squeeze before rushing to Cameron and grasped his hand.
As the two left his office Mr. Jones smiled and said to no one in particular, “I know why he wanted to go to Heaven. He’s an angel. An angel hidden among us.”
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“Cam. . .He called me Mummy! What did you tell him?”
“Rosemary, you have to understand Jeremy is the sweetest little boy in the world! He made Jones smile! They have plans to go bird watching! He called me Daddy and he cried when I told him I was just a social worker. He needs us.”
“Daddy?” A little voice came from the doorway.
“Come here Jeremy. I want you to officially meet your mum,” Cameron offered his hand and was met with Jeremy rushing to him. His miniature feet smacking against the tiles of the kitchen floor.
“Rosemary, this is Jeremy. His old mum and dad didn’t love him. But he still has so much love to give. And he loves us. He doesn't know us, but he loves us. And we WILL be his new parents. At least I will.” Cameron reached down and picked Jeremy up.
“Cam. . .”
“Mummy, do you not want me? I’ll be good. I won’t yell, or draw on the walls, I’ll wear whatever clothes you want me to, I’ll set the dinner table, and help with dishes, I’ll do chores. And I won’t say I want to go to Heaven.”
“Heaven?”
“Yeah. Heaven is where people love you and mummies and daddies don’t argue. Heaven is where tears don’t exist. And if you let me stay I won’t want to go there anymore.”
Rosemary looked into Jeremy’s big blue eyes and smiled as a curl fell over his face. She reached out and brushed it back and laid her hand on his cheek. He winced and she retracted her palm, hate for the man that hurt him surging through her veins.
“You won’t have to want to go to heaven anymore Jeremy. Because we love you, we don’t argue, unless Daddy is stupid and buys the wrong milk. I mean seriously who buys skim milk? And you will never ever have to cry again,” Rosemary had tears in her eyes and Cameron was brushing his tears into Jeremy's hair.
“Daddy, can I hug Mummy now?”
Rosemary wrapped her arms around Jeremy and squeezed him and smothered him in kisses.
“Can we have Mac and Cheese with hotdogs for dinner?”
“Jeremy, where would YOU go for vacation?” Miss Joyce had asked him this question one day at school and he didn’t even pause to think.
“Heaven.”
All the other kids laughed at him, but Miss Joyce was concerned. Little boys shouldn’t want to go to Heaven. She was convinced he wanted to die. So sure that a six year old boy was suicidal was she that she placed a call to Jeremy's parents, but they blew her off. She was told to mind her own business. After that day she watched Jeremy closely, paying more attention to him than most of the other children.
Her concern is how she first saw the bruises covering his tiny little arms. They varied in color, some fresh and blue-black, others old and greening at the corners. He had so many that it made Joyce cry. She knew what she had to do, she had to save this little boy before it was too late. And one day when the bruises began to appear on his sweet little face she placed the call. . .
“Am I going to Heaven? Do mummies and daddies fight? Do tears exist?” Jeremy asked the man in the suit holding his hand and leading him down a hallway in the police station.
“You aren’t going to Heaven,” his booming voice echoed down the corridors.
“Oh. . .can you take me there? I don’t wanna cry anymore.”
“I can’t take you to Heaven, BUT I am taking you where you won’t cry anymore.”
“But. . .Heaven is where love is. Is there love where we’re going?”
The man looked down at the little boy with bruises peaking out of his shirt, his eye swollen shut, and his tiny arm in a purple cast. He couldn't believe that this child that had barely been saved from an abusive home could be talking about love. Especially when just a few short days ago he had been taken from his home, pulled away from a father who was pounding him with his fists.
“I think Mummy used to love me, but Daddy didn’t like me and Mummy followed him. Am I getting a new Mummy and Daddy? Am I gonna be like Annie? Is my new daddy gonna be bald? You’re bald! Are you my new daddy? Do you love me? Where are we going New Daddy?” The man couldn't help but smile at the little boy and his never ending questions.
“I’m not your new daddy, Jeremy. My name is Cameron Miller. I’m a social worker.”
“So you work at Facebook?”
Cameron kneeled down “No. I’m like a superhero. I take little kids from sad homes where love doesn’t exist and I find them a new mummy and daddy.”
“It’s just a job?” Jeremy was sniffling and wiping at his eyes.
Cameron pulled Jeremy against his chest and stroked his blonde curly-Qs. He had never been affected by a child like this before. He wanted to be the one that saved this boy. Holding Jeremy and hearing him cry made Cameron remember why he got into this business.
“I can’t promise anything, alright? But you can come home with me tonight and I’ll talk to my wife about us becoming your new mummy and daddy. Okay? I just have to go to my boss and tell him where you’ll be.”
“Really? You’ll be my daddy?” Jeremy pulled back and looked at his saviour, his eyes still dewy with tears.
“Maybe. This is against the rules. Do you feel better? No more tears?”
“No more tears.”
Jeremy was a boy that made you feel even if you didn’t want to. When Cameron went to talk to his boss, Mr. Jones, Jeremy went into the office as well and started up a conversation about the bird pictures lining the walls. When he looked at Cameron and asked if when they got home they could go bird watching Mr. Jones was more than surprised.
“What is he talking about Cam?”
“He wants Rosemary and I to be his new mummy and daddy. We came to see you to see if I could take him home.”
“Please Mr. Jones? I’ll be the best son they could ever ask for. I won’t be a bother. Pleeeaaassseee?” Jeremy begged clutching Mr. Jones’ sleeve in his little hands.
“Of course you can, Jeremy. And Cam, I’ll help you and Rosie with the paperwork. I gotta make sure that this little guy gets a good home.”
Jeremy launched himself into Mr. Jones’ arms and hugged him for all he was worth, “Thank you Mr. Jones!”
“It’s no problem Jeremy. If your new daddy doesn’t take you bird watching we’ll go.”
“Come on Jeremy. Let’s go home.”
“Coming Daddy,” Jeremy gave Mr. Jones one final squeeze before rushing to Cameron and grasped his hand.
As the two left his office Mr. Jones smiled and said to no one in particular, “I know why he wanted to go to Heaven. He’s an angel. An angel hidden among us.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Cam. . .He called me Mummy! What did you tell him?”
“Rosemary, you have to understand Jeremy is the sweetest little boy in the world! He made Jones smile! They have plans to go bird watching! He called me Daddy and he cried when I told him I was just a social worker. He needs us.”
“Daddy?” A little voice came from the doorway.
“Come here Jeremy. I want you to officially meet your mum,” Cameron offered his hand and was met with Jeremy rushing to him. His miniature feet smacking against the tiles of the kitchen floor.
“Rosemary, this is Jeremy. His old mum and dad didn’t love him. But he still has so much love to give. And he loves us. He doesn't know us, but he loves us. And we WILL be his new parents. At least I will.” Cameron reached down and picked Jeremy up.
“Cam. . .”
“Mummy, do you not want me? I’ll be good. I won’t yell, or draw on the walls, I’ll wear whatever clothes you want me to, I’ll set the dinner table, and help with dishes, I’ll do chores. And I won’t say I want to go to Heaven.”
“Heaven?”
“Yeah. Heaven is where people love you and mummies and daddies don’t argue. Heaven is where tears don’t exist. And if you let me stay I won’t want to go there anymore.”
Rosemary looked into Jeremy’s big blue eyes and smiled as a curl fell over his face. She reached out and brushed it back and laid her hand on his cheek. He winced and she retracted her palm, hate for the man that hurt him surging through her veins.
“You won’t have to want to go to heaven anymore Jeremy. Because we love you, we don’t argue, unless Daddy is stupid and buys the wrong milk. I mean seriously who buys skim milk? And you will never ever have to cry again,” Rosemary had tears in her eyes and Cameron was brushing his tears into Jeremy's hair.
“Daddy, can I hug Mummy now?”
Rosemary wrapped her arms around Jeremy and squeezed him and smothered him in kisses.
“Can we have Mac and Cheese with hotdogs for dinner?”