Spilled Milk: Based on a true story Read Online Free PDF

before she could process what I said, “Thomas is outside in a
cop car! Come quick!”
    Panicked voices, mainly Aunt Jean’s, followed behind
me as I turned on my heel to head back outside. “What? Thomas? What are you
talking about?” The only footsteps I didn’t hear following were Dad’s.
    I opened the front door and almost fell off the front
step in a flurry of curiosity. If I stood far enough on the edge of the house I
would be able to listen to their conversation without Mom telling me to go
inside. I chose a place under the boy’s bedroom window and sat on the ground,
putting my finger to my lips in a non-verbal cue for Alyssa to keep quiet.
    Thomas had been crying. Luminous trails where tears
slid down his dirty face reflected in the sun. Mom had buzzed his hair yesterday
and his white scalp was bright against the sun. At eight years old he was only
a year younger but he had at least fifteen pounds on me. He kept his head down
but the second he saw Mom he broke down into a fit of sobbing.
    “Are you okay? Thomas what happened?”
    “Ma’m, are you this boy’s mother?” The officer stood in
front of my mom, nodding his heads in Thomas’ direction.
    “What’s going on?” Mom demanded. Her eyes revealed no
room for patience.
    “Ma’m a clerk from the 7-11 called 9-1-1 because they
saw your son get assaulted. Two teenage boys held a knife to your son’s throat for
his bike. They got away on it, and a good Samaritan tried to follow them, but they
had a truck on the corner and they threw the bike into the back and took off.”
    I turned towards Alyssa and her eyes were as wide as
mine.
    “I’m sorry.” Thomas sobbed while wringing his hands in
his shirt. “I’m sorry they took my bike, Mom.”
    “ How many times have I told you that you go to
the store with someone? See what happens? You think you can just go
anywhere? Well, you CAN’T.”
    At this point several neighbors had gathered outside.
They pretended to water dead flowers on their porch or sweep, anything to have
a reason to be outside at just this moment.
    “Ma’m,” the policeman tried again, “Your son was just
assaulted. Would you like us to escort you to the hospital, have him checked
out?”
    My mom bent over and did a sweep of Thomas’ neck. “You
said they held a knife to his throat?” she asked, looking for a wound.
    “Yes Ma’m, a pocket knife is what the clerk said.”
    “Well, he looks fine. Go on get inside. And wash your
face.”
    Thomas pushed his way through blurry tears and rushed
inside. The police officer lingered.
    “The store doesn’t have security cameras, so we’re
going to take what testimony we have from witnesses and see what we can do
about getting his bike back. We at least have a description of the truck and a
partial license plate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing pulled up. This
kind of thing is happening more and more around here.”
    “Thank you,” Mom said, uninterested. “He just got that
bike, so if it’s not found then maybe it’ll teach him a lesson.”
    The officer looked over at Alyssa and I sitting off to
the side. His eyes softened. “We’ll let you know what turns up, Ma’m. I’m sorry
for the scare.”
    Mom pulled out a cigarette as the officer made his way
back to the car. The mumbling under her breath had grown to a loud whisper by
the time he turned his key in the ignition, and as he drove away Mom finally noticed
the hoards of neighbors standing around watching.
     She puffed a cigarette and exhaled a steady stream of
smoke. With that exhale came a round of tears that let the neighbors know that
something bad had happened. Poor Molly, poor Molly and her troubles. So many
kids, so much stress.
    Mom crushed her butt into the concrete, wiped away a
tear, and made her way into the house to give Thomas hell.
     

Chapter Five
    “We’re running
away,” I told Kat. She watched me stuff two shirts into a suitcase. “We’re
going to Grandma’s house. I know the way,