Chapter 8
Seeing Lucy so frail and pale really threw Joe off, and when they left, although he sounded cheerful for Jacob’s sake, he was worried. He was only seventeen when his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but by the time they had diagnosed him, the cancer had spread too far. He had undergone radiation and chemotherapy but at most all they could do was keep him comfortable. Within three months of Joe Senior’s diagnosis, he passed away. It was a devastating time for the entire family, and most of all, his mother. Thankfully his dad had all his financial affairs in order to make sure that they never suffered financially, but money could never replace his dad. A few years later the evil disease took his mother’s life too. When she was first diagnosed he thought he was ready for the worst, he had already lived through the pain and heartache of losing his father. But it was never easier; his mother went for various treatments, treatments that weakened her completely. Doctors were all hopeful, but when she picked up a viral infection due to her compromised immune system, she never stood a chance. In the end it was a pneumonia that cost her, her life.
He stopped at a traffic light and looked back in the rearview mirror; Jacob sat playing with one of his superhero action figures. He was so young, and had no idea what was really going on. He knew that Lucy hadn’t told him just how sick she was. His heart ached for the little champion who was so oblivious to the harsh reality, but it was not his place to tell him the god honest truth. He could only hope that Lucy could get some borrowed time to spend some quality time with her son, and help him understand what waited for him in the near future.
By the time they got home, Jacob had fallen asleep in his booster seat and Joe carefully lifted the small person into his arms and carried him into the apartment. Suddenly the quaint, disorganized space with its bright and beautifully décor suffocated him. Did Lucy even have a plan for the future, what would happen to Jacob if she didn’t manage to beat this disease?
He carefully laid Jacob down on his bed and headed to the kitchen to grab something to drink. It was time he called Chris to find out exactly what he knew and what Lucy’s plans were if she were to… Joe could hardly bring himself to think about it, the thought of Lucy dying was like a noose around his own neck, and out of anger he beat his fists down on the counter top. She was not allowed to die, and he wasn’t going to let her die. She had a beautiful son to raise, a son who needed his mother. No stranger would be able to fill the shoes of any child’s parents. He was fortunate enough, when he had lost his parents that he was already standing on his own two feet, but others haven’t been as fortunate. Shoved into foster care, moved from one home to another, or being foisted off with family who already had their own children was stressful. He knew Chris wouldn’t think twice to take Jacob in, in fact, he expected Christ to stand up and do what he must. But he didn’t know Chris’ wife as well as he hoped to. On the outside she was the perfect woman, but that’s where it stopped. He had seen women turn into monsters the moment they had to take care of another person’s child. His thoughts were running ahead of him, but he couldn’t help it, there were just so many questions that wracked his mind for him to idly sit back and not do anything. He fished for his phone and dialed Chris.
“Hey man,” he said when he heard Chris on the other end.
“Joe, my man! Howsit going?”
“It’s going okay,” he said clearing his throat, “Lucy’s looking better, Jacob and I went to visit her earlier.”
“Yeah, I spoke to the doctor earlier this morning, thank you for helping her out, I swear if I was able to I would have…”
“Nah, it’s cool, I’m glad that I came, she has a great kid,” he said interrupting Chris. There was a slight pause on the other end.
“She hasn’t told you has she?” Chris asked and Joe could hear the waiver in his tone.
“Tell me what?” he asked frowning.
“Nothing…”
“For fucksakes Chris, tell me what?” he said impatiently.
“It's better she talks to you,” Chris said, “Look I have to go, but take care of her okay? As soon as I can get away here, I’ll fly up and come see you guys.”
“Wait…”
And then the phone went dead. Chris slammed his phone down on the counter and cursed, was her cancer worse than he expected? Had it already spread to the rest of her? Joe ground his teeth and took a few controlling breaths. Why could Chris not tell him? At least then he would know what his future held. His future? How could think of his own happiness when there was a little boy sleeping alone in his room, oblivious to the fact that his mother was possibly dying. Guilt over the fact that he was still such a selfish prick as always twisted its vice around his insides and for the first time since his rise to fame, Joe felt like a villain instead of the superhero ball player that everyone made him out to be. Suddenly his life seemed completely insignificant. It was a barren wasteland filled with trivial parties and empty headed women who threw themselves at him the moment he entered a room. When did his honor and integrity leave him and turn him into a selfish arrogant bastard who cared for no one but himself?
“Uncle Joe?”
Jacob’s little voice intruded his thoughts and he composed himself instantly, “Hey big guy, I thought you were sleeping,” he said and picked him up.
“There’s a monster under my bed,” the little boy said with a slight tremble in his voice.
“A monster, well, I’ll be damned, do you know what I do to monsters that creep around at night?” he said as he caged Jacob between his arms where he placed him on the counter top.
“W-what do you do?”
“Why, I show them who’s the boss,” Joe said, “wait here.”
Joe headed into Jacob’s room and dug around in his toy box for toy guns and a few other things, and when he got back to the kitchen the two of them dressed up as soldiers.
“Right, so we’re going to go in there, and teach’em monsters a thing or two,” he said and Jacob’s eyes brightened up.
“I’m gonna shoot’em dead!” Jacob cried out excitedly.
“Here,” Joe said and slipped his baseball glove unto Jacob’s little hand, “This is a monster shield, the moment one of those buggers come your way, you hold it up like this.”
The two of them tiptoed down the small corridor, Joe in front and Jacob behind him, every now and again Jacob peeked past him. Joe pointed towards the door with two fingers, and Jacob scrambled past him to stand on the other side of the door. With his eyes on Jacob he reached for the door handle, nodded once, and then shoved the door open and barged in.
Jacob followed with a tuck and roll and banging sounds erupted from the two of them as they opened fire into the room, shooting at the monsters that lurked under the bed.
“Closet Jacob, open the closet!” Joe shouted as he stood ready to aim.
Jacob opened the closet and raised his gloved hand to block any of the monsters, while Joe shot at the invisible enemy. The two of them laughed and ransacked the room, finding all the monsters that hid in the dark and when Jacob was finally satisfied that all the monsters were annihilated; he stood proudly next to Joe. Joe chuckled and looked down at the youngster. If he ever had kids of his own, he hoped that they would be just like Jacob, he thought to himself.
Much later, Joe woke up next to Jacob, his neck stiff and the little boy curled up against him. Not wanting to wake him up, he reached for a small blanket lying on the floor and propped it under his head and closed his eyes. Sleep evaded him, but he didn’t feel like leaving the room; instead he stayed with Jacob.