They Also Serve

Charlie 1:17 AM

“Johnny, quit it!” I laughed and smacked his chest.

His knee dug into my thigh as he pinned me down, straddling my legs. “Nuh uh!”

I laughed and leaned my head back. “Okay, ‘nuh uh’ was just uttered by an adult… I think we need to quit.”

“Adult, my ass!” He slid his hand down the back of my underwear. “I’m 21... I’m barely old enough to drink!” He grinned, lifting himself up over me. “Hmm… let’s play a little game.” His young face held a cute, boyish smile. “I’m in charge… and you’re my little sex slave.”

I scoffed, laughing. “Psh! Yeah right!”

He wiggled, laying down on top of me. “I love you, Charlie.”

I smiled and kissed him. “I love you too.” I jumped as the phone rung on my nightstand. Who the hell calls at 1 in the morning? “Hello?”

“Mr. Reid, please.” The voice was cold and dull.

“Who is this?”

“Mr. Reid, please.”

I handed the phone to Johnny, shifting to avoid the cord connecting the phone to the base.

“Hello?” There was a mumble on the other end of the line that I couldn’t make out. Johnny’s face went pale.

“Baby…?” My voice was barely a whisper. I touched his cheek, trying to get him to look at me.

He shook his head, without so much as facing me, and knocked my hand down. Silently, he hung up the phone.

“Johnny… what is it?” I put a hand on his chest, scooting closer to him. “Johnny…?”

Laura 1:17 AM

I opened my eyes to the sharp blare of the phone. “G--… Gary…” I groaned.

The man in my arms took a deep breath, yawned, and reached for the phone on his side of the bed. “Mmm… hello?” His arms around me tightened as he awaited an answer. “This is he.” He sat up, still holding me against him. “What…? Is this some kind of sick joke…?”

I looked up at him, mouthing ‘what?’.

He shook his head, turning his attention back to the phone.

At that moment, two small feet could be heard pattering across the hard hall floor, running into our bedroom. “Momma!” The small body leapt into the bed, on top of me.

I covered his mouth. “Baby, shh… your daddy’s on the phone.”

He laid his head against my chest, snuggling against me. “Can I sleep with y’all? I’m scared…”

I nodded silently, wrapping my arms around him. “Yeah, Bri Bri… You can sleep with us.” Kissing my small son’s forehead, I turned back to my husband.

“Yeah… okay. I’ll be there.” He pressed ‘end’ on the phone and let it fall to the floor. Without a word, he wrapped his arms tightly around Brian and myself and hugged us, squeezing tight. “I love you two…”

Trisha 1:17 AM

I paced the brightly lit living room of my home. “Jason, where the hell are you…?” I shook my head. My older brother, Jesse, was stretched out silently over the couch. “I swear…” I turned to the couch. “I don’t know whether to be angry with him or worried about him.”

Jesse smiled, shaking his head slightly. “You picked him.” He stood and walked over to me, taking my hand. “Go to bed. I’ll wait up for him if you want.”

“I’m really not tired… I can’t sleep unless I know he’s home safe.”

He shook his head and kissed my forehead. “Well, I’m tired… Would you care if I turned in?”

I hugged him. “Go ahead. I don’t mind to wait by mysel--”

The phone on the wall started ringing, cutting me off.

I snatched it off the wall and put it to my ear. “Jason?!”

“Mr. Newman, please.” It wasn’t Jason. Didn’t even remotely sound like Jason.

“Which one?” There were four ‘Mr. Newman’s here… my three brothers and my father.

“Mr. Paul Newman, please.”

“He’s not available at the moment… I have a Mr. Jesse Newman you could speak to, though.”

“That will suffice.” Who the hell talks like that? Really now…

“Jess,” I tossed him the phone. “Phone call.”

“Hello?” He paused giving me a strange look as the other person replied. “Yes…”

The front door opened and rain pounded onto the doormat.

“Jason!” I threw my arms around him, kissing him.

He stumbled backward, but wrapped his arms around me. “Geez, miss me much?”

“Jay…” Jesse’s voice was filled with fear. He no longer had the phone to his ear. “Jay, get this…”

Tara 1:17 AM

My dreams were violently interrupted by the blare of the phone on my desk. Ignoring it, I rolled over, hearing my father answer in the next room. “Hello? … Yes, this is he… What…? Oh, my God…”

I sat up, suddenly interested in his conversation. I slipped out of bed, pulled some shorts on, and tip-toed out of my bedroom, into the hallway.

“That’s ridiculous! My boys are too young!”

What the hell is going on? I sat next to the open door of my father’s study, out of his sight.

“It’s one thing to tell ME to go, but my boys?! They’re 13, 15, 17, 20, and 22...” There was a pause. “I don’t care what ‘has to be done’! The ages are ridiculous! Nothing could possibly be that serious!”

I turned around suddenly, hearing breathing behind me.

Trenton, my 17-year-old twin brother, was standing over me. “What’s going on…?” His voice was a gentle whisper.

“Something’s wrong with Dad… he’s really mad at whoever’s on the phone…”

“Hell, I would be too… Someone calling MY house at 1 in the morning…”

We both jumped as Dad slammed the phone down against his desk.