PLEASE LISTEN TO ME Part Two
By: Lynne G.
" Please, come on little brother, you have to come down for breakfast. Little Joe, Hoss and I are so worried about you. Please tell us what is bothering you?" begged Adam. Adam and Hoss both knew that their little brother was deeply hurt at the way their father had been treating him lately, but there was something that Adam felt was bothering this very sensitive little boy.
Both Adam and Hoss looked at their little brother and they were still trying to get the boy to open up to them. Little Joe looked up at his big brothers and he started to cry. Both Adam and Hoss could tell that the boy's heart was breaking. They sat down on the bed, and moved the child between them. They put their arms around the trembling, crying child as they tried to comfort him. Little Joe was very distraught. " Punkin, you have ta tell us what is bothering you, so we can help you," Hoss softly said. " Little buddy, Hoss is right. If you can't tell us, then we can't help you. So please tell us," Adam told his baby brother. Little Joe laid his head on Adam's shoulder, and he softly said, " Pa hates me. I know he does, cos he wants to send me to military school. He won't listen to me-like when I was late gettin' home last week on Wednesday night. I stopped to talk to mama on my way home from school. I cried cos I wanted her so much. I fell asleep for a little while, and when I woke up I studied for my tests there, cos I felt mama there with me. Then I got home I knew I was in trouble, and I wanted to tell Papa where I was, but he wouldn't let me." Little Joe told his brothers.
Adam and Hoss just let their baby brother talk. They didn't want to interrupt him.
" The next day I had three tests at school. I studied really hard for em too. They were, a spelling test, a math test, and a long history test. I was so nervous about them tests, and I didn't feel good, cos pa was so mad at me. Anyway, after lunch Miss Jones, she gave us a longer lunch period so she could grade our tests, but I didn't eat, cos I was just too nervous,and my tummy was upset."
" So when we all got back to our desks, Miss Jones told us that only one person got perfect scores on all three tests. Then she said my name. It was me! Then she handed back our test papers to us. I was so excited, that I could hardly wait to show pa and you guys my test papers."
When it came time for afternoon recess, Miss Jones asked me to please come up to her desk for a minute. She told me that she was so very proud of me. Then she asked me if I could stay after school and help her with something. She wanted me to help her put up the new book shelves, and then to put the new books on them. She also told me that she would write a note for pa explaining why I was so late getting home. I told her that I would stay and help her." "
" When I finally got home, Pa wouldn't let me explain or even give him the note. He pulled me up to my room and he tanned me so hard with his belt. It really hurt. He said lots of mean things to me too. He wouldn't let me eat dinner either, and I had ta stay in my room. He never came back even to say'good night' to me. I haven't seen him since then," Little Joe told his brothers. By now he was crying really hard and his whole body was trembling.
Adam and Hoss couldn't believe how Ben could treat their little brother so bad, and hurt the little boy so deeply. It just broke their hearts to hear what they had just heard. Their little brother hadn't done anything wrong at all.
" Shh, it's OK baby. Listen to me
Little Joe- please just listen. Hoss and I are so very proud of
you. We really are. You did GREAT on your tests, and it was
wonderful of you to help Miss Jones too. Baby, Pa doesn't hate you.
He is NOT going to send you to military school. There is NO WAY that Hoss
and I would let him do that to you. Little
" Little Joe, I know it will be hard, especially after what Pa did and said to you, but please little buddy, you have to forgive him," Adam told him. " I don't know if I can Adam. I'll have ta think about it. He said so many mean things to me. It hurt so much, and so did the tannings too. Are ya sure he doesn't hate me Adam?" Little Joe softly asked Adam. Adam kissed the top of his baby brother's head and he said, " Pa doesn't hate you little buddy. Now let's get some breakfast before poor Hoss passes out from lack of food." " Yeah, you two. I'm just plumb starving to death," laughed Hoss. With that said, Adam and Hoss got up and pulled their little brother with them. Hoss picked up the boy in his arms, and ran towards the stairs while Little Joe started to giggle. Hoss put the boy in his chair, and Adam and Hoss sat down to eat. " Hop Sing, we are ready for breakfast now," shouted Hoss.
After breakfast, the three brothers headed outside for some fresh air. " Are you sure I should be out of my room?" asked a very nervous Little Joe. " Sure I'm sure little buddy," Adam said.
About that time, Ben rode into the yard. When Little Joe saw Ben, he took off running for the house and up to his room. Both Adam and Hoss watched their scared little brother take off running, and they shook their heads slowly.
" Hi boys. Why did Little Joe take off running like that?" asked Ben as he got off Buck. " Pa, he is afraid of you, and he thinks he is still in trouble. Pa, Hoss and I need to talk to you about Little Joe," Adam said to Ben. " Adam not right now. I need to talk to my baby boy, if he will let me. I am so ashamed at the way I have treated that little boy. I don't except him to forgive for what I have done to him," Ben sadly said. " Pa-just take at easy with him. Don't rush him. We've been talking to him, and he finally told us everything that was bothering him," Adam softly told Ben. They watched as Ben slowly walked towards the house. " Adam, I sure hope Pa and Little Joe will be alright," said a very concerned Hoss. " Me too Hoss. Pa is really hurting right now, and I hope Little Joe will forgive him," said Adam.
Little Joe was laying on his bed when he heard a knock on the door. He very quietly said, " come in ". Ben slowly opened the door, and he smiled at his sad looking little boy. " Hi son, can I come in please?"asked Ben. The boy just nodded. Ben walked over to the chair, and he moved it next to the bed. He sat down and looked at his baby son. The boy wouldn't look at him. He just looked at the floor.
Ben gently took the child's chin in his hand and he lifted and turned the child's head so he could see his sweet little face. " Little Joe, I have a lot to say to you, and I want you too just listen to what I have to say before you say anything. This is going to be very hard son. First of all, I want to tell you that I am so very very sorry for what I have done to you. Everything I said to you, and I mean, everything-all the mean things I said. I didn't mean any of it. I am also so very very sorry for all the tanning I gave you. You didn't deserve any of them. I'm the one who should have been tanned, precious."
" I should have listened to you. I never gave you a chance to explain why you were late those two nights, and for that I apologize. Little Joe, baby, I love you more than you can ever know. You are my life sweetheart. I am so very proud of you. I have always been and I always will be."
" You
really impressed
" When I took them to get the stage today, I saw Miss Jones, and we had a talk. She told me how proud she is of you for your perfect test scores, and at how greatful she was for all the help you gave her after school."
" Son, I know this is a lot to think about right now. I don't expect you to forgive me at all, and I don't deserve for you to forgive me either. I know I have hurt you so deeply. I can't stand to see you so hurt. It just breaks my heart baby. I love you so much sweetheart.
" I would really love to see your test papers and read that note from Miss Jones. I really would sweetheart," Ben could see his little son's tears running down his sweet little face, and see his small body trembling. He wanted to hold his baby so much, but he was afraid too, not knowing what the boy would do. " Again sweetheart, I am so very very sorry for the way I have been treating you lately," Ben softly said as he lowered his head to his chest.
Little Joe turned to his other side so he wouldn't have to look at Ben. He just wanted his father to leave him alone. He had heard everything Ben had said to him, but he still felt so hurt by everything that had happened between him and his father. He just cried into his pillow.
Ben sat there hoping his baby would say something to him, but the only sounds he could hear from his baby son was his crying. He still wanted so much to be able to pick up his little son and hold him and make all his hurting go away.
The sight of his distraught little child was breaking his heart. Ben sadly got up and slowly left the room. Little Joe laid there crying into his pillow. Before long, the little boy cried himself to sleep.
Adam and Hoss looked up to see their father slowly walking down the stairs-looking heart broken. " Pa, is everything alright?" asked Adam. Ben looked at his other two sons, and he sadly said, " No. I don't think your little brother wanted me in his room. GOD, I have hurt that precious little boy so deeply. He wouldn't even look at me or say anything to me. He just cried." " Pa, just give him some time. I'm sure he heard everything you said to him. He's probably thinking about what you said. Please Pa, just give him time to think. Everything will be fine," Adam told Ben.
Later that afternoon Ben went back up to Little Joe's room. He walked over to the bed and looked down at his baby son, and he saw the boy was sleeping.
He sat down on the chair next to the bed. He slowly rubbed the child's back and softly called the child's name. Little Joe slowly woke up, and he could feel his father rubbing his back, and softly talking to him. The tears began to fill up his eyes again.
He slowly turned over to face his father, but he didn't say anything. Ben looked at his sad little boy, and smiled at him.
There was still silence for a couple of minutes as both father and son looked at each other. Little Joe laid there still thinking about everything Ben had told him. He looked at Ben again, and he put his hand on Ben's knee. " Papa, I'm sorry too. I forgive you. I love you papa," cried the little boy. That was all it took, as Ben pulled the boy up and held on to him for dear life as they both cried. Father and son stayed like that for a long time.
" Adam, it's awful quiet up there. I wonder what's goin' on?" asked Hoss. " I wish I knew Hoss," said Adam.
Soon Adam and Hoss heard a noise on the stairs. They looked up and saw their father holding their little brother in his arms. Both father and son had big smiles on their faces. Adam and Hoss winked at each other.
" Boys, I think Little Joe has something to show us," said a now very happy Ben. With that said Ben put his son on the floor so the boy could get his notebook, which he opened and he proudly handed his test papers to his father, and brothers.
" These are GREAT little brother !" said Adam as he gave his little brother a big hug. " Ya know what short shanks, I NEVER got all perfect test papers when I was in school," Hoss told Little Joe. " Ya never did Hoss?" said the surprised little boy with his bright green eyes wide open. " Nope-never did," Hoss said.
" Little Joe, these are so wonderful son. Just think, my boy was the only one in class to get perfect test papers. I'm so PROUD of you sweetheart !!! said a very proud Ben. " Hop Sing, come here ," called Ben. "What you want?" asked Hop Sing as he walked into the room. " Hop Sing, number three son got three perfect test papers," said Ben with a big smile on his face. " I always say, Little Joe very smart little boy," said Hop Sing with a big smile on his face too as he patted the little boy on the head.
" Pa,
here's the note from Miss Jones," said Little Joe as he handed it to
Ben. Ben read the note and he hugged his baby. "
Boys, if I ever act like that again-you can all tan me," said a
very serious Ben. Little Joe looked at his Pa and said,
" really Pa?" " Yes son, I
really mean it. In fact, Hoss, could you please sit down on the
chair," asked Ben. All three boys boys looked at their father with a questioning look.
Ben took off his belt and handed it to Little Joe. Then he laid across Hoss's lap. " OK
son, you give me a good tanning now," Ben told his youngest son. " But Pa... the boy started to say. Ben told him
to go ahead. " OK Pa, I don't wanna hurt ya, but here
goes," The child began to tan his
Ben grabbed his little boy and he started to tickle him. Little Joe was giggling, so Adam and Hoss joined in on the tickling of their baby brother too. The little boy was giggling so hard that he had tears running down his face. Hop Sing was laughing at his crazy family. " I guess family all back to normal again." he said.
THE END