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O'Malley's Descent
Chapter IV
Blood & Water

continued from: Chapter III: A dark room

It was his second day at junior high when the Brad Kelly and his gang grabbed him by his collar and shoved him into the boy’s room. They were going to take his lunch money. Then his dignity. But before they could do anything somebody came in.
“You touch him, you die.”
The Kelly gang burst out laughing. It wasn’t the threat, but who it came from. A skinny, short chump. They knew him. Twisted Ed, who sat at the last chair and tried to keep his head down. They didn’t know he could speak.
Which left them completely unprepared for what happened next.
It was as though the little man exploded into a ball of fists and kicks. He attacked Brad like an enraged wildcat. He punched and grabbed and scratched at what he could.
But Brad was about 3 times his size. And there were three of them.
The boys fought back but they could not stop Ed. He was being beaten simultaneously by all three of the Kelly’s but it was as though he didn’t feel a thing. It was suicidal. It was almost comical to watch.
Suddenly, the youngest of the Kelly gang ran in.
“The Princi’s on his way.”
That broke them up. The boys immediately withdrew, rushing out their footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Ed was bleeding quite badly. There were deep bruises in his eyebrow and lips. The left eye had swollen to a bright purple.
But he still managed a smile.
“That’ll be the last of ‘em. Don’t let ‘em ever bother you. If they ever try to get you again, you let me know. Okay? I’m always here. Just remember. I always got your back kiddo. You’re my baby brother. Remember that?”

That was probably the last good memory O’Malley had of his older brother Edward. Soon after things started to change. As Bernard excelled in both the classroom and the playing field, Edward slumped to an all time low. He could not cope with studies. He wasn’t fit enough sports. Almost nothing sustained his interest. He would have wild bouts of anger, with prolonged periods of depression. They took him to the doctor. Things were not right. His IQ was marginally below “normal” levels. He had borderline autism. Traces of manic depression. And a dash of psychosis. Twisted Ed. Bernard had never really liked his brother. He always thought of Ed as an embarrassment, a burden. So he would distance himself. Always had.
Ed came home with tears in his eyes and he confronted their father. The long guarded awful secret was finally out.
Francis O’Malley had been a giant of a man, both in character and build. But there had been a dark night in his life as well. When even he had a made a mistake.
Her name was Gloria Sanchez. He hadn’t seen her after that night. And he had tried to forget about her. But one morning, almost 5 years later, they had received a letter. Gloria had died. But she had a son. Eduardo.
Francis’ son.
The little boy was to be put up for adoption. But she had said in her will that Francis should be informed. Francis’ hands had trembled when he had read the letter as tears ran down his face. He could not turn his back on his family. Eduardo was family.
Glenda O’Malley had been let down by her health all her life. She had always been frail, weak and seriously ill. The doctors had written off any chances of her bearing a child. Her heart wasn’t strong enough. When Francis broke the news to Glenda she had cried. Deeply hurt and disappointed by the an she had worshipped. But even though her heart was weak, it was large. Next week, they had adopted Eduardo and had christened him Edward.
But 2 years later, a miracle happened. They named it Bernard.
But now one of Gloria’s brothers had tracked Eduardo down and contacted him. The secret was out. Eduardo finally had the answer to why he had dark skin and hair when his parents did not.
The last time Bernard had seen Edward, he was sitting on his bed. His cheeks wet from crying. Weeks after his 16th birthday.
The next day he was gone.
Francis had torn apart Boisen Bay looking for Edward. He had found him too. But the son he had brought with love and care was gone. His name was Eduardo Sanchez and he spent time with Gloria’s drug dealing gangster brothers. He had become one of them. A dope pusher and user. A criminal. Menace to society. And there was nothing Francis could do about it. You can repossess your valuables, but you can’t repossess the most valuable thing of all. Your children.
Francis and Glenda O’Malley had died barely 8 years later. Two months between them.
Bernard had met Eduardo some years before. Sitting in a police station. Arrested for DUI. They had seen each other but neither would allow that to show. But things had changed somewhat. Eduardo was no longer a criminal. He was no saint either but he was trying. He had left his gang and taken up a job. Good honest work. And he was working at it. From time to time he would go back to his old ways, but something would again put him back on the straight path. O’Malley secretly kept tabs on him. He would walk by Ed’s apartment late at night, trying to catch a glimpse of him eating dinner. But he never met him. He was still too ashamed of his brother.
But suddenly now he didn’t think of all that. He didn’t think of all those embarrassing moments his retarded, violent brother had caused him. All he could think of was his second day at Junior High. And Brad Kelly. And the promise.
“I always got your back kiddo. You’re my baby brother.”
Ed had been there when he needed him. Now it was Bernard’s turn.

continued chapter V


3 Responses to “”

  1. Anonymous Anonymous 

    wow!..connection!

  2. Anonymous Anonymous 

    er... i think i'm kinda missing the timeline here. gloria died 5 years after the encounter with francis, which means eduardo/edward was roughly 4 when he was brought to the o'malleys. 2 years later bernard was born, which is when eduardo was 6. if that is when he found out who he was and left home, haven't you made him 10 years older (how can it be his sixteenth birthday)?

    please to explain.

  3. Blogger erebus 

    you're right... Eduardo is abt 5 years older than bernard
    But I didn't say eduardo left home as soon as Bernard was born. Far from it. Eduardo and Bernard grew up together. Hence the whole bullies incident. Eduardo DID leave after his his sixteenth birthday. After Gloria's relatives made contact with him. But yeah.... Bernard and Eduardo DID grow up together for a while, which is why they have the connection.

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