Free The Devil's Demeanor by Jerry Hart

the van from the front door and he knew she could see Dad’s
new girlfriend in the front seat.
    “I need to talk
to you about something,” Dad said to Mom. “It’s about the kids.”
    Mom stood
there, listening.
    Dad ran his
hands through his thick black hair. “I’ve been thinking about maybe having the
kids come and live with me for a while.”
    Mom was already
shaking her head. “That is absolutely out of the question.”
    “Don’t fight me
on this, Hilda. Can we at least discuss it?”
    “Why would I
want to discuss it?”
    “You know why.”
    Don walked to
the playroom in the back of the house, but he could still hear his parents
arguing. The white-tile floor and big windows letting in the sun did little to
brighten his mood at the moment.
    He walked over
to the big toy box in the far left corner and climbed into it, losing himself
to his childhood.
    “There’s
nothing wrong with me!” his mother screamed from the foyer. “I’m not letting
you take my children!”
    “They’re my
kids, too, goddamn it!” Dad replied. “And we both know something is wrong with
you. Don’t play dumb!”
    “What’s wrong
with me, Patrick? What the fuck is wrong?”
    “You’re a
monster!” he screamed, which froze Don’s blood. Did his dad know, too? “After
Ethan was born, you changed. You were a mess, crying and screaming. It’s like
you weren’t even human anymore.”
    “It was
postpartum depression!”
    “No it wasn’t!”
    There was
silence for a time. Don was deep in the box, and couldn’t see through the
sliding-glass door into the dining room, but he knew he was being watched at
that moment. Even as the action figures dug into his legs and back, he knew
Ethan was standing at the door, waiting for him to emerge.
    “What was it,
then?” Mom asked quietly.
    “I don’t know,”
Dad admitted, defeated. But Don had a feeling his father knew exactly what it
was.
    It was the
curse.
    “I’m worried
about our kids, that’s all,” Dad finally said. “And I’m worried about you.”
    “If you’re so
worried, then why did you leave?”
    Dad sighed.
“Because I was weak and scared. I couldn’t imagine staying here with you like...like that .”
    “And now?”
    “Now,” Dad
said, “I realize my kids are more important than myself.”
    Don finally
stood up and, sure enough, there was Ethan, standing there and staring at him
in tiny blue jeans and a red-and-black plaid shirt tucked into his pants. His
curly brown hair was filling his tiny scalp. He would have been cute had he not
been so spooky.
    “I’m fine,” Mom
said, “and the kids are fine. In fact, I’ve been seeing a wonderful man for
quite some time. His name is Adrian and he keeps me centered.”
    That was news
to Don. Even Ethan looked in her direction with a creepy turn of the neck. His
body remained facing forward. Don wondered if Ethan’s head would spin all the
way around like that girl in The Exorcist .
    Don, at that
moment, wanted very much to live with his dad in Connecticut. But not if Ethan
came along. Don wanted to be away from him and their mom, despite what she told
Dad about being “centered.”
    He didn’t know
how soon things would spiral out of control, but he hoped he would be prepared
when they did.

Chapter 6
     
     
    1991 had been
an interesting year for Don. Mom had signed him up for karate at the YMCA on
Fort Gordon, which he didn’t enjoy as much as he thought he would. Karate was
not easy to do with his girth.
    Speaking of
Mom, she had finally introduced her kids to her secret boyfriend, Adrian. He
was a few years younger than Dad, maybe even younger than Mom. Adrian also
drove a motorcycle, something Dad used to do before trading up for the van.
    Don turned nine
in March, and he felt like a big boy. Things had been going well for the
Scotts, with Mom showering her children with love and gifts. Besides the
argument with Dad, she had truly seemed calmer.
    One day, when
Nick was sick with strep, Don decided to