Pitbabe the series [Book 2]

Feel Alive [babexcharlie] Part 10

After crying for hours in his mom's arms, his safe place, babe stopped crying.

Babe: "Mom, did you know about this? What father was doing? Did you know who is Charlie?"

Mom wiped babe's tears from his cheeks and said, "If I knew, why would we be here, babe? I taught you to always put your feelings superior to what others think. I was taught the same by my mom - to love myself more, because at the end of the day, the only reflection we see in the mirror is ourselves, not others' images."

Babe: "Did I let you down, Mom, by being like this? By being a man and still crying like this in your arms? Am I weak to you or am I not a man?"

Mom: "What are you saying, babe? Why are you asking me this question?" Mom turned him by his shoulder to face her. "I would be sad, I would cry if you won't be like our society has told our man to behave like statues while they are just normal human beings. Bearing the weight of man is already enough to make you cry a ton. Your feelings are valid, whatever you think and see are valid. Being a man doesn't mean you can't cry, you can't wear pink, you can't enjoy the smallest things about life. You get me, my son? These arms are always open for you because of the same reason your father had turned into a walking rapist. I would never want you to be a person like him. You're not his blood, you're my SON, you understand? Stand up, GET YOURSELF TOGETHER FOR SOMEONE WHO IS WAITING FOR YOU, GET HIM BACK FROM THE HELL HE HAS BEEN THROUGH. I am not saying this as a mother; I am telling you this as a human. Now go. Your mom is not weak; she is strong."

Babe hugged his mom for the last time before leaving her.

As babe called Aniya for any information.

Babe: "Anything, Aniya? Do we need anything - medical supplies, medicines, food? I'll bring food."

Aniya was silent for a moment.

Aniya: "B-boss, I am scared..."

Suddenly, babe cut the call as he entered the hospital. He hurried to the place where Charlie was admitted. He saw Aniya sitting there, her face was scared, and she looked really worried.

Babe: "What's wrong, Aniya? Why are you scared? Is something wrong with Charlie?"

Aniya: "B-boss, I... I c-can't go IN THERE. Charlie scares me."

Babe: "What do you mean he scares you? What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

Aniya: "No, he didn't even touch me. But he's too calm. How can I explain..."

Without any more explanation, Babe went into Charlie's ward.

Aniya: "Boss..."

As babe entered, he saw Charlie sitting on his hospital bed, looking at a shut-down TV.

Babe: "Charlie, where are you looking? The TV is off. There's nothing on it. Where are you looking?"

Charlie's voice trembled as he recounted the haunting memory: "Boss, you're here. I see two boys there playing." His smile faded, replaced by a distant look in his eyes. "They're playing with their mom. No one is playing. The other one is looking. He's looking at his mom laughing with the other boy. They're playing house." A heaviness settled over the room as Charlie's words painted a picture of longing and abandonment.

"The mom spots the other boy looking at her and she... she calls him Charlie, come play with mom. Mom was waiting." Charlie's voice cracked with emotion. "The boy hides, saying he won't play because mom was ignoring him." The pain of rejection lingered in the air as Charlie continued his tale.

"The mom walked up sweetly to him and peekabooed him. He laughs. Then they play hide and seek. Charlie seeks while mom and the other brother hide, but... after searching for hours, Charlie can't find them." A sense of desperation crept into his voice. "He searches and searches, but he can't find them. After some time, he gives up, and he never finds them again."

Silence filled the room as the weight of Charlie's words hung heavy in the air. The ache of loneliness echoed through his story, each word carrying the weight of years spent searching for something he could never reclaim.

"In the end, that boy was left alone for days, months, years." Charlie's voice wavered with the weight of the truth. "And when he found the mother and his brother, the mother told him how they weren't playing hide and seek; they were just hiding from him..." The devastation in his words was palpable,

Charlie's voice faltered, barely a whisper now. "They were hiding from the monster... and you know who that monster was? It was me. I was the monster." 

Each syllable carried the weight of years spent grappling with the darkness within himself, the pain of knowing he had become the very thing he feared most.

Babe witnessed a tumult of emotions wash over Charlie's face—smiles, chuckles, laughter, and tears all intertwined. Unable to contain his own emotions, tears cascaded down Babe's cheeks as he wrapped Charlie in a tight embrace.

Babe whispered softly, his voice trembling with empathy, "Let's play hide and seek again, but this time I will find you before you can find me."

He embraced Charlie tightly, feeling the stiffness in his body, a testament to the weight of his pain. As tears streamed down his face, Babe held onto Charlie as if trying to shield him from the agony that consumed them both.

Babe's tears fell onto Charlie's shoulder as he whispered softly, his voice choked with emotion.

Babe: "I'm here for you, Charlie. You're not alone. We'll face this together, okay?"

Charlie remained as still as stone, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the confines of the hospital room. He didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge Babe's words. It was as if he had retreated into himself, leaving behind only a hollow shell of the person he once was.

In that moment, all Babe could do was hold onto the hope that someday, somehow, Charlie would find his way back to the light. And until that day came, he would be there for him, offering whatever support and comfort he could, even if it meant facing the darkness together in silence.

AUTHOR NOTE

It's heartbreaking to see how harassment has become a part of our daily lives, even in the supposed safety of our homes. Schools, universities, and workplaces should be places of learning and growth, but instead, they've become breeding grounds for harassment, all because society has molded men into emotionless structures.

In families, there's often a stark contrast in how children are treated. Some are cherished and nurtured, while others are treated like disposable objects, used and discarded when they no longer serve a purpose. It's especially disheartening when mothers, who are supposed to be our caregivers and protectors, are more focused on their social media presence than their children's well-being.

The constant comparison between siblings and the pressure to live up to certain standards only adds to the pain. We're expected to swallow our hurt and act like it doesn't affect us when our own parents let us down. But the fear of abandonment cuts deep, leaving scars that may never fully heal.

AGAIN...