Storymania - Brendon by Katherine Mongone

Brendon
Katherine Mongone

In a small police interrogation room sits a poise young lawyer (prosecutor.) She drums her fingers patiently, yet nervously. There is a sound of footsteps at the door and in walks to guards. In between them is a slumped over, ragged looking woman. They sit her down in the chair across from the lawyer (named Samantha.) The woman looks only at her lap as the guards move to stand by the door. Samantha leans forward, but before she can the raspy voice of the woman whispered.
Celeste: Take these handcuffs off of me.
Samantha: Ma'am sorry, its a safety precaution.
Celeste: (voice slightly rising) Take them off! (fully raised) I am no criminal!
S: (shaken-ed) I must ask you to calm dow-
C: (overpowers her) I'll confess! I'll confess to everything. Just take them off, please!
S: Guards you may.
The guards come over and unchain Celeste. She rubbers her wrists, still never looking anywhere but her lap.
S: (Suddenly more professional) Now Celeste, I am not your enemy. But I am not your friend either -
C: OH DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF YOUR CRAP! I said I'll confess now let me do it.
S: (seems poise but trembling) Alright (clicks pen) Alright, whenever you are ready.
C: (looks up, face is old a worn and full of sadness Though eyes have a hint of youth still in them) I beg you not to interrupt me. If you do, I will not be able to go on.

C: I was four when I met Tyler. We literally grew up together. All the way up until 5th grade, then He moved away, and during my middle school years I slowly became a loner. I dressed differently and wore different clothes and everybody shunned me for it. Then when I started high school, Tyler came back. And he looked just like me. He too had slowly become a loner.
We soon agreed ed that we were perfect for each other, but we didn't start dating until Junior year. I gave everything to him (blushes) everything.
And almost exactly after graduation I got pregnant. Tyler and I were going to the same college. But it ended up as Tyler going to college and I move out there with him. He promised everything was going to be okay. We would get an apartment, and he would get a job and it would be fine. And he loved me. And I loved him.
I was incredibly bored, so I started taking online classes, I wanted my degree more than anything. On December 17th 1992 I had our daughter, Penelope, Pen for short. Absolutely gorgeous little girl. Daddy's eyes, mommy�s nose, it was amazing to see what two punks could make.
Although it was hard for us we made it through. We had love and that was really all we needed. Pen was just turn 4 when we both walked down the line for graduation. And she stood by us when when walked down the isle.
We left Pen with a sitter, and that night must have been crazy, because here I was, pregnant again.
Tyler had asked me what I was going to do. I was insulted, of course I was keeping it, I didn't believe in abortion
My doctors said it was going to be a boy, Tyler held my hand and asked if we could name it after him. Of course I said yes.
I was working all through the pregnancy. Tyler begged me to take it easy but I was not a housewife. He was only makes$12 an hour at his mechanics job and that was not enough to support me, Pen and Tyler Jr. Although I had a degree in Psychology I ended up working with medicine, somewhere close to a nuclear waste dump. And at the time I did not know it was a bad thing,
But a 7 months into the pregnancy my doctor started noticing my baby wasn�t developing right, he put me on bed rest and I cried almost every night. But Tyler was with me and everything was alright, at night he would tell me everything was going to be fine and Pen was going to love her little brother. And we could call he TJ for short.
I was only 8 months in when my doctors had to induce labor. There was something terrible wrong with the baby I just knew it, from the hastened pace of the doctors to the look on Tylers face after the birth was done.
The baby, my baby boy, had down syndrome, so bad to the point where they said he'd almost never walk and would probably never speak. Tyler said nothing and I asked �Where is baby Tyler?� to a nearby nurse, she gave me a puzzled look. Tyler looked stone faced and he left the room in almost an angry manner.�Where is my baby, we were going to name him Tyler?� I asked again. The nurse kept that dumb look on her face, then she said, �Your husband said his name was going to be Brendon.�
He was a quiet baby, and just like the nurse said, he never learned to speak, which made Tyler angry at times. (Flashback)
Tyler: I don't know if I can do this Celeste.
Celeste: You have to be patient Tyler!
T: The boy can't even said Dad
C: I've never heard him say Mama either.
T: This is not a joke! What are we going to do! He won't be ready for school, his doctor says we'll have to pay for special classes.
C: There's nothing wrong with doing that for our child Tyler!
T: (Holds her hand gently) Celeste, listen to me darling, Pen is an incredibly intelligent little girl, and your so smart and so am I. We can try again, its not too late for adoption.
C: (Pulls hand away) Are you suggesting we give our son up for adoption?
T: They'll be able to find a better house for him somewhere else.
C: (Angry) This is the only house he needs Tyler. With his mother and sister, and father.
T: (Angry too) We can't afford him Celeste! We can barely afford ourselves and Pen!
C: (Soothingly) Tyler, honey. He's our son we are all he's ever known. Please, we can get through this, together. We've been through so much, please, don't give up on me now.
T: (Calming down) But how can I live with a son who can never walk or talk? He's twos years old now Celeste.
C: Give him a chance. No body gave us a chance.
T: But we still made it through.
C: Please, I know he'll be normal if we are just there for him. Tyler, I love you.
T: I love you too Celeste.
C: And you love Pen and Brendon?
T: (pause): I love Pen yes.
We tried, we tried! But every some odd hours Brendon had to be fed, because he could feed himself. Brendon had to be changed because he could walk to the bathroom. And Brendon couldn't go to school because he could never catch up. He was six and still could do thing but wine whenever he needed something.
And I could see it, Tyler hated him. Tyler gave him disgusted looks and Pen was spitting image in personality of Tyler and she hated him too, I could see it. She would ask if we could do something about him and I said we couldn't, and she never acknowledged him. I had to take care of him by myself. It was like raising a newborn for all those six years. I was tired, I was working, then taking care of Brendon, then working then taking care of Brendon and Tyler and Pen and I was doing it by myself!
Then one day I came home tired and heard Brendon wining in the front room. I ran to see what was wrong and he needed to be fed. Tyler was home and yet he did nothing. (Flashback)\
C: Why did you leave Brendon crying like that.
T: He's six years old, if he wants something he can get it.
C: You know he cant Tyler!
T: Pen could.
C: Pen is different, Pen is not-
T: Retarded?
C: Don't you ever call him that.
T: Well he is! Goddammit Celeste! The boy is six and can barely sit up straight.
C: He was born that way Tyler. Your his father. The least you could do is help him.
T: And him with that EXCESSIVE WINING! (Smacks Brendon)
C: ( Grabs him) TYLER!
T: (Turns on her) This is your fault. Pen did a research project for her class and it says babies can get Down Syndrome from being exposed to toxins. And you just had to work! I begged you not to and you did! Now look at him. He would be normal if it wasn�t for you!
C: (Blankly) My fault.
T: Yes! You're the reason this kid is this way!
C: It wasn't just me who made him Tyler! Your sure had a helping hand in me getting pregnant.
T: And if it wasn't for Pen I'd regret it everyday.
C: Tyler, honey. I love you. If you love me you'd love Brendon.
T: Celeste, as much as I love you, I can't do it anymore.
C: Tyler? What are you-?
But he just walked away. I thought everything was fine because we made love that night. But when I got home the next day, half the house was gone. Pen and Tyler's things were gone. And all he left was a stupid note

Celeste darling,
I'm taking Pen. We both agreed ed this is not the life for us. As much as we love you, we have no feelings for Brendon. When you decided who you love more, us or him, we'll be waiting.
Love,
Tyler and Pen.
All I could do was laugh, this couldn't be real. My husband did not just take my daughter and leave me with our son. No, this was a joke, where were the cameras. Where were the fucking cameras! And all I could remember was Brendon wining in the middle of the living room. Time just busted, My heart stopped, I was dead. (Flashback)
C: SHUT UP BRENDON. JUST SHUT UP! DO YOU NOT SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. YOU'VE DRIEVEN YOUR FATHER AND SISTER AWAY. I should have had THE ABORTION WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE. YOU'RE ALWAYS HUNGRY BRENDON! YOU'RE ALWAYS WET! YOU'RE THIRSTY BRENDON!
He was always thirsty. I was so dead I had superhuman strength. He was always thirsty. I picked him up and threw him in the bathroom. I ran the water and watched him cry and once the tub was filled, I- Held his head under the water just screaming at him (DRINK BRENDON, DRINK. YOU'RE ALWAYS THRISTY BRENDON, DRINK. LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE YOU'VE RUINED THE FAMILY!)
The neighbors heard the commotion. The police finally came when I was holding my dead son in my arms.
C: I've confessed now.
S: (shaken terribly, tears in her eyes) Oh my lord.
C: Don't judge me.