"Your buttons are done all wrong" I said to him as I brought my hand to his pyjama's and unbuttoned one of the misbuttoned parts. Doing so I was then met with a dark purple mark that was on his chest.
His hand quickly grabbed mine to stop me from continuing. However, I had already seen the mark.
"Tony what is that?" I asked him worriedly. I moved his hand away and looked at the mark once more.
Once again he pulled away from me so I wouldn't see. "Don't worry mum it's nothing, I'll fix my shirt myself," he said to me.
I was horrified by his answer.
"What you mean it's nothing? It's completely purple," I told him.
"I fell," he told me
I knew he was lying to me. That was an awkward position to fall on, it looked like a bruise caused by being hit. Had this happened at school? It must have been. Someone did this to him? I asked myself as the realization dawned on me. In my past life I never saw him with bruises or anything of the sort. I then remembered my son's words to me the day I died. "My life was hell all these years!"
I knew Anthony was being shunned at school because of the situation he and I were in. However, I never imagined the bullying was physical as well. To think he was hiding it from me so I wouldn't worry. So that meant in my past life he had always hidden them from me? I should have really paid more attention to him. If I hadn't been so focused on Keith situation leaving him at home alone, I would have known! I really was a bad mother.
What was important now was to protect my son. Unfortunately, there was nothing I be able to do to stop the bullying. The children bullying him all came from important families, so like Keith, they were untouchable. However, there was one thing I could do.
"Tony," I started slowly. "If you want to change schools, just tell me."
"Huh?" he asked me surprised.
Tony didn't want to talk to me about what had happened was being shamed and bullied over a situation that was beyond his control. Perhaps changing to a school where people didn't know him could help. He could freely make new friends and have a fresh start. I could simply unenroll him from the school why would Keith care?
"You don't have to worry about giving me an answer right now," I told him noticing the look of confusion that was still on his face. "Tell me when you're ready or if you feel like school is too much. We can work something out," I told him.
The expression in his eyes then changed to one I couldn't read. He then broke eye contact with me and looked at his bedsheets instead.
He didn't want to talk about the situation so I wouldn't force him if it made him uncomfortable. I just wanted him to know that I was there for him if he needed help.
"So, mum you're never going to go see dad again?" he asked me
"No, not never see him. It's just daddy's a busy person, you see," I tried to explain to him.
"He's busy with that other Diana lady and Marco, right?" he then asked me.
My eyes widened in surprise. It's not that I didn't expected Anthony to know about the situation we were in, he was there when we used to live with Keith and saw Diana and her son move in and how we were cast aside. It's just, I'm realizing I've never straightforwardly spoken about the situation with him especially when he was around this age. Even as he got older
I should have realized that just because he's a child doesn't mean he oblivious or doesn't understand. I mean to my knowledge his bullying at school started recently following the Diana situation.
"Is there something someone told you at school about Das?" I asked him wondering why he suddenly brought up Keith. Perhaps the bullies had said something to him today.
"They said dad doesn't love me and you are anymore because you're crazy and that's why we were kicked out of the house," he told me. "So, I told them that you're not crazy and started a fight with them. Then they told me I was crazy just like you."
I winced feeling stung on his behalf. The stories of my jealousy of Diana causing me to attack and insult her had spread around. I had Diana to thank for my current reputation. I just felt awful that it was also affecting Tony.
Looking at Tony I realized there was no point trying to sugarcoat the situation. It's better if hr got used to the situation before and came to accept it. Keith was no longer going to be a part of his life. Since things were only going to get worse. In a year he would ask me for a divorce. He would then marry Diana and make her son his heir.
"Look Tony things are difficult with your father right now, we probably won't see him for a while. However, I promise I'm here for you no matter what, okay?" I said to him.
He met my eyes full of emotion, and he nodded his head in understanding.
"Good," I said to him.
"And also try not to get into any more fights. People are going to say all kinds of horrible things to you. Try not to get upset.
"How can I when they are saying horrible not true things about you?" he asked me angrily.
Keith even if you hate me, Tony is completely blameless so, for you completely discard him is disgusting. I thought to myself. I told Tony the truth the of the situation, but it was wrong that he had to accept the situation. He had done no wrong. He didn't ask to be born. No child should be told to accept that their parent doesn't want them.
What's funny is Keith took Diana and her son in because he felt guilty for abandoning them. Now in turn he was abandoning his other family to make space for them. Just ridiculous.