15
Rose and Helga sat up in Rose’s room, bored. Rose’s mother had left town to take care of some important matter, leaving the two girls to themselves with nothing to do but sigh listlessly.
"Do you think a swing joint may be open?" Rose asked, her eyes lighting up with the idea.
"Maybe. We can stop by Fabrizio and ask. He should know," Helga shrugged, grabbing her jacket. "Oh by the way, I heard about Jack standing up for him today. What a guy."
"Yes he is," Rose sighed happily at the thought of Jack. He has given her so much. She didn’t know how she was going to repay him.
"Come on Rose, let’s get to Fabri’s. If we’re going to go swinging, we have to get there early," Helga grabbed her friend’s hand and dragged her out the door.
Fabrizio’s house was only a couple of blocks from Rose, so it didn’t take them very long to get there. Remembering what Fabrizio had told her about SS men standing outside Fabri’s door, Rose half-way expected to find one. But what she did find made her heart beat all the faster. It was Jack, badly beaten, collapsed against the door, practically unconscious.
"Oh my God," Helga gasped. "What happened?"
Rose knelt down and gently shook his shoulder, making him groan in pain. "Jack. Jack wake up. Please wake up Jack." He groaned once more, but didn’t open his eyes.
"He’s been beaten pretty badly. What are we going to do?"
"Ring Fabri’s doorbell, I’ll support Jack so he doesn’t fall when the door opens."
It’s Fabrizio’s
mother that opens the door and gasps at the sight of the two
girls and the unconscious teenager. "Oh my! Hector! Fabri!
Get in here now! Hurry! What happened?"
"We don’t know," Helga shook her head. "He
was unconcious on the doorstep when we arrived."
"Mama, what is this all…" Fabri stopped in midsentence when he saw Jack, unconscious and beaten.
"Don’t just stand there boy! Help me get him in," Mr. DiRossi rushed to the door and took over the job of supporting the unconscious boy. With Fabrizio’s help, they moved him to the guest room. "He should be comfortable in here," Mr. DiRossi nods as Rose carried in the few belongings Jack had with him.
They sat with Jack for another half-hour. Mrs. DiRossi gently cleaned up any bruises and cups and whispered comforting words of a concerned mother when the boy seemed to whimper.
"Who could have done such a thing to such a sweet boy?" Mrs. DiRossi sighed. "And he’s German. It’s not like he’s a Jew or a gypsy."
Rose gently held his hand and smoothed back his hair. She was determined not to leave his side for anything. Jack needed her now. Food and sleep can wait.
"No mom…why are you letting him do this?" Jack whimpered in his sleep.
"Shhh. It’s ok. You’re safe now," Rose squeezed his hand, feeling a tear slip from her eye. "No one’s going to hurt you here. You’re safe."
"How is he?" Fabrizio entered, taking a seat at the opposite side of his friend.
"He’s having a nightmare," Rose sniffed back her tears. "Oh Fabri…why would they do this to him? He has never hurt anyone."
"He’ll be ok Rose. Jack’s a survivor," Fabri comforted his friend. "He’s made of the same stuff as his father."
"Is he awake yet?" Helga entered with a try of milk and cookies.
Rose shook her head. "But he’s been talking in his sleep a lot. I can’t wait until he wakes up. I just want to know that he’s ok."
"He’s waking up," Fabrizio cried out in relief. True enough Jack groaned as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.
"Where am I?" He asked, not aware that he wasn’t alone.
"Fabrizio’s room," Rose explained, causing Jack to gasp in fright. He calmed down when he saw it was only Rose.
"How did I get in
here?"
"Me and Da carried you in. Rose and Helga found you
unconcious against the door," Fabrizio explained. "What
happened Jack? Why were you beaten up so badly?"
Jack was silent for a good while. He didn’t want Rose and the others to know he was so weak. That his mother’s boyfriend had gotten the better of him. But what else could he do? They were going to find out the truth eventually. "My mother’s boyfriend did it. He had heard about me breaking that Nazi’s nose and I had mouthed off."
"Oh my God," Rose gasped. "What did your mother say?"
"Nothing. I had called for her a number of times but she never came. But the beating is not what hurt me the most. It’s the fact that she let him do it."
"And I thought Rose’s mother was a heartless witch. I mean…how can a mother let someone beat up her son and not even try to stop him?" Helga shook her head.
"The same kind of mother that can sell her daughter to the highest bidder," Rose sighed tiredly. She wrapped her arms around Jack and hugged him gently, not wanting to cause him anymore pain.
"And what’s worse…he sighed me up for the youths! I mean, can he do that? Can they force people into that?"
Fabrizio shrugged. "Look at Tommy."
"Well I’m not Tommy. I’m not going back there! Not now, not ever!" Jack buried his face in Rose’s shoulder just as the doorbell rang.
Helga glanced out the window and gasped. "It’s your mother and her boyfriend."
"Shit. I can’t go back there Fabri," Jack got up.
"Well I don’t see what other choice we have. My parents can’t stand up to that Nazi," Fabrizio paced.
"But we can’t let Jack go back there. What do you think he’s going to do to him for running away," Rose bit her lip in deep concentration when a idea finally popped into her head. "Fabri, hid Jack’s things. We’ll go out the back."
"What?" Jack asked.
"You’re coming with me. My mother’s out of town right now so she’d be none the wiser. Plus your mother doesn’t know where I live," Rose grabbed Jack’s hand.
"Rose…I don’t want to pull you into this…"
"I already am. Now are you coming or do you want to go back there and probably get beaten worse than before?"
Jack sighed. Rose was right. He had no choice. If he didn’t want to get injured worse then he was now, he was going to have to let Rose take care of him and try not to worry that she’ll get in trouble as well. "Ok. Fine," He relented.
"I’ll help," Fabrizio hid Jack’s belongings at the very bottom of his chest where he kept all his swing memorabilia. "Come on friend. We’ll go out the back. They won’t see us. Can you walk?"
"Of course," Jack started forward but almost fell until Rose caught him, almost falling herself.
"Here, lean on me," Fabrizio had Jack lean most of his wieght on him and led the way to the back door. He barely saw the back of his parents heads as they talked to Mrs. Dawson and the officer. He was a bit worried, but knew that this had to be done.
"Come on Fabri," Helga placed a steady hand on his shoulder
"Yes, hurry," Rose was getting nervous. Nodding, Fabrizio led the others into the dark night, fleeing for the safety of Rose’s house.