"Tommy, get off that damn roof for the last time!"
The tone of Sarah’s voice wavered between wrath and fatigue. She was below him while he, an eight-year-old nephew, sat on the top of the garage like some impaled devil grinning down at her.
"You can never get me!" Tommy cackled, his bare feet dangling off the edge as he swayed slightly.
Sarah groaned wishing that she had never taken up the offer to babysit. There are reasons why Tommy is infamous amongst the family. It is a normal, repeated cry that “he is a bad kid” and yet no one would give that title to him, more like a “scoundrel’ may suit him. It’s not that he was evil, it’s just that he had no self-control over himself and loved to create havoc around the place. And today Sarah happened to be the latest victim.
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" Tommy, I mean it. You better not fall if I—" she started, but without letting her finish the boy waved his hands dismissingly.
“I’m not gonna fall down! More so, Aunt Sarah, you said we’ll play together and now, all you do is to keep quiet inside!”
She tightened her fists. "That’s because normal kids play in the yard, Tommy. On the ground!!"
An awkward stillness ensued during which a breeze achieved a level of balance in blowing across the room. The thought of asking her sister to bring her son back in order to complete the task popped into her head. However, no, this was easy for her. She was thrity two, had a job and knew how to manage difficult people at work. It’s not like an eight year old is too much trouble.
“Okay nice. In as much as this fight is pointless, you want to play fine, let’s play,” stepped Sarah.
Tommy narrowed his eyes, curious but suspicious. "What game?"
"The Great Escape," she said dramatically. "I bet you can’t run faster than me if I start chasing you around the house. I mean, you're up there all stuck, so... I’ll probably win."
She knew Tommy’s pride was as dangerous as his impulses. The minute she stroked his ego, it was a success. It was without a second thought that Tommy dashed off from the top of the building, hitting grass with a thud on landing. He got back to his feet, puffed his breaths, and wore the smile of a winner. "Bring it on."
While Sarah’s relief was well-founded, she suppressed it. At least he's down now.
But Tommy wasn’t through. He leaped forward, and the chase began.
This time he ran between some trees, under the porch railing, and over a flower bed, all the while with unreasoned happiness on his face. Sarah was also moving with her heart racing and cursing herself for her poor exercise routine. A few minutes later, her lungs felt like they were about to burst and she had to halt to get some air.
As always, that is trouble. He came back, scurried past her, and grabbed her purse on the porch where she had left it.
“Hey!” she screamed but he was already running towards the woods at the end of the backyard defensively.
“Try to catch me!" His voice was far away, teasing, full of glee.
“Tommy, don’t you dare!” Sarah was short of breath and she was not physically tired but calm and relieved except for the fact that a wallet and a phone of hers was in the possession of an unpredictable child.
She chased after him in vexation which soon transitioned to rage. The breeze swept the tall grass against her as she tried to rush towards the wooded area. The forest was not extensive, but it had enough spots for an adventurous child to hide.
Sarah crossed the tree line and stepped into the grove and immediately felt goosebumps on her skin. She tried to listen carefully to any sounds. There were no clouds, and the sun lit up the sky. Then, she heard it—a childish giggle, rather close to her.
"Okay, Tommy, this is getting out of hand!" she called, making a doubtful use of her anger attempt. "Please give me back my purse, and we can do something else. I will make sure that you can stay up late. I will even treat you out with ice cream for dinner, okay?"
No answer. Just another giggle, this time from somewhere behind the bushes.
Sarah moved closer, no longer concerned about remaining undetected, focusing instead on the sounds around her. She moved the branches attempting to look for Tommy who should be hiding there. There was no sign of him. But a broken twig lay on the ground, and some grass that had flattened was apparently where he had been sitting.
“Gotcha!” a masculine voice screamed very loudly whilst Sarah was lost in thought, and before she could react, Tommy darted past, the purse still clutched in his hand.
Sarah cursed under her breath and spun around. I’m going to lose my mind.
She trailed him further into the woods, yet something was now gnawing at her. It does not take much effort to realize that Tommy was a difficult person for everyone but now it felt something more unbenign. His jokes had never been that cross to this extent. She knew he was a tease, but this time it was more than just a purse snatch and a run towards the woods. There was a new level of disrespect that was most unwanted.
Even as she decided to scream again, she noticed him. He was positioned in the rear area of the old creek holding the purse over the waters and a grin plastered on his face that made her belly drop.
“Tommy don’t—!”
It was way too late. He released.
The purse plummeted into the murky creek, sinking into the shallow water with a soft splash.
Sarah stopped moving. Her eyes were frozen upon the undulating water surface that emanated from the point of violent impact. Her patience was over.
“What is wrong with you Tommy?” she shrieked all her frustration in her thick voice.
It was the first time during the entire day when the boy’s smile showed a margin of doubt. He took a step back making his eyes as round as saucers. "It’s just a joke Aunt Sarah I did not think I-"
"You know quite well you never think, never bother to look at the scale of your tantrums" she cut him off, her breath coming in angry gasps. She ran down to the creek, pulled the wet purse out and squeezed the leather case. There was water in that phone; and money which was not even worth mentioning.
Tommy stood there playing with his legs as if his usual confidence had been let out off its leash. "Uhm… Sorry..I was just messing around, you know."
Sarah had to grit her teeth and keep her calm. He’s just a child! It isn’t his fault, he plays the villain. But that did not remove the fatigue or the anger or the water that was about to pour out.
"Listen, I know you think this is all a game, don’t you Tommy," she said, this time her voice less accusatory than before, if only for an instant. “But sometimes within your games, people get hurt. You have to know when to draw the line.”
Tommy’s gaze shot outwards like a deer caught in headlights as he tried to bear the sudden shift in her tone. He mouthed, most likely preparing another cheeky retort and formed no words. He focused on his feet, for once, not knowing what to say.
Sighing, Sarah looked at her wet hands and then at her jeans. "There is no point standing outside let’s head back towards the house. We will think of something later."
They were silent on their way back home, the excitement of the game was over. Tommy kept near her but had stopped attempting to press her buttons. Once they reached the stairs of the porch, he mumbled, "I didn’t really mean it."
Sarah's smile was more apologetic than not encouraged by Tommy's foolishness. "I know, Tommy. But that doesn’t make it okay."
For once in his life, Tommy's expression was one of understanding. This was the first time Sarah thought, if not hoped, perhaps this ruffian would comprehend the limits. But Sarah knew, deep down, that he still had a long way to go.
