PrologueBaronOctober 2001Being in a group home is sometimes too much to bear... I’ve been in a group home for as long as I can remember. The caseworker assigned to watch over ‘my care,’ informed me what my circumstances in life are early on. My mother was a teenager addicted to drugs and had no idea who my father could be. Considering her own parents didn’t know she was pregnant; she gave me away without even holding me. I am now ten years old and think it could be worse, so I should count my blessings.
One positive thing in my life is that I'm glad I’ve made a few friends, who are actually more like brothers to me. Unfortunately, at the moment, I’ve made the mistake of leaving the room I share with Princeton, Duke, and Marquise by myself. The other kids call us ‘royalty’, meaning when I make the mistake of being by myself, I usually get my ass kicked.
I’m almost to the kitchen to begin doing my chores when Jack, the resident bully, trips me in the hallway. He starts punching me over and over again all over my body, then suddenly he’s gone. My nose is busted, and a tooth has been knocked loose, but all in all I am okay. Getting up from the floor, I see Jack getting the beat down of his life by my brothers.
“You okay, Baron?” Marquise asks me.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I tell him.
Leaving Jack in a heap on the floor, they escort me the rest of the way to the kitchen. Mrs. Magneson, the group home director, is already in the kitchen and she doesn’t look happy to see me. Standing beside her is a man, with a woman at his side, who is talking to her.
“Boys... This is the mayor of Winnetka, Mr. Roades and his wife, Mrs. Roades. They are touring the house.”
“Why would you want to tour this depressing place?” Princeton asks earning a death glare from Mrs. Magneson, but the mayor only laughs.
“My wife is interested in doing a few fundraisers to raise money for the home and she wanted to see it. This means, a gentleman always goes where his lady does,” he says imparting some knowledge on us.
“We wouldn’t know much about being gentlemen,” Princeton counters.
“There’s still time to learn,” he says.
“And who’s gonna teach us? You?” He shoots back at him.
“If you’d like.”
“How’d that work?” Marquise pipes in.
“What happened to you, sweetie?” The woman suddenly in front of me asks. Her soft hand rests on my cheek.
“Nuthin,” I lie.
“Do you know that you are bleeding?” she asks me. Her perfume smells very nice, but with the way she’s being nice to me assuredly means there is something wrong with her...
“Yes,” I tell her.
“How about we get you cleaned up?” She asks, leading me over to the sink.
“You don’t have to do that, ma’am,” Mrs. Magneson tells her.
“I know that I don’t have to, but the question is why aren’t you?” She asks while wetting a paper towel, then gently wipes my face.
“You’ll need to see a dentist,” she murmurs.
“What’s that?” I ask the word sounding foreign to me.
“What?” She asks, shocked.
“I don’t know what that is, ma’am.”
“Call me Susan. What’s your name?”
“Baron,” I reply.
“What a lovely name. Why don’t you and your friends go outside and play, while I have a chat with Mrs. Magneson.” She instructs as she finishes cleaning my face.
“These are my brother’s and we aren’t allowed outside,” I whisper. She smiles softly at me.
“Kieran? Can I have a word in private please?”
“Yes, my dear. Excuse me, boys,” the man, apparently called Kieran, says to my brothers.
The couple moves off to the side and Mrs. Magneson moves over to me. She discreetly grabs my elbow and lowers herself close to my face.
“What did you say to her, boy?” She says through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t say nuthin’, honest.” I lie and pray that it doesn’t come back on me.
“You better not have. We need their money,” she says, before straightening up and plastering the fakest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.
The couple returns and the man hands Princeton a card. It’s as if he knows that he’s the leader of our group.
“We have to go now, but if you need anything, I want you to call that number.” Princeton nods.
I’ve never used the phone before. Who would I call? The others had normal lives once.
Susan comes back to me and ruffles my hair, then pulls me into a hug. “I’ll be back, Baron,” she whispers as she hugs me a little tighter. I wrap my little arms around her waist as best I can and soak in my first hug. Too soon she’s gone, and I am afraid I will never see her again. It turns out not to be the case.
The very next day things start to happen at the youth home. At dawn, the state marches in and takes over the day to day operations of the home. Mrs. Magneson is out on her ass.