“Apart from being physically abusive, he used to lock me and Peter in the shed, but this was only a minor part, the beatings apparently were much worse,” Elijah said in a low voice.
“So, what about the flashbacks with your dad when you were happy with him?” I asked.
“This is the strange part. Peter said I always saw the good in Dad, regardless of the beatings. For some reason, and I always looked for his approval, and maybe that was why I spent so much time with him at the office?”
“I had read that kids actually cling closer to the one who beats them, rather than the parent that doesn’t,” I responded in confusion.
“Yes, it’s strange, but the situation gets worse.”
“How can it get worse than being beaten?” I asked feeling for him.
“Well, because I was always with Dad, I was right in his firing line and was always the first to receive his beatings. But Peter could see it and tried to protect me, but Dad was huge…”
“So, what did he do?” I asked with a concerned look on my face.
“He used to try and protect me by provoking Dad if he started to beat me, and then he would turn his attention to Peter, and that was what that flashback was about. Peter took his own beating plus mine,” Elijah had tears in his eyes.
I could see by the look on his face that what he told me disturbed him, he tried hard to understand it all, and it had been difficult to cope, the more he learned.
“So, why did you receive nearly everything? When Peter and your mother only received a little,” I asked.
“Well in Peter’s case, he became so detached from Dad. He tried to see as little as possible of him, apart from when he started beating me, and Mom. I’m not sure. Maybe this was the reason he became an alcoholic in the first place. Then he just disowned her completely,” he explained.
“It sounds feasible and possible, but it doesn’t really explain why you and your Mom had lost each other, you would have thought the three of you would actually be drawn together more in a united front against your father,” I said.
“Well you would think that, but obviously, there is some other reason behind it. I’ll find out one day, I’m sure of it,” Elijah said.
“So, to simplify everything, you and your Mom had a falling out, your Dad became a raging alcoholic and Peter, God bless his soul, took beatings on your behalf,” I said. “As a result, you tried to be close to your Dad, because, as you saw he was actually a good person. Or maybe you knew the reason why he became an alcoholic. Right?”
I puzzled it all as I placed my hand on Elijah’s shoulder.
“Exactly,” Elijah replied. “And as a result, he looked at me as the only one who supported him through his drinking, even though I was trying to gain his acceptance. Then I received the bulk of his fortune.”
We continued to chat more about his conversation with Peter, and then we decided it was time to go to bed. I thought about our conversation and could understand why Elijah had become the way he had been, he had been influenced by his father in his attitude, and the relationship with his mother had led him not to trust women. Or at the very least, not let a woman get close to him get to a level where he could get totally attached to her.
We headed to the bedroom and laid together just cuddling, and I thought about the conversation I had with my mother previously. I knew if she knew the history of Elijah she would say that he had turned into, or was at least turning into his father the older he became.
Elijah also had a tendency to drink which could at any time, become a reliance, and he too would become an alcoholic. Before the accident… and with this would bring the temper and I had already seen the extent of his temper at work. If this had been fueled by alcohol, it would be quite easy for him to lash out for no reason and he would become out of control.
If this happened again, Mom would be correct, and I would be in a situation which was unhealthy for me, and it could be dangerous. Mom's words rang in my mind as I laid close to Elijah. I had to do something with the information I had learned. I had to stop Elijah from following this pattern, and I had to do something to stop him becoming his father. My mind was set on it, now.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elijah
I woke and had a moment of panic, I couldn’t move my feet, and then I looked and could see Bo had positioned himself and had laid across the bottom of the bed. I laughed to myself and embraced the feeling of waking up next to Kendall.
I laid in bed and let my mind run over our conversation from last night, what if? That was the question I had asked myself. I looked at what had been said about my father, and I had looked at what had been said about my past, I could see there was a trend, and I had to a certain degree, just started to follow in his footsteps.
It worried me the more I thought about it. I had to do something to take my mind off these thoughts. I headed downstairs and entered the kitchen. Kendall had cooked breakfast for me, so I thought it was about time I showed her some of my culinary skills, I was no Master Chef, but I could make a mean omelet.
I heard a noise from the stairs and Bo bounded into the kitchen, “Morning Bo, you scared me this morning, I thought I had become paralyzed,” I said with a grin on my face.
I opened the kitchen door, and Bo ran into the garden, I could smell the freshness of the grass as it flooded into the kitchen, today would be a good day.
I turned back toward the stove, and Kendall stood leaning against the kitchen counter. She rubbed her eyes as she looked in my direction.
“A good start to the day I see,” she said as she stretched her arms above her head.