Sitting rigid in her seat, Avery turned to t.v. on and turned the volume down way low. Advancing her chances at being able to watch it for a short while.
The channel was set upon the News. She was about to change it when she saw a picture of a little girl flash before her eyes. She clicked the 'Closed Captioning' on to understand what was going on.
CC:
NewsWoman: Today a local child, Little Emily Bower, was placed into a foster
home away form the abusive hands of her mother and father.
NewsMan: Her father Jim Bower and her mother Tanya Bower, were both abusing
Little Emily. Recent information has confirmed that the abuse has been going on
for more then three years.
NewsWoman: More tonight nine.
NewsMan: See you then.
Avery gasped loudly. Her noise did not go unnoticed and she heard her mother calling her. As quickly and as quietly as possible, she turned the t.v off and crept off towards the garage. Questions building in her mind, and she needed answers.
Knocking softly, Avery waited to be allowed entrance into her brothers recording studio.
Isaac looked up from his guitar and smiled. "Hey, Avie. What's up?" He asked as he looked back down at the strings to concentrate.
"Ikey, who do you send your wishes to?" Avery questioned hesitantly.
Instantly Isaac raised his head again to her. "Why do you ask?" He questioned carefully as he set his guitar down on its stand.
Sighing Avery walked towards him and helped herself to sit on his knee. "Cause I need to know where to send my wishes to."
Isaac nodded his head slowly as if to understand her. "Well, it is close to Christmas, so you can send it to Santa Clause. Or you can even write to Jesus." He stated slowly and calmly.
"Will you send it off for me, Ikey?" Avery asked hopefully as she stared up at him. "If I write him?"
"Of course I will." Isaac stated smiling down at her.
Avery nodded her head in resolution. "Okay. I'm going to go write to Jesus." She said jumping off his leg and running for the door.
Her brother's laughter stopped her from stepping out. She turned around to face him. "What?" She asked confused by his laughter.
"Nothing, Avie." Isaac replied shaking his head. "I'm just curious as to what your wishes are."
"Wish." Avery corrected him. "And it's a big one." She said softly as she walked out, closing the door tightly behind her.
Isaac looked at the door for a moment. Wondering about his little sister. 'What could she possibly want?' He questioned himself.
Racing to the room that she shared with her sister Jessica, Avery ran to their desk. She pulled out her 'Lisa Frank' stationary and started her letter. She thought for a moment when she was writing the name. Then she smiled to herself and began to write.
"Here ya go, Ikey." Avery said cheerfully as she handed Isaac her letter thirty minutes later. She eyed him again as she watched him examine her letter.
"You are going to send it to him aren't you?" She asked, she had to make sure that he was.
Isaac grinned at her reassuringly. "Of course I will, squirt." He stated. "Of course I will."
Nodding her head, Avery left. Confident that Jesus was going to get her letter and grant her, her wish.
Isaac watched as his sister walked wobbly on her new crutches. Her right leg lay hidden under a black cast. Swallowing the lump in his throat he gave her the teddy bear him and his brothers had gotten for her to lift her spirits.
She gave him a small smile before she laid herself carefully on the living room couch. Then painkillers were already having a major effect on her.
He felt horrible. Avery was so small and fragile and somehow she had managed to fall down the stairs while him, his brothers, and their father were on the road. Once they heard the news they rushed home. Eager to ease their minds of the horror that ran through them.
Avery was sleeping now. She had fallen sleep in such a short time.
Walking up to his room, Isaac sat at his desk. Exhaustion was weighing heavily on him. Yet he grabbed for his book. Knowing that he could not yet sleep. Flipping to his bookmark he saw an envelope.
Turning it over, he read the front of it. Wondering whom it was addressed to.
He laughed at what he read:
Without even thinking Isaac ripped open the envelope. Reading Avery's letter to Jesus.
'Dear Mister Jesus,
I had to write to you about something that really scared me today. So I'm sending you this letter, in hopes that it will get to you I pray.
I saw it on the news, this girl had been beaten black and blue. I thought that I would take this straight to you.
Mister Jesus, I do not think that I understand, as to why they took her mom and dad away.
I know that they cannot mean to hit her with love and angry hands, just show them how big they really are, I pray.
Isaac took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Pride swelled inside him. His sister cared so much for another girl she never met or knew, but cared for her anyway.
Sighing contently he carried on with the reading of Avery's letter.
'Mister Jesus please read my letter today. Please Mister Jesus, take all her pain away. Because the doctors say that she may die. Oh please Mr. Jesus, don't take her yet into the sky. Let her live the life of a well-loved little girl. Show her Mister Jesus, that she has a place in this world.
Well Dear Mister Jesus, please I need you to tell me what to do.
But please don't tell my daddy, that mommy hits me too.
The letter fell from Isaac's fingers and gently landed on the floor. His breath quickened as his heart began to race. The realization dawned on him harshly. Savagely. Gripping his heart tightly in his chest in a thin sharp
metal net. Tightening as each thought and reasoning fell over him.
The truth started to echo in his mind. Bad memories flooded him.
'My mother is hitting Avery, just like she did to me.'
Anger flashed within his eyes, along with hurt and guilt. Then fat tears began to fall quickly.
