Shit, he was scared. He normally tried putting on the tough guy act, but to be honest, it wasn’t him.
Inside, he was damaged. Hurt. Abandoned.
He pushed Scarlett along slowly, trying to summon all his strength to do so. It was two AM and he was not at all up to doing this. He didn’t even know where they were, as it was very unfamiliar. It all looked the same to him, though he was guessing they were somewhere in the Bronx.
He spotted an alley and double-checked to make sure there were no dodgy people around. He sank onto the ground, rubbing his temples angrily.
"Fuck you, Dad..." he mumbled. With that, he fell asleep.
*****
He awoke to an ear-piercing wail, and realized unhappily that it was his sister. Her face was red with rage from hunger, her blue eyes were filled with tears, and like himself, she was damaged, hurt, and abandoned.
Gently, Jack picked her up and rocked her, singing one of his favorite songs, I’ll Be Missing You.
He hummed softly, thinking about the meaning. It had always meant a lot to him. His song, he called it. He had sung it once at a concert at school.
Seems like yesterday we used to rock the show
I laced the track, you locked the flow
So far from hanging on the block for dough
Notorious, they got to know that
Life ain’t always what it seem to be, uh-uh
Words can’t express what you mean to me
Even though you’re gone, we still a team
Through your family, I’ll fulfill your dream, that’s right
In the future, can’t wait to see
If you open up the gates for me
Reminisce some time, the night they took my friend, uh-huh
Try to black it out, but it plays again
When it’s real, feelings hard to conceal
Can’t imagine all the pain I feel
Give anything to hear half your breath, half your breath
I know you still living your life after death.
She was calming down now. She always did when Jack sang it to her.
Every step I take, every move I make
Every single day, every time I pray
I’ll be missing you
Thinking of the day when you went away
What a life to take, what a bond to break
I’ll be missing you.
"I will, Scarlett. I will..." he whispered tentatively.
Every night I pray, every step I take
Every move I make, every single day
Every night I pray, every step I take...
"I’ll never let that happen...I’ll never let you get in no trouble…"
He was crying now, tears streaming down his pale face.
"I miss you, Mom...I miss you." Clasping his baby sister in one arm and a pushchair in the other, he walked and gazed up into the cloudless blue sky.
I’ll be missing you.