Read Online Among the Shrouded by Amalie Jahn - Free Book Online

then Mildred would have never become his mother.  However, it was a shocking blow as a child when Beatrice’s husband, Frank, began using a belt on him whenever the opportunity arose. 
    At that time, he was just beginning to understand what the voice in his head was suggesting when it woke him at two in the morning and urged him to hide from a drunken Frank who was arriving home from the local bar.  He had initially ignored the nagging feelings of anxiety that began cluttering his thoughts. However, after several unprovoked lashings, he began listening to the fear that boiled up inside his gut.  Hiding and avoiding confrontation became a way of life for him.  And, on the handful of occasions when he suppressed the anxiety and attempted to stand up to his foster father, he found he was no match for Frank physically and proved unable to protect either himself or Beatrice from her husband’s rage.
    He knew if Frank had taught him anything, it was to listen to the protective counseling his gift provided.  It was a lesson he carried with him every day. 
    As his next selection wove its way through the noisy chaos of the atrium, he could not help but wonder what had happened to Beatrice in the years since he had been removed from her home.  He hoped she was safe, wherever she was.
    His tip jar was quite full and he was considering packing his belongings to head home when he noticed a young woman standing at the far side of the atrium.  She bore a striking resemblance to the woman from the police station, but he was cautious about approaching her after what had transpired with the woman on the bus the week before.  He waited to confirm she was actually the officer before chancing another awkward situation.  His fingers continued to play, but he watched the woman who was standing patiently outside the jewelry store.  After several moments, she turned so he could see her face. He realized he had been holding his breath and released it slowly when he saw it was indeed the officer from the station.  His fingers hurried to complete the song he was playing, as he was unwilling to cut off the piece before its end. He hoped he would be able to finish before she moved out of sight. 
    And then, with only several measures to go, a man came out of the jewelry store and placed his arm around her shoulders.  She returned his ridiculously large grin and they began walking together out of the atrium.  He was carrying a small bag, and it was obvious to him they had just purchased the jewelry together.
    His heart sank and he felt as though he had been punched in the gut.  He conjured up the most melancholy song in his repertoire and began to play, without regard to the listeners of whom he was requesting tips.  He was angry at himself for the way he was reacting, but found he could do nothing to suppress it.  Like it or not, he was heartbroken at the sight of the officer with another man.
    After packing up his belongings, he took the number seven bus home.  Although Mildred often waited up, he was especially happy to see the kitchen light on as he entered the tiny row home they shared.
    “Well, goodness, who died?” she said as soon as she saw him coming through the door.
    “Aw, Ma , it’s so stupid,” he said.  He threw down his backpack and sat beside his mother at the kitchen table, resting his head in his hands.
    “Did you get dinner?” she asked.
    “A little.  Not really.  No,” he replied.
    “I made soup.  Would you like some?  You can tell me what’s going on while you eat.”
    “Sure , Ma.  I’d love some,” he said.  He hesitated to go on, fully aware of how his mother would react to anything he had to share concerning a woman.  He waited until she placed the bowl of soup in front of him before he began.  The steam from the bowl warmed his cheeks and the familiar aroma seemed somehow to calm his weary soul.
    “So I met this girl…”
    “A girl!” Mildred exclaimed.
    “Yes, Ma.  A girl.  But