Chapter 5“Why do you sin? Why did you leave a perfectly good family for such a wretch lifestyle?” A shadow lingered outside the accommodation, contemplating on whether to go in or not. He had presently gotten back from Fred’s residence, who sent him off without another word. “I cannot condemn one who is already forgiven,” he had said solemnly. The guilty boy did not know what he had meant but what he meant, but gratefully left, muttering a concise thank you. After they had exchanged names, he had started to feel more at ease around Fred. He had given him freedom instead of punishment, what he truly deserved. “Why did you leave your family? Is corruption what you want? Living in a life shrouded with darkness?” His words echoed throughout his head as he was walking along the road. “You don’t know my family! I… I HATE them!” he shouted back at him, tears intimidating to fall. What did this all mean? All he sought after was return Fred’s wallet back to him. But he had gotten more then he bargained for. Sighing heavily, he made his way to the front door of his house, preparing to open it when the door flew open, revealing his fuming mother standing in the doorway. Her facial features were indistinguishably distorted by her intense rage as she glared down at him through beady pitch-black eyes that seemed to stare him down. Her mouth was twisted into an irate frown, as her hands rested on her waist. “Where have you been?” she snarled, venom dripped from her every word. “I- I…” He trailed off, not knowing what to say to alleviate his infuriated parent. “I…” But nothing came to mind. He was going to be grounded and then possibly even beaten up, depending on what kind of mood she was in. “You what?” She raised a questioning eyebrow, not really wanting to hear any excuse from him. “Taylor, this is not the first time that you’ve been home late. Were you hanging out with those hooligans again?” “Mom! They’re my friends!” Taylor protested, but soon regretted it as soon as his mother’s eyes glowed again with perpetual wrath. “Friends!” she spat out the word as if it were the vilest thing to ever depart from her tongue. Without warning, she reached over and grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt; dragging him inside the doorway. “I’ll teach you a lesson on disobedience.” Taylor limped over to his bed, traumatizing pain shooting up his right arm; he tenderly rubbed his sorely hurt limb. Even though he knew that what he had done was wrong, that still gave his mother no right to treat him like this. Glancing over to the window, where the rain had finally ceased, leaving multiples of water droplets studded onto the glass; he thought back to his encounter with Fred. He would never understand, Taylor frowned forlornly. How could he make assumptions about my life when he doesn’t even know what is going on? Taylor sighed jadedly while stretching his arms over his head. His eyelids fluttered open and close repeatedly, battling the urge to fall asleep. But his weighty covet to fall onto his soft feathery bed was too much to resist. I’ll- I’ll think about this tomorrow; his thoughts began to drift away as his body made contact with the unsullied material. Suzie walked silently, not wishing to disturb Fred’s serene sleep. He could hear her careful footsteps echoing down the hallway, turning over to a more comfortable position. Arbitrary thoughts plagued his mind; consistently resting on one notion: why did Taylor come back? After being robbed and beaten, it was certainly unanticipated for your attacker to return your wallet. Maybe this child wasn’t really bad after all. Perhaps he was just using a gang to escape from reality; from the direct assault by his problems, whatever they may be. Just as God had said about how non-Christian families are fraudulently hiding their sins, Taylor’s family may be going through the same thing. But just how aberrant are they? Corrupt enough that Taylor would run away from it? What could be going on? So many questions that came rushing in from unfathomable places, but all concerning one thing, or should I say, one person. Still, Fred couldn’t swat away the injured and forsaken look that shone deep in the accommodations of Taylor’s eyes. They left a feeling that just wouldn’t leave. “You don’t know my family!” What was there that he should know? Could something be going on that somehow drags him into joining the gangs and living such a desolate life?