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Barry hated how his mother, Victoria, was treated like an unpaid slave who wasn’t supposed to utter a contrary word in front of their father. He hated how his father thought physical violence was the only form of discipline. Patrick had no problems whipping the skin off his children’s backs if they so much as thought of contradicting him.
He despised how everyone in their church was a pseudo-spy. They watched each other like hawks in an attempt to catch and quell any signs of critical thinking and opposing thought.
He especially loathed how seeking medical attention was frowned upon. Anyone who did was judged for giving into the sinners’ propaganda.
It all came to a head when Barry was sixteen. His younger sister became extremely ill but his parents refused to seek medical attention for her. Barry begged and begged for them to take the little girl to the hospital. No one listened, and he even got a whipping for his efforts. Instead, they tried to cure his sister with wet towels and herbal baths. By the time they acknowledged that maybe a doctor could help, she was gone.
“Oh no!” Xolani’s hand flew to her chest. She couldn’t even begin to experience how he must’ve felt in that situation. She reached out and took the hand that was closest to her. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He clenched his jaw. “You didn’t kill her. They did.”
Xolani didn’t know what to say to that. She squeezed his hand to silently let him know that she understood.
“I ran away the night after her funeral,” Barry revealed, “and went to my maternal aunt, Nancy.”
Nancy had a PHD in defying conventions. She was an agnostic, child-free lesbian who directed and produced ‘ungodly’ movies. Her own family only tolerated her, and Barry’s parents outright despised her. To them, she was the Anti-Christ in human form. Her very existence mocked their beliefs about the place of women.
One would think that the awful way they spoke and treated Nancy would make her wary of allowing any of their progeny into her home. But no! Nancy had welcomed Barry with open arms.
“Patrick found me just a few weeks later,” he continued. “When I refused to go back with him, things got wild.”
There was stalking, threatening calls to his aunt’s workplace, unexpected pop-ups at his new school, physical violence… name it and it happened. It’s only after the police were called that his father backed off because he didn’t want the authorities looking too deeply into them.
“By the end of the fiasco, I was officially disowned.” Barry’s lips tilted in a wiry smile. “My aunt and I threw a party.”
Still holding his hand, Xolani asked, “You were relieved?”
“I was.” He nodded. “It felt like I’d just escaped prison. I hated all those people with a passion I can’t explain. I can’t… I don’t… ah…” He stole a look at her. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this. I’ve never even told Nigel.”
“Because you trust me_” She interlocked her fingers with him. “_Like I trust you.”
Barry didn’t deny it. In fact, he smiled.
Xolani asked, “Do you still talk to any of your family?”
“A bit.” He explained, “There was no contact until Aunt Nancy died when I was twenty-two and left everything to me. My parents and siblings showed up demanding a share of the inheritance.”
“No way.” The words emerged from Xolani’s lips in a sharp gasp. “After how they treated her? Nooo. They weren’t that bold.”
“They were,” Barry confirmed.
“Please tell me you gave them nothing.”
His silent response made untangle her fingers from his and slap his thigh.
“Are you crazy?” Xolani demanded. His aunt must’ve been rolling in her grave.
“It was a lot of money, and I didn’t give any to my parents. Only my siblings.” He defended himself. “They were victims too.”
Xolani wanted to scold him for being too nice. However, she realized that she had no right to judge him when she hadn’t lived his life and didn’t understand the twisted dynamics in his family.
She asked, “So after that, you started talking with them, right?”
“Kind of.” He sighed while bringing the car to a stop at a red-light. “My brothers and sister call occasionally to ask for help. But I haven’t seen them or either of my parents in person in years.”
His words left Xolani feeling indescribably sad, yet also impressed. His life had been extremely hard and lonely. No one enjoyed being the black sheep of the family.
Most people would’ve broken under the pressure of all the bullshit he’d had to deal with. But Barry seemed so well-adjusted and grounded. She would never have guessed how bad his early life was.
