Ordinary Evil
The horrors of humanity breathe in plain sight. Evil owns homes with beautiful lawns and large cars.
It grills on Sundays.
It pays HOA fees.
It chaperones field trips to the zoo.
It adorns its home with beautiful furniture and tacky signs.
It beats its son in the car, blaring the radio afterwards to muffle the screams.
It eats dinner, as a family. It smiles, and then it forgets.
A hopeful, trembling seven year old. A young boy who adores Spongebob, The Legend of Zelda, and stuffed animals.
A hopeful, trembling ember of hope beaten daily.
He cries himself to bed every night, asking himself, "Why does daddy hurt me?"
Yet, every day he tries to be worthy of love.
The beatings don't stop. Yet, the boy's hope flickers.
Today, the school has a book fair. Every child buys copies of Hunger Games and Harry Potter.
This boy buys "How to Raise Happy Kids", and smiles through the cashier's joke telling him "you shouldn't have kids yet."
The boy gives the book to his father. The response: "None of this would work on you."
He thought if he gave his father the right words, his father would be capable of protecting him. The beatings never stopped.
His teachers often asked him why he was bruised. In love, the boy told them that he fell on the way to the bus.
His teachers always asked him to be more careful.
The boy is a good student. A quiet, sensitive, and timid soul. An intelligent young child who doesn't want to burden his teachers.
The boy and his father are sitting with his teacher for the annual parent-teacher conference.
Ms. Franklin looks at the father with a smile. She says, "He is so well behaved. He is a sweet and smart kid. You did an amazing job raising him."
The father thanks the teacher for the praise. Afterwards, the father takes the boy to their beautiful home. He thanks his son for being well behaved at school.
The boy is thirsty, so he fills his Spongebob cup with water. He forgets his cup on the table, prompting his father to beat him.
"Stop crying", he screams while bruising the boy.
Afterwards, they eat dinner, as a family.
The father smiles, and then he forgets.