Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Reason Hinty Billion I hate my neighbors.

So today? Girl Child and Boy Child were playing "getting all of their crap out of mom's car" whilst Jason and I were doing laundry. We heard the door bang open and slam shut and really I doubt either one of us thought a thing about it until Girl Child rushed into the bedroom, wringing her hands.

(While I hate that she has to wring her hands about things, can I say I actually think it's really cute that she wrings her hands when she's worried? I've never met anyone else in real life who actually wrings their hands when they are worried. She's precious.)

"I need help," she said. "Neighbor Child asked me what rape means."

So many, many times I have felt the painful ache of being a mother. Loving someone more than life itself and having no idea how to help them. Letting your heart, your entire heart, walk around outside your body. Most of the time, being a mother is the greatest joy I have ever known. Other times? It is completely impossible.

This was one of those times.

"Why?" I asked, trying not to let my voice rise to the level of utter terror I felt in that moment.

"A boy on the railroad tracks wearing a red hood told her he was going to rape her."

Neighbor Child? Is five years old.

Jason and I exchanged a look. Before I could say another word, he was out the door.

"What did you say?" I asked her, taking her hands in mine so she would stop wringing them.

"I told her go please ask her mom," my daughter, my little daughter who is not even twelve years old said to me. "Was that okay? I didn't know what to say."

"That was okay," I assured her. "Is her mom home?"

"I think so."

"Okay, that's fine. Girl Child?"

"Yes mom?"

"Do you know what rape means?"

Her face contorted. "Yes, I know what it means. And it's not funny mom. It's not a joke. I don't know why that boy would say it."

"I don't know either."

"Did daddy go to find that boy?"

"I don't know. Let's go out on the porch and see."

I don't know how we walked to the front of the house. It's probably only about a thousand feet from where we were, but it felt so much longer. I don't know how I resisted the urge to grab up my little child, my little baby girl, and hold her close to me. Promise her that I wouldn't let anyone ever hurt her.

I couldn't, though.

We were only on the porch for a moment before Jason came back down our street. He hadn't went to look for the boy. Instead, he went to Neighbor Child's home.

He didn't look happy.

"I told her dad or whoever he was what she said," he told me after Girl Child was out of earshot. "He said, 'Oh, she told me that. I didn't think nothin' of it.'"

I swear to God, I think my heart stopped for a moment.

"You mean to tell me," I hissed. "That that little child, that LITTLE CHILD, went and told that asshat that someone threatened to rape her and he thought NOTHING OF IT?"

He rolled his eyes.

"OH MY GOD JASON!"

"I know," he said, quietly. "I know."

"Jason!"

"Her mom was just pulling in, so I told her," he assured me. "She said she'd try to figure out who it was."

My blood was still boiling though. In fact, hours have gone by and I'm still so angry I can barely see straight.

Neighbor Child's mother came down to our house a little while later and told us she had figured out who the boy was.

He's thirteen.

Probably? He's a dickless little piece of crap who gets his rocks off by scaring little girls. He's the same little douchepotato that thought it would be hilarious to tear down part of our backyard fence. You remember him? The one whose mother, when confronted by my husband about her child trespassing and destroying our property, told my husband to go f himself and then told the police officer to go f himself as well when he came to try to resolve the issue? Him.

So basically telling his mother would probably only serve to encourage the little sociopath to be even more of prickwad.

At dinner we talked to Girl Child about how proud we were of her. How she did exactly the right thing by telling her mom and dad. How if anyone ever, EVER said anything like to her she had not only our permission but blessing to beat the utter shiz out of them. Using all her ninja skills if she so choices. Hitting below the belt as much as humanly possible with no private parts off limits.

Even so. I'm mad tonight. I'm mad that rape exists. I'm even madder that a five year old girl was threatened with it. And mostly? I'm mad that even though things like this happen right here in this city I live in and some douchenozzle acts like it's "nothing". That he didn't think "nothin' of it".

How is it possible to not lose your mind when your child, your baby, comes to you and says someone threatened to hurt her? I nearly lost mine and she's not my child. Not my baby.


It is no wonder I do not sleep at night. It's no wonder.

17 comments:

Jessa said...

Um, if someone said that to my 6 year old I'd be running them over with my car. Yeah...just like that.

Sarcasta-Mom said...

That whole situation makes me hurt inside. It's a scary world that we live in, and unfortunatly, even with kids it's not always talk. We had to experience something along those lines ourselves with our 7 year old daughter and a 12 year old neighbor boy. You just want to cry- and break a boy's face in. It's horrible and confusing. It really does make it hard to sleep knowing our babies have to face this world, and we're not always there to hold their hand.....

Bexterrific said...

This is awful. Just plain awful. Give girl child an extra hug from me.

M said...

This made me cry. A lot. For that little girl and her useless fuck parents. For that 13 year old boy who is obviously SO fucked up. For your sweet sweet daughter and her hand wringing. And with relief that she and boychild have YOU and JASON and a safe and secure family to make sure she knows how the world SHOULD work. Not how the sleezewad morons down the street seem to make it work.

I'm going to go back to crying for my sad little heart for all the fucked upedness our children get to experience that we can do absolutely nothing the hell about. Except what you do. Which so doesn't feel like enough.

Parenting is tough tough impossible horrible tough beans.

Katy said...

OMG... I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking maybe you didn't get a reaction out of the "man" of the house because he participates in that very vile activity with the young man living in his home... Time to move. I'd love to have you as a neighbor.

AVG aka YaYa's Mom

Angie said...

I would put in a call to social services. Those little dickless wonders are the type who use other objects in place of and do horrible things to small children. He is walking down the road that leads to a psychopathic adult.

Bethany said...

Holy crap, I wasn't even there & I am FURIOUS! I want to punch that boy, his mother and that little girl's father right in the damn face. I don't know what I'm more angry about- what the boy said, that his mother wouldn't care or that the father blew it off? My husband and I would have looked for that boy right away and called the cops. What the hell is wrong with people?

Karin's Korner said...

This situation just makes me want to cry. Oh My Goodness, what is her father thinking?? This is his baby girl for the LOVE OF GOD!!! I almost feel sorry for the boy though, He has parents that don't care one iota for him and he is going to grow up and live in prison because his family did not care enough to teach him right from wrong. What is wrong with parents these days???

Catherine said...

Did anyone call the police? Maybe this boy threatened Neighbor Child, but will act on his fantasy with another child.

I, too, cannot fathom how it is possible to not lose your mind if your child comes to you saying that someone threatened her (or him).

Steph said...

The police took a report. Not sure how much good it will do, but we didn't feel right not calling.

Tamar said...

Good for you for calling. If - God forbid - that kid does do something criminal, at least you'll know that you tried to wave a warning flag.

Poor little girl. What kind of father does she have, anyway?!

David. said...

This makes me uncomfortable, so much so, I feel almost like throwing up. The fact that you all, my little cousins specifically, are within a thousand miles of that boy is terrifying to me.

Remember, I'm right down the road if you ever are in a position where you would have to leave them alone and you need someone to watch them. I love them too much to even leave an opportunity for anything that horrific to ever happen to them.

Jenski said...

That made my stomach turn.

Except for the part about what good people you and your family are.

Jocelyn said...

I was covered with goosebumps while reading this.

NO. effing. way.

Crap.

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

I can't believe the nonchalant reaction of her dad. Ty-man would have been out the door, hunting down the little rat who said that to her.

Some people just really suck.

PaintedPromise said...

i just have to wonder if perhaps the man is the Neighbor Child's step-father (or mom's boyfriend)? not that it should make a difference, but... with some people, it does.

regardless, holy hell would descend on any person who threatened one of MY girls... sh*t i'd probably end up in the slammer myself.

that whole thing is just NOT RIGHT - except of course, for darling Girl Child. i am so glad that HER parents realize what a gem they have!!!!!!!!!