Power of Hate 2: The Pain of Truth
A little more time in the life of Jaden Freeborn.
The Pain of Truth The eighteen-year-old tiger slowly surveyed his room. His bed was perfectly made and the hardwood floor gleamed in the early morning twilight. He didn't bother to open the closet or the antique mahogany dresser against the far wall. He'd long since outgrown the clothes they held. In truth, with the exception of three posters and a calendar, most motel rooms had more life than this room. Even with the posters, the walls were devoid of character. There were no tack holes or discoloration in the slate gray plaster. The morning light, filtering through the off-white lace curtains refused to provide warmth to the room. The calendar, at least, added a bit of color but not much character. The picture of a ramshackle cabin still locked in frozen eternity above the month of December was false due to the fact that it was nearly May. The first poster was of a football player in the middle of spiking his football after a touchdown. If asked, the only thing the teen might have been able to say about the poster was that the guy played for the Bengals and that would only be because the name was emblazoned all over the print. The second poster, of a busty vixen stretched across a muscle car, seemed normal enough. If asked about it he'd be able to tell anyone that the car was a replica of a '66 Shelby Cobra 427 A/C and could even point out the details that gave away the fact that it wasn't an original. However, without looking directly at the poster he wouldn't be able to tell if the fox's skimpy swimsuit was black or red. The final poster was of his high school's track star. The picture had been taken right after the rabbit had won the state championship and had been autographed "To Jay, thanks for your support, Mitch". Jay still felt that it wasn't his best work. It looked overly posed and he knew that several of the other photos he'd submitted would have looked better once enlarged to poster format. However, the school had made the final choice and the poster had only sold about a hundred copies. He carefully took down the poster, rolled it up, and slid it into his backpack. Then he pulled out another calendar and replaced the one on the wall. The new one was even more out of date than the one he had taken down. The new one was eight-years-old and was turned to January. The picture displayed had been glued to the surface and extensively photo-shopped. It was black and white of a young tiger lying face down in the snow. The only color was from red ink leaking from the body and running out of the frame of the picture and on down the calendar until it seemed to collect and cover a single date. Jay tossed the old calendar he'd taken down on the floor marring the room's state of stark cleanliness. With that accomplished he nodded to himself and left the room taking only his backpack with him. "Jaden, are you up?" A female voice yelled from down the hall. "Damn," Jaden mumbled before answering, "Yes Mother, I'm awake." "Would you come in the living room, please?" "Give me a few minutes. I forgot to take the trash and recyclables out last night so I've got to do it now; before the collection truck gets here." He yelled back as he ran through the kitchen and into the garage. Instead of grabbing the bins and taking them out into the alley, which he'd already done the night before, he exited through the front door. He ducked down behind the hedge that ran along the driveway, so that he wouldn't be seen, and dashed down to the street. He glanced both ways and was relieved to see a familiar red '67 Mustang coupe idling two houses down. As he headed for the car it pulled forward to meet him. He sighed as he ran his hand along the name "Tyler McDaniels: Angelic Navigator" etched in gold paint over the passenger door. Then he quickly tossed his pack through the open window into the back seat. "It seems my parents got up before me so I'm not going to be able to adjust the camera without them noticing. So, is everything working on this end?" Jaden asked the driver. "Yeah, the resolution isn't the best but so long as everyone stays in the living room you're all set." The young rabbit, from the poster, said as he turned the laptop sitting in the passenger seat so that Jaden could see the screen. It showed the living room with his mother seated on the sofa. His father was pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table, his tail twitching in agitation. "Are you really sure you want to do this? You know how this is likely to go." "I've been planning this for the last eight years, so I'm not going to back out now. I just want you to be ready for when things go bad. I'll be coming out through the door to the garage but keep a close eye on the video feed. If things go really badly don't worry about the paint. It'll be easier and cheaper repainting the Mustang than a trip to the emergency room." Jaden said, before he quickly turned and ran back along the hedge to the house. As he re-entered the garage he made sure to leave the door open. He also didn't completely close the kitchen door as he hurried across to the entrance to the living room. "It's about time you got in here. You know how we feel about not taking your chores seriously. However, since today is your birthday, your mother and I have decided to let this incident slide; this time." Jaden's father said pointing his finger directly at Jaden's forehead. "I promise, after today, you'll never have to remind me to anything ever again." Jaden replied as he leaned against the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. He wrapped his tail around his leg and tried to look repentant. "I'll be sure to remind you of that promise the next time you screw up. You'll get double your punishment for mouthing off like that." Jaden's father said slapping his paws together as though he'd already caught his son misbehaving. "Now Dear, enough of this talk of punishment. This is supposed to be a happy day. Please, tell Jaden what you're doing for his birthday." Jaden's mother said, as she stood up and moved to her husband's side. "Yes, of course." Jaden's father replied as he allowed himself to be guided to his recliner. "Son, I've decided to get a new car, so your mother and I have agreed to sell you our old car at a very generous price. Of course you're going to have to pay for your own gas and insurance." Jaden choked slightly and his tail started twitching in agitation. "Yes, I'm sure this is quite a surprise, but I'm not finished. You're eighteen now and you're going to need your own vehicle. Especially when you start your job as an intern at the station." Jaden's father said, before sitting down with a huge grin plastered across his muzzle. Jaden's mother returned to her place on the couch while they gave Jaden time to absorb the news. He silently stared at them for several minutes. "So, let me get this straight. You're giving me a job at your Christian Alternative Television station and selling me your old car?" "That's right. Of course you'll have to start at an entry level. Just because I'm the owner doesn't mean you're going to get any special treatment. You're going to start at the bottom and work your way up. Sure you'll be doing menial tasks like running errands and carrying equipment, but I'm sure in a year or two we'll have you working with the camera crew like you've always wanted." "Can I say something?" Jaden asked as he stood up straight and stepped completely into the living room. "Of course you can thank me for providing you with such a wonderful opportunity." Jaden's father said as he leaned back to accept his son's response. Jaden rolled his eyes and backed his ears, "Have you ever, even once, considered what I want? Don't bother answering I already know that you haven't; after all, you've never even bothered to ask me. Well guess what, you can take your job, your television station, and your wreck of a car and shove them up the hole God refuses to shine out of. That is of course, if you take the time to pull your holier than everyone else's head out of it first." Jaden said. He even made sure to smirk slightly at the look of shock on his parent's faces. "Jaden Oliver Freeborn! I will not tolerate you speaking of the Lord that way." Jaden's mother yelled as she jumped to her feet. Jade just glared at her as though daring her to slap him before looking back toward his father. "As for the car I'm sure the only reason you want to sell it to me is because the dealership is refusing to give you as much as you want on it as a trade in." "Listen you ungrateful . . ." Jade's father started to say as he stood back up. "No, you listen. I'm eighteen now and there are a few things I have to say. I don't want or need your job. Just so you know I've been working for the last two years and I'm more than satisfied where I am." Jaden interrupted his father's tirade before it could even start. He also had to force himself not to step back away from his parents. "Oh really? I don't see how that's possible. If you had a job then we would have known about it. We would have noticed if you had extra spending money or if you were out late." "I'm not surprised you never noticed; considering how very short sighted you really are. If you take just a little time to think about it you'll realize that you both work late so you'd never notice me being gone so long as I got home before either of you did and that wasn't hard considering my boss is very flexible. So long as I get my work done in a timely manner, and my customers don't have any complaints, he's happy. As for having extra money, well I've been spending it, just not on a lot of material things." "How much are you getting paid?" Jaden's mother quickly asked. Jaden pointedly ignored her. "Moving on, I don't want your old wreck of a car because I already own the perfect vehicle. That's one of the things I've been spending my money on. After all, as you pointed out, things like insurance and gas aren't cheap. Plus there's the fact that I've had to pay parking fees since I knew there was no way you'd allow me to park it here at your house." "I suggest you drop the attitude right now young man, otherwise you're going to find yourself out on the street!" Jaden's father yelled, as he raised his paw with his claws fully extended and advanced on his son. "Calm down Dear, remember what the Doctor said about you blood pressure." Jaden's mother said, as she grabbed her husband's arm and tried to maneuver him back toward his chair. "Yeah Dad, I wouldn't want you dropping dead. At least not before I finish what I have to say." "Jaden! I think you've said enough," his mother yelled as she tried to get her husband to sit down. "No Mother, I've been waiting too long to say my piece; and God knows, I've waited long enough to say it." Jaden said, as he stood his ground and continued to glare at both of them. "If you say one more thing you're on your own. No more financial support, no job, no home, no college trust fund, and no future." Jaden's father said as he finally sat down. "Hah! If that's a threat then you really don't know anything about me. If you'd ever taken the time to really look around you'd have noticed that I don't have a home. Oh sure, you keep me here and pull me out for social occasions when it suits you but that isn't really living. As for financial support, not that I consider money to be all that important the way you do, I've already told you I have a well paying job. I doubt you'd be impressed, considering I'm working in a junk yard, but I love being able to work with my hands and at the end of the day I feel that I've truly accomplished something. Plus, if that wasn't enough, it includes full health, eye, and dental insurance plus other fringe benefits that you could never even begin to understand." "A junk yard? You're giving up the chance at making something of your life to work in a junkyard? I get it, this is all just a big joke." Jaden's mother said, as she started to smile. "You know, you really had me going there for a minute, and I have to say that I strongly disapprove of your risking your father's health over such a childish prank. Still..." "Yeah, it's all just a big joke. So, tell me, what part of the joke is the fact that my car is a cherry red '67 Custom Mustang Coupe? One that I inherited eight years ago, but both of you tried to keep me from finding out about?" Jaden asked, as he prepared to run if need be. "What!" Both of his parents yelled. "That's right, I know that Tyler left his car to me when he died. It's kind of hard to keep something like that a secret. Especially when the person you're keeping it from has a key to the same bank box as Tye's mom. That's also why your threat of taking away any financial support, is so laughable. Before they died both Nate and Tye opened a savings account and got a bank box with all three of our names on it. I admit that at the time I didn't really understand what I was signing or why I had to keep it a secret. However, all things considered, I can now see that they were worried about me and knew that some day I would need their help. I only wish I could have understood what they had done for me while they were still alive. Still, when I did figure it out I was surprised to discover that I had more in my personal savings account than you're attempting to hold over my head in that 'college trust fund'. If that fund even exists which I highly doubt." "Oh, it existed, but it's beginning to look like I'll be able to use that money to buy myself a new car because you're not going to get any of it." Jaden's father said as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Go ahead, I'm sure you'll make the choice that's in your best interest; you always do. Not that it matters since I have two other funds set up to pay for my education. One is in Nathan Freeborn's name from his parents, Uncle Joe and Aunt Ruth and the other is in Tyler McDaniels' name from Aunt Jess." "You don't have any relatives with those names." Jaden's mother practically spat out, the anger clearly written by the scowl on her face, flattened ears and rapidly twitching tail. "Oh, that's right, after you made sure that I was completely cut off from them. You went to such drastic lengths to make sure they couldn't contact me, yet you failed to even consider the possibility that I'd reach out to them. Not that it really matters anymore but you both need to wake up and realize that you can't control everything in life; especially me. As for Aunt Jess, well, you'll probably know her better as Tyler's mother, Representative Jessica McDaniels, or as Dad's television station likes to call her 'That Gay Supporting Bitch' that needs to be 'put in the ground before she corrupts any more of our cubs'." Jaden literally growled out the quote as he unconsciously extended his own claws. "From the sound of it I was justified making that statement." Jaden's father laughed, "I'll be sure to point out that her insidious lies can even corrupt cubs raised in good Christian households." Jaden shook his head. "That's rich considering you don't even know the difference between a good Christian and a Christian fundamentalist tyrant. Anyway, I prefer just calling her Aunt Jess since it's so much easier to say. She's also made it clear that as soon as you kick me out or I get fed up with your crap she'll always have a place for me to 'come home to'. The point I've been trying to make is that, right now, I'm not only the most financially stable one in the room I'm also the richest. Considering how much importance you place on both spiritual and monetary wealth and how you've always tried to use that as a major controlling point in my life you've got to be feeling pretty damn powerless right now." Jaden smiled as both of his parents just sat in a slight state of shock. "Now, before you can collect your thoughts, there are a few more things I need to say. Eight years ago, right after Nate's funeral and Tye's suicide I told you that I hated you. For a long time I continued to hate you but as I've gotten older and, hopefully wiser, that's changed. I don't hate you anymore instead all I feel for you is pity. All you have is money and blind faith with no compassion or love. While I, despite your best efforts to make me into what you considered to be the perfect son, have nearly everything I could ever want. Even if I didn't have more money than I really need, a job, and the perfect car I'd still have more than you do. I have a place I can call home, loving surrogate parents, and a boyfriend who loves me just the way that I am." "WHAT?" Jaden's father yelled as he struggled to get back out of his chair. His claws ripping through the expensive leather armrests. "Still, I'd more than willingly give it all of that up, except for Mitch of course, just to have real parents that love and accept me for who and what I am and to have Nate and Tye back in my life. But that's never . . ." "GET OUT! You're not my son. I will not have your diseased kind in my house." Jaden's mother yelled as she jumped up, grabbing the lamp off the end table and hurling it into the kitchen as Jaden sprinted through the room, into the garage, and down the lane. He only slowed enough to get into the Mustang. He pulled his seatbelt on as Mitch hit the gas spinning the tires as they shot away from the curb. "I guess that bridge is now well burned. I hope some day they'll come to their senses, but I know that they never will. It's not right hating people just because of whom they love. Take me home Mitch, I don't feel like going into school today." Jaden said, as he wiped at his eyes trying not to cry. "Hell no, I'm heading for the police station! Watch the video of what happened as you were running for the car." Mitch said, as he slowed the car back down to the speed limit. Jaden frowned as he grabbed his laptop and advanced the video to the point where his mother threw the lamp. Rather than following him she turned back to his father. "I want you to take care of this, just like you did with Nathan. Like I told you then I will not have one of those in my family." "He'll be harder to take care of, since he won't be as trusting as Nathan was, but I agree it has to be done. We can't let their kind infect good people with their sickness. I'll get..." Jaden's father started, but the video ended. Jaden sat in the passenger seat, tears streaming down his face, as Mitch reached over and took his paw. "I'm here, we'll get through this, together. I promise." End