Chapter Five:I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore.

"Miss.Blackfield, I think it's time to consider the fact that Chad needs to withdraw from school. His condition is getting much worse. Today he hit his classmate with a rock when he was just trying to be friendly. It's so annoying that we have to put up with convincing the parents not to press charges, but the school board of directors are looking into the matter, but for the time being. He should be at home."

Valerie sat beside a sleeping Chad in the hospital ward, while going over his teacher's words. Chad was autistic and the impact of that was nothing to write home about in the school and everyone around him, because he was an oversensitive child.

But Valerie knew that the teacher talking about Chad being violent wasn't his fault. His classmate must have tipped him off, he doesn't get violent that easily. Chad could never hurt a fly to talk more of hitting his classmate.

She didn't think twice about the teacher's words anymore, because it wasn't just at school. The world was a messy place for people who are disabled. It wasn't favorable to her, who was normal. Then, to talk of her seven-year-old cousin, she just felt tired…of everything.

Chad was so pitiful.

Having lost his father at an early age, Valerie and her sister didn't come for him because their brother's girlfriend seemed to be doing a wonderful job at taking care of him, and treating him right as the last gift Landon gave her.

But everything changed when she found out that he had autism. The guts of a mother abandoning her own child when he was five, the influence of that and what was wrong with Chad made the poor young child's condition worse.

At first, it was different to adapt to the change because it wasn't just her and Vanessa anymore. But she came to fall in love with her cousin. After all, he's her brother's child.

Vanessa wasn't much around, so she was typically everything Chad had. People usually think that she gave birth to him, so that earned her a bad name among the old folks that lived in the neighborhood.They see her as a young single mother that ruined her future.

But she doesn't care, as long as she is able to take care of Chad. She doesn't care what society says about her or her cousin anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Chad. I know you are going through a lot even though you are not telling me about it. I just want you to know that  i am not leaving, Chad. I will be here, every single step of the journey till you are okay." She cried, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes.

So much for saying that she didn't want to use Vanessa's bloody money, she knew that now that Chad won't be going to school anymore until there was some kind of improvement in him. She will have to hire a personal tutor, just the thought of that and the stress that she's going to have to do that.

It's unfortunate that he doesn't talk to just anyone, so hiring a private tutor who will understand that he's a special kid, and not like the others child will eat a lot of money. One that she doesn't have on her at the moment, unless she swallows her pride and uses Vanessa's money.

His daily visits to the doctor are eating up a huge slump of her money, which she doesn't complain about. Knowing now that she had a lot in her hand to do, Valerie thought of another part-time job that she could take on to provide their rent and daily needs.

A knock on the door brought her back to reality, to see Doctor Gloria walk into the room where she was with Chad, who was supposed to be awake now. She said that the drugs she administered to him were to get him to sleep, since he hadn't been able to do that for days.

"So, are you going to consider pulling him out of school?" Doctor Gloria asked.

Valerie felt bad, she had him in school because Chad was antisocial, no! He was too slow at interacting with other people apart from her. All she wanted was an improvement to be on his part.

If he's okay, she won't have to rush out of work like she did today, and nearly had a heart attack when she heard what his teacher said.

"I have no choice." She replied, trying to hold her tears. But she broke down the moment Gloria touched her arm to console her. "I'm so tired of everything. I don't think i can do this anymore." She cried.

The doctor didn't ask about what exactly she was tired of, even if she did. Valerie didn't seem like she was in her right mind to start telling her how it was just her and Chad now that Vanessa vanished into thin air, without caring that this would have a huge influence on Chad.

It's alarming that he doesn't do well with people leaving him, and Vanessa has to do that without considering him. Just what in the world was going on with her that she just couldn't tell her?

Valerie cried.

"Auntie..Val?" Chad woke up at that moment, which made Valerie turn to her side and wipe the tears from her face before facing him.

"Hey big boy!" She caressed his hair, as he smiled, then looked at Gloria before looking away instantly, but eventually greeted her.

"How are we doing today, Chad?" Doctor Gloria asked. "Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Valerie looked at him, she knew that he knew that she already had an idea about what happened at school. 

After all, on rare occasions when he is feeling too happy, he talks more than he does in a day. He has said that his teacher talks too much.

He bent his head to avoid looking at her and Valerie, which they took as a sign that he didn't want to talk. He was squeezing his hand to the point that he might bleed, but Valerie took it into hers.

"What would you like to eat, Chad? I will buy everything you want today?" Valerie said, with a smile.

"Re.. Really?" He asked, raising his head up with a smile on his face. 

"Of course, anything for Chad as long as he's a good boy and doesn't lie to his auntie." She manipulated him, which made him let out a deep breath before looking up at Gloria.

"I..hit him…he said..Chad ..an orphan. He's.. bad." He confessed, with tears rolling down his face, which made Valerie come to sit beside him.

"What he said wasn't good, but at the same time, Chad. You shouldn't have hit him, but report it to your teacher." She said, but he shaked his head and tugged his hand out of her own in anger.

"No! Teacher hits .. Chad. She says.. Chad don't come to school anymore." He cried.

Valerue understood everything he said, including Gloria, who documented everything that he said.

She wiped her face, before turning to Gloria. "Can we leave and come back tomorrow?"

"Of course, just make sure he gets enough rest and takes his drugs. This is a serious issue of abuse, and just because he's sick doesn't mean that he doesn't have a right of his own. I will see you tomorrow, Valerie." Gloria said, while Valerie carried Chad and took her handbag.

"See you tomorrow, Chad." Doctor Gloria said, while Chad said nothing. He was still crying on Valerie's shoulder.

By the time they got back home, it was late in the night, and he was already asleep. She didn't wake him up for dinner since he wouldn't want to go back to sleep again.

She got him out of his clothes, and saw the mark on his back. She broke down in tears, one that she controlled by covering her mouth so as not to wake him up.

The mark was still fresh, although it didn't seem like he was hit today. Valerie blamed herself for being a bad auntie.

She didn't see that, no! She's been too busy keeping him at their neighbors' and coming home late to know what's up with him.

"I'm so sorry, forgive this careless sister of yours." She said, before turning the light off in his room. She went out of his room to see that the windows were open.

Weird!

She didn't leave them open before leaving today, but Valerie didn't consider that much since Chad was here. He might have forgotten to do that while she was busy trying to get to work today.

Regardless, she went to close it and took a peep outside to see a sleek black car parked in the neighborhood in front of the apartment building.

She didn't think twice about who owns that. Before closing her window, she cleaned up and was out like a light from exhaustion.