The Cries of the Butterfly - A LOVE STORY (69 page)

Wolf was on her like a leopard. He kicked the blade away, then knelt down and took Robin in his arms, who clutched him fiercely. He held her tightly to him and Wolf could feel her trembles against him. Her tears were wet and hot on his face. He kissed her, without looking up. Nothing else mattered anymore—only that she was back. She was bleeding slightly and her flesh was sizzling, but she would be fine. She was his tough little Butterfly. Then as the police reached them, he thrust his right arm out to stop them from nabbing Moon-Moon.

“Stay away from her!” he warned, winding his arm around the big girl.

“Wolf, the paramedics are here,” Grant said from somewhere to his left.

Wolf nodded and freed Robin. She didn’t want to let go of him, but he smiled at her reassuringly and finally she released him and now grasped grandpa’s hand.

Wolf turned his full attention to Moon-Moon now. She looked so fractured, so wretched, it broke his heart. In spite of himself, he felt truly sorry for her. Sorry with a totality that erased all that had transpired up to now. The cops were desperate to fasten their canines in her, but Wolf kept her firmly in his embrace. She was sobbing, hiding her face with one arm, while the other clasped Wolf’s shirt frantically, as if holding on to her very life.

“Don’t you touch her! Let me handle this,” Wolf barked at the police.

“Mr. Wolf, you must now allow the law to take its course.” It was Sister Blessing.

“Oh, yeah? Where were you fucks when all of this was happening? Do you think this occurred suddenly? It’s your fucking neglect, your unconcern for the children, that precipitated it and you pretend to run a fucking Home? Shame on you!” His fury was such it made Sister Blessing hastily step back.

“Wolf, you
must
let us take it from here.” It was the Chief, Wyatt Hart.

“Don’t you know the law, Chief? Ten year olds don’t fall in your jurisdiction. You or any of your men touch her and I’ll sue the whole fucking department, I swear. I’ll make it the biggest fucking stink this nation has ever seen.”

That stopped the eager dogs.

“And understand this very clearly,” Wolf wagged his finger. “Neither my girl nor I are pressing any charges. So take your business someplace else.”

“Wolf?”

“Fuck off, will you!”

“Hey, it’s me.”

He screwed his head around.
Oh, you! … Why am I so surprised?
It was Maddy.

“You okay?” she said.

“I want to pass out,” he said, suddenly very tired. “Look, your story will have to wait.”

“Don’t be a prick! Did I say anything about a story?” she shot. Then she quietly added, “Okay, later. But you talk only to me, no one else. I want an Exclusive.”

Wolf rolled his eyes. He now picked Moon-Moon up in his arms and stood up. He looked around for shade. Maddy pointed toward the east side of the terrace.

“You are going to be fine, okay?” he said softly to Moon-Moon, lifting her chin. She was still weeping. She felt so heavy in his arms.

And seeing her thus, the clouds lifted from around Wolf’s head in a flash and everything became very clear to him.

“All that I said before was true,” he said to Moon-Moon. “You’re coming home with me—I want you for my daughter. I want you for Robin’s sister. I love you.” This time, he meant every word of it.

She looked at him. Her eyes were ineffably sad. And then she broke down again. She began shaking her head furiously, even as Maddy firmly kept the voyeuristic throng away.

“Are you a pervert?” Maddy would whip. “Then leave! This is not a freak show.”

“I can’t…” Moon-Moon said brokenly.

Wolf stroked her head. “What can’t you, baby?” he asked gently.

“I did so many horrible things to her…I don’t deserve to be her sister…” she wailed.

“What horrible things?”

“I peed on her bed and so many other dirty things and I even killed Stripey and fed it to her,” she wept. Her voice was a croak in her throat. “I was so jealous that she was getting all the love and good things…so jealous, so angry…I almost killed her…I don’t deserve anything…no…I’m a very bad person…”

Wolf sucked in his breath sharply. Somehow he kissed her on the cheek, then put her back on her feet. He signaled to Maddy and she moved in. Wolf went to the other side of the terrace and sat down on a water tank girder protrusion. He hid his face in both hands and shut his eyes. And he remained that way for a long time, feeling dizzy.

A stabbing scream shattered the haze around his brain, snapping his head up. For a moment, he stared stupidly, then he jumped to his feet and rushed toward the sound. Maddy was staring down over the parapet. And she was trembling.

“What!” he said seizing her shoulder. He followed her gaze and looked down, and he gasped.

A body lay prostrate on the earth below, crushed and mangled like some discarded doll. Wolf felt so ill, he spun around and went down on his haunches.

“She jumped!” Maddy said wildly, her breath coming in sobs. “Before I could do anything, she ran from me and jumped. … Oh, my god, oh, my god…!” Her knees buckled and she fell down beside Wolf.

Wolf’s head began hammering crazily. But he took Maddy in his arms and the two held each other.

“She said she didn’t deserve to live after all the horrible things she had done to Robin over the weeks. She said she could not be forgiven, so she had to die.”

.

“
T
hank you, Wolf,” Savannah said.

It was eight-ten pm that day. Robin, drained and depressed, had gone to bed early.

“For what?” he asked dully.

“For saving my daughter’s life.” She touched his cheek. “And for saving me in the process.”

He felt a pang in his heart. “Is she only your daughter now? Is she nothing to me anymore?”

“Hey, come on, I didn’t mean it that way, Wolf.”

He began to say something, but changed his mind. He was sick and worn-out.

“And I’m sorry for the way I behaved. I’m ashamed of myself, but the thought of something bad happening to her scared me to death. I lost it completely.” She looked at him and smiled sadly. “You know, I cannot live without her now. If something bad ever happened to her or if for some reason we got separated again, I would die.”

He took her by both shoulders. He brought his face close to hers and his eyes turned acutely earnest. “Now listen to me. Listen very carefully,” he said. “Nothing bad is ever going to happen to our girl, and no one and nothing shall ever separate her from you again. This I, Wolf Butcher, do truly promise you.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “I know. With you around, I feel so safe.”

A while later, he asked, “Did you tell her about Moon-Moon?”

“No.”

“Don’t either. She doesn’t need that after all else.”

“I won’t.”

He shook his head bitterly. “The poor girl,” he muttered. “She didn’t deserve to die like that…and at such a tender age. The fucking Home should be shut down! If they can’t tend to the children properly, they have no fucking business being here. Those Sisters are fucking cunts, you know, and I feel like slaughtering all of them!”

Savannah observed him quietly. Then perhaps to lighten the mood, she said, “For a man so upright about sex, you seem to be the biggest patron of the
f
and
c
words.”

His face softened. “Yes, I know, I’m sorry. It’s a real bad habit, isn’t it? But I’m going to kick it.”

“When?”

He mock-spat in the air. “Right now.”

“Like kicking the smoking habit, eh—sudden and total?”

“Something like that.”

“And about the Home—it isn’t that bad, Wolf. Maybe one or two incidents here and there…one or two people here and there. But on the whole, it’s still one of the best places for hapless children. To paint the whole Home with the same brush isn’t fair. Compared to other such places, it is a pretty decent organization.”

Wolf nodded.
Yes, I guess. I get carried away sometimes.

“After all, any organization that has Uncle Grant in it can never go really bad,” Savannah added. Then she seemed to have a sudden thought. “Have you noticed, Wolf, that whenever Uncle Grant speaks it’s always in full words.”

“What?”

“Like he’ll never say
can’t
, or
won’t
. It will always be
cannot
, or
will not
…and so on with all other words too.”

Wolf nodded. “Yes, I know,” he said. “Even my brother, Sage, had unconsciously contracted the habit.”

“Really?”

Wolf nodded. “Shows just how close he was to Dad and how dearly he loved him.”

His cellphone sounded then.

“Where are you?” Maddy demanded.

“At Savannah’s. What’s up?”

“Did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“While we were besieged with other things, a suit was quietly filed in court today seeking custody of Robin…”

“I don’t believe you are still in the mood for cheap cracks!” Wolf whipped.

“…by someone claiming to be the girl’s biological father.”

“Maddy, this is really shoddy.”

“Guess who claims to be Robin’s father?”

“Maddy!”

“And he wants his daughter back.”

“You fucking cunt, STOP IT!”

“I’m NOT joking, asshole, this is real. And you’ll be shocked who the
father
is.”

THE
living room of Savannah Burns was frostbitten.

They sat there on the settee—Savannah, Maddy and Rochelle, stiff and still as statuettes. The silence was raucous and set Rochelle’s nerves on edge. She watched the wall clock arms slowly dissolve into each other, silently announcing Saturday.

It was Savannah who dented the hush first. (
Oh, such mercy!)

“The marriage is off,” she said…as casually as saying,
I’m going to bed.

“What do you mean?” Maddy said, her eyebrows jacking up.

Savannah waved her hand indifferently. “I’m through with the Butchers. I’ve had enough. It’s finally time to move on.”

“You’re blaming Wolf for all this?” Maddy said disbelievingly.

She pursed her lips. “He’s one of them. After all, the Butcher blood runs through him thick and strong like the rest.” Again, the same careless conversational tone.

“That’s most unfair, Savannah,” Maddy said. “After all that he’s done for you…he even left his family for you, for god’s sakes.”

Rochelle realized the enormity of what Savannah was saying despite her tone and manner.

“He will sort this out. Give him a chance, please,” she pleaded. “Even as we speak, he must be at it, I’m sure.”

Savannah clicked her tongue. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. The meagerest hint of contempt had crept into her voice. “I’ll never trust the Butchers ever again.”

.

W
olf rapped on the door.

There was no reply. He knocked louder and after some more delay, a light came on and the door was answered.

“Wolf,” Art Butcher said, squinting and rubbing his eyes. “What time is it?”

Wolf just stared at his big brother.

“What’s it?” Art asked.

“Tell me it’s not true. Please tell me it’s not,” Wolf implored.

Art blinked rapidly, as if to bring himself to full wakefulness. “Why don’t you come in,” he said and turned around.

Wolf stepped in. It was a sizeable bedroom, much like his, only the wall colors were much more genteel. But the room was bereft of any warmth, any coziness. It may well have been an up-market showroom for bedroom merchandise. But then was that a wonder? Where was the one thing that could’ve infused this room with a soul? There was no Rochelle.

Art lowered himself on the edge of his bed and covering his mouth with the palm of his right hand, he yawned. He leaned forward and supported his torso on his arms.

“You’re talking about the petition I filed,” he said.

Wolf’s heart gave a leap of dismay.
So you did indeed!

Art glanced at Wolf. “Why don’t you sit down too? Pull a chair.”

Wolf obeyed mechanically. He could feel his flesh swarming. He had hoped the news Maddy had brought wasn’t true, that there was some glaring error, possibly a misunderstanding. Or perhaps Maddy was playing a practical joke on him.

Art gave another muted yawn. “Yes, I did file a petition in court seeking custody of Robin. She is my daughter, Wolf,” he said soberly.

Wolf just gaped.

“You’re wondering how I came to this realization so suddenly. Yes, it was out of the blue and an equal shock to me,” Art added.

Still, Wolf could find no words. His throat was dry, his face bereft of color.

Art waved his arm. “It happened about nine years ago. I was naïve then, just beginning out in life. I was a regular at the coffee shop of the New Halcyon Grand and I met this girl—a waitress. She was stunning to look at and it was instant love, or should I say instant infatuation, as often happens with silly young kids who have barely outgrown their diapers.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “At that age, many of us, especially ones with rather weak wills, aren’t very wise or prudent. Anyway, one thing led to another and this girl got pregnant.” He looked down for a second, as if suddenly embarrassed. “I wanted to marry her, but I couldn’t. There was the family to think of—the family always comes first. I had to marry a girl at least
somewhere
around our status. So sacrifices had to be made. It was heart-wrenching, nevertheless…” He shrugged sadly. “I didn’t have the guts to break it to the girl, so instead I sent Sage over.”