Titus learns to drive

Titus had lived with Ma, his adoptive mother, since he was eight years old. Today was his sixteenth birthday, but instead of celebrating at home with her and the foster children she cared for, he sat locked up in a Juvenile detention facility. It had been a week since he got arrested. This time he had messed up big time, and he could not blame her for not having bailed him out or even visited him.

Heavy footsteps of a prison guard came up to his cell. “Marcassell! The judge is ready to see you.”

Titus got off his lumpy mattress and went to the cell door. He held his hands out to be shackled. The guard ushered him along the grey concrete hallways without a word. They walked fast, Titus having seen the insides of this building on a few more occasions in the past.

The judge who would decide what to do with him next was a woman in her fifties who had seen Titus before. Today, she eyed him with a severe crease between her eyebrows, and the anger in her eyes made Titus look at the ground in front of him.

Titus stayed standing up while the charges against him were read. He stood accused of having beaten up Grant, Ma’s lover. A quick glance to the bastard showed Titus that his face was still not completely healed, and Titus got grim satisfaction from it. No punishment could take that away.

The accusations, Ma’s testimony, Grant’s whining – it all bounced off Titus. It wasn’t until the judge called on him to speak that his mind returned to the proceedings at hand.

He looked the judge right in the eyes. “Your Honor, Ma works very hard every single day. The authorities bring her kids and even infants at all times of the day and the night. She cooks, cleans, and is patient with all of us beyond anything you can imagine. Twice a month we have a baby sitter so she can go out and have fun.” He gestured in her direction. “And she deserves it. She deserves every single minute of happiness. But Grant is abusive. Ma cries after their dates. He has to leave our lives.”

Titus caught his breath. His young face was red with anger. The judge ordered him, “Sit down.”

“Mrs. Marcassell. Why does your son think you are an abused woman?”

Ma stood up. Beads of sweat ran out of her short curly grey hair down her ebony skin. “Your Honor, Titus doesn’t understand that adult relationships have ups and downs. He had a troubled childhood …”

Titus jumped up and yelled out of turn, “My early childhood is long gone! Life with you is great! Why does he get to destroy that? I have seen the marks on your arms where he grabs you!” He looked around with a wild expression. He was sure the guard would jump on him.

The judge and everybody’s eyes were on Grant suddenly. Mrs. Marcassell was a respected member of the community. Before she became a full time foster parent, she had been a social worker for troubled youth, a well-known face in this facility.

The judge broke the silence. “Prosecutor, what sentencing do you seek?”

“I recommend Titus Marcassell return home and go to anger management classes.”

In the parking lot, Titus expected to get into Ma’s eight-seat minivan, but it wasn’t there. She steered him toward a silver Golf. Angrily, he asked, “What happened to the van? How are you supposed to drive us all around in that little thing?”

Ma smiled. She held Titus by his upper arms and looked with love up into his face. “Happy birthday, Titus. This is not my car. It’s yours. You want to drive us home?”

“I beat up your guy and you give me a car?” Titus couldn’t believe it. He took the keys, opened the door on the passenger side, and closed it gently once Ma sat comfortably in her seat.

The Golf had no automatic gears. It took Titus a few attempts until he was able to start the engine without making it stall. He drove back home over country roads. Once they entered Plano,TX, he asked Ma to drive.

“No, you keep driving. It’s the only way you’ll learn.”

Titus loved his Golf. Of course with the privilege of his own car came responsibility. Every day he had to load up the car with all the school age foster kids and give them rides. On the weekends, he was allowed to stay out with his friends. Ma waited up for his return every time.

Titus’ life with the car was good. A cheerleader from his high school became his girlfriend. Blond and blue-eyed Titus, quarterback and with passable grades was even more popular since he drove up in his silver car.

One evening after dinner, the bell rang and Titus went to open it up. The prosecutor stood outside. The tall black man with big cheeks like steaks hanging off his face smiled down at him over a colorful bouquet of flowers.

Ma came out of the kitchen where she had been loading up the dishwasher. Titus watched with his mouth open as the prosecutor walked past him and Ma reached for the flowers. She giggled and said, “Oh, Remus. You didn’t have to.”

“Idell,” he said with his imposing baritone, “I saw in the county records that you haven’t asked for respite help in months. I figured I’d come and see how things are going.”

He turned to Titus. “Have you completed your anger management classes, young man?”

Titus nodded.

“Good, I won’t have to worry about you then when I ask this pretty lady on a date.”

Ma giggled.

The prosecutor put an arm around Ma’s shoulders. “Get ready for a night out. I believe a young man who owns his own car can be left in charge for a few hours.”

993 words

Written for

ID: 1698337   (Rated: NPL) Sr Mod WDC 10th Birthday Contest  One character, ten prompts, 10 daily prizes and a HUGE grand prize! by Diane

Character's first car