Page 37 of Together Again

I knew Bruno had moved out of the van he’d been living in and into an apartment shortly after starting his job at Café Lima, but I didn’t know he was renting Joel’s old apartment.

I guessed with Joel now living with David, it made sense to keep the apartment occupied. I also knew how much David cared about the kids he met through my center, so I had no doubt Bruno was getting an excellent deal.

Filipe ran into the room I assumed was his as soon as Bruno opened the door.

“He’s been waiting all day to play with his new Legos,” Bruno said as he hung Filipe’s backpack on the hook by the door.

Bruno took me into the open-plan kitchen and living area and pointed to the sofa.

“What’s going on, Bruno? Why didn’t you tell me you had a little brother?”

He waited until we were both sitting before he spoke.

“When I left my grandparents’ place, Filipe was only three. I didn’t see him for a whole year because they didn’t want my bad influence on him.”

Bruno shook his head and laughed, but I could tell being unable to see his little brother had upset him more than he wanted to admit.

“It took nearly a year until they would allow me to see Filipe. I couldn‘t goinside the house, so I used to play with him in the back garden for two hours once a week. My granddad always watched us from behind the patio doors like I was some kind of criminal.”

He looked toward the corridor to check Filipe’s door was closed before he carried on.

“I loved those two hours with my brother. He was always so happy to see me like he’d been waiting all week, just like me.

“He used to cling to mefor at least twenty minutes before he realized I wasn’t going anywhere and then we’d play a few games before I had to go again. I never saw my grandmother. Not once.

“About six months ago, I noticed changes in Filipe’s behavior. He stopped hugging me and sometimes didn’t even want to play. I couldn’t ask him what was wrong because I wasn’t sure he could articulate it, and with my granddad always watching over us, I was afraid to do anything that would jeopardize my visits.”

“Did something happen to your grandparents? How come Filipe is now with you?”

“My grandmother slipped on the pavement and broke her leg a month ago. My granddad was struggling to look after her and Filipe, so I offered to look after him so he could focus on her.”

I didn’t know what to say. At nineteen, Bruno should have been hanging out with his friends without a care in the world. Instead, he had a demanding full-time job to support himself and now his little brother.

“He’s not going back. Isaac, he…he had bruises all over his body. While I’ve been living my merry, happy life, my five-year-old brother was being abused.”

I put my hand on his.

“Bruno, you haven’t been living a merry, happy life. You’ve been surviving. Look, we can contact a few lawyers and see what help we can get for you. You’re an adult now, and you have a job and a place to live. There should be no reason you can’t keep Filipe with you.”

“They’ll fight me. They’ll say all kinds of horrible things about me so no judge will let Filipe stay with me.”

“When is Filipe expected to go back to your grandparents?”

“In one month when my grandmother has the cast taken off her leg.”

Filipe came running from the bedroom toward Bruno who picked his little brother up onto his lap. He was still holding on to his Superman doll.

“What’s up, buddy? Are you hungry?”

Filipe looked at me and then put his little hands on either side of Bruno’s face, pulling him down until he could whisper something in his big brother’s ear.

Bruno smiled but put on a more serious face for Filipe as he nodded, apparently agreeing with whatever the little boy had said.

“You can have one carton of chocolate milk and then you’re having a shower.”

Filipe jumped to the floor and ran towardthe fridge.

“He’s reallycute,” I said.