It seemed there was a force pulling him to pick items, whether he needed them or not. Sean Reynolds was the second son of the Reynolds family.
Source
The Reynolds comprised Adolf Reynolds, Regina Reynolds, King Reynolds, Sean Reynolds, and their stray sister, Jessica Reynolds who was dropped on their doorstep three weeks after they moved into the Topcoast neighborhood.
The Reynolds soon became famous because of their wealth but they had a huge problem, one so costly they never wanted it to get out.
Sean had sea green eyes and whenever they were fixed on something for more than a second, it was due to get missing.
As he scooped some eggs into his mouth now, his green eyes were fixed lazily on his sister's wrist, his left hand strolling gradually towards her right.
He swiped that bracelet off the jewelry tray at the Topcoast mall, placing it in his underwear and only reaching for it when Jessica's 10th birthday party had begun.
The latch was just beneath her wrist, he reached out and undid it but as he slid the bracelet off, her other hand reached out to grasp his own.
“Mom!” She was yelling, “Sean's taking my bracelet, the one he got me for my birthday!”
“It was a mistake, I didn't realize I was taking….” He said amidst the chaos that had begun at the table, but no one seemed to hear him.
“Sean, to your room, now!”
“Dad…”
“Security!” three bulky men rushed over to seize Sean who was still trying to explain, Jessica reached out to snatch her bracelet back as he was steered away.
When the locks were firmly secured, he covered his face with his palms. The tears came down in torrents onto his hands as if they could wash the abominable thing he did subconsciously away from them.
His mind took him back to fifth grade, he could see clearly the smiling face of Teacher Ann, the chubby boy that always slept beside him, and Mary-Jane, his crush. The other kids seemed blurry in his memory but he didn't mind, he traveled back to the question he asked on that day when he heard the word ‘Kleptomaniac’ for the first time.
“Teacher Ann, what is the importance of a family?”
“For love, support, growth beautiful memories, and friendship”
But he could never relate, not then, not now that he was 30.
“You're a kleptomaniac, you should seek counseling,” Teacher Ann told him kindly after he explained his ordeal to her when she asked why he was curious about the importance of a family.
Even counseling, which they invested so much money in, didn't seem to work. His parents stopped after he took his counselor's cell phone.
He knew he had a problem with stealing, but it didn't warrant him being locked up like an animal in a part of the house no other person wanted to visit. Even Jessica who didn't have Reynolds's blood flowing through her veins was preferred to him, a true son.
His older brother, King, was married with children and did not appreciate Sean coming around because he took his wife's wedding ring the last time.
Sean clutched his chest as he lowered himself onto his bed. No feeling was worse than the feeling of being an outcast amongst the people who should accept you.
There was a knock on his door that made him wipe his swollen eyes.
“Go away” he groaned.
“It's me” he recognized the voice, Sara, the Irish maid who had a smile for him even when he took her grandmother's locket from her neck once.
“The door is locked from outside, Sara. I can't talk to you today. I'm sorry”
“Then we can talk like this,” she had offered herself to be his personal therapist, speaking words of encouragement whenever she was off kitchen duty.
“Sara, you might get caught. I don't have the power to help you if anything happens….” He heard her chuckle.
“I just wanted to tell you that we all make mistakes once in a while. I've been counting and today is the first day in 16 days that you took something. You're making a lot of progress already”
Sean couldn't control the tears now, he rushed to lean against the door, closing his eyes to allow what Sara had said to sink in. He had never stayed that long without taking something before.
“Sara,” he whispered.
“Yes, Sean?”
“I'll make it 30 days for you. Start counting from tomorrow”
He could almost see her expand her beautiful face into a smile. As he placed his palm on his side of the door, he knew she was doing the same and he had hope that one day, even if it was when he turned 60, he would be free of kleptomania.