Song of the South

The worst night

Kinsey had started talking to Kellie, Eric, Barry, and Brent. She even had a few discussions with Lori a few times. She was starting to feel like she had someone to talk to about stuff although she would never bring anything up with them. She was just 21 and these people were much older than her. They wouldn’t care about her measly problems! She hadn’t gotten to speak to anyone in over a week. Lane was a very fussy baby and needed quite a lot of care and attention so she didn’t actively talk to people unless she had a little bit of free time or they contacted her first.

Her siblings were doing well, she tried to keep Daisy and Jesse in the honor roll, and seemed to be pretty happy despite the animosity and conflict between their parents. She wanted her siblings to have as happy a childhood as she could possibly give them. Daisy tried to help her big sister whenever she could but Kinsey wanted her to have some play time as well. There was a tire swing hanging from a large oak tree in their back yard that their dad had put up for Kinsey when she was a small child that the younger ones loved swinging on.

They played hide-and-seek, jump rope, and chase quite a lot as well. Being children, they used their imagination to play make believe too. That was all Kinsey wanted, for them to be happy, creative, playful children. She hated having to have them help her with the housework and farming. It was necessary but she still hated it. Bella and Hayden were outside playing while Jesse and Daisy were doing their homework.

Her father was running a fever again, still vomiting, and his coughing seemed to be getting worse. Hayden and Bella didn’t want to listen to her and were giving her fits. Daisy tried her best to help but she was only nine years old. She was very frustrated so she headed to the kitchen to start supper. Tonight it would be something simple for the children: Homemade tacos. She had made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup and frozen it in small batches for her father.

As she was cooking the hamburger meat, a loud crash was heard outside. It startled Kinsey and made Lane start crying. Before she could get from the kitchen to the living room, the front door burst open. Her mother barged in and was clearly out of her mind on drugs. Her mother was ranting and raving about nonsensical things which frightened the young woman greatly. Kinsey ordered Daisy to get Lane upstairs to her (Kinsey’s) bedroom and for the other three children to head up there as well.

Gail, Kinsey’s mother, demanded to speak with her father. Kinsey tried to keep her mother away, knowing how ill her father was, but her mother wasn’t having any of it. Gail pushed Kinsey aside and stormed into the house. She woke him up screaming and ranting about who-knows-what. He finally sat up to try and “talk” with the irate woman. Before long, however, she began to get even more irritable.

Kinsey begged her mother to leave her father alone and that he was sick & needed his rest. The elder woman just laughed. Gail began throwing things at her father, once hitting him in the left knee. The younger woman tried to stop her mother but it didn’t do anything but make her mother even more angry. Before Kinsey knew it, her mother was throwing things at her as well. A bowl had broken and Gail picked up one of the bigger pieces of it. In a struggle, she sliced Kinsey’s left forearm making the young woman scream out in pain.

Gail was her mother, she didn’t want to fight her own mother. She didn’t want to have to defend herself from her own mother. When Gail began to physically assault her, all Kinsey could think to do was hold her arms up in front of her to try and deflect the attacks. Blood was sliding down her arm, dripping onto her clothes and the floor. It broke Kinsey’s heart to hear the children upstairs crying and screaming. They heard her scream and it frightened them. It infuriated Gail, however, and she started to make her way towards the staircase to head to where they were at. All Kinsey could think of was to throw something at the enraged woman.

Kinsey suffered a bad beating at the hands of her mother for the act. Her side hurt from where her mother had kicked her repeatedly. The younger woman only cared about keeping her siblings safe and away from harm. As long as her mother was focused on her, then she wouldn’t be hurting the younger kids. Gail back-handed her oldest child, splitting Kinsey’s lower lip. In a rage because of her husband, she blackened Kinsey’s left eye.

Hearing her husband telling her she wasn’t wanted around there made her so angry she balled her fist and hit Kinsey, making a huge gash on the girl’s forehead. Her father had started yelling at his wife for Gail to quit assaulting Kinsey and for her to leave the premises. Gail started throwing things at Troy again, once hitting him in the side of the head. She then turned and spit on Kinsey.

After cutting Kinsey once more and squeezing her right arm so hard she would have a very nasty bruise, Gail’s whole demeanor changed. She finally hauled ass out of the house. Her mom had gotten a bit violent before but it was usually just throwing things at her or her dad or simply breaking things. Tonight had been something totally different. She made sure her dad hadn’t been hurt too badly. She gave him some Aspirin, his normal night-time medicines, and refilled his tea glass.

He just wanted to lay back down and go back to sleep. Her eyes were watery and she fought hard to not cry. She could not let them see her upset like this. Being all bloody and bruised was probably too much for them. As she entered her bedroom where all five were at, the three oldest came running to her. She found herself engulfed in a hug from her siblings who were happy she was alive. It was very hard for her to not break down and cry right then.

“Are you alright, sissy?” Hayden questioned

“I’m fine. Dirty but fine. Are you guys alright? I know the sounds were scary.” Kinsey stated

“We’re ok. Lane is stinky again.” Daisy replied

“Ok, I’ll change him. Why don’t you three go watch a movie in Daisy’s room?” Kinsey stated with a forced smile

She quickly changed the smelly baby before laying back on her back and staring up at the ceiling. She couldn’t handle her mother coming back and hurting her, her dad or her siblings again. This was surely going to scar the little ones. With a heavy sigh, she decided to get the three smallest one baths. Lane was first since he was just a baby. It didn’t take long to get him bathed and changed into some clean clothes. She put Hayden and Bella in the bath together since they were so small. It took a bit longer to get them bathed because they liked playing in the bath.