Crazy in Love

The Story of Family O'Connor

I was in the kitchen, when my father opened the door and stumbled into the living room. I sighed, he was drunk. Since our parents got divorced a few years ago he drank daily. I put the knive away and went to him. "Dad, come on, i't time for bed."

I made the decision to live with our father because our mother had Brian. So i thought i owed him something. For our father Brian was dead and so he never came to visit us. Our family broke slowly apart. My father drowned his worries in alcohol, my mother died early and my brother was married to a beautiful wife named Mia and he was the father of a adorable boy. My relationships never lasted long because my father needed all my time. "No! I want to eat!", he pushed me and tottered towards the dining table and roughly sat down. "The dinner is not ready. I was about to cut the vegetables."

"You are as useless as your mother was.", he complained. He scratched his head thoughtfully "Were you with my other child today?", he asked. I swallowed "No."

"Mh, interesting.", when i looked at him for a moment, he ran his hand over the edge of the table. " A colleague saw your car.", my face froze. "That must be a mistake.", my heart was pounding. He got up, my body trembled. "Are you really lying to me?"

"No,", i answered quickly. My body was pressed to the fridge. I felt the handle in my back. Suddenly he grabbed me and pulled me to the floor. "Didn't i tell you not to lie to me?!",he roared. My eyes turned glassy. The closer he got the further i tried to move away. "Please stop.", i pleaded. In the next moment i felt his hand on my cheek. The slap was so brutal that my eyes went black. The burning grew. He knelt down to me and breathed the following words into my face."I'm just asking you one more time. Were you at your brothers home?" The smell of alcohol got into my nose. "Yes."

"I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"Yes i were!", i told him. He shook his head in disappointment "Oh Melanie. Melanie,Melanie,Melanie. You've become a real disappointment to me. I thought we were a team, a familiy...", i looked at him sadly und hoped he wouldn't freak out. My muscles cramped as he raised. Just as i relaxed he beated me. I screamed and tried to cover up my face.

***

I was still lying on the floor, when my phone rang. My father withdrawn to his room after his beat attack. I suspected that he fall asleep. My head ached. I slowly sat up and went to my room at the first floor in our house. I closed the door behind me and limped towards my bathroom. When i turned on the light and held myself against the sink i looked up slowly. I saw a woman: tousled-black hair, lip chapped, red eyes and cheeks, the face covered in blood. She took off her shirt and saw the bruises on her skin. Tears ran upon her face. My phone rang again. BRIAN is calling. I tried to calm down a bit "Hello?" 

"Hey, i just wanted to ask, if you have any plans for tonight. We urgently need a babysitter."

"Ähm, well sorry i can't. I have quite a headache, you know...", i ran through my hair.

"Everything okay? Your voice sounds so swollen.", Brian knew our father by now and had seen a few bruises from time to time. I basically said i fell or i had an accident but as an police officer he never believed me. "Yeah? I just drank something.You know how it is right?", i tried to laugh but my face hurted. "So you were finally out?", he wanted to know. "No, it was just a small cocktail at home. I guess i don't tolerate that much anymore.", i replied and smiled. Smiling through the phone usually had a good effect. It followed a small pause before he said:" As i said once, you can call me whenever you need me."

"I know."

"I can help you."

"With what?"

"You know exactly what.", i heard Mia in the background calling his name. "Oh is this Mia? Greetings to her and Jack. See you soon. Bye.", i hung up quickly. I exhaled, put the cell phone away and started to clean my face and the the wounds. 

It was midnight when i was ready for bed. All wounds were treated and my face was as clean as i got it. I brushed my hair, braided it and finally fall asleep.