Ecie & Esme II: Another Day Like This

Three

'Good job today Ecie,' Stacy said as they closed up Chêne de Pois. 'You seem to do everything in record time.'

'Thanks,' Ecie smiled. 'I just love always having stuff to do. It takes my mind off everything else.'

'What time are you coming in tomorrow?'

'Eleven,' Ecie replied. 'I've got an early breakfast with my dad and I need to finish my English report.'

'What's it on?' Stacy asked as they walked to a nearby Starbucks before it shut.

'A Streetcar Named Desire,' Ecie replied. 'We had to write about Stanley and Stella's relationship.'

Stacy nodded. 'Sounds interesting. What do you have so far?'

'I think that Stanley is misunderstood,' Ecie replied. 'He comes from this new world and doesn't quite understand what's going on. Blanche and Stella keep putting him down so he does the only thing he knows how and beats Stella. It's his way of exercising his authority and masculinity.'

'If I didn't know any better, I would say you were sympathizing with him,' Stacy said. 'Surely you don't agree with his behavior towards Stella.'

'Of course not,' Ecie said. 'It's a completely vile and grotesque way to treat a woman, or a human for that matter. I'm just saying that he obviously loves Stella otherwise he wouldn't be with her. It's not like she's working or bringing in the big bucks. She stays at home all day, pregnant.'

'But then you could ask why does she stay with him if he keeps doing that to her. Why does she put up with it?'

'She puts up with it because for some strange and twisted reason, she loves him,' Ecie replied. 'She feels like she cannot live without him and that he keeps her alive. He keeps things interesting and when he's nice, he's really nice and romantic. He does things for her that no one else; not Blanche nor Eunice, nor even the reader could possibly understand. I think that's what makes love so cruel. Sometimes you don't even understand it.'

Stacy looked at Ecie. 'You really read a lot into all this stuff don't you?'

'I want to study English in college,' Ecie replied. 'I think you kind of have to.'

'Well then I hope you get a good grade on your paper,' Stacy smiled.

'Ellis,' Ecie said pushing him off her. 'That hurts.'

'What?'

'You're pinching me,' she said. 'That hurts.'

'Oh really?' Ellis said getting up. 'Do you want to know what hurts?'

'You're going to tell me?'

'How about I show you,' Ellis said. He stared down at Ecie with his empty eyes and slapped her hard across the face. 'Does that hurt?'

'What was that for?' Ecie clutched her burning cheek.

'How about this?' Ellis jumped on top of Ecie started punching her face and body. 'Does this hurt?' he kicked her off the bed and she landed on the floor with a thump. Ellis stood over her and kicked her over and over again. 'Does this hurt?' he kept repeating those three words over and over as he continued to kick and punch Ecie. He pulled her up by her hair and dragged her across the room. He slammed her face against the windows then turned her to face him. 'How about I tell you what hurts.'

Ecie's face was covered with blood and her eye was beginning to swell up.

'You've been cheating on me!' Ellis yelled. 'You fucking little two-timing slut. You lying whore. I knew all along and you just sat there lying to my face. You fucking whore. You fucking lying whore.'

He choked Ecie then punched her in the face again and threw her to the floor. He shoved her against the wall and kicked her limp body repeatedly.

'I loved you!' he said. 'I gave you everything and yet that still wasn't enough for you. Oh no, little Miss Malibu Princess just wasn't satisfied with it, were you,' he pulled her across the floor by her hair and into his bathroom. He dragged her over to the toilet and forced her head into it as he pushed down on the handle to flush. 'What do I need to do so that you can get the fucking message?! What do I need to do so that you stop lying to me?! What is your problem? It's like all you care about is hurting me. It's as though I don't mean anything to you! Do I not mean anything to you E? Huh?! Huh?!'

Ellis pulled her head from the toilet and dumped her on the cold tiled floor. Ecie coughed up water and blood and lay lifeless.

'You hate me!' Ellis said sitting on the edge of the bath. 'You hate me so much that you always insist on hurting me. Why don't you just dump me so that it won't hurt anymore? Just cut me loose. Let me go instead of causing all this pain.'

Ellis got up from the edge of the bath a few moments later and walked round to the side of Ecie. He knelt down by her side then pulled her head up by her hair and looked at her face. Her face was covered in blood and some of her hair was matted against her face. He felt her neck for a pulse then let go of her hair and allowed her head to fall back to the floor.

'I hope that hurts as much as you hurt me,' Ellis said going into the bedroom and getting himself a cigarette. He walked over to his window and opened it as he lit his cigarette and inhaled. 'You filthy toe rag.'

There was a loud knock on the door and Ellis turned to look at the door. He took a last inhale from his cigarette then put it down. Making his way to the door slowly, Ellis unlocked the door and opened it to see who it was.

'What are you doing here?' Ellis said staring.

'I was in the neighborhood.'

'Did it ever occur to you that I never want to see your snaky face again?' Ellis said. 'After what you did.'

'I didn't do anything. It was all you and your cowardice.'

Ellis laughed.

'Where's Ecie?'

'Come back to steal my girlfriend again?'

Denis laughed for a second then punched his brother in the face. Ellis staggered backwards for a moment, giving Denis enough time to push his way into the apartment and look around for Ecie. He found her lying on the bathroom floor covered in blood.

'What did you do to her?!' Denis bent down slowly and checked to see that Ecie was still breathing. 'You knocked her out unconscious!'

Ellis stood in the bedroom. 'He's a slut man.'

Denis picked Ecie up carefully and slowly carried her to the door. 'You hit her? You beat her up? What the hell is wrong with you?!'

'What did I tell you?' Ellis replied. 'She's a slut.'

Denis pushed past his brother and carried Ecie out of the apartment and down to his black SUV. He carefully put Ecie into the back of his car then pulled a blanket over her cold body. He jumped into the car then drove quickly to St. John's Health Centre in Santa Monica.

'Hey Esme,' Denis said shakily. 'You need to hurry over here. I've got Ecie and I'm taking her to hospital.'

'Hospital?' Esme said. 'What happened?'

'I'll explain later,' he said. 'You need to call your parents and get them down here too. This is more serious than you thought.'

'Denis,' Esme said trying to sound calm. 'What happened?'

'Listen I've got to go,' Denis said. 'I'm being pulled over by the cops. 'You've got to get down to Santa Monica right away.'

Denis hung up and pulled over as a cop car stopped close behind.

'You were speeding,' the police officer said.

'I've got an emergency,' Denis said impatiently. 'It's my friend in the back. She's been hurt badly.'

The police officer shined his torch in the back seat and saw Ecie lying with a blanket covering her. He could see that she was badly hurt.

'I've got to get her to hospital.'

The police looked at Denis for a moment. 'I'll give you an escort,' he said running back to his car and putting on the siren again. Denis followed close behind as they drove.