The Winding Road

Chapter 5

I look up at James and begin to explain...

#FLASHBACK#

I arrive home, excited for the weekend. I don't know what I'm going to do but I'm going to be away from home, away from dad, so I'm happy. I open the gate and walk to the front door, lugging my heavy school bag with me. I reach the door, put my bag down and unzip the front pouch where I keep my keys. I stick my hand in and feel around for them and, among all the sweet rappers and pieces of scrunched up paper, am able to find them.

I take them out, zip my bag up again and unlock the door. When I walk in, I am greeted by a horrific scene. My mother is sitting on a dining chair, crying. Her body is black and blue and she has a deep cut on her left check. The blood from her wound is dripping onto the light blue dress she is wearing.

I drop my bag and run to her. I kneel in front of her and she looks at me through heavy eyes.

"Mom? Mom you've got to listen to me," I say taking hold of her shaking hand," dad did this to you didn't he?" I ask rhetorically. She nods her head and her whole body begins shaking.

"Where is he now ma, where did he go?" I ask, looking around the room.

She points to the open front door. I stand up and slowly walk outside. His car is gone which means mom and I are alone for a while. I walk back inside and take my moms arm.

"Come, you need a shower."

I help her onto her feet and we stumble up the stairs to the bathroom. I run a shower while mom begins to take her clothes off. When the temperature is right I help her in and let her stand under the warm water for a few minutes before I take the soap and begin scrubbing her down. She winces each time the sponge rubs over a bruise or cut. When her body is clean and her cuts are no longer bleeding, I help her out of the shower and wrap her in a fuzzy warm towel. We proceed to her bedroom where I grab a big T-shirt and some tights and help her into them. I pull back her bed sheets and let her get into bed. I sit next to her holding her hand.

"Your going to be okay mom," I tell her stroking her hair and looking into her swollen eyes, "we both are."

She smiles and her eyes flutter closed. For a while I just sit on the corner of the bed and look at her but decide to go and clean up downstairs. I walk to the kitchen and get a wet cloth from the basin. After cleaning up the bloody splotches on the table, I walk to the door that I had left open and picked up my school bag. I turn around, ready to head back up to my bedroom but something inside my head makes me turn around. There, in the driveway, was dads old red car. I am drowned in fear and anger and put my school bag back down. Dad stumbles through the door with an empty beer bottle in his hand.

I take two paces backwards.

"Dad," I say in angrily,with as little fear in my voice as possible, "why would you do that to mom?!"

"Heyo sweetheart," he mumbles drunkly, "come give daddy a hug."

He staggers towards me and opens his arms. I know this isn't going to end well. I duck as he lunges towards me.

"Oh come on sweetie," he says loudly, "gimme a hug!

"No." I say, as I take a few steps back.

"Sam," he says and I can hear the aggression in his voice, " give me a hug!"

"No!" I shout and continue keeping my distance.

Mom stands at the top of the stairs and looks down at us. She starts hurrying down yelling at my dad to 'leave her alone!' And 'get away from her!'

"Samantha!" My dad shouts, "hug me!"

"No! You can't make me!"

I run upstairs and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.

#END OF FLASHBACK#