Crazy Girl

21. Mom?

Since Jacob and Marley were already dressed, they choose to meet Jacob's mom at the restaurant.

"I don't know if I can do this, Jacob."

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. If you don't want to meet my mom right now, maybe you can do it another time."

"No.. Wait! Maybe I can do this."

Jacob pulled inside of the parking lot of Nakatos and turned off his car.

"Japanese?" Marley asked confused.

"Yeah. You've never been here?"

"I haven't been to a lot of places.."

"With me baby, all you'll ever go is places."

Jacob got out of the car and walked to Marley's side of the vehicle and opened her door.

She stepped out and looked around.

"How do I look, Jake? Do I look presentable?"

"Babe, you look beautiful. Come on before she thinks we forgot about her."

Marley and Jacob walked inside together hand in hand.

The waiter escorted them to Jacob's moms table.

Jacob's mother, Theresa, hugged him and they all sat down for dinner.

"oh mi Dios! Jacob, you look so handsome!" Theresa smiled anxiously as she gazed at her son.

"Mom, I'd like to to meet the love of my life Marley. Marley this is my mom, Theresa."

"Good evening, Ms. Perez." Marley said nervously as she stuck out her hand for Theresa to shake.

Theresa stared at Marley for a moment.

Marley realized she wasn't going to shake her hand so she put it back down embarrassingly.

"mamá!"

"Yes, son?"

Marley ignored the fact Theresa didn't shake her hand and she thought about everyone in Youngsville and the fact she had to go back there tomorrow night.

Jacob on the other hand was speaking to his mother in Spanish.

A language Marley didn't know.

The waiter came up and took their orders as they stopped speaking.

After they ordered their food, Theresa finally spoke to Marley.

"What happened to your hair young lady?" She blurted out rudely.

Marley was taken back at the question.

"I... I... I uh... I cut it."

"Why would you cut your hair?"

"I didn't like it, ma'am."

Theresa scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Your hair is your crown and glory.." She stated.

Marley sighed as she realized Jacob's mother did not like her at all.

Jacob grabbed Marley's hand and kissed it as she looked into his eyes.

"No matter what.." He mouthed to her.

After 20 minutes of waiting, the waiter finally brought everyone's food out to them and that's when the real conversations began...

"Where do you live, Marley?"

"I live here."

"Oh, yeah? Why haven't we met before sweetie?"

"I've been away.."

"Away.. Really? Where?"

"Philadelphia, Ms. Perez."

"So that's where Jacob goes on Saturdays? To visit you.."

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you live with a relative there?"

"No ma'am."

"Then why are you there?"

"I'm staying there... Temporarily."

"What for?"

Marley got nervous as the questions got more intense.

"I have to."

"Mom, please! That's enough."

"I'm just trying to get to know your girlfriend Jacob. That's all."

"I stay in a psychiatric home.. But I'm not crazy! I swear.."

Ms. Perez stopped what she was doing immediately.

"You what?"

"Ms. Perez..." Marley said before getting cut off.

"Jacob, you're dating some lunatic? I raised you better than this! What in the hell is wrong with you?!" Theresa yelled causing a scene.

"She is not a lunatic! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"She lives in a psychiatric home with psychotic people for Christ sake!"

"That doesn't mean anything, mom.. You don't even know why she's there!"

"She probably tried to kill someone!"

Marley was so hurt and embarrassed that Jacob's mother hated her, she walked out of the restaurant in tears.

Jacob followed behind her and hugged her.

"Baby girl, don't cry please! She's just upset that's all.." Jacob explained trying to comfort her.

Ms. Perez was right behind them as she ran towards Jacob.

"Jacob Perez! Let's go now! I forbid you to see this psychotic girl anymore after today."

"Stop calling me that!" Marley yelled at Theresa.

"That's what you are!"

"You didn't even give me a chance to explain anything! You just assumed I was crazy!"

"There's nothing to explain! Jacob let's go.. NOW!"

Marley was furious now. She let every single emotion out that she'd been holding inside.

"I was raped.. I was tortured.. I was mutilated. I had my innocence taken from me by a man I didn't even know. I starved every night and every day because my mother was too damn high or too damn stupid to care! I lived in an apartment complex full of child molesters, rapist and drug dealers. You will never understand why I am where I am today.. I got sick of the rape, and the beatings every night so I decided to end it all. I grabbed some clippers and cut my hair and grabbed my razor and I slit my wrist in every way possible. I wish... I really fucking wish Jacob would have let me die that day. My mother is in jail for the rest of her life. I have no one except for Jacob and a few people at my psychiatric home. I will be dammed if you think you're going to take away the best thing that has ever happened to me. I buried my grandmother today and I wish I could've been buried with her. You will never understand my lifestyle because every fucking thing is handed to you on a silver dish. Never should you call me psychotic. I just wanted one thing from life.... And that one thing was death."

Theresa was frozen where she stood.

Jacob was silent as a single tear fell from his eye.

Marley kept these feelings hidden from everyone.. Including the kids at her group home. Jacob didn't know about the rape or the torture Marley endured.

Theresa fell to her knees and begged Marley for her forgiveness.

"The last thing I need is to be someone's charity case.."

Marley walked away from Theresa and headed towards Jacob.

He too was frozen where he stood.

"Take me home." Marley said as she walked to the passenger side of the car.