French Kisses

Chapitre 18

| FRENCH KISSES |

Calvin

I woke up by the sound of a honk of a car by 12 midnight. I pretended to not care though the inside of me was already praying to God for help. This isn't new anymore. I've been living my life this way, scared, alone, maltreated, and hated.

My dad came home late again. And drunk. And high.

I pretended to be asleep. I don't want to deal with any of his shits again. I don't want to receive any slaps and punches again. The bruises on my body aren't even fully healed yet.

Can God please hear my prayers this time? Let dad forget about me tonight and just go to sleep. I don't want to handle the same pain over and over again.

"Ugh! Merde!" My dad cursed, his loud voice echoed through the corners of our home.

Home? I don't feel like home here. This is a prison. Yes, I live in a prison and I'm still eight years old. Funny, right?

"ASTRID!"

Oh, no. Not my mom!

"ASTRID!"

I got myself out of the bed and sat up. Moments later, I heard my mother shouted. And a slap. And cries.

"Non! S'il vous plaît, Hugo. You're drunk!"

My mother pleaded to stop, but just like before, my father didn't listen. I covered my ears as I keep hearing my mother's cries and groans of pain. I keep hearing my father's slap and curses on my mother.

And I was here, crying, unable to do anything to help my mother. To keep her away from him. I feel so useless. I want to take her away from my father but I know the concequences of only one mistake.

"Shut the fuck up!" Then I heard a hard slap again.

And silence.

Silence.

I put my hands away from my ears. There was still silence. I ran over to the wall that connects my bedroom to my father's. No sound, still silence.

What happened?

Leaving the fear I have behind, I ran out of my bedroom and straightly opened the door of my father's room.

My eyes immediately went agape, as well as my mouth. I didn't believe what I just saw, but it's real. I saw my mother on the bed, lying on the bed. Her lower body was covered with a blanket and all I could see was her face, staring directly at me.

"Mother?" I whispered.

I whispered her name again, waiting for a respond. But nothing. I received no response from my mother who was directly staring at me.

I took a step forward, not minding my father. I don't care anymore. My mother is the most important person for me right now. Little by little, I saw blood. There were blood streaming out of her mouth, and she was still looking at me!