Under the Stars

Chapter Two

June 2006

"WHAT THE—?" Dad shouted on the dinner table. He sprang immediately and wiped the water away. Then he came near to me.

Daddy is becoming the monster that I was once afraid of. Monsters are not in the closet anymore but here in front of me.

He gripped my wrist so tightly that it hurt. I wouldn't doubt that this would show some bruises tomorrow. Good thing that tomorrow's Saturday. I hope he doesn't do worse. But judging him now, I think this would have a lot worse.

The feeling of being gripped and stared like I'm some kind of a murderer makes my eye sting.

Oh how I wanted to cry. But Daddy hates it!

"You—" Dad started to shout at me but then my Mama interrupted him.

She starts to cry. Mama is now scared at Daddy. I am scared too, but I am less scared than her. I am used to this. I am used to his violences that I could not almost feel the pain anymore.

Daddy made me become this. Should I say thanks to him?

Mama held Daddy's hand where his hand was starting to twist my wrist. He twisted it unconsciously until I can feel my tiny bones breaking. I wanted to yelp in pain but I just whimpered. If I cry, Daddy might really break it.

"Stop! Stop! Please! You're hurting her!" Mom pleaded but Daddy was nowhere. The monster in him ruled over.

"Hurting her?! I'm disciplining your child Margaret! This is how you raised her huh?! After all the hard work that I made so you can eat, is this how this little wench will gonna pay me?! By being an undisciplined girl!"

Mama cried so hard now. There were no words coming out from her but only the cries of a woman who was pleading her husband to let her child go. But instead, Daddy got super pissed so he struck Mama.

He struck Mama by picking up a plate and slapped it hard to her.

My breath stopped for nearly two seconds before I regained my reality. Daddy struck Mama with the porcelain plate that Aunt Fleur gave!

I became wide eyed, much to my horror because I can see Mama's blood flowing on the floor.

And in there, I lost my senses. I wriggled against him and  screamed so hard I thought my throat's going to explode. Daddy might be shocked because he unconsciously loosened his grip on me. I hurriedly ran towards Mama and tried to wake her up.

She was unconscious but she was breathing!

The porcelain plate broke into pieces. I wish it was Daddy's head instead!

I cried and hugged Mama's head in me, enveloping it in my body. I was so afraid that Daddy might kill her now. Daddy became the monster that every bedtime stories describes.

I truly loath him!

Daddy kneeled in front of us. He looked at us bewildered. I looked at him with so much loath. He tried to reach out for my Mama but instead, I picked the butter knife that fell from the table and directed it to him.

"No! Do not touch my Mama!" I screamed at him angrily. "I will kill you if you do that!" Still directing the knife to him, my tears began to roll down my eyes. "Go away! You are not my father! You are not! GO AWAY!!!!"