Sarah Bell

Getting Some Thing Right

That was then, not now. That happened, but it wont again. Sarah was still sound asleep next to me. She's now ten. I'm thirteen, my birthday's in a few days. Dad won't remember. I stare at the celling thinking about what mom was accomplishing, and what my birthday would be like if she was still around. Its still early in the morning and dad still wasn't home from his party last night. He's probably trashed, but when he comes home he will not be happy. Sarah moves, she doesn't wake but she cuddles into my body more. She's as close as she can get already, or at least I thought so. That's when I realize she moved due to the sound of footsteps. Dads home. I listened as he stumbled his way into the kitchen, where I heard the clang of car keys, hitting the counter. The he moved to the bathroom, judging on how long the water stayed on, I would have guessed he cleaned his face. Finally he headed for our room. I could hear him stop outside, the door, and lean against it. I swallowed, as he came in. He pushed the door hard, and it made a loud bang as it slammed into the wall. It was loud enough to wake Sarah up. He stumbled half way across the room. Our bed was on the far wall, I barely had to turn my head to see the door.

"Get up! Get up!" He shouted pointing at me. I pulled the covers back, and stood up near the end of the bed. I porously placed myself in between him and Sarah. He reached for my arm, "well come on, what are you waiting for?!?" he hollered at me. He began dragging, me out of the door. He took me to the bathroom. The sink was filled to the top with water. Dad had plugged the overflow holes, which were there to drain water when it got to high.

"Stay here." He said before stopping off. I stood their looking at the water; I knew what he went to go get. I knew how this was going to end. He'd push me to the limit. He'd go in tell I'd pass out, and then he'd leave me lying there. He says its because he wants to make me stronger. He says all little girls, can hold their breaths. He says dropping bricks on my back add character. I don't believe what he says.

He came back with a bag of ice. I knew he would. He poured it in the sink, causing some of the water to rush over the edges. I know I will clean that up later, I know I'll l be lying in it for hours. He pushes me closer to the sink. Now this sink is no ordinary sink. It's deep, and wide. Just slightly smaller, then a bathtub. He gathers my hair up in his fist, and pushes me down into the freezing water. After a few seconds he pulls me back up. He repeats this proses each time holding me under a few extra seconds. Finally it gets to be too much, the cold on my face, the size of my lungs. I try and pull my head outa the water, but he pushes back with slightly greater force. I bash my head on the bottom of the sink. I see the world flickering. I wished I would just pass out, and then it'd be over, but he pulls my head upward.

"Finally you did something right." He lets my hair go. I have a hand on each side of the sink, looking at the water. "You really are my daughter," He says in a slurred voice.

"Now go dry off and change into something nice, and leave your sister alone. Don't talk to her, don't look her in the eye, and when you come back we'll go."

I nod, and return to my room. I grab the towel that always hangs on the back of our door, and dry my hair off. I glance over and see Sarah fell back asleep. I head for my closet, and find my flower top dad likes, and a pair of jeans. I found my brush under a pile of clothes and brushed out my hair. I finally added my heart locket, and left the room. My dad was sitting on the couch drinking a beer and watching the news. I closed the door as quite as I could but my dad hears all. He puts the bottle down on the coffee table next to a dozen others and walks over to me. He kisses me on the forehead, "see how much better things our when we listen?" He pulled out his house keys. Not only could he lock the doors to the outside of the house but he could lock the doors inside the house too. He locks Sarah in our room, and heads toward the front door.

We got in his white pick up truck, and headed into town. I hated being with my father, and I hated leaving Sarah alone. I liked when he went to clubs or parties and left us deserted. A song came on the radio, I wasn't sure the name, but I knew the words anyways. Dad looked over a noticed me mouthing them.

"Sing." He said "what?" I murmured

"You heard me, sing."

I didn't want to sing for him. I didn't think he was worth it. I knew he wasn't worth it but Sarah Bell was. At first my words came out light and uneasy. The longer I sang the easier it became, my words felt more forceful and heart filled. When the song ended the car seemed a lot quitter. Finally he broke the silence, "you have an amazing voice."

"Thank you." I said in a whisper. "Where are we going?"

"I think its about time I took you to see my friends." He finally said, after the awkward silence. I forgot my dad had friends. He seemed so monster like at home I never really thought of him as having friends, but then of course he'd always hung out with them. They were a bunch of druggies too. The trip was not going to be pleasant.