The Architect's Wife

Five- That's Enough

Shantel was becoming an insomniac. Since after she had witnessed her father raping her mother a few nights before. Every time she closed her eyes she witnessed flashbacks of that night’s events, they floated through her mind tormenting her.

That dreadful night she had stayed up late watching mature rated films on the television. It disgusted her how women would do degrading things just for some money. When she heard her parents pull into the driveway she ran to the room and tucked herself in next to Dylon. She lay the still with her eyes half open wondering why they were home so late. Shantel heard her parents arguments about another woman and later heard her father grunting on her mother after he had punched her and she fell to the floor unconscious. She wanted to jump out of bed so bad and choke the life out of him but she knew her efforts would be futile.

Now she lay there remembering it all playback in her head once more. She was beginning to daze off to sleep when someone entered her room. She knew it was the devil who was called her father and she had already predicted why he came in, so she stayed still on her back as her father moved towards her mother. He nudged her shoulder and she woke up almost instantly.

“What do you want?” Joanie whispered groggily.

“Get in my bed” He demanded.

Shantel shut her eyes and wished she could stop hearing as well.

“What? No I'm tired of all the bruises you keep giving me. I'm still sore all over” Joanie complained.

Paul rolled his eyes. “Hey, get up now I'm not going to tell you again.

Joanie looked him fluffed her pillow and closed her eyes like she heard nothing he said. Paul hated to be ignored he yanked her out of the bed by her hair and lift her up like she was some dead deer .

“Paul, stop it. Let go of me”

“Hush up before you wake the kids.”

Joanie stopped resisting and stayed still. Shantel lay in bed crying once again. She despised that man all he did was cause pain. He had no right to be called father. She even resented her mother for not leaving him. Her house was like hell and ironically the only way she could get out was by death. Shantel now had suicidal thoughts constantly after she found out what was happening with her parents. She really could not stop crying and wishing for it to be over and like the many nights before she cried herself to sleep.

It was a hot August afternoon. Joanie was on her way home from dropping dylon off to summer school. She remembered Dylon earlier letting go of her hand quickly as they entered the compound. “Mom I'm not a baby” he had said she smiled at the thought of him. As she approached the drive way her smile faded as she saw Paul’s company vehicle parked there .

“Great, Paul’s home. Since when is he home so early?” she grumbled to herself. She parked the vehicle and locked it up. She slowly walked up the stairs dreading to enter the house where the big bad wolf stayed.

Joanie opened the door and as she did she heard a strange noise (something between a sigh and a groan) coming from Paul’s bedroom. She barged open the door and gasped as she saw Paul trying to keep his balance standing while precious Melinda slurping on his member.

“You little slut” She screamed as Melinda scrambled from the floor. Paul was just as surprised and unable to speak. “Get Out!”Joanie yelled “Out of my house now before I strangle the life out of you.”

Paul was putting his n=boxers on quickly now. “Joanie” he said “There is no need for such a scene. If you wanted to join all you had to do was ask” Joanie could not believe what she was hearing. This was some dream that she had to wake up from. Melinda brushed passed her trying to put on some clothes, while escaping, with her head bowed in shame. Joanie went up to Paul with all her anger screaming out as she slapped him hard across her face.

Meanwhile Shantel was at Vivian’s giving her the latest updates on what was happening at home during the past week. After a while Shantel was yapping so much that Vivian had to get her some water.

“I’ll be right back” she said as she started towards the kitchen. While pouring the water Vivian kept hearing Shantel’s dog barking next door so she peeked into the window to see the commotion.

“What the hell, Shantel you have to come see this!”

Shantel came running into the kitchen. “See what?”

Vivian signalled for her to come closer “There is a woman running ou or your house practically naked”

“What?” Shantel asked as she looked into the window. Her eyes bulged open when she saw the woman running with a black bra and hot pink underwear. She sighed “Oh no. I’ll be right back.”

Paul rammed Joanie’s head against the refrigerator as she ran into the kitchen trying to get away from him.

“You disgust me u little bitch” he punched her and she flew on top the kitchen counter. Joanie grabbed the knife that was closest to her. She turned toward him looking like a mess.

“Stay away from me you bastard.” She managed to say

Paul chuckled “What are you going to do with that? Kill me?” he said provokingly he moved closer to her. “There is nothing you can do sweetheart, you’re just too pathetic”

He jumped at her to strangle her but she swung the knife and it plunged right into his chest and se kept on swinging and screaming “ No leave me alone leave me alone”

Shantel could hear her mother in the kitchen from the moment she entered the house she already knew what had happened before she entered the kitchen. “Mom!” she yelled. Her mother stopped the instant she saw her daughter and began sobbing hysterically. She dropped the knife and sat on the floor next to her husband she looked at her blood stained hands then at her daughter.

“Im sorry.” She cried

Shantel slowly came to her side and helped her up. Joanie looked at her in fear “stay away from me I’m a monster” she said.

Shantel hugged her “No mom the only monster that I’ve ever knew is gone and never to return. Everything will be just fine now. I think this is our happy ending.”

“But” Joanie could say nothing her daughter had said it all. She brought herself to reality and released herself from her daughter’s arms. “What are we gonna do with him?” She asked looking at her husband’s lifeless body.

“Nothing” Shantel replied. “We’re gonna get ourselves cleaned up. I’ll get rid of the knife and let’s just leave this place, me, you and Dylon let’s just leave.

“Leave?” Joanie asked “Where will we go?”

“Anywhere away from here mom besides, we have a long drive to the airport to think of where.”

“You are right we can start a new life and we could never stay here. It’s just too many bad memories.”

Shantel forced a smile. Still surprised at how well she herself was handling the situation. “We will get through this mom”

Joanie looked at the lifeless body of Paul one last time and finally said “Fine, get packed.” She not removing her eyes from him