The Willow Tree

Chapter 3

I paced back and forth, the floorboards creaking, outside of my Father's office. I had promised myself, and Jake, that I would talk to my Father about allowing me to start at the College in September. I knew that if I didn't ask him now then there would be no chance and I didn't think I could manage another year, sat alone everyday.

I stopped pacing, pulling my shoulders up so I stood at my full height. I took a deep breath in to steady my nerves before knocking gently on the door three times.

'Come in,' the voice of my Father snarled from the other side of the door.

I turned the handle, knowing it wasn't too late to turn back, and after a moments hesitation I pushed open the door and stepped inside the room before I could change my mind. He looked up for his work and as soon as he saw me he looked back down and carried on working.

'What do you want?' He asked.

I shuffled from foot to foot, in my mind trying to think about how I should phrase what I was going to say, before finally blurting out. 'I was just wondering if you would let me start at the local College in September.'

My Father stopped what he was doing and put his pen down, turning to look at me once again.

'You want to go to the local College?' He asked, although I could hear the cruel sneer in his voice.

'Well...well yes,' I stuttered.

'Do you know why I took you out of School in the first place?' he asked me, pushing away from his desk and standing up.

'No,' I quietly replied. 'You never told me.'

'I never told you,' he laughed. 'My dear you wouldn't understand.'

'Please, Father. I just want to go to Colle...'

'Are you questioning my decisions?' He interrupted me, starting to shout. His face turning a pale shade of red as the anger flared through his eyes.

'No.' I managed to squeak out, feeing a shiver running down my spine.

'Well of course you wouldn't, being the stupid girl you are.' He cruelly replied.

I felt my whole body tense up as he started to walk towards me, stopping when he was right in front of my face.

'If I say you don't go to school. Then you don't go to school. Is that clear?' He snarled at me and it was only now that I could smell the alcohol on his breath. My eyes quickly glanced away from his, darting around the room at anything else. Sure enough there was a half empty bottle of whisky sat on his desk.

'Look at me when I'm talking to you!' He shouted, making me jump out of my skin. 'I said is that clear?' He asked again.

I nodded my head.

'Answer me,' he shouted, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

'Yes Father, but...' I started to respond.

'But nothing! I have the final say and you will not be going to that College.' He turned to walk back to his desk, I had to do something, anything to make him change his mind.

'Mother would have let me go,' I blurted out, before instantly regretting what I had just said.

'What did you say?' He asked, and I knew that I had really crossed a line, but it was too late.

'I said, Mother would have let me go,' I repeated and for a moment the anger faded, but just for a moment.

'How dare you talk about her,' he screamed. I tried to back away from him, to run back to the safety of my room, but he was too fast. As I went to walk out the door he grabbed my shoulder, pulling me towards him as he slammed the door. He spun me around and stared straight into my eyes. If looks could kill, I would have fallen to the floor a long time ago.

I stood in front of him. My whole body trembling as I tried to keep his stare. I glanced away, not wanting to look at him for another minute. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him raise his hand before swinging it back down to collide with the side of my face. I could feel the pain spreading across my cheek as my hands instantly reached up covering the spot were he had hit me. I stood in shock for a moment as he leaned forward so his mouth was right next to my ear.

'Don't ever talk about your mother again,' he snarled before pushing me away from him. He sat down at his desk once more, taking a swig from his bottle and carrying on with his work. My body still frozen with shock, unable to move. He looked up, noticing that I was still there.

'Get out!'

I turned, closing the door behind me and running up the stairs to my room, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. I pushed open the door of my room and flung myself onto my bed, curling up in a ball as I burst into tears.

I had never had a particularly good relationship with my Father, but he had never hurt me. Never physically hurt me. He had insulted me plenty of times, but it had never really bothered me. Until now. I had always just thought that he was still grieving. That he had never properly gotten over the death of my Mother. But if this was the way he was going to get over it, then I had a right mind never to be in the same room as him again.

I cried and I cried. Trying my hardest to fall asleep, so that when I woke up, he would be gone and I would be able to go over and see Jake and not have to worry about what would happen when he got home.

As I shut my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time, I heard something. Something that sounded like stones being thrown against the window. I rushed towards the window opening it and stepping out onto the balcony. I peered over the side and looked down, to see Jake.

'Jake,' I whispered, 'What are you doing here?'

'You didn't answer a single one of my messages after you practically forced me out of your house,' he said, the sound of concern in his voice. 'I was worried that something had happened to you.'

I smile started to creep onto my face, it was so nice to have someone who really cared.

'You can't be here,' I told him, praying that my Father was fast asleep and couldn't hear this or who knows what he would do.

'Just promise me that you're alright,' he said, and I couldn't help but smile at how kind he was being.

'I'm fine,' I tried to assure him, although I wasn't even convincing myself.

'You don't sound fine,' he replied and for a moment I thought about telling him everything. But I couldn't. Not to him. Not to someone I had only just met.

'Look Jake, it's sweet of you to come here, but you have to leave now,' I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, although a part of me didn't want him to leave.

'Please just come down so I can talk to you properly,' he begged.

I closed the window behind me, carefully tiptoeing past my Father's room. Pausing for a moment to hear the sound of him snoring. Reassuring myself that he wouldn't wake up, I carried on. A minute later I was at the back door, Jake's face smiling at me through the glass.

The sight of him, made my eyes fill up with tears once more as I pushed open the door and flung myself at him. I felt his arms wrap tightly around me as I cried into his chest.

'What's happened?' He asked, holding me at arms length and wiping away my tears.

'I...I...I don't want to talk about,' I stuttered, hoping that he would understand.

'Maybe not now,' he replied in a soothing tone. 'Maybe not tomorrow, but someday will you promise to tell me what has happened?' He asked holding out his pinky finger to me.

I wrapped my own little finger around his as I tried to smile.

'I promise.'