Miss Sacrifice

Malik

"Thank you for today." Jaaliyah said. Those were the first words spoken when we were in the car.

"Thank you for allowing it to happen." I said.

I looked at Jaaliyah as I started the car, she was looking out of the window as always and she folded her hands down on her thighs. She quickly turned to look at me and caught my attention.

"I'm guessing it's time to tell you everything." She said.

I swallowed. "Yeah I guess it is."

I wasn't quite ready to hear what she had to tell me but I braced myself for the inevitable. I started driving but I continued to listened to Jaaliyah.

"You can't look at me differently after this." She said Jaaliyah too turned to face me, this time she had one leg propped up on the seat.

"Of course not ma." I assured.

She took a deep breath, looked at me with intention and began talking.

"I had a boyfriend when I was 17, and we would always hang out together. We were together for about four months and it was great, there was a day where he came over. And, my dad was not home but when he came home he found us together in my room." She stopped.

"Right." I said and allowed her to continue.

"He assumed we were having sex--"

I cut her off, "Well did he assume correctly?" I said.

"No, I didn't want to have sex with him yet. So when my dad saw us together he was disappointed in me. So ever since that day he's been-- he's been touching me." She said and looked down at her hands.

I slammed the breaks so hard that I was sure the tires left marks on the ground. I felt my heart drop to my stomach and my head started spinning. I turned my head vigorously and looked at Jaaliyah wide eyed. "What?! So does he hit you too?"

"Yes." She wept.

"Why the fuck would your dad have the nerve to do such a thing?!" I said "Sick son of a bitch should be dead. What--who does that?! Wait, is he raping you?"

"No. He just touches." Jaaliyah answered with a shake in her voice.

I couldn't explain the kind of anger that was building up inside of me, I could've guessed what was happening but I didn't believe it. I gripped the wheel so hard I thought my knuckles would come out of my skin. The anger bubbled up inside of me that I'd gotten a headache right away.

"Tell me about the bruise Jaaliyah." I was surprised that I had the nerve to say that.

She picked at her fingers until they bled, I quickly grabbed her hands and held them.

"He was touching me and I started to cry. He was mad at me and slapped me." She said. It seemed like that was the last breath she'd been holding. Jaaliyah let out a deep sigh and cried hysterically.

The anger was worse now, I thought of the things that I would do to this man if I knew him or if I ever stumble across him. I knew dads were horrible people but I thought things like that only happened in movies. I pulled Jaaliyah to my chest but she pulled away quickly.

"No! Please!" She said and lashed her arm out at me. I knew she was hurt and deeply hurt.

"Its OK Jaaliyah. It's OK." I said.

Jaaliyah wept so hard that I was sure she'd loose her voice, "C'mere, it's me. Malik." I pulled her slowly to my chest and caressed her head. "Don't cry ma." I whispered into her ear.

Jaaliyah's body was sprawled out across the gear shift, I stretched my arm out and turned off the car. I kissed her head tenderly and pulled her closer, her body was tense at first but she seemed to loosen up when I spoke to her. We stayed in that position until Jaaliyah stopped crying, but I knew she only stopped because she didn't want to look weak.

"I have to go." She said as she wiped her face.

"I don't want you in that house anymore." I said.

"There's nothing you can do Malik. Just please take me home." She pleaded.

I wanted to march into that house and give the man a piece of my mind, "Is your dad home?"

She shook her head, "He's coming in late."

"Come with me." I said.

"Malik, I can't. He will come check up on me if he hasn't already. I can't."

I started the car and drove in silence. I didn't want to leave Jaaliyah in a house knowing what is happening to her. "What's your dad's name?" I asked.

"Wendell."

"Sounds like a bitch's name." I said through my teeth.

Jaaliyah didn't say a word, she only smiled. We drove in silence--again-- until we were near Jaaliyah's house. She was tense again when we were back in town and I knew the reason behind it and I hated it with my guts.

"You sure you wanna go home?" I asked once more.

"I never want to go home, but I have to." Her face was towards the window again.

I hesitated when I reached her corner but I turned knowing that I had to get her home. If I wanted to see her again I would have to let her go back into the main source of her unhappiness, back to the one place in the world where she should feel safe but she didn't. She was hurting inside and outside and I couldn't do anything about it right away but I swore to myself that I would sooner or later.