Our Superheroes

The Tattooist's Daughter

Jesse had always wanted to be a tattooist. Ever since she was little. On Jesse's eleventh birthday she had gotten a tattoo. It was of a crow holding a tulip in its beak. Her dad had done it on her shoulder. He had said that it was to represent both of them.

On her twelfth birthday she had found out that her father had been abusing her mother then going out and getting drunk. On her thirteenth birthday something snapped and that was the last time she let him hurt her mother. She had slowly crept to the entryway of the living room. Her father had a bottle of whiskey in his hand; almost empty. Her mother was backed into a corner and he was screaming at her. Jesse had crept in baseball bat in hand – The one her father had given her for her birthday – and gripped it tight, raising it above her head. As she moved closer fear surged through her. She took in a deep breath and as her father was turning to see who was behind him she swung.

She stood there breathing heavily looking down at her father as he lay unconscious and her mother sobbed loudly.

"Mum, call the police." Her mother nodded then ran to the phone. Jesse dropped her baseball bat not taking her eyes off of her father. She had always looked up to him and then he went and did this.

A few minutes later the police arrived and arrested him.

Nothing was the same after that.

A few months after this had happened something terrible happened. Her father was dead. Killed in a car crash after drunk driving. She had remembered the day well. It was a warm Saturday afternoon. The time was three forty-five. The thing is she didn't cry or feel sad she didn't feel anything. Just numbness. Her and her mother hadn't planned to go the funeral but they had. And the will. She had been given the tattoo parlour. Her mother was given many mean curses and hatred and curse words. After that they had gone home and nothing was the same at all.

Because everything was changing anyway she decided to take a trip down to the comic bookstore where she could find a different hero to look up to. One that didn't die in a fiery car crash or beat her mother. She picked up a Batman comic then walked to the cash register to purchase the comic. Antony – who ran the comic bookstore – saw that she was upset by something as she was a regular and he knew what was going on in her life. He came around to the front of the cash register. And placed a sticky note on top of the comic with her name on it and left it on the counter. He lead her outside.

"What's wrong?" He asked sounding concerned.

"Nothing. I'm fine." She replied.

"No. You're not."

"Fine. My father was killed in a car crash a couple of months after I beat him with the baseball bat he bought me." She said irritated that she had to go over everything that had happened during the last few months of her life.

"Oh god.. I'm so sorry, Jesse." He went to hug her but she pulled away.

"No. I don't want sappy stuff or apologies. I want my comic and I want to go home."

"Okay. You wait here, I'll pack it up for you." He looked at her, hesitated then walked back inside. He came back out a minute later with a plastic bag that held her comic. He handed her a leaflet that had details of something called "The Comic Book Club".

"Come on Saturday. I've already had a couple of people call in to say their coming. I think it will be good for you to meet people who have the same opinion as you."

"Fine. I'll try but no promises."

"Thank you." He walked back inside.

Jesse started to walk home but stopped when she reached the Fro-Yo store. She stepped in and there was a young woman standing at the counter looking board.

"Hi, welcome to the Fro-Yo palace where the Fro-Yo is For you." She said unenthusiastically. "My name is Carry and I will be getting your Fro-Yo for you today."

"Can I have a vanilla please and can I have caramel sauce on top." Jesse asked. Carry groaned then moved to cabinet.

"Do you want it to take away?"

"Yes please." Carry rolled her eyes then grabbed a small paper container and started scooping vanilla Fro-Yo into the cup. Once it was piled up she drizzled caramel sauce over the top. She handed Jesse the cup.

"That's four dollars." Carry held out her hand dully. Jesse pulled out four dollars and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Jesse said as she left. Carry mumbled something inaudible.

Jesse ate the Fro-Yo on her way home and saw that the car wasn't in the driveway. When she stepped into the house it was completely silent.

"Mum?" She called. There was no reply. She walked down the hallway through to the lounge room and found her mum lying on the couch. Jesse dumped her bag down on the floor and hurried over. Her mother had a burnt hand and Jesse could she the bone of her mother's leg sticking up through the skin. Tears welled up in her eyes and she sprinted to the phone and dialled the emergency number. After calling them, while they were still on the phone she checked her mum's breathing – she was breathing fine – and then she rolled her into the recovery position.

After the paramedics arrived she got into the ambulance with her mum and they drove to the hospital. When they arrived she was told to wait in the waiting room. Despite herself she found herself crying. She placed her head in her hands and sobbed until it was time to go home. A woman named Alda offered her a ride home three hours later. Alda was really nice when Jesse told her what had happened over the course of the year. When they pulled up at Jesse's house she invited Alda in.

"Thank you again for dropping me off." Jesse said, whilst they sat the dining table.

"That's fine. Anytime Jesse." Alda smiled kindly at her.

"What were you doing there?"

"At the hospital? I was checking in on my sister."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She just had a baby actually. So, I was going to see them."

"Congratulations on becoming an aunt then."

"Thank you. I think I should head off now but here's my number in case you need anything."

"Thank you again for dropping me off."

"As I said, it's fine, no need to thank me." She started towards the door, unlocked it, waved to Jesse then stepped out and closed the door behind her. Jesse heard the car drive off then walked to her room and started packing.

And life continues on.