CHAPTER 1: PART 3

SEVEN MONTHS LATER AFTER MY FATHER'S DISSAPEARANCE....

It had been a month since Michael moved in with us. He wasn't the father I had hoped for but he was loving; so I thought. I had been in my room playing alone as usual. It had been a routine I was used to, something I was comfortable with other than my mother constantly cursing and ignoring me like I was a disease. Sometimes I would lay down facing the roof, looking up at the stars my father painted for me on my room ceiling, wondering why he really he left us. I would sometimes think it was my fault but remembering my father's words like it was yesterday giving me hope, and I was able to ignore what my mother’s rants about me being the home wrecker. I laid there thinking about my mother’s words and the misery I was facing.

"It is your fault your father left me" my mother would say furiously. "Her", it was all "her" what about me! Wasn’t I part of the family, I mean he left me too!

Michael wasn't at all that bad, he would make my mother happy by bringing her flowers but that’s all he was good at, no groceries nor safety just a broken home. They would sometimes get lost in their conversations if not arguing or having meaningless sex, ignore me; and when I tried to join in my mother would just hush me telling me to go to sleep, full or hungry she didn’t care.

Now come to think of it, it was better than the days when she would be alone, no Michael around. She would get crossed over nothing, I would ignore her, do not bother her with even a slightest conversation but she would sometimes find reason to beat me up.

There was this onetime I tried interacting with her but she just ignored me like I had said nothing, not even when it was time for dinner. She sometimes called me once for dinner, either I heard or not it was not a problem to her. I did not dare go to the kitchen for food if she did not call me, and if I did not hear whiles she called, I would stay in my room until morning comes for school. It was a routine I knew all too well and it never phased me, well at least I had a friend around the neighborhood I could visit to go eat from back from school.

The first time I went into the kitchen to eat after she had called me an hour before and I did not hear her; I got beaten up so bad I had to sleep with a hungry stomach and a throbbing body. Although, truthfully sometimes I would just intentionally ignore her, just so I do not deal with her attitude and mood swings.

"Maxine...."my mother shrieked from the kitchen.

I came to the kitchen after being called by her only to find her standing in the kitchen in-front of Michael, holding hands with him and making faces. I squirmed at the sight thinking about my father.

'I wish he was my father' I gave Michael a glare.

"Tomorrow I am going to work; you will be left alone with Michael. I want you to listen and take all instructions from him" my mother alleged not giving me the chance to speak or disapprove.

I mean it had been like that ever since my father left and I was comfortable ignoring her although this time I wanted to protest, I don’t know why but I felt like rebelling. She saw my disapproving look and ordered harshly.

"Take instruction and do not argue with me" she spat with ignorance and spite, and if I were to disapprove further then it was going to be the death of me.

Sometimes if I was able to land a word she would hit me, it was like I had to act like a slave, take orders, nod and go do them nothing more nothing less. It was boring for me but better that being beaten for nothing. For instance, saying I do not know about something that went wrong or saying I had homework.

Michael shifted his gaze from my mother to me, and gave a wicked smile. I wondered what it meant but I shook the thought and went back to my room. As I was about to open the door I heard my mother muttering...

"Be careful of her" she warned Michael.

"Why would I need to be careful with her" Michael obliviously asked laughing at my mother's warning.

"Argh just be, ok! She’s weird" she stated boringly.

I got inside my room and slept waiting for tomorrow. I couldn't wait for a day off, a day where I was away from my mother, a night without her constant deadly stares and resentment. Morning came, I went to school leaving my mother asleep as always. School wasn’t much because it was our first day back. We only prepared our classes and chilled around until it was noon, they had given us a half day off and we were all happy about it. I went to my friends place until it was late around five, and I went home. When I came back I found Michael sitting in the kitchen reading a newspaper, he turned his gaze to me when he saw me appearing from the door and smiled mischievously.

"You're back" he said with a lot of interest. I learned to ignore his stupid remarks.

"How was school?" he vigorously continued to annoy me more.

Remembering how my father would ask me about my day at school, it pissed me off to the core, and the way Michael was acting; like a father figure to me, it filled me with so much hatred I wanted to curl up and cry. I wanted my father back not a father figure.

My mind started to go down memory lane remembering the last day I saw him; my eyes started to get watery, my heart ponded faster than normal. I decided I had had enough of him so I dashed into my room without uttering any words or showing any interest or remorse. Michael looked at me confused.

"Hey I am speaking to you" he shouted as he stood up following me.

I ignored him and treaded faster but was not fast enough, he got into my room pushing me with the door and sat down with me when he saw me sitting on my bed crying. He looked at me with no emotion.

"Hey...hey hush now child I'm here for you" he sarcastically said acting like he cared one bit as he moved to embrace me but not before I moved away from him.

I felt angry and threatened, I hated having him around; worse him touching me.

"You're not my father!" I spat crying softly but Michael was now starting to turn red with anger. He had anger issues. If you did not do as he pleased, he would snap and I knew I had poked a lion on its den.

"Here I was thinking me and you will be good friends" he stood up grabbing me harshly by my hand.

"Kids like you need discipline!" he muttered with venom as he took out his belt like I had done something wrong.

I shrieked at his grip, trying to pull away but it was no use. Michael left my hand and thrashed my room angrily giving me a death glare.

"I have been nice to you all this while and now you just made me angry" he got a hold of me and tossed me on my bed.

He dragged me by my foot. I on the other hand I was trying so hard to retrieve my foot and not to shriek too much. I knew he loved that I was affected by him but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, although it was no use I just kept struggling. He saw this and started hitting me with his belt over and over everywhere, not caring where it landed. I cried and begged for mercy but he continued, he was so ruthless and aggressive. I was so beat up and hurting I couldn't move anymore. Seeing that he was not getting any reaction from me anymore he tossed the belt aside and started hitting me with his fists. I cried some more the moment his hands met my face trying to move away but he dragged me with my foot, and when I tried moving away more I ended up falling hard on the floor. As I was trying to stand up Michael pinned me down with his foot. He kicked me four times on my stomach, I started coughing blood.

"You peace of crap...." he muttered with rage out of breath. He huffed whiles moving around the room, he looked at my unmoving body that was laying on the floor breathing hard, crying lightly and sweating he shook his head looking around the room.

He looked at me with so much spite, kicked me again on the stomach gaining little whines for me as I was weak and couldn't move.

"Please Michael I’m sorry" I tried begging, my pain was too much; raising my head but only gaining another kick on her chest.

It felt like I couldn't breathe, the world went hazy as I saw him grinning mischievously.

"I am going to teach you a lesson you, pathetic loser, I want you to answer when spoken to, do as elders say" Michael kneeled down next to me.

I was so tired and hurting I couldn't see clearly, my eyes were getting hazier with tears and blood from Michaels fists. He dragged my body close to him, but I cried against it begging him to stop. I tried pushing him away but he stood his ground.

"Oh you still have power left in you!" he hit me on the face with a fist. At that time I just lost subconsciousness, it was too much for my little body.

What followed after, I don't know. I was woken up the next morning by my mother's voice calling out for me to come eat.

"Maxine food!" my mother shrieked.

How I survived that I don’t know. I tried standing up but I felt pain all over my body. I tried standing up again but only to be met by another shockwave of pain down on my private area. I looked at where the pain was coming from and saw lots of blood on the floor. I sobbed silently not wanting to alarm my mother, I mean she was obviously going to think I started it all. I tried standing up, picking my clothes along the way and moved around the room.

My room was so messed up it was like there was a house robbery. I shook my head and started fixing it. I cleaned the blood on the floor and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I cried softly as water dripped down my hurting body. I looked at myself in the mirror and cried at the sight. I noticed an excruciating blue eye where Michael hit me last night, a bruised lip, and a huge lump on my head. I took out some make up I had stolen long ago from my mother’s room and applied it on my face. I looked at my stomach and saw purple bruises. I thought of telling my mother but I feared the worst she could do to me. I started crying softly feeling sorry for myself washing myself slowly making sure I do not hurt myself.

'What did I do to deserve this?' I wondered as I finished bathing still sobbing softly.

As I was just about to get out of the bathroom I heard small mumbling in my room.

'Michael, oh no!' the thought of him brought terror.

I did not know he could be this bad. Michael opened the bathroom uninvited, looked at me dead in the eyes like he didn't remember nor see what he did to me. I looked at him shyly and scared, ready for I thought he was there to finish me off.

"I am taking you to school, be ready in twenty minutes. Understand!" he commanded with content and spite.

‘I wish you could die’ I shook my head looking at his reaction when he was looking at me disgustingly. It was scary.

"Yes" I said softly knowing very well I did not want to do anything to piss him off.