Chapter 1

"You weakling of a daughter..." Miriam cursed.

Erica fluttered her eyes standing with her legs shaking constantly.

"I asked you to wash the dishes, what did you do?" Miriam yelled smashing the ceramic plates on the floor.

Erica was startled.

Joan, Miriam's child from her previous marriage whom was three years older than Erica ran into the kitchen on hearing the noise.

It was still very early in the morning and the noise was quite unusual.

Joan gasped on seeing the broken plates on the floor.

"What is going on here mum?" Joan asked.

"Ask this good for nothing you call a sister" Miriam yelled dragging Erica by the ear and pinching it very hard.

Erica let out a loud cry, she felt this burning sensation on her ear.

"Mum stop it!" Joan yelled running to her.

Miriam pushed her away" would you shut your mouth up Joan and don't ever ask me to stop!"

She dragged Erica harder by the ear, she had a burning cigarette stick at the end of her mouth.

Miriam got it out of her mouth and plunged it on Erica's shoulder.

Poor Erica let out a loud cry.

"I asked you to wash the dishes and not to play with them, look at how dirty and disgusting they are!" Miriam pushed Erica away.

Erica fell on the floor with her bleeding shoulder.

"Mum I washed it well" she said in between tears.

"One more word from you girl and I would stitch your mouth up!" Miriam threatened.

Erica stood up and ran out of the kitchen.

"Come back here you little rat and wash these dishes!" Miriam yelled.

"Mum that's enough, I would wash the dishes" Joan said.

"No you won't! I painted those nails of yours yesterday and you aren't staining them" Miriam said.

Joan gaped.

"Mum why do you treated Erica like your slave? remember that she is your daughter too and we are sisters, she's only nine" Joan said feeling sorry for Erica.

Miriam dragged Joan by the arm out of the kitchen and pushed her to the couch.

"Don't you ever question me in this house Joan, I am your mother and I treat neither of you differently" she said sitting opposite to Joan.

Joan shook her head "Mum I am not stupid neither am I blind, you treat Erica like rubbish, hit her and even damage her skin with burning cigarettes yet you do non of that to me, why???"

Miriam smiled "your sister behaves like a fool most times and that's why I punish her."

Joan scoffed "what do you think dad would do if he finds out?"

Miriam laughed "what do you think he would do? Hit me or what? Now listen carefully to me Joan neither you or Erica would say a word to your father, I am your mother and whatever I do is for the best, I don't want my daughters to grow up behaving like cows."

Joan gasped on hearing what her mother said but she was afraid of saying another word.

Erica sat outside crying her heart out.

Her white night wear was already stained with blood by the shoulder.

"Erica...." she heard a male voice call out.

She turned around and leaped for joy, it was her father dressed in his military uniform.

"You're back dad..." she cried out hugging him tightly.

But Andrew didn't look pleased to see Erica, especially with the blood stains on her shoulder, her swollen eyes and wet face.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked.

Erica shook her head wiping her tears quickly.

"Nothing dad..." she answered.

She could vividly remember the warnings of her mother about telling her father anything, she had threatened to hate her forever if she does that.

Erica didn't want to get hated by her mother forever, she wanted her mother to love her and show her so much affection just like she does to Joan.

"Erica you are lying to me, what is blood stains on your shoulder" he takes of the clothe covering get shoulder and yelled.

"Erica what is this!" He cried out.

She shook her head in fear bursting into tears "it's nothing dad..."

He turned her around at once and opened her back, he could see red marks all over.

"Who hit you Erica? Who did this to you?" He cried out.

Erica was shaking, she was afraid of telling her father the truth and at the same time she was afraid of what her mother might do to her if she finds out that she told her father anything.

"Erica talk to me this minute, who did this to you?" He asked again looking straight into her eyes.

Erica broke down in tears.

She had no other choice than to say the truth.

"Mum did it" she said.

Andrew gasped letting go of Erica's arms "what are you saying?"

Andrew couldn't believe that his beloved wife could do this to their own daughter.

"What are you saying Erica?" He asked.

Erica swallowed hard, she knew her father would find it so hard to believe her.

"Dad is the truth..." she said crying.

He covered his mouth with his palm "Oh! My God! Since when have this been happening?"

Erica sobbed "since I was a child or maybe a baby."

Andrew who was squatting stood up at once running his hands through his hair.

"How could something like this be happening for years and I didn't know?" He thought aloud.

"Dad... you have always been away, at war and all that, so it's not your fault that you knew nothing, the only time I get to have some peace is whenever you are home but once you leave, she turns me into a slave."

Tears swept down Andrew's cheek.

She squat to the ground, the floor was covered in carpet grass.

He held Erica's arm "I am so sorry Erica that I have not been there for you, is this really how she treats kids?"

Erica shook her head "no daddy please.... she does not treat Joan this way, she takes good care of her."

Andrew frowned looking away.

He stood up to his feet heading to the house.

Erica gaped and ran after him.

"Dad what do you want to do?" She cried out dragging his arm.

"To put an end to this nonsense before she ends up killing you someday!" He yelled.

I shook my head at once "Daddy please don't do it, she would hate me!"

Her father paid deaf ears to her and went into the house pushing the door hard.

Joan froze on the couch when she saw our father and the look on his face was heavy.

She turned to Erica and frowned.

Erica bowed my head sadly.

Joan had always pleaded with her not to tell their father about the constant maltreatments she got from their mother cause it might cause a huge problem in the family.

Joan who was twelve years old stood up at once and ran behind her mother.

Miriam was standing as well.

She could clearly smell trouble looming in the air.

"Hello honey, you're home.... you didn't call to inform us that you were coming" Miriam said in a sweet voice.

Andrew scoffed "I am so glad that I did not call."

Miriam chuckled nervously "honey you don't look okay... is everything okay?"

Her hands were trembling slightly.

Andrew was silent, glaring at her.

Miriam cleared her throat slightly "Erica love... go get your dad a cup of juice to calm his nerves."

"Do not move an inch Erica!" Andrew ordered.

Miriam gasped.

"Andrew! What has she told you about me? I didn't do any other thing that to take very good care of your, you know Erica honey.... she never gets satisfied, isn't that right Joan?" Miriam asked looking behind at Joan who nervously nodded.

Erica's eyes widened, she didn't expect Joan to lie but she couldn't blame her though, she knew Joan was trying to protect their mother.

"I can't believe that you could be this heartless Miriam, after everything we have been through together, how could you do this to our daughter?" He yelled.

"I did nothing to her Andrew! That child is a bloody liar!" She cried out.

She still had cigarette in her mouth.

Andrew quickly took Erica's clothe off "what is the meaning of all of this? You know I could sue you now and have you rot in jail!"

The house was getting hitted up and Andrew and Miriam weren't willing to stop.

They started screaming at each other.

Erica ran off and heed under the table close-by.

She felt totally drained when she saw it all, it was all happening right before her eyes. 

Erica was filled with fear, her jaw couldn't stop dropping open at the sight of her parents dragging each other.

Her tender emotions were recklessly crushing into her own very tiny body, destroying her little hope of ever having the love of her mother into pieces.

Her mother Miriam was the hardest person she has ever met, unlike other mothers, she never shared the beautiful mother daughter relationship.

She remained hidden under the table watching the whole drama.

It was like those scenes Erica watched on television where the good and the bad fought against each other, her father was the good while her mother was the bad.

She bit hard on her lips rubbing her eye lids roughly.

"I must say that I blame myself for this, maybe I went too far" she thought.

Erica was just a child witnessing her parents yell and fight each other, her mother was hitting her father's chest continually crying loudly.

"Why is she crying?" Erica thought.

She clutched her feet closer shaking her head, she has always known her mother to lie and pretend a lot, though she wondered why are mother was like that but she couldn't understand, her mother was just so complicated.

Miriam was the one hitting her husband Andrew yet she was acting like he was the one hitting her, alot of times Erica had believed that her mother was evil yet she couldn't stop loving her.

Little Erica, a nine years old girl felt greatly guilty for being the cause of their argument, she blamed herself for telling her father what her mother had done to her while he was away.

The fire of guilt was gradually consuming her.

"I doubt if I would ever pardon myself for this" she thought aloud.

Erica wished she had endured what her mother did to her just like she has always done and remained silent, but she was afraid of getting addicted to pain, she was afraid of getting killed by her own mother some day.

The fear of dying young in the midst of daily pain being inflicted on her by her mother gave birth to her worse nightmare, which was the fight between her parents.

It was still the early hours of the morning, the sun was up and shinning, it was better off than the previous night cause Erica cried herself to sleep.

Her eyes were all swollen, they were so red and look totally empty.

The once precious look on her face is gone, that's what you get when you're constantly slapped by an adult. 

She wanted to express herself, she needed an apology or an explanation for being treated by a slave.

"Maybe I went too far, I should have being patient a little" she thought.

Erica was totally lost to an emptiness she feels within as she remained under the table whimpering like the child she was.

She was shivering beneath her breath with her hands covering her ears, she wanted the day to end, she wanted to wakeup from this nightmare.

Her face was gradually getting soaked with more tears, her tiny heart splitting into two.

They kept yelling at each other nonstop, cursing each other's existence.

The noise was over the roof and Erica feared it might cause an earth quake since their was a loud music coming from next door, their noisy neighbor who would always prefer loud music to a quiet one.

Miriam grabbed Andrew by the shirt pulling him very hard with a cigarette a cigarette still stuck at the end of her mouth.

Erica looked up from under the table to see what was happening, her eyes were very tiny and blue.

"You would do nothing Mr Johnson!" Miriam yelled.

That is what she always calls Andrew when ever they are thick in between an argument, Mr Johnson is what you here everywhere and not the usual sweet names. 

"Let go of my shirt Miriam, let go!" He yelled back trying to get her hands off his shirt but she rather tightened her grip on it and made ugly faces at him.

Andrew was getting even more upset, Erica could clearly see depression in her father's eyes as he struggled to get Miriam's hands off his shirt, this seemed like an impossible mission.

It was getting very hot in the house with the noise evaporating high up in the air.

The arguments have become a normal routine in the family whenever Andrew returns which was easily resolved but this morning was hell on earth.

Joan feared that this time around, it might never get resolved.

Joan felt bad for both of her parents and knew things wouldn't have gotten this bad if her father isn't a soldier and is always around cause their mother only gets to maltreate Erica when he isn't home.

She glared at Erica who was shaking under the table and blamed her for everything that was happening and for not keeping her mouth shut.

Miriam was know as her husband and kids to be a smoke and drug addict but she barely does that whenever Andrew is at home.

She squanders most money given to her by Andrew on drugs which was totally unhealthy for her as a mother.

Miriam was a house wife who doesn't let a day go by without smoking a packet of cigarette, she's addicted to it.

Erica lacked the love and care of a mother, whenever her father is away, she feels like an orphan.

Most nights she goes to bed hungry and when she complains to Miriam, she gets cigarettes plunged into her skin.

Miriam always called Erica a nag, would call and would yell at her for no reason.

Sometimes out of fear, Erica ends up peeing in her pants whenever Miriam threatens to cut her ears off.

Two nights ago, had hit a wooden spoon on Erica's head and used a lok.

"You are out of your mind for confronting me in front of the kids!" Miriam yelled.

"You are so cruel Miriam, what type of a mother are you?" Andrew yelled.

This was getting frustrating for the kids, an argument that seemed to have no end.

Erica couldn't stop blaming herself for what was happening at the moment but at the same time she knew some day that her father might find out.