The Don Demands

Tara

She sniffled and looked about her piteously. Her siblings had disappeared, as one, boycotting her again, she thought bitterly. She pushed the plate of almost untouched food away and immediately, Beatrice’s dark hand swooped down and snatched it away.

“Silly girl!’ admonished the old woman and a sharp slap on her wrist for good measure, giving her a dark look before ambling away. Tara slid off the chair and raced to her room, tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘They were all awful, every one of them was horrid!’ she thought as she threw herself down onto the bed and sobbed her heart out.

It had not been her intention to make Pappa angry with Mumma but she had been bewildered. Pappa was older than Mumma, the kids at school said that too but he was Pappa and so handsome and powerful and Strong. How could Mumma say that he could not fight?

And Mumma had not supported her.

*

Fresh tears leaked out from her lids and she gave into another bout of crying.

‘She hated her family! ‘she though