Another somewhat depressing story this time but at least this one's fiction...
She was a waste. Mark told her so. Her bruises reminded her of it. She sat in the dining room, staring blankly at the opposite wall. A once white wall spattered with grease stains, streaked with cobwebs. She didn’t notice. She didn’t care. She was a mess. Mark was right. She was no good. Her dad had told her so. Her dad also told her she was not supposed to have an opinion of her own. He told her that she was clumsy. That she caused damage. That she couldn’t do one thing right. That she had no taste in music. That she was a waste. That nobody would ever love her. She believed what dad had said. Even when Mark came she believed what she’d been told ever so often. Still, Mark loved her. He said so. But she was no good. She knew it. And if she happened to forget for a moment, Mark reminded her of it. She never said the right things. She couldn’t keep the flat tidy. She couldn’t make a decent lunch. She never bought the right things. She was no good. And now there was this cluster of cells multiplying inside of her body. Growing ever so slowly. Becoming another human being. Another good-for-nothing human being. She’d carry it through. She’d give birth to it. Then… Then she’d disappear. End her life. Just like her mother had done before. She’d never known her mother. But she’d heard rumours. The neighbours talked. It wasn't right. It was all supposed to stay in the family. Dad had told her so. And this time she’d make sure she wouldn’t disappoint him.
8 comments:
eeegh...shivers Freaky story! Great job...I alternate between being her (not to the point of suicide) and being her father and husband, so I can look at this story from multiple angles :/
Eerie my friend. I feel so sorry for her. Depressing to tell you the truth. I certainly hope that her life picks up. Sounds vaguely real if you ask me.
And you thought my story was creepy? Stories like this make me want to torture the abuser, so he/she can know how it feels.
After the war,many immigrants had stories. Many were bitter. Many mistrusted the new society they were in and the kids took the brunt of their parents heartbreak.
In those days you couldn't go to your parents and ask them questions. You were lucky if you had a teacher you could go to and then they would invite you home for cookies and milk.
Different times.
But one thing I learned is that the answers lay in books. You tried to find out why people were the way they were and once you found out, nothing hurt you any more because it is not about you, all this criticism
It's about them.:)You are free and beautiful and have a life to live.
And this makes all the difference.:)
Sad and alarming, and well done within the parameters and title.
aoife - wow, thank you. indeed, there is more than one side to each story, both on the victim's and the offender's side...
thom - there are more stories like this than we imagine... some manage to pick up, others don't.
thank you, my friend
quilly - abusers like this are usually cowards but yes, they would deserve to be treated with equal measure.
lady - many families had, and still have, such stories. and books may contain some answers (not all by any means) but often the victims do not even have access to them. besides, conquering the negative self-image requites much more than some words written on paper.
christopher - yes, sad - but the stark reality of many victims of abuse
Juliana I agree totally. This was what worked for me.I had a school and public library and the idea to go there lol People became case studies for me and opened up a whole new world.
I guess for me it is a question of looking into a persons heart and history, backtracking to know why he is suffering and then making others suffer.lol Could be the person has mood swings,or is a diabetic, or has some neurological disorder,or was abused etc...
Once I know, then it doesn't hurt anymore because its not a personal issue anymore. You are presented with choices. you can accept it, or not accept it.
you can walk away,get help etc...Identifying the problem is already half the battle.One does not need to feel trapped into feeling bad about oneself because of someone's opinion. You know yourself the best. I hear of children who commit suicide because they say they were being bullied. No one taught them how to deal with bullies and they did not go in search of answers.It was over whelming, they felt trapped, hormones raging... you know..Sometimes you can help sometimes you can't but at least you can help yourself.Sometimes it just takes a good friend to listen and not say a word, to lift the burden. Many people just needed to scream without realizing how it affected people around them.
Maybe they were raised by people who screamed and to them its normal. Doesn't mean it's right :)The thing thats important to learn is that unless some one hurts you physically and now you really need to get outside help,there is a way to resolve issues. Of course kids brain's are not developed enough but this is what I don;t like about schools
They are about trades to get a job today and
not about training people to think
I believe there needs to be a balance because life rolls along and there is a sequence to follow.
If you don't get the whole picture then missing scenes are the things that cause the problems.This was my argument to my kids about studying history.lol
you have a point. however, man victims can't even identify the problem let alone find help. and even if someone points it out for them they are unable to see it for what it is because nobody ever showed them. abuse is a complex thing on many levels
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