My secret lives

Chapter 60

They all took turns with beating me and stuff which is something I suggested so they wouldn't tell father. If they did, father would hurt Elijah or Atlas.

A few of my ribs are broken and I'm bruised all over.

"I think they liked you" father says happily

I just look at him annoyed.

"Atlas will be next" he says.

"What!?"

Father turns to me furiously and slaps me in the face, hard. "Don't yell little girl" he speaks loudly

"Now" he says calmly, "Atlas will see some older ladies just like you saw some men" he says before pushing me back inside the cell.

I groan as I stand up again.

Slowly Elijah waddles to me, "mama" he smiles and hugs me tightly.

I pick the little boy up and hold him tightly, "I told you mama was going to be okay" I tell him while giving him a kiss to the head.

I see Atlas looking at me with relief in his eyes when suddenly father grabs him harshly.

Atlas gives me a small smile and mouths an 'I love you' to us before the door gets slammed shut again.

I slowly limp back to our spot against that wall, "mama you is hurt" Elijah says worriedly as tears emerge in his eyes.

I slowly lower us to the floor as pain overwhelms my body.

I've had 2 torture sessions and 1 beating since I've been here.

I'm tired.

Everything hurts.

"Just a little" I say smiling while hiding my pain as Elijah sits on my lap.

"Where?" he asks softly.

"My ankle hurts a little" I tell him which is true but it's not the most painful thing in my body.

Elijah suddenly stands up and waddles to my ankles.

He bends down and gives it a small kiss, "beter" he says and waddles back to me.

"Thank you baby" I smile lovingly as he sits back down on my lap

"Has uncle Atlas told you about your other uncles?" I ask him as I help him with sitting on my lap in a more comfortable way for us both.

He nods his head excitingly, "yeah unle Vawerio and Vawenrino are twins like you and unle Atas" he says.

I nod my head, "that's right" I say smiling

"And- and unle Anelo is a doctor- he makes peope beter" he tells me.

"I want make peope beter- I doctor later" he says smiling.

"You're going to be a doctor later?" I smile.

He nods his head, "yeah I become doctor later" he says

"Uncle Angelo will be very happy to hear that" I say.

"There's aso unle Ian and Ajec and Sincenzo" he says.

"That's right, your remembered them all" I smile widely.

He nods his head, "do you want to learn some colors?" I ask him smiling.

He nods his head, "yeah"

"Okay, so this is grey" I say pointing to my sweatpants.

"Grey" he repeats me.

"Yes"

"Floor is grey and walls too" he says.

"Good job, you're so smart lijah"

"What color is this?" He asks while pointing to my T-shirt which has a print with different colors on it.

"That's blue"

"Blue-" he repeats, "-and this?"

"That's red"

"Red and this?"

"That's yellow, the sun is also yellow"

"Yellow..mama what is the sun?"

"The sun is this big yellow ball in space which gives us warmth and light"

He nods his head? "What's space?"

"So we live on a planet called earth which is in space just like the sun" I tell him.

He nods his head and points outside through that small window, "is that the sun?" He asks while pointing to it.

I nod my head, "yeah and that right there is a tree, it produces oxygen which we breathe in so we can live." I explain.

He nods his head, "what color?"

We continue talking while I teach him some things until Atlas gets thrown back in the room.