Acrimony: Until Death

Man Down

She grabbed a knife before heading towards the back door. It was taking the strength of black Jesus to leave Derrick inside bleeding to death but she had to get free. She had to get help if she wanted to save him............ and their unborn baby. "Oh come on Mel! Don't run from me! You never used to run from me before. Don't start now baby. I just want everything back to normal. We can go home and work things out and have a happy marriage. That's what you want right? A happy marriage? I can give you that! I got money! We rich baby. Just come back inside! Mel..... Mel........ MELINDA!!!!!"

"Melinda...... Melinda!" "WHAT!?" Melinda spat, realizing where she was. "What's going through your mind?" The therapist asked. "I'm wondering why the hell I'm here." "Are you angry?" Melinda scoffed, her foot shaking as she looked at this woman that she had to spill her life story to. "I'm agitated." "Why?" "............because I-" she took a deep breathe, shaking off those nerves. "He did this to me. This is all his fault. That mothafucka......" "Why do you feel this way?" The therapist questioned. "You don't know what he did to me........ you don't know," Melinda voiced, shaking her head. "Would you like to share what he did?" "Do I have a choice?"

"We all have choices." Mel laughed sarcastically. "Not when your family and your doctors think you need help. You know what! This is bullshit! Okay! That bastard gets to torment me and I'm here. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't even........" her voice cracked as she thought about being 4 months pregnant when Robert came in like a serial killer. She heard scribbling on a note pad and her eyes landed on it. "What are you writing?" "Just some notes." "What do your notes say huh? That I'm a stereotype? A broken miserable black woman?" The therapist put her pen down, giving Melinda her undivided attention.

"Is that what you think you are?" "Hell no! ......... everytime a black woman goes through something she becomes a stereotype. Even when she feel so empty inside somehow she becomes that mad black woman stereotype. 'She emasculates men' and all that bullshit." "Is that what you think you did?" "ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME?" Melinda snapped, growing more and more agitated by the constant questions but no solution. "I never did ANYTHING to him. I was everything he needed me to be. I was strong when he needed me. I played weak when he needed me to be...... I was pathetic. I was stupid and in love, not even knowing what love is."

"How about we start from the beginning? Help me understand where this is coming from. Just tell me what happened." Mel bit her lips to combat her nerves. She was tired. For the past year and a half she was awake. Her mind replaying what happened, over and over again like a reel. She couldn't shake it. Everyday she saw his face. Everyday she feared for her life. She didn't want to relive that part of her life. She wanted to move past it and get some rest. "How far do you want to go? I remember every single fucking day. That's the problem. I can't get it out of my head. Every second of every day plays in my mind nonstop. So how far back do want me to go?" "How did you meet him?"

August 23, 2002

Melinda walked into her high school Environmental Science class, taking a seat before the bell rang. "Can I sit here?" She heard a voice ask her. She looked up seeing this dark skinned, fine ass boy that she surprisingly had never seen before. "Uh sure. Who are you?" She asked. "My name is Robert. Who are you?" He was so mysterious. He held himself with such charisma. I was young. Hormones raging away but I was a good girl. I remember very clearly hearing my mother say turn your nose to them books and leave them boys right where they at and focus on your studies. I should've listened to her when it came to Robert.

"Hmmm...." she hummed ignoring his question. "Are you not going to tell me your name?" She pulled out her notebook, writing the date and class name at the top of the first page. Students piled into the classroom as the bell rang. "Hello hello everyone. How was your summer?" The teacher asked just as the sound of footsteps rushed around the corner. A tall lanky boy with terrible cystic acne and glasses dropped his pile of notes. Students started to snicker as they watched the known nerd picking up his paperwork. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Melinda got up helping the boy out.