*Warning -- mild violence.
When Eva was having dinner later at home that day, she couldn't help the question slipping out her mouth.
The question had been nagging at her mind all throughout the rest of school.
“Mum, why don't you work?” she asked, her cornflower blue eyes, that held nothing but innocent curiosity, staring into her mum's deep green ones.
Eva had inherited her father's eyes, much to her dislike. She rather liked the vivid green of her ma's.
Caroline looked startled at the question and shot a frantic look at her husband.
Eva didn't fully understand why her mum seemed so frightened of her father. But then again, Tristan Monroe had never laid a finger on his daughter, so she didn't really know what it felt like. He did, however, warn her frequently, and something in his tone always made Eva obey without question.
Her father let out a humourless, short laugh. “I'd cut off my own ear if there was anyone willing to hire her!” He sneered. “Good for nothing piece of garbage. Not a single working brain cell in that head of hers!”
Eva didn't say anything for a while. But when she spoke, her voice was levelled, steady — a huge contrast to the small, bird-like body frame she had. “It's just that… I thought if Mum worked, I'd be able to go for the trip.”
And then on, it was pandemonium.
Her father threw his plate, smashing it on the floor yet again. Eva was used to this behaviour, but she couldn't stop herself from involuntarily flinching and her spoon slipped from her long, bony fingers, clattering on the table.
“AGAIN WITH THAT BLASTED TRIP!” her father bellowed. “You're just like your mother too! Ungrateful! Ungrateful, spoilt, rotten brat!” Tristan Monroe stood up from his chair, that was missing one of its four legs and it fell back with a loud thud.
Eva felt that prickly sensation crawl over her hands and legs again and her throat seemed to tighten and form a knot, and as much as she tried, she seemed to not be able to find her voice.
She knew she'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have said anything. She should have just taken no for an answer.
But Tristan Monroe didn't advance towards his daughter — he moved towards Caroline, ready to take out his anger on his wife.
Caroline's eyes widened with terror and she cowered in her seat, “no, no, please… Not today! Not today! my bruises — my bruises, they aren't — they aren't healed yet…”
But Tristan's cruel ears were deaf to his wife's heart-wrenching pleas.
Eva had always watched through banisters without the knowledge of her parents; never this close up. And now that it was happening right in front of her, just a few feet away, Eva's heart was pounding mercilessly in her chest and those bubble-like things on her skin were spreading everywhere.
For the first time, Eva felt scared.
She watched her father's fist make contact with her mother's jaw, sending her sprawling to the floor.
Eva let out an involuntary yelp, the sound of horror escaping past the tight knot in her throat and her father's fury-filled eyes turned towards her. “Shut up,” he growled, that warning tone in his voice. “Unless you want it to be you.”
And little seven year old Eva shut up like she was asked.
She watched her father kick her mother in the chest while she was still on the floor and wondered if this happened in other homes.
She wondered if she should ask Lindsay. But then figured she'd rather not. What if that made her father even angrier?
She wondered if what was happening was her mother's fault; whether she'd really made pa so furious. And when her mother didn't fight back, and took it without protest, Eva decided that perhaps that was how you dealt with such situations.
And that was what Eva learnt — to not fight back. To not stand up for herself.
Because if you wanted the pain to be over soon, you had to take it when it was given to you.
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Written; 11th February 2016
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Please be patient with me until I sort out her childhood period before I can get to the highschool arc. You know, the good stuff -- or bad, whichever way you choose to look at it.
Once again, thank you so much for choosing to add this book to your libraries! Its not everyday one sees one of their many ambitions come true -- like posting this book and helping create more awareness is one of mine.
Thank you for making it possible.