Lisa was afraid
of Joanne so she tried her best not to break the rules. If she did, she would
be punished. Receiving the blows from the belt did not hurt Lisa as much as the
thought of her so-called mother raising her hand to inflict pain on her.
On some occasions
when Lisa sat at the dining table, she would lean back the chair. One day
Joanne caught her doing it and she grabbed her hand. Her greens eyes looked
menacing as she looked in Lisa’s light brown eyes.
“Don’t you ever
do that again! If I catch you doing it, I will make you sorry!” Joanne let go
of Lisa’s hand and walked away.
Lisa felt her
face becoming flushed as one of her sisters looked at her and giggled. She got
off of the chair, took the rest of her breakfast out to the kitchen and threw
it in the garbage. As she washed her cup and plate she felt afraid and a bitter
taste came into her mouth. The moment she finished the dishes she went and sit
under the tree. She spent the day outside until her father came in from work.
As the days went
by Lisa would remember the incident and she would not rock the chair. One day
she and her brother were sitting at the dining table having an evening snack.
Her brother started talking about a funny situation at school. Lisa started to
laugh, and she lean back in the chain. She went back too far, the legs skated
and she fell backwards, hitting her head on the wall. Lisa did not know the
statement ‘seeing stars’ was real until she lay on the floor and little
glittering colors were floating around as her head hurt.
Joanne walked
into the dining room with the belt and she started to beat Lisa, who was trying
to cower away.
“I told you not
to rock the chair! You are too harden!” Joanne got over her, grabbed her hand
then said, “Get in the bathroom and take your shower! Do not stay long
otherwise I will come in and give you some more!”
Joanne pushed her
and Lisa stumbled then she walked into the bedroom. Her sister looked at her
and giggled. Lisa opened one of the bureau drawers ... took out a dress and
underwear. As she showered she willed herself to stop crying because it made
her head hurt a little more. After showering and dressing, she went out and sat
under the tree.
Michael came home
from work and Lisa heard him asking for her, but she did not move until he
called her. He smiled when he saw her and she smiled. “How was school?” Michael
asked.
“It was good,”
Lisa said and she kept her head down.
“What are those
marks on your arm?”
Before she could
answer Joanne said, “I asked her when she came in from school. She said she was
rough playing with her friends. You know how she bruises easily?”
“Were you in a
fight at school?”
“No daddy. I was
playing with my friends.”
“You have to stop
playing rough games.”
Lisa did not say
anything else. She turned and walked away.
“I want you to
stop beating Lisa.”
“Then you do
everything for her! Do not ask me to do anything!”
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