Sandy by A Valentine Joseph
It was Halloween and the children of the neighborhood were out
trick-or-treating. Sandy heard her doorbell and went downstairs with a bowl of
candy. She opened the door smiling. She was shocked to see Barry. Her eyes
opened wide as though they were going to pop out of their sockets.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” frade
“No. Barry I want you to leave!”
“I’m not going anywhere. You are my wife.”
She tried to push the door and he stuck his foot in the doorway.
“Sandy the best thing to do is to let me in. I want to talk to you. I
promise I won’t hurt you.”
“No,” she said throwing the bowl of candy at him and running up the
stairs. Before she could close the door, he pushed it open and walked in. She
kicked him and he punched her in the right eye. Sandy cried out in pain. She
covered her eye with her hand feeling dizzy and staggering.
He had his hand raised to hit her again but did not. “Look what you made
me do? I came here to talk to you but you always infuriate me,” he said,
sitting on the couch.
Sandy was sobbing quietly.
“Why… are you… here Barry?”
“I came her to tell you that I’ not giving you a divorce. You left
Trinidad five years ago to come to America to think. You said you needed a
holiday. Are you still on holiday? I love you. It’s over between Mitch and I.
Sandy I promise I’ll never be with anyone again. Please come back to me.
“I want a divorce Barry. Please don’t make this hard for me.”
“I know you have a child. I’ll be a good father to him. I’m not signing
these damn papers!” He threw the papers at her.
“You will, if you don’t want me to tell everyone about your affair with
Mitch,” she said as she looked for something in the living room that she could
defend herself with.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he grabbed one of her hands and pulled her
toward him. She raised the other hand and swung it to hit him in the face but
he caught it and he twisted it behind her back.
“You like to fight. I know you like it rough.”
He pressed his lips against hers and she bit into them. He let her go
then he punched her in the chest knocking the wind out of her. Sandy fell to
the floor gasping.
“Listen to me, you better stop attacking me,” said Barry taking his
jacket off. This exposed a gun that was in the waist of his trousers.
Sandy was scared. She was worried about Christopher. “What do you intend
to do with that gun Barry, kill me?”
“That’s the idea.”
He took the gun from his waist.
“Why Barry?”
“I want you back in my life. You mean everything to me.”
“If I meant everything to you, you would not have been sleeping with
Mitch and you would not have been so abusive to me. I can’t live in a
relationship like that.”
“I’m no longer seeing Mitch.”
“Please Barry. Just let me go.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? You don’t love me. You know you don’t. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Mitch’s wife found out about us.”
“I think she has a right to know.”
“You would say something like that. If you didn’t leave me that would
never have happened.”
“That’s not true. Eventually she would have found out. You and Mitch
should not have kept it from her. You told me.”
“To hell with it. My life is over, and it’s all your fault!” he said
pointing the gun at her.
“Barry you said you loved me and you want to kill me. You don’t love me.”
Although Sandy spoke in a calm voice she was petrified. She could feel her
heart beating in her throat.
“Yes. I love you.”
He walked
over to the mantel and picked up Terrance’s picture. Is he the man you are
with?”
“Yes.”
She saw a strange look come over his face and her heart was somersaulting
in her chest.
“I hate you. The biggest mistake I made was marrying you. Mrs. Jones is
right. You are a slut. Her son is making the biggest mistake in his life
marrying you,” he said hitting her across her face.
She hit him back and he punched her in the abdomen. This time when she
fell to the floor he kicked her in the stomach. She put her hands to block her
stomach and he kicked her hand.
“Barry, stop it!”
“No. I need to show you that I’m your husband and you need to respect
me.” He kicked her again.
“Please Barry stop,” she whispered as she felt herself in a daze.
“Shut up! You are my wife and you did not care how disrespectful it would
be to have your lover’s child! I should kill you!” He pointed the gun at her.
Sandy was looking at him but she could not move because of the intense
pain she was feeling. She closed her eyes.
“Do you still want that divorce?”
She did not answer him.
“Sandy! Wake up! He kicked her and she cried out.
“Barry, stop it!”
“Answer me bitch!” He kicked her.
“Barry, please stop.”
“Do you want a divorce?” He asked as he got down over her and grabbed the
hand that was bruised. He started to squeeze it.
“Ouch! No, no! I don’t… want a divorce!”
“Good. You are my wife and you will remain my wife. If you ever asked me
for a divorce again, I’ll kill you! Do you hear me?”
“Yes.”
Sandy lay on the floor groaning in pain. For a moment everything was a
blur and she did not know where she was. She looked around the room. Barry was
sitting on the couch drinking from a bottle. She closed her eyes and prayed
that the pain she was feeling would subside. She felt like falling asleep and
hoping that when she woke up all that happened to her was a dream. She thought
about Christopher and opened her eyes. Barry was bending over her. She tried to
cower away.
“Do you see what you made me do?” he asked, looking at her in disgust.
She did not answer him but was silently praying for him to leave. Her
cheeks were wet and she thought it was her tears but when she wiped it, she saw
it was blood. She had been cut on her face. After a while she dragged herself
toward the couch and held onto the arm of it. She was in excruciating pain but
knew she had to stand up. Eventually she did so, walking slowly to the dining
table where she opened Christopher’s bag.
He pointed the gun at her shouting. “If you try anything I will shoot
you.” She did not say anything to him but kept looking in his direction, as she
took a washrag from the baby bag. She placed it on the cut, applying pressure
and hoping that it would stop the bleeding.
“Do you remember when you nearly
ripped off my ears? This time I will kill you!” His shouting woke Christopher,
who started screaming. Barry turned in the direction of Christopher’s voice.
Sandy moved as fast as she could and stood in front of him.
“Please Barry. Not my baby, please.” He grabbed her hand. “Ouch Barry….
my hand!” she cried out but he did not let go instead, he pulled her towards
Christopher’s room. “Barry, I’m begging you. Don’t hurt my son. Please don’t.”
He did not answer her. He pushed her and she stumbled into the room but did not
fall…
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