Tears - Episode 1

She sat on a couch looking troubled and sober. She looked around her surrounding and noticed the paint on the wall coming off gradually. The ceiling fan made a creaking sound; she could hear the clock tick. She looked down and saw her hands tremble. She got up and walked towards the window, pulling the curtains aside.

The room became illuminated; it seemed to have blinded her for a minute. She sighed and walked towards the bed, admiring her child sleeping peacefully, she envied her, she wanted that peace, but how could she? With everything that has happened in her life, she sat down beside her sleeping child and gently stroked her hair. She wanted her precious gem to have a better life. She slipped into deep thoughts as she continuously stroked her hair.

“Mommy”, the soft voice brought her back, “yes darling”, “why are you crying?”She touched her face and noticed tears trickled down her face, she wiped it off immediately. “I’m not crying honey, something got into my eyes”. She looked at her daughter and noticed for the first time that she looked just like her. She had a slim structure; her eyes were beautifully carved, with a deep brown pupil. Her lips were small and perfect, her nose fitted her oval face, with dimples on both cheeks, her hair was long, thick and black, her skin color was perfect, she wasn’t black neither was she white. She was just a complete replica of her. She held her jaw, kissed her forehead and said to her “you are beautiful”, Lana giggled, “Thanks mommy”. She was reeking of so much innocence. Michelle prayed silently that the innocence would not be taken away from her brutally.

A knock at the door made Lana jump to her feet, ran downstairs, she knew the rhythm of the knock. She knew who was at the door. She got to the door, opened it impatiently and shouted “daddy!” as she jumped on him. Michelle followed her with a frown on her face. He gently puts Lana down and walked towards her. He smiled and the smile pissed her off greatly. He was good looking, he was all she ever imagined when she was younger. His height, his lips, nose, eyes, broad shoulders and thick voice. He wore a black shirt, a blue denim jeans and a pair of black sneakers. His cologne took over the house. He looked really attractive, an attractiveness that made him cheat, have continuous late nights, always came home reeking of alcohol and turned her to his punching bag. She was so in love with him that she ignored the animal in him. Everything about him now annoyed her. In his right hand he held a banquet of white roses. He extended the roses to her but she didn’t reach for them. Her face showed so much displeasure. He shifted from one foot to the other, he wasn’t comfortable. He regained his composure and said. “you really look radiant and beautiful”, “normally I would have been flattered but coming from you, all I see is insincerity laced all over”, she replied. “Common Michelle! For how long would you treat me this way?, This divorce has drained me, am not myself any longer, I want you back please, I want you back in my life, I need…”, before he could finish his statement, “hey! Stop it right there, Lana please go upstairs, daddy and I need to talk alone okay”, “okay mommy”, her face was drawn, she didn’t understand why her parents always argued, she walked slowly. “Lana, walk smartly”, her pace increased. Once she was out of sight, Michelle resumed, “Mark, I have had enough of your lies, your cheating, and your beating. This divorce has healed so much physical scars”.

He stepped closer, put both hands on her shoulder, his eyes darkened with remorse, “Michelle, I love you, I can’t be with any other, I promise to treat you right this time”. She gently took off his hands and touched her left eye, there was a black patch there, she tilted her head sideways and touched a scar on her neck, and tears trickled down her face. She unbuttoned her floral blouse, took it off and was left with a black bra. He looked at her in amusement and wondered what she would do next, his eyes shifted from her face to her skin, it was so flawless. She turned her back towards him, he saw a dark scar, a scar he made with his belt when he came home drunk. She turned and faced him again, “do you know the greatest scar you have made on me”, he shook his head, she touched the left side of her chest, “my heart, you have created a huge scar there”. She wore her blouse, walked towards the door, opened it, “Mark, get out of my life”, he fell to his knees, his hands clasped together, “Michelle there is nothing and no one out there for me, you are made for me, please don’t kick me out like this, I promise to be a better man, a better husband and father”, “did you know how many times you beat me up in front of Lana?, do you know how many times she cried when you hit me?, do you know remember that she stopped crying at a point when you hit because she got used to seeing you hit me?, I don’t want my daughter to see that as a normal thing, because it is freaking abnormal, now when I say get out! I mean it with every fiber in me”.
His face changed, he got up and moved briskly towards her, her heart skipped, she swallowed, he got to the door and slammed it shut, held her wrist firmly, she winced, " you are going to be with me whether you like it or not" Am never going to be with a monster like you Mark “her pitch increased, a stinging slap landed across her face suddenly, it made her ear ring, her free hand involuntarily touched her cheek, the hot sensation still lingered, before she could utter any protest he twisted her hand to the back, she whimpered "Mark please let go of my arm" " not until you accept me back " " I would never do that" she struggled to break free, but he held her tight. His eyes became blank, he threw her to the floor, repeatedly kicked her, a kick got to her left ribs, she screamed, he dragged her up, held her throat firmly, she was out of breath, " Michelle are you coming back to me" he asked husky in a voice. " Mark I am never going back to a mad man" He got extremely angry, pushed her to the floor, ripped her blouse open, flung it aside, his eyes filled with a dark desire, he tore off her bra, her full breast in full glare. She struggled but he pinned her down firmly, one hand held her hands, the other rested on one breast, he tried to kiss her but she shook her hand vigorously, that got him pissed, he pinched her nipple so hard it brought tears to her eyes. A tap on his shoulders made him stop He turned to see a face with no expression " daddy please leave mommy alone " he got up and pushed her, she fell but quickly stood up without uttering laid next to her sobbing mom " you look like your whore mother, I have nothing to do with whores".

He took the banquet of white roses flung it at them and stormed out, banging the door so hard, the house seemed to shake. Lana gently wiped the tears from her mother's face with her palm,Michelle pulled her closer, wrapped her arms around her "am sorry you had to see this honey ". Mommy let's leave this place, "We will honey, we will very soon ".She placed her palm on her throbbing nipple to calm the painful sensation.
The fear of Mark coming back increased in her heart, she needed a break, she needed to leave this house and start over somewhere else.
"Lana" she called out in a shrill voice, "Yes momma" she came sprinting towards the voice of her mother, "we are leaving this place today and now, get all your necessary stuffs ready". She wanted to also leave but this sudden decision of her mother shook her a little; she wasn't prepared for the hectic task of putting all her things together.
After a hectic time of packing and unpacking. Selecting wanted and unwanted stuff, she walked to where her mother was “mommy where are we going to" no answer, she was engrossed in a picture she held in her hands. A picture that reminded her of a beautiful day. She looked fresh and younger, her face beaming with so much joy, her white dress cost so much, girls secretly envied her, she felt like a princess that day, her eyes drifted to the person standing next to her, her countenance changed, she stared, caught up in so many thoughts, "momma" the tap on her back made her jerk suddenly, the picture fell, a crack was made between her and Mark, she concluded in her heart that it was a sign, nothing can bring them together again. She turned round to see her daughter's curious eyes "Lana, you shouldn't sneak on someone like that" her voice slightly raised. “I was just asking a question mommy"
"What is it?"
"Where are we going to?"
"We are going to stay with your uncle for a while, Uncle Stark", "really"
"Yea honey”. At the mention of his name, her heart was lifted, she really liked him a lot, he never misses the 4th of June, his presents were always expensive and beautiful, she became enthusiastic. Michelle watched her daughter and wished she was her age.