His face now had a genuine fear about it. He had bloody good cause to be frightened he was going to get the full force of my weeks of anger thrown at him. I screamed and then I charged towards him and I just lost it, in a split second I reacted badly. I pushed him back into his chair and hit him with the tray, so bloody hard my hand throbbed. He was shocked as I hit him repeatedly.
“What the hell did you just do?” He looked shocked and stunned I think being bashed with a metal tray on the head a couple of times can do that to a person? “You old man have just hit the fucking wrong person, I’m not going to sit and allow you abuse me. You’re not my father thank God; he’s never hit me, so why do you think it’s acceptable for you to do it to me? Who hits people who do them a kindness? I swear you stinking drunken filthy dirty old man touch me ever again, and I’ll be telling my father to dish some of what you do to your poor family.
Sam isn’t a wimp he’s more of a man than you are or will ever be because he looks after his family, even fucking you, you who doesn't deserve any kindnesses being shown to you. You don’t deserve any of them they are the best thing in your life, and you treat them like your own personal servants, punch bag and bank.
Well that stops now, leave them alone or so help me God I will get my father to dish out what you to do to them all the bloody time. Should Emma fall down those bloody stairs again, Jimmy gets another football bruise or Sam and Andy have to pay you one more penny to save their mother and brother from one more beating? Then watch yourself, have you forgotten who my dad is, who my family is or are you stupid enough to think I tell lies, how do you think Dad gets away with protecting people like he does, you pathetic piece of shit?
So help me God you will be found in a bar cellar, having fallen down the cellar door in the pub. I swear I will make it happen. If you’re lucky, you will die, because if you survive, every day you will need to watch your back. You know my father you know very well what he is capable of and what he will do? I think I made that clear he doesn’t like me touched, hitting me was a fucking big mistake, massive in fact.
You Know Bob Nelson I believe, he drinks in one of your smelly holes? Well he insulted my mother by just calling her a bitch now think of him spending all that time in hospital, and then admitting to the police he fell down that open cellar hatch.” He realised what he had done and to who, he gulped. He stood up to come at me and wow the punch to the nose must have hurt a straight out punch one two and an uppercut to the chin, he was back in the chair and a bloody nose was his fucking reward, he was a tad shocked.
“That was for threatening me you mean little bastard. You, you stupid bastard actually hit me and hurt me, do you think for one God damn minute he will let you live? I will bury you old man bury you alive if I have to, I will make it happen. You are a horrid, horrid excuse for a man. You’re a bully and a no good nasty drunken piece of worthless shit, why poor darling Emma thinks you’re worth saving beggars belief, you make me sick, I don’t make empty threats and bring it on I am more than a match for you, it’s what Dad trained me for, for dealing with scum like you, you are scum do you hear me old man worthless pathetic scum...” I had an audience, who were stood watching pale, quiet, shaking and in a great deal of mental pain, it was showing all over their faces.
“Get in there and eat please boys look after Mum I can handle this poor excuse for a man.” They amazingly did as I said. “Get to your bed Dennis and sleep it off but remember this, my Dad loves me more than anything in the world. Think of what’s coming to you and enjoy what time you have left. He won’t like it when I tell him you have smacked me and hurt me, you assaulted me and I self-defended myself, no court would believe you were attacked by a little girl like me without reason idiot, remember who my Uncle is? Had you been sober you would have remembered perhaps, and no they aren’t here but I have a hotline to the police, remember?
My promise is just this, touch any of them again even threaten them and you get it back double, yes they will be around each day to check on Emma, and he will know if she’s hurt do you hear me? Do you understand one more bruise and your dead, that’s why he went to the hospital to check her over to see to it she doesn’t get any more bruises, do you understand Dennis that he will kill you?” He nodded said yes he understood, he looked at me and actually went upstairs. I went for a cloth to clean up.
They sat around the table in silence my bum ached, and me? I’m wound up, like a bloody cog and pacing the kitchen. The adrenaline is pumping through my body, I apologised and cleared the mess and Emma asked me to sit down. She looked so different, they all did. I looked at their faces the lads looked like three little lemmings lined up and waiting to jump off a cliff, but Emma looked like she had woken up from the best sleep ever, her eyes were quite different, her face was angry at the pain I had endured at the hands of her husband, but she had the same look in her eyes as she did when she walked into her parlour and saw me for the first time her eyes were alive and smiling, they were that way again.
“I’m sorry for that Emma, I promise never to raise my voice ever in your home again. In fact I will be going now, but I meant it Emma if you have another fall, and I have to see you in that amount of pain again, I will kill him, I won’t need my father’s help I will do it myself, I hate him Emma you’re not safe here the boys aren’t safe not here with him. I can’t stay and watch whilst he stands and gloats and you cower, I’m afraid for you all, but for you Emma most of all, I won’t wait around for him to hurt you again, I can’t it’s too hard for me do you understand me?” I headed to the door to leave, and she told me to sit down.
I carried on ranting as she smiled, the others then noticed the change in her, and they too started to smile as I carried on with my tirade, my arms in the air, pointing to the idiot upstairs and ranting. Sam had seen the rant and was fully aware what was coming my mouth was going to explode with rage.
“I was just so shocked when he hit me. It wasn’t a slap either he full on hit me. Something I have never had done to me before? Perhaps if Dad had hit me for being so gobby and opinionated, I wouldn’t do it as much. Well I would do it, because that’s me, I rant a lot, oh hell I may have ranted too much, and oh, did I rant? Yeah of course I did. He thinks I’m fine because I only do it, when pushed to the very edge and I am never wrong, well sometimes I may be, but not often, shit I hit the fucker, oh I hit your dad and your husband, in his own home, fuck, I mean hell, oh crappola what did I do, arghhhh I hit the fucker with a tray too, oh hell more than once fuck…
Okay well good job I don’t have these rages very often and when they come they are needed, Dad says it’s a good way of letting it all out, with that and the boxing I do, he used to take me to his gym, but the fellas didn’t want to hit a girl, so me and Dad used to do it he’d go easy on me, but all my rage went into smacking the hell out of that bag and boy it felt good, but not as good as hitting him, that was great and… Oh, boy I’m waffling, I’m angry and waffling… Sam stop laughing this is serious angel I hit your dad with a tray and he had a couple of punches to his nose, it could be broken hell, I did didn’t I? Shit, I could have killed the horrid man. Stop laughing I could have killed the little worm, shit, I could have too, should I check that he’s still breathing I dented the tray look it’s got his head mark here see?” They are all laughing including Emma, as I carry on raging and ranting.
“Emma please stop laughing, I’m serious waffling but serious, today was no different Emma, I fight for the people I love, and seeing you cower and be afraid of that man. Well it was awful, I can’t stay and watch whilst he does that to you time after time, you block it out and float off, the problems still there and your still in danger every day. Seeing you in hospital nearly killed me, you looked frail and weak. I won’t and can’t see you like that again, please Emma, leave please leave, before he kills you, please leave for me?” They were all laughing I sat catching flies with a sore arse. She shushed me, as the tears started to come down my cheeks. Sam and Andy looked on as Jimmy had his
arms around his mum. I was shaking and crying as I gingerly sat down, my backside was so sore.
“Argh my bums numb like Jimmy’s head, I’ve found your twin James Robert my numb bum, and it’s as hot as burning coal.” He laughed as I cringed. My tight jeans were red hot around my arse.
“Your Father is a good man if he has never laid a hand to his children. You Michelle are my wakeup call. I should have done this a long time ago. Andrew phone and get Aunty Allison to come and pick us up please, enough is enough, I should have done this a long time ago.” I’m still sat catching flies with a sore bum. Andrew kissed my head as he passed, and said thank you, Sam was smiling like his face would crack. Wow, I was stunned as she took control, and boy did she. I have never seen her looking so happy.
“Sam can you get some clothes for me, make sure my new nightclothes are there and well as much as you can, we can get more things if we need them Sam can’t we?” Sam nodded and he too kissed my head as he passed. “James, pack your stuff for college and clothes for a while including your teddy don’t forget it. Allison can and will drop you off at college it’s not for long, we are leaving Son and we aren’t coming back until he is out of here.” They disappeared.
“Jimmy needs his teddy he can’t sleep without it, because it’s his comforter when his father starts on at him. Andrew and Sam will be fine here, he won’t touch them Missy, and he knows they’ll kill him without me and James to worry about, oh, I do like calling you Missy, is it alright dear?” I started to cry again.
“Yes, I like it, my Gramps and Sam are the only ones who call it me, but you can call it me too, are you alright have I done more harm than good, oh Emma what did I do, you’re not angry with me are you?” She cuddled me. Kissing my forehead and rocking me.
“No Missy, I’m not angry, not with you, so no more tears. It took a slip of a girl to stand up to the drunken bully. Finally, I woke up, now I see what my children have dealt with, but hitting you was the wake up I needed, why didn’t I listen to the boys? Why did I give him so many chances? Well his last chance went as soon as he smacked you my darling little girl, he deserved what he got, and you were so very brave, fierce and strong.” Sam hugged his mum as he came back, and smiled down at me. Andy was back, he too was grinning.
“She’s on her way, she was speechless and for her that takes some doing, I had to shout at her, she was shocked and stunned she said halleluiah about bloody well time you woke up and wants all the details she is so happy and we’re all to go up, in two journeys.” I looked at them all their faces had changed, it was as if a great burden was gone, Sam was the most changed and Emma her face was wonderful and full of life and her smile was matched by the other three all grinning at me.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to cause all this.” Sam, Jimmy, and Andy all said it at the same time…
“We’re sorry we should have jumped in.” I did the shushing now.
“I’m big enough to sort it, and I was armed with a tray and I knew how to use it.” They all laughed. I still felt, sick at the thought of him touching my bum and me, it was still numb. Emma stroked the back of my hand smiling.
“You and your father would do all those things to him, for me Michelle?”
“Yes we would in a heartbeat you don’t need to spend your days worrying what he’s going to be like, when he falls in the door or even if he falls in. The lads, they should be out enjoying their lives, not making sure you have a guard, and worrying about the next phone call they get, or coming home to find you hurt and alone when they get back from school or work. They all three of them live in fear of that one day they won’t have you, he would take you from them, that’s what they fear most of all, not having you here in their lives and I’m sorry it wasn’t and isn’t that far off happening, he seems to have got worse since I have been in your lives.
Emma you are one of the nicest, sweetest people I know, how he can do that to you, when you haven’t got a nasty bone in your body, unfortunately you haven’t got much fight left in you, but you have me and I will make sure nothing worries you like that again. I promise he won’t touch you ever again I have Dad in my corner and he will see to it that you’re safe, all of you.” She smiled and as the tears came down her face, Aunty was here to take them to safety.
Andy picked her up and out her gently in the back seat of the car, a very happy Aunty drove her off. Along with a carload of things and Jimmy, she would be back to pick up us in short while. I sat on Sam’s knee, my bum still tingling and red hot from his smack.
“So you two need to be getting that house for you all, it seems having the talk with Mum, isn’t going to be as hard as you thought Sam.” He kissed me and Andy laughed.
“How’s your bum then? That was a hell of a rant, you’d actually do all those things for Mum Michelle, can you do all that stuff, I know you scared the crap out of me? Is your Dad really that feared? Dennis seemed to go green when you said he was going to check in on Mum daily, was he?”
“He was doing yes, because Mum told him Sam was upset the other day, and he’s not stupid. I would do all that and more for the ones I love too, so yes Andy there are lots of things I will do to protect those I love, whether it’s fighting their corner, keeping their secret or being there when they need me. Ouch my rump is bloody sore and hot, he hit it with some force. What he did to you lads, must have been atrocious. Poor Emma having to endure that, well no more, she is safe and you two, will you be alright here? Sheisk my bum is really sore Sam. I’ll have to check when we get to your Aunts. No Andy I’m sure I can do it myself, my willing boyfriend has already offered already.” He blushed. “Are you coming back here the pair of you, you didn’t answer me before, will it be safe?” They both shrugged their shoulders.
“We will be fine we only held back because of Mum. He hasn’t got that to hold over us anymore. On the plus side, we don’t have to fund his drinking anymore. He won’t be as drunk with just what he gets, he’s going to have a bloody sore head in the morning, don’t piss her off Sam she packs a mean wallop, did you see his head hit the chair, then after the third or fourth smack he realised she meant business, numb bastard needed that doing to him years ago.”
“My girl has a temper and a mouth when she starts, but she’s fine with me now as long as I don’t try to buy her anything, buying her stuff is not worth the grief I get either she strops about that too, thankfully I learnt she meant business, and way before I got the threatened smack too.” I went through to the kitchen cleared the pots and washed them, with the screech of the tyres we knew Aunty was here. I grabbed my bag and Sam’s hand.
“Come on Michelle, she’s not coming in.” I climbed in the back with Sam.
“Hang on we’ll be back home shortly, and then you can tell me all about the clash of the titans, Emma is quite in awe of her fighting little Missy I can tell you, are you strapped in boys, we’re off? I need a Port or two, just to settle the nerves.” I buckled up. After we arrived at her home, she too had me in a tight embrace and as she kissed my head, she sighed. They were having a family meeting so I went to make tea and coffees, the list of who had what was written on the notice board, my name was on it, Kim doesn’t it seems read minds then? They had things to sort out. I had messed everything up for them, what, had I done? Their lives had changed and I started to cry. Aunty came in and hugged me again holding me in her strong arms. She had me squished into her chest.
“Please stop your tears Michelle we have been trying for so many years to get her to leave. She thought he could be changed or saved, but he was always past saving, even before he came into Emma’s life, he was for want of a better word a cad, a money orientated bounder, and he will never change. He’s going to die a lonely man on his own, for what he’s put my boys through and my darling sister, so save your tears Missy, she’s safe now and you did that, and everyone is more than welcome to stop here tonight, we will sort it all out in the morning. I will drop you of at home later.” Sam came in.
“Need your bum lookin
g at Michelle?” I smiled, nice as that thought was I was still shocked at today’s turn of events, from making a simple welcome home dinner, to Emma snapping and doing what she should have done years ago.
“I think it will be okay thanks. I’m so sorry, I can’t remember how much abuse he got from me, I know it was a lot, I think I may have said too much, sorry Sam and oh I do remember hitting him with the tray though.”
“I can’t believe we stood and did nothing, again I stood and watched you slug it out.” I touched the side of his face with my hand and he smiled.
“I can’t apologise enough, you’re all camping out now, because of me.” I started to do the girl thing and cried. Aunty came in for another hug.
“Now less of that, this has been a long time coming. Put the kettle on Sam, and do the honours.” Aunty had spoken. “You little lady, are the wakeup call my darling Emma needed, and according to her you sounded like a tornado going off in her lounge, packing a punch with a tray and a few boxing moves she said the sound was wonderful and promising to have him killed, is this right?”
“Yes, I’m sorry too not sorry it happened. If he were stupid enough to touch me again, my dad will make it happen, he’s a little protective about his family. I am sorry it wasn’t what I wanted to happen today. I just wanted a quiet night, with Emma getting the care she needed. Jimmy has exams this week, same as me. He could have done without all this with all the travelling to and from college. Why didn’t I just smile and walk away? Can we have these and go for a walk or something please Sam?” Sam came to face me I had my arms around his legs. I clung on to him for dear life as held me.
“I hope Dad doesn’t find out what’s happened tonight he’s already not your dad’s biggest fan, he’d kill him and shit then he would be in trouble too, Uncle David can only do so much for him. Dad loves us so much, Becks and I are the biggest, Daddy’s girls, he now he considers you family too, so you’re under the umbrella too, why did you not say Dad dropped you off at the hospital?”
A Life Plan Without You. Page 46
