Excerpt
She felt a sharp cuff alongside her ear as Aunt Ruby came up behind her. “What are you daydreaming about, girl? I told you to keep stirring that gravy or it will go all lumpy. Here, give me that spoon.” Ruby yanked the spoon from Rachael’s hand with such force that gravy splashed over the side of the pan onto the hot surface of the iron range.
“Look what you’ve done now,” her aunt screamed, “you stupid, stupid girl!” As Rachael jumped back from the stove, Ruby grabbed a cloth from the counter and swiped it over the brown globs that were rapidly turning black and filling the kitchen with a disgusting scorched smell.
“I didn’t do it,” Rachael yelled. “It was your fault, Aunt Ruby, you grabbed the spoon.”
Ruby dropped the cloth. Swinging around, she grabbed Rachael by her upper arm and squeezed, her strong fingers sinking into the tender flesh. “Don’t you yell at me. How dare you talk back?”
Trying hard not to whimper, Rachael struggled to free herself. “Don’t! You’re hurting me.” Through the blur of tears and pain, she saw the door to the living room suddenly blocked by her Uncle Bill’s large frame.
“Are you giving lip to your aunt, young lady?”
“Nooo … ow, ow.” Ruby let her go and Rachael rubbed her arm as she glared at her uncle. “I didn’t.”
“You did so,” he bellowed, “I heard you. And don’t talk back to me, either.” His hand went down to his waist, and Rachael watched in horror as he unbuckled his belt and began to remove it from the loops in his trousers.
She backed up, moving away from him, her staring eyes never leaving the hand that held his belt in a determined grip. She knew his intentions well enough – she had seen him use that same belt on eleven-year-old Ronald.
He advanced towards her, his arm raised. Rachael stood rooted to the floor, her whole body quivering, eyes scrunched tight in anticipation of the stinging blow.
Suddenly, a shout: “No Dad, don’t!”
Libros Libertad 