TO BE SAVED
Like fireworks exploding on her face, is how it felt each time he slapped her.
“Curtis, please don’t….”
“Shut up!”
He hit her again, this time knocking her to the floor. Evelyn held her
face where her husband’s hand had connected.
“She must’ve gotten rid of it,” she cried.
“How the hell could your mama have gotten rid of a hundred-thousand
dollars without you knowing nothing about it?” He advanced towards
heras she scurried across the living room floor to avoid more punishment.
“If I find out you holding out on me, I’ll…..”
Curtis jerked his head at the sound of footsteps plodding across the
front porch. With his eyes back on Evelyn, he lowered his voice and
pointedat her. “You better have something figured out by the time I
get back otherwise it’s you and me!” He grabbed a jacket and quickly
put it on.
Evelyn got off the floor and hurried into the other room. She did her best
to hide any indication of a beating, brushing her hair back and wiping
her eyes. She could hear the sounds of her mother’s voice as the front
door opened.
“Hello-anybody home…hey Curtis.”
“Hey Mama.”
“Where’s Evelyn?”
“She’s in the other room…Baaaaby your mother’s back,” Alma yelled.
Curtis could switch his guttural tone as faster than a chameleon could change colors, a quality Evelyn hated.
She walked into the living room without a single hint of the previous scene that unfolded moments before.
“Hi Mama.”
“Hey Baby,” Alma said as she smiled, “I’m about to step out and
get some air.” Before closing the door Curtis gave Evelyn a look
that made a pitbull’s growl seem welcoming.
“How you doing this morning?” asked Alma. She looked over her
shoulder towards the front door as her son-in-law’s footfalls
dwindled.
“Just fine, Mama.”
Alma stared straight into her daughter’s eyes, “He hit you,
didn’t he?”
After a short, awkward moment of silence, Evelyn sat on the
couch and broke down, tears rushing down, one after another.
She told her mother everything about her marriage to Curtis.
The abuse, the humiliation, and the pain came out in a
snotty-nose-sniffling testament freeing Evelyn of a tremendous burden.
She even confessed her plan to come and steal the money in her mother’s
bank account as an effort to make Curtis happy and stop the beatings.
Evelyn was taken aback to discover that her mother knew of the scheme
to get the money, having overheard them plotting it one night.
Alma gave the church a check for the whole amount the day before they
made it to the bank to sign the account over.
“I told Curtis you had good hearing,” said Evelyn.
She blew her nose, “I’m so sorry, Mama.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, baby.” Alma sat next to Evelyn
and held her hands. “The question is what are you going to do now?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
“Well, whatever you do just remember to always keep God first in
your life and you’ll be fine. If He can let Moses use a stick to part
the Red Sea and save the Hebrews then honey, he can deliver
you too.”
Evelyn gave her mother a hug. She felt something bulging under
Alma’s blouse. “What is that Mama?” She looked down towards
the lump, “It’s this thing that the doctor gave me. I just started
wearing it not too long ago.” Alma removed the little device and
anded it to Evelyn.
“There’s another part that goes with it over there.” She pointed to
what looked like a plain black box on the end table in the living room.
Evelyn had previously mistaken that box for a radio of some sort.
“Does it really work?”
“Honey, I have no idea. I don’t believe in things like that anyway.
Just wearing it because I told my doctor I would. I have friends
with heart monitors, who are still going to check out of here
no matter what,” Alma stood up. “I’m going to take my medicine
and head back out for Bible study. The church van will be here in a
minute. You remember what I told you, now.”
“I know, Mama,” said Evelyn as she kissed her mother’s cheek.
As Alma walked out, Evelyn took another look at the device, shrugged her shoulders and stuck it in her pocket. She put her hands over her face and sat back on the couch, her mind was on Curtis once again.
Some time later, the door slammed. Having fallen asleep, Evelyn woke with a start. She squinted to see the blurred figure of her husband stumbling towards her.
“Well,” he said. There was a slur in his voice and an uneasiness in his stance.
“Well, what?”
“Don’t play with me, woman. What did I tell you before I left here?”
“The money is gone, like it or not, you crazy bastard!” Evelyn stood to meet him.
Tired of being a victim, she intended to make Curtis angry.
He moved towards her, standing inches from her face. “You must need
more persuasion to understand where I‘m coming from,” The stench
of the whiskey and speckles of spit grew more repulsive with
each word he spoke.
In a tirade of vulgarities, the beating lasted for what seemed
like two eternities. Her face was bloody and swollen so much that
she couldn’t tell the difference between the open-hands and the fists.
She screamed and pleaded for him to stop. She had to make this
scene as dramatic as she could for whoever could hear it. She knew that this would be the last time.
He had her down, kicking her in the back when the police busted
through the front door. Four officers jumped on Curtis, penning him
down to the ground and forcing his hands behind his back. He was
charged with domestic violence. That charge should go well
with the outstanding warrants that he already had against him,
Evelyn thought. The police departed with Curtis in handcuffs, after
taking her statement and following a few other formalities. She would go to see a lawyer in the morning to obtain a protective order and file for a divorce.
She went to the bathroom and mended her wounds
beforereturning to the living room. She sat on the couch,
content to finallybe alone.
“Is everything okay now, ma’am?” The gentleman’s
voice resounded the room.
Evelyn was scared and confused, hearing a voice but seeing
no one. After a few seconds she realized where the voice
came from. It emanated from the black box.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” she replied. She looked at the black box on the end-table and remembered pushing the button on the device in her pocket during the assault.
It looks like this Life-Alert System really does work. Just push
the button and they send whatever assistance you need,
“I appreciate you sendin’ help so fast.”
“Glad to be here ma’am. We notified the police and sent them
to your address when we realized what was happening.
He sounded like a madman.”
“He’s gone now.” She offered her gratitude to the gentleman
out of politeness, but Evelyn knew where her help really came from.
God can use anything, “I’ll tell my mother that this system is
worth keepin’. Thanks again.”
“You’re very welcome…. Take care.”
Evelyn sat back, let out a long sigh and waited for her mother to come back home.
Like fireworks exploding on her face, is how it felt each time he slapped her.
“Curtis, please don’t….”
“Shut up!”
He hit her again, this time knocking her to the floor. Evelyn held her
face where her husband’s hand had connected.
“She must’ve gotten rid of it,” she cried.
“How the hell could your mama have gotten rid of a hundred-thousand
dollars without you knowing nothing about it?” He advanced towards
heras she scurried across the living room floor to avoid more punishment.
“If I find out you holding out on me, I’ll…..”
Curtis jerked his head at the sound of footsteps plodding across the
front porch. With his eyes back on Evelyn, he lowered his voice and
pointedat her. “You better have something figured out by the time I
get back otherwise it’s you and me!” He grabbed a jacket and quickly
put it on.
Evelyn got off the floor and hurried into the other room. She did her best
to hide any indication of a beating, brushing her hair back and wiping
her eyes. She could hear the sounds of her mother’s voice as the front
door opened.
“Hello-anybody home…hey Curtis.”
“Hey Mama.”
“Where’s Evelyn?”
“She’s in the other room…Baaaaby your mother’s back,” Alma yelled.
Curtis could switch his guttural tone as faster than a chameleon could change colors, a quality Evelyn hated.
She walked into the living room without a single hint of the previous scene that unfolded moments before.
“Hi Mama.”
“Hey Baby,” Alma said as she smiled, “I’m about to step out and
get some air.” Before closing the door Curtis gave Evelyn a look
that made a pitbull’s growl seem welcoming.
“How you doing this morning?” asked Alma. She looked over her
shoulder towards the front door as her son-in-law’s footfalls
dwindled.
“Just fine, Mama.”
Alma stared straight into her daughter’s eyes, “He hit you,
didn’t he?”
After a short, awkward moment of silence, Evelyn sat on the
couch and broke down, tears rushing down, one after another.
She told her mother everything about her marriage to Curtis.
The abuse, the humiliation, and the pain came out in a
snotty-nose-sniffling testament freeing Evelyn of a tremendous burden.
She even confessed her plan to come and steal the money in her mother’s
bank account as an effort to make Curtis happy and stop the beatings.
Evelyn was taken aback to discover that her mother knew of the scheme
to get the money, having overheard them plotting it one night.
Alma gave the church a check for the whole amount the day before they
made it to the bank to sign the account over.
“I told Curtis you had good hearing,” said Evelyn.
She blew her nose, “I’m so sorry, Mama.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, baby.” Alma sat next to Evelyn
and held her hands. “The question is what are you going to do now?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
“Well, whatever you do just remember to always keep God first in
your life and you’ll be fine. If He can let Moses use a stick to part
the Red Sea and save the Hebrews then honey, he can deliver
you too.”
Evelyn gave her mother a hug. She felt something bulging under
Alma’s blouse. “What is that Mama?” She looked down towards
the lump, “It’s this thing that the doctor gave me. I just started
wearing it not too long ago.” Alma removed the little device and
anded it to Evelyn.
“There’s another part that goes with it over there.” She pointed to
what looked like a plain black box on the end table in the living room.
Evelyn had previously mistaken that box for a radio of some sort.
“Does it really work?”
“Honey, I have no idea. I don’t believe in things like that anyway.
Just wearing it because I told my doctor I would. I have friends
with heart monitors, who are still going to check out of here
no matter what,” Alma stood up. “I’m going to take my medicine
and head back out for Bible study. The church van will be here in a
minute. You remember what I told you, now.”
“I know, Mama,” said Evelyn as she kissed her mother’s cheek.
As Alma walked out, Evelyn took another look at the device, shrugged her shoulders and stuck it in her pocket. She put her hands over her face and sat back on the couch, her mind was on Curtis once again.
Some time later, the door slammed. Having fallen asleep, Evelyn woke with a start. She squinted to see the blurred figure of her husband stumbling towards her.
“Well,” he said. There was a slur in his voice and an uneasiness in his stance.
“Well, what?”
“Don’t play with me, woman. What did I tell you before I left here?”
“The money is gone, like it or not, you crazy bastard!” Evelyn stood to meet him.
Tired of being a victim, she intended to make Curtis angry.
He moved towards her, standing inches from her face. “You must need
more persuasion to understand where I‘m coming from,” The stench
of the whiskey and speckles of spit grew more repulsive with
each word he spoke.
In a tirade of vulgarities, the beating lasted for what seemed
like two eternities. Her face was bloody and swollen so much that
she couldn’t tell the difference between the open-hands and the fists.
She screamed and pleaded for him to stop. She had to make this
scene as dramatic as she could for whoever could hear it. She knew that this would be the last time.
He had her down, kicking her in the back when the police busted
through the front door. Four officers jumped on Curtis, penning him
down to the ground and forcing his hands behind his back. He was
charged with domestic violence. That charge should go well
with the outstanding warrants that he already had against him,
Evelyn thought. The police departed with Curtis in handcuffs, after
taking her statement and following a few other formalities. She would go to see a lawyer in the morning to obtain a protective order and file for a divorce.
She went to the bathroom and mended her wounds
beforereturning to the living room. She sat on the couch,
content to finallybe alone.
“Is everything okay now, ma’am?” The gentleman’s
voice resounded the room.
Evelyn was scared and confused, hearing a voice but seeing
no one. After a few seconds she realized where the voice
came from. It emanated from the black box.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” she replied. She looked at the black box on the end-table and remembered pushing the button on the device in her pocket during the assault.
It looks like this Life-Alert System really does work. Just push
the button and they send whatever assistance you need,
“I appreciate you sendin’ help so fast.”
“Glad to be here ma’am. We notified the police and sent them
to your address when we realized what was happening.
He sounded like a madman.”
“He’s gone now.” She offered her gratitude to the gentleman
out of politeness, but Evelyn knew where her help really came from.
God can use anything, “I’ll tell my mother that this system is
worth keepin’. Thanks again.”
“You’re very welcome…. Take care.”
Evelyn sat back, let out a long sigh and waited for her mother to come back home.