I was a hiding again in the cupboard,
they had started again and the grinding
hatred was spat out in words and then
he hit her, over and over. I heard her
moans and then screams and then all
went silent and I’d wet myself again.
================
I stayed still and silent hoping that he
wouldn’t look for me and let me know
again how loathsome and babylike I
was and how he hates us all; and then
he will collapse like a balloon bursting,
and his snoring engulf us all. I held on
============
and then I heard the shuffling and moaning
and knew that he had crumpled, for a
moment we were safe from his vile venom.
I crept out and nearly screamed when I
saw her bloodied and broken face. She
was holding her arm and I knew that we
would take the bus and go to the hospital.
=============
There, they would patch her up and ask
her questions, but she would never give
any real answers. She pointed to my wet
trousers and I slipped afraid upstairs and
changed and washed them out and hung
them over the cold rusting radiator in my
===============
little bedroom. Then she covered her
head with a scarf and put on a virus face
mask. After taking my shaking hand she
left the house and we ran down to-
gether down to the bus stop. The driver
looked at her suspiciously but
she paid for the ticket to St Anne’s.
===========
We sat in a small room and they came
and took her away for X-rays and
a lady wearing a pink jumper came
and showed me some pictures. She
asked me to choose one that was like
my house. I pointed to the one that
was collapsed and had peeling wall-
paper, dirty carpets and bare shelves.
=============
Touching my arm, she asked me to choose
a picture of my Mum. That was easy
as they had one of a lady who was
dressed in bandages. Then I saw that
there was a picture like my Dad. He
was angry and his fist was bigger than
his head. I shrank down,
hid my head,
and cried.
