The Aphelion Moon

Everything Changes (This is a little graphic physical abuse)

Christine's Graduation

In what seemed like a day everything started changing. My sister was getting ready to graduate high school. I did not understand what that ment at the time, I was just happy for her. I would sit up and try to help her every night with her finals. We had a routine and I thought we were happy with it. I knew she would keep me safe.

My mother had a new job at a factory making cars or at least that's what people said to me. Stephan Sr. still supposedly worked at the shop and came home drunk regularly enough my sister kept having me sleep in her bed. That was fine with me I was safe there.

When she graduated I do not remember her getting a party or even going to the graduation at all. I never saw a cake or presents or anything.That's when things started to get bad all of a sudden though.

What's Going On

We were home that day with Stephan Jr. Chistine was watching us like normal. Everything seemed normal that day until my mother came home. She was acting weird she stayed in the kitchen with Christine and I which she never did. Stephan was in a play pen in the next room. My mother was talking to us nicely which she never did. By this time I was going on 4 years old and Stephan was about a year and a half old.

All of a sudden the door whipped open in the kitchen. It startled all of us and we jumped. Stephan started crying loudly. All of a sudden by sister stepped away from the cabinets where she and I had been doing dishes. She grabbed my arm and signed for me to climb into the cabinet.

It was Stephan Sr. he was extremely drunk and screaming. I was in the dark so all I could do was listen to what was going on. He was yelling at my mother first and I could tell he was going towards her. I heard her scream and cry out and she hit the cabinets a few feet from where I was hidden.

While she was laying on the ground I could here my step father was going towards my sister. He was yelling at her to move and she wouldn't. He hit and kicked her even after she was on the ground.

I still stayed as quiet as I could. I could hear Stephan Jr. in the next room still crying.

My mother cried on the floor still. I could hear my sister get up again. He started yelling at her again but this time she yelled back. I don't know what she said. She was saying something about my mother being hurt.

All of a sudden he just left I didn't know what Christine said to get him to leave but I was happy he did. When I heard the front door slam I finally peeked out to see if it was safe. I saw my sister drop to her knees as though she was hurt and exhausted. I was still little but I knew what hurt ment. I ran to her asking if she was okay. She told me to check on Stephan Jr, give him his pacifier, and calm him down. She said her and my mother needed a minute alone.

I left and did what she asked. Once Stephan Jr. was calm and happy again. I went back into the kitchen to help Christine and my mom.

Christine was hunched over on one of the kitchen chairs. My mother was still yelling saying he broke her foot. Christine was telling her to call the police and they could run away. My mother kept saying no. They didn't have enough money, a place to go, and Stephan Sr. knew a lot of people in the area and he would hunt us down kill us and take Stephan Jr. In the future I would actually hear about a lot of men doing that in that area. Scary to a 4 year old and still scary as an adult.

Christine went into her bedroom and of course I followed she was my favorite person at the time.

When she layed back on to her bed her shirt went up a little. I could see her skin was black and red under the shirt. Instead of asking her if she was ok I just went back to the kitchen and grabbed frozen vegetables out and took it to her.

At night I could hear the yelling before but now I understood why she would bring vegetables back to bed with her.

She put the vegetables across her stomach. I sat with her until she fell asleep. Then Stephan Jr. woke up and started crying so I went to him in his play pen. I had watched and helped my sister enough to know how to change his diaper and go grab another bottle out of the fridge. I knew my mother wouldn't do anything as she was still pouting in the kitchen over her hurt foot.

Sorry if I didn't sound sympathetic but I really was not at the time towards my mother. As far as I saw my sister protected me by putting me in the cabinet. My mother let Christine get hurt and was not doing anything to stop it or fix it. She would not even get up and take care of her own son. That day I lost faith in my mother all together. I was more determined than ever to learn everything so my sister and I could leave and never go back.

I never asked what had happened that day or why he was so mad or even why he hurt them. I would find out soon enough for myself.