Written for http://rugby843.blog/2023/09/30/mlmm-saturday-mix-103/
It was a henassars of a night, the sky darkened within minutes, and the summer storm flattened any hope of summer. Yet, she loved this time of year. Stood outside, with an umbrella catching the rain, she felt more alive than she had in years.
In some ways it reminded her of her husband.
It had been a decade since his death, and she could feel the rumbling of his anger fade into nothingness. The blame game, she always knew it was her fault. Yet, it was his fault too.
‘Nan, everything okay?’
‘Yes Tabitha, it is. Come outside with me, I want you to talk about university and this new boyfriend of yours.’
Tabitha moved outside, and joined her nan under the umbrella, the storm subsiding. ‘Tom’s okay, he is a little shy that’s all.’
‘It’s just, you have been quiet lately; are you sure there isn’t anything you would like to tell me?’
Tabitha looked to the floor. ‘I’m okay, it’s just there is a lot going on at university. Exams and things.’
‘Please don’t keep secrets from me. You never met my husband, your grandfather, but he was a horrible man. I had my fair share of those sorts of bruises.’ Martha asked, looked at the bruise on her granddaughter’s wrist. ‘Please love, if he is like that now, he isn’t going to change. You will. Your mum says he is quite the charmer, but then so was Thomas.’
‘I read your book Nan, and Tom is nothing like that.’
‘Does he say sorry? Promise it won’t happen again, make you feel like everything is your fault? He does, I can tell. You are so quiet lately. Your dream of being a doctor is a year away. Don’t let this man take that away from you.’
Tabitha’s tears mingled with the rain, but she couldn’t tell her nan the truth. It only happened the once. It wasn’t as if she would stop her career for him. ‘I knocked my wrist into the dormitory door, it was an accident nan, I promise.’
It wasn’t the truth, and Martha wouldn’t keep this secret. Her granddaughter deserved nothing but love, instead of living in fear. ‘No, that is where he grabbed you love. Please listen, he won’t change. We will tell your mum together, yes . . .’
Writer Ravenclaw 