still happening to someone else. Once I was safe in my familiar world, I drifted off to sleep easily, exhausted to my core. It seemed like only seconds passed before I began to dream of Evie again.
Evie was excited because it was her birthday. Her mother had made a cake from a mix and placed nine candles on it. She had been allowed to invite two of her friends from school to her party. She had never had friends over before and was excited beyond words. Emily was her best friend at school, and Evie told her all her secrets. Well, most of her secrets. Evie never told her about the things Ralph did in the bathroom.
Emily had short black hair cut in a pixie cut and dark eyes that became big and round when Evie would talk to her. The other little girl, Rachel, a redhead with freckles across her nose and bright blue eyes, was the daughter of a lady Evie’s mom cleaned for. She was in the same grade as Evie but not in the same classroom. They mostly played when Evie tagged along on the days her mom cleaned for Rachel’s mom. Grace tried to make the party as much fun as she could, but money was tight. Ralph wasn’t getting to work a lot, and, as a result, he was drinking more. He was mean when he was drinking and both Grace and Evie were silently hoping that he would stay at the bar until the party was over.
The three little girls giggled and played for at least an hour. Soon it was time for the cake and ice cream. In the middle of singing happy birthday, the sound of the door slamming shut startled them all. Grace and Evie both looked at each other, knowing things could end badly. Ralph Dark walked into the kitchen holding his half empty whiskey bottle and a six pack of beer, which he placed in the refrigerator. There was no doubt why the whiskey bottle was half empty. He was staggering and cursing, yelling terrible things in front of the little girls. Evie was so embarrassed. Without thinking it through, perhaps because of the bottled up resentment she needed to release, she opened her mouth and yelled at him.
“Why can’t you just leave us alone?”
The room fell silent, and Evie knew the minute the words crossed her lips that she would pay for her outburst. Ralph looked at the two little girls who had come to celebrate with Evie; the fear was obvious on their faces. I guess even in his drunken state he knew that it would not be wise to do anything in front of those young witnesses. He smiled at Evie, and her blood chilled from the fear that crept up her tiny body. I could feel it too. Our bodies started to tremble and that familiar sick knot twisted in our stomachs.
“Well, okay then, I will just go watch a little television while you girls finish up here. I assume that will be soon won’t it, Grace?”
The look on his face gave Grace no doubt that someone would pay dearly for Evie’s words, but she slowly nodded in agreement. There was no hiding her concern. I could hear her heart pound in her chest as loudly as I could hear and feel Evie’s own heart. Together they were like a pounding drum leading up to a climax of tragedy. The children sat for the next several minutes in silence. Emily looked as if she might start to cry, and she asked to go home. She knew from Evie’s stories that Ralph could be very mean, and she didn’t want to be there if he started to yell again. Grace was aware of the tension and tried to make light conversation with the girls about school and their plans for the summer break. She tried with all the effort she could muster to act as if everything was just fine.
“Who’s ready for cake and ice cream?” “Me.” “I am.” “Me too, please.” They all squealed feeling relieved that Evie’s mother seemed to have relaxed. She was acting as if all was well again.
Once the refreshments were eaten it was time for the gifts. Evie had never had more than one gift to open on her birthday, and even the tension that filtered in from the other room could not
Evie was excited because it was her birthday. Her mother had made a cake from a mix and placed nine candles on it. She had been allowed to invite two of her friends from school to her party. She had never had friends over before and was excited beyond words. Emily was her best friend at school, and Evie told her all her secrets. Well, most of her secrets. Evie never told her about the things Ralph did in the bathroom.
Emily had short black hair cut in a pixie cut and dark eyes that became big and round when Evie would talk to her. The other little girl, Rachel, a redhead with freckles across her nose and bright blue eyes, was the daughter of a lady Evie’s mom cleaned for. She was in the same grade as Evie but not in the same classroom. They mostly played when Evie tagged along on the days her mom cleaned for Rachel’s mom. Grace tried to make the party as much fun as she could, but money was tight. Ralph wasn’t getting to work a lot, and, as a result, he was drinking more. He was mean when he was drinking and both Grace and Evie were silently hoping that he would stay at the bar until the party was over.
The three little girls giggled and played for at least an hour. Soon it was time for the cake and ice cream. In the middle of singing happy birthday, the sound of the door slamming shut startled them all. Grace and Evie both looked at each other, knowing things could end badly. Ralph Dark walked into the kitchen holding his half empty whiskey bottle and a six pack of beer, which he placed in the refrigerator. There was no doubt why the whiskey bottle was half empty. He was staggering and cursing, yelling terrible things in front of the little girls. Evie was so embarrassed. Without thinking it through, perhaps because of the bottled up resentment she needed to release, she opened her mouth and yelled at him.
“Why can’t you just leave us alone?”
The room fell silent, and Evie knew the minute the words crossed her lips that she would pay for her outburst. Ralph looked at the two little girls who had come to celebrate with Evie; the fear was obvious on their faces. I guess even in his drunken state he knew that it would not be wise to do anything in front of those young witnesses. He smiled at Evie, and her blood chilled from the fear that crept up her tiny body. I could feel it too. Our bodies started to tremble and that familiar sick knot twisted in our stomachs.
“Well, okay then, I will just go watch a little television while you girls finish up here. I assume that will be soon won’t it, Grace?”
The look on his face gave Grace no doubt that someone would pay dearly for Evie’s words, but she slowly nodded in agreement. There was no hiding her concern. I could hear her heart pound in her chest as loudly as I could hear and feel Evie’s own heart. Together they were like a pounding drum leading up to a climax of tragedy. The children sat for the next several minutes in silence. Emily looked as if she might start to cry, and she asked to go home. She knew from Evie’s stories that Ralph could be very mean, and she didn’t want to be there if he started to yell again. Grace was aware of the tension and tried to make light conversation with the girls about school and their plans for the summer break. She tried with all the effort she could muster to act as if everything was just fine.
“Who’s ready for cake and ice cream?” “Me.” “I am.” “Me too, please.” They all squealed feeling relieved that Evie’s mother seemed to have relaxed. She was acting as if all was well again.
Once the refreshments were eaten it was time for the gifts. Evie had never had more than one gift to open on her birthday, and even the tension that filtered in from the other room could not
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