An Intimate Story

THE PROMISE   

Total silence. The snow falls softly, but incessantly. A white blanket has already covered the entire neighborhood. It's very cold. A few lights illuminate the roads which lead to the houses. Total silence. A door is opened with violence. Shouts. Loud noises fill the silent air. - Bitch! Do what I told you if you don't want me to hit you until you are torn to pieces - The door is slammed. Silence falls again over the quarter. A low murmuring. The body of a woman on the iced ground. Sobs choked by a pain which is too deep. Tears of a young woman who is afraid of her own shadow. Of a woman who has been left alone, alone at her worst enemy's mercy.  Hate and disgust have left place to fright, to resignation. You can't get out of it, you can't. Even tears are difficult to shed. The bruises hamper even the simplest actions. By now everything is a suffering for her, a continuous abuse of power. - Why did you do that? Why did you abandon me? We were sisters, we promised to each other that nothing in the world could ever separate us, but ... Why did you decide to go away from this hell without me, why? - The anger writhes her body, the sobs cause her sharp pangs - I loved you... together we could have been able to get out of this... - Tears begin to shed even more copiously. The sense of loss and of discouragement grow at every breath - Why...-  - Mum -, the young woman turns. She sees the three-year-old child who looks at her inquiringly. She tries to wipe away the tears, to stand up, but it's too painful. - Mum -, the child runs towards her. - Jamie go back home immediately otherwise you'll catch a cold -, but the child seems not to listen to her. He looks her face and suddenly becomes serious. - Has dad hurt you again? -, the woman tries to restrain the tears which are about to flood down her face. - No Jamie, mum has only fallen... -, the child doesn't let her finish the sentence. He puts his hand in hers. - Mum, shall we go? - - Where my dear? -  - Away from hell, as you were saying before - he answers seriously. The woman looks at him with tenderness, he's still so little, but seems to have more courage than she has. - Where would you like to go Jamie?- The child thinks for a moment and then he answers firmly. - In a place where my little sister can see you smile when she is born - The young woman touches lightly her belly , the fifth month and that bastard... She nods - It's a promise Jamie - Story Info   - Story written by Lara and translated from the Italian by Marta, 2000