Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

But then the rows started again. At first they were out of sight of the children, but Trina could hear them when she lay in bed at night. Her father’s angry voice carried up the stairs, his use of expletives countered by her mother’s disapproving tones. She couldn’t fully understand what the problems were, but she thought it had a lot to do with her father’s compulsion for chasing other women. She grew to dread coming home from school, feeling as though she was walking into a battlefield.

Then, one night, it was the final row. They had just eaten their evening meal when Isaac announced that he was going out, and he turned towards the hallway. The other children were upstairs playing.

‘No, not again!’ said Daisy. ‘And I suppose there’ll be strange women ringing the house again too.’

‘Go to hell, woman! I’m only going out with me friends. Aren’t I allowed some kind of life?’

‘Not when you’re chasing other women.’

‘I’m not chasing any fuckin’ women! I just want a break, that’s all.’

‘You think I believe that, Isaac, when some strange woman is ringing asking for you? And what about my break? I’m the one stuck in this house all day.’

‘How many times do I have to tell you, woman? She was nothing to worry about.’

‘Well why did she have your number then?’

‘She just wanted to buy some stuff that I took round the pub, that’s all. I gotta make me fuckin’ living somehow. Have you any idea what it costs to keep you lot?’

‘Yes, Isaac, I know too well, because I have to manage on my own every time you leave.’

‘Cos you fuckin’ drive me out!’ he yelled. ‘With all your moaning and cursing.’

‘What do you expect me to do, Isaac? Just let you go out the door not knowing when you’ll be back? And me with four children to look after.’

‘Get off me case, woman,’ he said, storming out of the room and into the hallway.

Daisy chased after him with Trina close on her tail, watching nervously from the living room door and wondering what would happen next. She saw her mother grab his arm.

‘Come back, Isaac, or I swear God will strike you down.’

‘There you go again with your cursing. Fuck your God and get your hands off me, woman!’ he raged.

But Daisy wasn’t prepared to let go. She clung onto his arm, trying to pull him back as he made for the front door. To Trina it was as though the scene was being played out in slow motion. She could anticipate her father’s reaction, but she was powerless to stop it. She willed her mother to let go of him, but she didn’t speak. It didn’t pay to get involved when her parents were both angry.

‘How dare you speak to me like that, Isaac! And in front of me daughter, too. You’ve no right to leave me to manage on me own. You need to face your responsibilities and stop chasing after other women.’

‘Do you think I’m fuckin’ stupid, Daisy? I know you only want me for me money. You’ve even turned me kids against me.’

‘You did that all by yourself,’ she shouted, flinging herself in front of him to block his way to the front door. ‘Don’t you dare leave this house, Isaac!’

His voice became a low growl and Trina could tell his anger was escalating. ‘I’m telling you one more time, woman. Now get out of me fuckin’ way or there’ll be trouble!’

‘No, I won’t!’ shouted Daisy.

She didn’t get the chance to say anything else before Isaac raised his mighty fist and brought it down hard, striking an angry blow to her face. Daisy squealed and bent forward, clutching her face in her hands. But she was still barring his way to the door. He grabbed hold of her arms, crushing them between his powerful hands before lifting her, and flinging her down onto the hallway floor behind him.

Trina heard a loud thud and spotted the blood on her mother’s face. But Daisy wasn’t beaten yet. She quickly raised herself from the ground and sped after him, pulling his arms back once more as he struggled to open the front door. Isaac swung his arm back till his elbow impacted painfully with Daisy’s chin. She let out a yell, then he turned back and viciously rained punches down on her face and body.

Forgetting her fear, Trina screamed for him to stop, but he didn’t let up till Daisy lay crumpled on the floor. Then he was back at the door again. As he pulled the front door open and stormed from the house, Daisy remained slumped on the ground, shocked and yelling after him.

‘You’ve hit me. I can’t believe you’ve hit me! Don’t you ever dare to come back here, Isaac Henry.’

Isaac ignored her yells and slammed the door shut after him. As soon as he was on the other side of the door, Trina ran over to her mother, distraught.

‘Mam, Mam. Are you OK?’ she asked, kneeling down beside her, unsure what to do.

She caught sight of her two oldest brothers coming down the stairs, just as her mother heard them approach. ‘Get back up those stairs!’ she yelled. ‘Trina, make them go to their room then you can come and help me,’ she ordered.

Trina did as she was told, racing up the stairs to intercept her brothers. It wasn’t easy. ‘What’s happened to her? And why can’t we come downstairs?’ asked Ellis.

It only took one word for Trina to explain what had happened. ‘Dad,’ she said.

‘Has he gone?’ asked Ellis.

‘Yes, he’s gone.’

‘Well why can’t we come downstairs then?’ Ellis persisted.

‘Mam doesn’t want you to,’ said Trina and as she looked at her brothers, she saw a look of defiance on Ellis’s face. ‘I swear, Ellis, you’re not to come down. Our mam is really angry and she’ll go mad if you come down.’

Ellis didn’t say anything more; he just turned round and walked