A Child Named Sophia
Sami spat on the side of the crypt, then turned to EJ, her blue eyes spitting out fire in her contempt for him, his family grave yard, and any and everything that had the name DiMera associated with it. He said nothing, but took out his handkerchief and wiped the spittle away, pausing a moment as he looked at the inscription on the tomb.
Sophia DiMera Beloved Child of Stefano and Emiline DiMera, Born May 30, 1941, Entered into Rest, July 4, 1947. May Our Angel, Rest in Peace.
As he cleaned away the desecration, Sami snarled, "A dead DiMera is something to celebrate, I hope it was painful for...as she leaned in to read the engraving, and saw it was a childs tomb she put her hand over her mouth and her stomach as she felt a pang of regret for her words.
"Yes, she was six years old, and from what I hear of her she was loved by all who knew her. The servants, her playmates, and most of all my Father and his wife. Losing this child was a terrible blow to her, she died soon after as well." EJ had so many times heard his father say that this had caused her to die of a broken heart. She had simply given up on life and laid down to die.
"I am sorry, but you have to understand all that has been done to my family by the DiMeras, and for what? What have we ever done to one of you?"
"Do you really think you want to know that Samantha? I could tell you, but I don't think you have the stomach for it." EJ was coming to the conclusion that Samantha was only willing to listen to one side, only willing to hear one version, but if she wanted to know, he was going to tell her, and nothing in her world would ever be the same.
"Go ahead, tell me what ever you want, it won't change a thing between us."
"Very well, but you may be more comfortable sitting, this will be a short version of a long story. When did you say Lucas was coming back for you?"
"He is taking a load of the bricks back, we are exchanging them for white ones, he got the wrong order"
"Surprise, surprise.."
"Shut up EJ, he doesn't do this kind of work very much. But we have an hour, so start talking."
"It is more of a story, so if you don't mind, I think I shall tell you the way I was told...you have to picture how this house was back then, when it was in its full glory...
"Mama! Mama! Look, Mr. Brady has fixed my swing back up, don't it look just so fine now!? Sophia was running up to where her Mama sat on the porch, looking so very pretty in her lilac tea dress, as she sat out the afternoon tea for the ladies who would soon be coming. The porch was shaded by several willow trees, and festooned with many window boxes of bougainvillea and camellias fragrant in their colorful blooms.
The house was Maison Blanche, and it was a brilliant white, three story structure with the lacey architecture so prevalent in New Orleans. It was perfection, and was kept that way always. Not a blade of grass was out of its growth pattern, and weeds knew it was not a place to find a home.
"Mr. Brady..thank you so much, little Sophie has been missing that swing since it broke, and my husband just never seems to think it important enough to stop business and see to his lil' gal! How much do I owe you?" She reached into her bag for her coin purse, but all Sean Brady wanted was to see this woman smile once again. Looking at Emiline DiMera the way he sometimes did would have been a death warrant if he had been caught, but it could not be helped. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and since he had been given a bit of work on the property as a ad hoc handy man he had not been able to stop thinking of her.
He could also see that sometimes she was looking at him as well. She had a lonely life most times, her husband spent months away in Europe seeing to his different enterprises. When she put the coin in his hand, she paused to press it deeply, and the smile she gave him told him too much, but he could not help what was to come.
"Mr. Brady, can you push me please?" Sophia was tugging on his hand, and as he walked over to give her the swing, Emiline smiled, but whispered first, "Come back to the porch after nine, I have to speak with you".
The child Sophia was beautiful, alabaster skin like her mother, and long ringlets of auburn colored hair that highlighted her green eyes with the gold flecks in them, but what was most beautiful about her was the capacity she had for loving anyone or anything. The house and barn were full of her creatures, from frogs and snakes to kittens and dogs. If it was alive, she loved it and could not hurt it.
Sami was leaning in, her interest in the story growing as EJ described a way of life so different then.
"EJ..so are you trying to tell me that my Grandfather and Stefanos wife had an affair? Well, I guess Stefano could have a problem with Grandpa for that, but my whole family?" She shook her head.
"Yes, they did have an affair, but apparently it was discreet, and even if Stefano had an inkling, he was having enough of his own, as you heard he was gone all the time. Things may have gone on quite well, except your Grandfather had a older brother named Eric who came visiting one day.
"Eric! My Gawd..when did you get here? How are you? Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
"Sean, I need some money if you got to spare! I seem to have myself in a bit of a jam, and I need to get out of the country..I thought maybe the Carribean would be a place for me to get a start again!"
"What is the matter?" Sean was not liking the sound of it, but it was his blood after all, and what was needed to help would be given.
"Oh, seems like a young lady I was courting had a change of heart..now her brothers think I may have been untoward agin her, and they are looking to skin me and have me balls for roasting!" He laughed heartily like it was a big joke, but something still bothered Sean. Eric often had a penchant for pressing himself on the ladies, but luckily, most times they was as willing as he were able is how he described it.
Sean put down the shovel he had been using to dig the post hole for the new corral for Sophia's pony. Then he saw her skipping over to them, her new little puppy scampering behind and nipping at her skirt.
"Oh, Mr. Brady, it is going to be so nice for Ladybug to be able to be in the pasture once more! Thank you!" she looked at the man with Mr. Brady, and he tipped his hat to her, with a smile.
"Well, little miss, me brother here never told me a fairy princess was living here in this castle...I am Eric, and don't call me that Mr. Brady stuff, I am just ole Uncle Eric ok?"
She was not used to that type of informality, so she just decided she would not call him anything, but she smiled at him shyly anyway.
"You go on up to the house now, Sophia, you will get all dirty out here and your ma will be after me for letting you muck about." She knew he was right, so she had high tailed it for the house, not thinking about anything but her new pony and her new corral.
Eric watched the retreating form of the child with a strange smile, but Sean was not paying much attention, as he pulled his purse from his pocket. "I can give you fifty dollars, but that won't take you that far..best I can do though." Sean did not know why, but he wanted Eric gone now, he was not feeling as glad to see him as he had been. He noticed Eric was still watching
Sophia as she stopped to play on the tree swing.
And then it happened, the one thing that made it all change in the flip of an eye. Emiline had come out onto the porch, and waved to Sean..she called him over, and asked him to please come up to her as soon as he could. Sean had given the money over to Eric, and went to see the woman he loved.
"We have to run away together, I am pregnant, and Stefano will know it is yours..he will probably kill us both!" Sean did not argue with her, and she showed him the money they could use to get away. "Take it, and hide it, we will have enough to get to Canada, with Sophia! He will never find us!"
Sophia was twirling about in her swing, her eyes closed in the rapture of movement as the swing unraveled and the world whirled about her eyes. When she was grabbed and carried kicking into the woods, she had not even had time to scream before the hand had clamped onto her mouth.
"They found her body over there in that little pine wood stand. She was naked, raped, strangled, and her little puppy was lying beside her whimpering."EJ stopped to let Samantha think about the story, and the little girl whose grave she had just spat upon.
Chapter II
"My Grandfather did not do this EJ, and you have no proof that his brother did either. It is terrible, but I know no one in my family is capable of doing something like that."Sami spoke as if trying to convince and protect herself from something so evil it made her shiver to think about. It had not been that long ago when Will had run away, and she had thought about things like this happening to him.
"No, I guess in that day and age the proof that would be available now was not there. No DNA, no one combed her body for hairs,, and as far as her fingernails went, she was so small, she had no chance to fight her assailant off, the only one to protect her was a little golden lab puppy. He did his best, and he managed to tear off a piece of the shirt the man wore. It was a blue workman's shirt, just like the one your grandfather wore when he worked on the grounds."
"My grandfather is not a monster! He would not have done anything like that to her, and it is apparent he loved the little girl, and she loved him as well..I mean Emiline was willing to let her be his father if they ran off together!"
"I did not say it was your Grandfather..listen to what happened!"
"The whining of the puppy led the maid to where Sophia was lying, and when she saw, she had run screaming up to the main house! Your grandfather and Emiline were in bed together, and the maid saw them, but servants in those days just kept their mouths shut, what went on with their employers was not their business if they wanted to keep their jobs.
The maid just screamed they must come, little Miss was hurt bad! She had not the heart to tell them she was dead.
Emiline was only wearing her wrapper when she went with Sean and found the body of her only child. Sophia's face had captured in death what she had experienced the last seconds of her life, her face was black from the effects of being strangled, the blood on her legs heavy and clotted, but warm still, so they knew she had not been dead long. Sean had spotted the piece of shirt the puppy still chewed on . Her body was still warm, and the blood fresh. Emiline then knew while she had been in the arms of another man, her daughter was being raped and murdered!
"She was only a baby..my God, who could do this to a baby, why wasn't I with her..what was I doing? Oh my God, it is my fault!" The agony tore from her lips, from her soul as she gave in to her guilt and shame she felt. Sean stood back, and hid the piece of cloth he had taken from the puppies mouth. Then he began his rationalization of why his brother could not or would not have done such a thing. He convinced himself easily enough, but the next morning he was put to the test with more doubts.
The Parish Constable was in the house, Stefano was on his way back from another trip to Italy, after getting the wire about Sophia's death. He had a great deal of business going on since the war ended. Emiline was answering questions about where she had been and why she had not heard anything.
"Suh, I was in my bed with a headache, and Sophia had come in to tell me she was going down to the yard to swing. Our maid, Julia was in the kitchen and always keeps look out for her. I thought she would be playing with Francesca..To God, I wish I had been on the porch watching her..oh to God I had been!!"
When he had turned his attention to Sean Brady, he had smiled, like he was a cat about to pounce on a mouse. "Suh, do ya'll have a brother name of Eric, seems like his last address was in Mobile..but he left there right suddenly, and some letters from you were found among his belongin's..
Sean felt a prickly sensation on the back of his neck, as he waited for the constable to tell more of what he was afraid to hear, but knew was coming.
"there was a lil' gal there, seems he took a liking to her, but her brothers got in the way of his plans..she was all of twelve years old!"
Sean was sweating now, and he was going to be sick, the bile just waiting for the constable to finish him off.
"That lil' gal was luckier than this' un. She got herself raped, but managed to get away 'afore he killed her too! Course, she had a burlap bag put on her head by who done it, to keep her from knowing ezactly who 'twas, but her brothers still got a good idee' it mighta been your brother!"
"I have not seen Eric at all..we had a falling out several years ago.."the lie to protect his brother came out of Seans lips as easily as he took the money given to him by Emiline and ran off that night. The box had about five thousand dollars in it give or take, and he made for as far north as he could hitchhike in the next three days.
EJ stopped to take a sip of water. He looked at the crypt of the child, then over to the spot where her mother likely lay in an unmarked spot of the cemetery. It was in an area where several loyal servants were also buried. Stefano took care of his own, and when they betrayed him, they were also taken care of.
Now she was not so sure of herself, Samantha Brady Roberts, child of the most respected family in Salem, but the oft considered black sheep of that very same family. The same blood line that created her may have been shared with a man capable of the most brutal and horrific crimes imaginable.
"Tell me something EJ?"
"Yes..what?"
"Was what you did to me some kind of payback for this..what your family thinks my great uncle did here?"
"That could never begin to repay what happened here Samantha, and you know it!"