The End with a new Beginning
"Stop it! Stop it!", shouted Carol angrily.
The fight between her new husband John and Andrew, her former boyfriend, started mere minutes ago. Carol worried more and more about them. At that moment Andrew struck John with heavy stone on the head. Carol ran as fast as she could into the farmhouse to fetch the rifle. When she came back John was sitting on Andrew and just raised his fist to give him a punch.
"Stop it!", screamed Carol again, but without the desired success. Afterwards she turned the weapon against John, and cried loudly, "Go away from him!"
"Just be careful what you do with that!", John yelled back.
Once again Carol repeated aloud, "Go away from him!"
"He started it!", John answered brusquely.
"Yeah, and now I have to finish it! Go away from him. Shift!" Bit by bit Carol became impatient.
John released Andrew, and turned his back to him. Andrew jumped after him to attack John anew. At that point Carol shot into the sky. Both men leaped away. John tumbled behind Carol. Andrew stood in front of her. Now she raised the gun towards Andrew and told him, "Get into the car and go home!"
"Not without you. You can, come on, Carol. If we don't do it now we never will!", demanded Andrew and tried to persuade her to leave John.
In a strained voice Carol said, "Go home to your wife and your babe, Andrew. They need you and love you. I don't need you and I don't want you. And what is more important I don't love you anymore! That love died the day in Halifax when you didn't appear to marry me. Now I have my own little family with John and Lisa. John was always there for me when you were not. He cared for me, helped me, protected me and stood by my side. I feel safe with him. He is my anchor. John loves me unconditional. Leave us alone. Go back to your wife. Stay away from us. If you ever try to hurt or injure John again, I will make sure that you have to count the cost for it. I don't want to lose him!"
Carol turned away and abandoned him. She went to help John. They entered their house together without a glance back to Andrew. Once there Carol took care of John's injuries. They heard the loud slamming of the car door even though they were inside, and shortly thereafter the spinning wheels when Andrew drove away. Carol lead John to a stool in the kitchen and brought a bowl of water and a clean towel to wash his wounds.
John seemed to be frozen. His face was motionless. Carol unbuttoned his overall, opened his shirt and pulled it down over his shoulders. Everywhere were bruises, starting to colour. His head had a deep cut at the hairline. Dry and fresh blood was smeared all over his face. Suddenly Carol began to weep. Her tears grew to uncontrolled sobs.
She stammered bewildered, "He tried to kill you! I was so frightened. I cannot risk to lose you."
The thought was unbearable to her. She struggled for her composure. Her hands began to wash him automatically. John awakened from his state of shock.
He had to ask her, "Carol, what you have said to Andrew. Is it true?" His voice sounded insecure.
"Yes, John", she answered earnestly, "I haven't realized it before, but it is. I cannot explain my feelings. The last month with you, the arrangements for our wedding, it was special for me. I want that this marriage is well-working and to be a happy one. To make it work I have to tell you the truth. I know now, no more secrets between us. Please hear me out. Don't interrupt me, it is more than difficult for me."
She took a deep breath. Her eyes were filled with tears.
Finally she told him, "Andrew is not Lisa's dad. I was rapped. My dad fathered Lisa. Lisa is my daughter and my sister. I never had sex with Andrew. You are the only one I have willingly slept with. I am glad that you are the one and not Andrew. Please believe me."
John was shocked and filled with rage about her father. He did not know what he would have done to him, if he had known it before. Hundreds of thoughts and pictures mingled in his mind. Some memories suddenly became aware. He wished he had known it. He wished he had protected her. Carol looked fearful to him. Would he leave her like Andrew before, because of her dirty secret. John embraced her, carefully and tenderly.
"Oh, Carol", he sighed.
They embraced for a long time until he said to her, "Carol, I will never leave you. I love you! It wasn't your fault, it was his."
For Carol, it felt as if a tight band around her heart fell apart and a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders. She felt free, calm and safe for the first time since she was a little child.
"John, the thought of losing you scared me. Please, we have to go to the hospital. I want to be sure that you are doing well", urged Carol.
Carol wrote a short note for Lisa that she and John were at the hospital and left it at the kitchen table. Lisa would find it when she came home from school.
At the hospital the physician examined John and ordered a MRI scan of his head. John had a broken rib, bruises and the cut injury at his hairline had to be stitched.
In the meantime Lisa had found the note at Sparkhouse farm. It was already evening when the phone rang.
"Sparkhouse farm, Lisa Bolton", she answered the phone.
"Hello, Lisa, here is Mr Lawton. Is Andrew Lawton, my son there?", Mr Lawton asked her.
"No, Mr Lawton", said Lisa surprised.
"Can you give me Carol, please?", he questioned her.
She replied eagerly, "She is not at home. She is with John at the hospital."
"What happened, Lisa?", said Mr Andrews curiously.
"I don't know, Mr Lawton. I have no clue", was her only reply.
"Thank you, Lisa", he said and rang off.
The Lawtons were missing Andrew for several hours. His wife Becky received a disturbing phone call from a drunken Andrew one hour ago. Her worries had increased alarmingly. Andrew's father had already searched in the neighbourhood. They had called all friends and no one could give them a hint of Andrews whereabouts. Carol was their last hope. After the phone call at Sparkhouse, Mr Lawton dialed the number of the local hospital and asked after Carol Standring, former Bolton. Only a few minutes later she was at the line.
"Carol, have you seen Andrew?", asked Mr Lawton.
"Yes, he was at Sparkhouse this afternoon. He wanted to persuade me to elope with him. After I rejected him, he attacked John. He tried to kill John, twice! First with a shovel and later he beat a big stone at John's head", snapped Carol hateful.
"Oh, my God, Carol! How is John?", asked Mr Lawton anxious.
"His head is under investigation at the moment. I don't know more. I hope he will be alright". Carol began to cry.
"I am so sorry, Carol, and I pray for John. Carol, have you any idea where Andrew can be?", asked Mr Lawton.
"I don't care about Andrew. I have other worries", she said in a low voice.
"Carol, please?", he begged.
"Maybe at the old ruin, Mr Lawton", answered Carol before she rang off.
"Thank you, Carol" whispered Mr Lawton. He ran to his car and drove with the highest possible speed to the old ruin in the moor, but in the end he was too late. His son Andrew was dead. He had cut his wrists.
At the hospital the examination of John's head was finished. The neurologist told Carol and John that fortunately John had not any head damage except the cut at his hairline. His broken rib was bandaged, his cut stitched and for the bruises they received an ointment. Carol embraced John relieved. She lifted her chin and slowly she gave John the first kiss which she started by herself.
It was a horrible day, but for John it was a day with one of the happiest moments in his life, perhaps a turning point. Eventually he looked positive into his future with Carol and Lisa. He knew it would not be easy, but it was a beginning.