XI.
Amber was reading when she heard the door slam. Hmmm, her mother was early. That was odd. Most nights with the new job, she came in well after Amber had fallen asleep. She liked it that way.
"Amber." Her mother sang up the steps, "I have to talk to you…"
Her stomach flopped. This was the sweet lilting voice of entrapment. Mother used it when she didn't want Amber to know how much trouble she was in. Fear grasped her. She found out, somehow she found out. This was not a situation that she wanted to be in. Her first impulse was to run. But she knew she would never make it past her. She looked around. Hide. Her best bet was to hide and hope she couldn't find her before she could get away. Amber silently made her way to the closet. She made herself as small as possible and covered herself with clothes. She scarcely breathed.
"Amber, honey." She continued as she made her way up the steps, "I want to speak with you. I know you're here. Your car is here. Come on and see Mother."
She could hear footsteps in her room, they stopped by the closet, but Velma circled and went on. "Amber, I got a call from the bank today. You made a withdrawal without Mother's permission. Naughty, naughty little girl…." She padded out to the hallway.
"And I spoke with Brenda's mother, Amber" she sang as she flipped on the bathroom light across the hall, "Our little Brenda is missing Amber. Right after a visit from you, she says. Brenda's mommy wants to speak with you too…."
Amber heard her head down the hall to her own room. She heard her pull the closet door open and at that point felt it was her break. "Mother wants to know why you're working against her, Honey. Just come on out and we can have a talk." She continued to sing. Amber threw off the clothes and pulled herself out. She raced as fast as she could to the staircase. As her foot touched the second step but she felt Velma's fingers in her hair. She yanked her back and onto the carpet. Amber was stunned as her mother stood over her.
"Mother, please." She begged, "Please just listen."
"Now Amber, you haven't been listening much to me, have you?" Velma reached down and grabbed her by the arm. "You little bitch, you've been working against me all along!" She pulled her to her knees with a resounding twist. Amber gasped.
"You played me for the last time, girl." Velma backhanded her.
She ignored the sting and scrambled as fast as she could back to her room. "Mother please, I can explain everything!'
"I don't need your explanations. You've always been against me." Velma screeched, "You've been with him, don't think I didn't know it. I've seen you look at him. All these years. You've wanted him and he hasn't given you the time of day. Giving it to you now little girl? How does that Asshole taste?"
Amber hopped onto her bed as Velma lunged. She grabbed Amber's foot but got a slipper instead. She threw it, but missed. "You've pushed me Amber and I've been patient. I'm not going to be anymore."
She saw an escape as her mother picked up a book from her desk and it flew by her. She sprinted for the door but Velma body checked and she slammed against the wall.
Velma's hands went to her throat as she held her. "No matter how good he is, is he worth this?"
Velma's voice became low and soft as she leaned into her, "You see darling, I brought you into this world and I can take you back out." Her fingers clenched. Amber couldn't breathe. She closed her eyes and felt for something, anything to end this. Her hands touched the desk lamp and with all her waning strength, she smashed it against Velma's head. She didn't think but pushed past the screaming woman. She grabbed her purse on the side table and pulled the front door open. Velma was not far behind, screaming threats and obscenities. She reached the car at the same time Amber slammed and locked the door. Amber was shaking so badly her fingers worked to get the keys into the ignition. The car started and she looked at her mother screaming at her through the window.
"You will regret this Amber. I'm your mother, you are nothing without me," she bellowed with mascara and blood streaming down her face. "You and Collins are finished. You will regret this……"
Her words trailed away as Amber drove. Amber wanted to cry but was just too terrified for any other emotion to slip in. She had to think. She was in pajamas, she had no shoes. There was nothing open to buy anything. She had to go somewhere. The police? Amber knew that Mother had friends there. She didn't know which one of those men would just put her into a police car and send her right back home. That's not it.
She pulled the car into a church parking lot. Safe in the shadows, she looked at herself in the rearview mirror. She didn't look too bad. Her hair was a mess and of course she had no makeup but all in all, she made it through unscathed. Well except the bruises, she thought as she tilted her chin. Her fingers touched the marks. They were easily covered and nothing to worry about. The cause of those marks was something of a concern, but the marks were not. Suddenly, a tear ran down her face and then another. She took a deep breath. It hurt. Her mind wandered, what was she going to do now. Basically, she was homeless. If fact, this car was probably reported stolen by now. She reached for her handkerchief and saw a piece of paper. Motormouth Maybelle's Record Shop. Well, she really didn't have much of a choice did she? There was no where else to go.
Amber drove onto the highway north and wiped the tears from her eyes. In some ways, this was her moment of awakening. She had nothing left. She would never be the same.