Baby
"Hello Charlotte!" my mother exclaimed
"What do you want mother?" I asked curtly, dreading her
answer.
"Well I just want to tell you the good news, Charlotte."
"What?" I said, anticipating hearing of something
stupid, and petty.
"I'm going to have another baby, sweetheart!"
All went black.
When I woke up, our housemaid, Ms. Loretta was hovering over me,
with a painful looking grimace on her face. I watched her for a minute, before
asking her what happened to me.
"You blacked out dear."
"What happened to my mother."
"She said that she was feeling a bit ill, and retreated to
her room."
"My mother should be doing this." I said
"Oh, I'm sure it's just because she's feeling unwell, she
would probably be taking care of you right now if she felt well. Besides, her
condition makes it hard to do such things." Ms. Loretta replied
cheerfully, though I saw the doubt in her eyes.
"Thanks Ms. Loretta, you can leave ... I'm feeling a lot
better."
"You sure, dear?"
"Yes."
"Okay Charlotte, do as you wish."
When she left I got up to confront my mother in her bedroom, but
was surprised to hear shouting in the room, I put my ear to the door to listen.
It was my father.
"What do you mean your having a baby, we haven't been at it
for at least a year!" my father stormed.
"Oh, George!" mother sobbed. "It wasn't my fault
... he--he forced himself on me, he just laid there on the chaise in the
boathouse, and oh George, like you said, we haven't for so long, and it was so
tempting!"
At that my breath caught in my throat, another lie, a secret my
mother had forced upon me, I remembered the scenario quite vividly.
I opened the boathouse door to see what noise I was hearing, and
there in plain sight was my mother entwined in another man's arms. I had
screamed, and slammed the door behind me. Later my mother had told me to keep
it 'our little secret.'
"NO!" I screamed, covering my ears with my hands, and I
ran halfway down to steps sobbing before I fell down the stairway, and all went
numb.
My last memory before blacking out again was that familiar tune
being sung by my father.
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
I'll Sing You a Lullaby
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
Please Don't Cry
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
I'll Never Tell You a Lie
Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
'Till the Day That I Die...