Ch. 8 – I hate you!
Gilly buried her head under her pillow and tried to pretend she didn't exist. She'd barely slept a wink and now she could hear her mother and father in the kitchen of their small home.
Gilly pulled her pillow off her head and looked up and out the window. She cried out as the bright sunlight caught her right in the eyes.
She clamped a hand over her eyes and sat up, and looked down, her dress was soiled and sooty and half of the skirt was missing from her stepping on it. She stood up and peeled it off, feeling grimy and sweaty from sleeping in it all night.
She opened her wardrobe and shoved the dress into a far corner hopefully where her mother would never find it. Gilly pulled out a pair of brown trousers and a plain white shirt. She then thought twice and put them back, there was no need to add insult to injury. She pulled out a gray skirt and a white blouse, it wasn't much but Gilly hoped it would please her mother.
She walked over to her small but sturdy dresser. Gilly sat on the chair that faced the mirror. She stared at her tired face: the circles under her eyes, her slight frown, her hair that was tangled on top of her head.
Gilly poured some water into her basin and scooped some cool water onto her face. She scrubbed it over her cheeks and forehead and swooshed some around in her mouth. She even splashed some water into her curls and tried to comb a few of the snarls out of her hair.
Gilly blinked and was a little more pleased with the reflection that stared back at her. Sure there were still the dark circles and the slight frown, but her cheeks were rosy and her hair looked almost decent.
Gilly stalled for another five minutes before she finally got up the courage to go into the kitchen.
She peeked her head out of the bedroom door and saw her mother holding the tea kettle.
"Try not to be too hard on her Tildy," Geoffrey said biting into his toast.
"She's almost of age," Matilda said, pouring herself a cup of steaming tea, "it's about time she started acting like it."
"It was a party Tildy," Geoffrey began.
"Well, it was humiliating!" Matilda exclaimed.
Geoffrey set down his coffee cup and looked at Matilda, "we promised each other we'd never do this!"
"I don't know what else we can do Geoffrey!" Matilda said, her voice caught.
Gilly blinked, frozen in place, they couldn't be talking about...no, no they wouldn't! They wouldn't...would they? Matilda looked up and saw Gilly.
"Gilly, come here please," Matilda paused and swallowed, "me and your father would like to talk to you."
"No!" Gilly screamed, "no you can't make me!" Gilly turned and braced her hands on the table.
"I don't know what else to do Gilly!" Matilda cried out, "you disobey everything I say, disregard every word that comes out of my mouth!" Matilda's face was as red as her daughters.
"We don't like this anymore than you do." Geoffrey said as kindly as he could manage.
Gilly turned her sharp gaze on her father, she stared at the man who used to play with her in the woods, telling her great stories, the man who used to play the dragon when she played the slayer.
Gilly closed her eyes tightly, those days were over. Her eyes filled with burning hot tears.
She turned to her mother, "you just want to get rid of me!" She spat, "want to sell me off to the first man who makes an offer!"
"Gilly!" Geoffrey exclaimed.
Matilda slapped Gilly's face. For the first time in fifty-three years, Matilda struck one of her children.
"Matilda!" Geoffrey cried out.
"I hate you!" Gilly roared, "I hate you!" She flung her tea cup off the table and it smashed against the wall. Matilda dropped to her knee's on the floor sobbing as Gilly stormed out of the kitchen. She slammed her foot into the wall of the hallway and didn't cry out as the nail of her big toe split. She flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Geoffrey sighed and dropped beside his wife.
"Now I've done it," Matilda sobbed, she was cradling her right hand.
Geoffrey smiled softly and took Matilda's hands in his.
"I shouldn't have struck her, now she'll never come back," Matilda wept.
Geoffrey pulled Matilda into a tight hug, "she'll come home, she always does. She's just in a temper -- one much like her mothers." Matilda kept sobbing and Geoffrey rubbed her back, praying it would all be all right.
Let me know what you think, but no flames please!
