Angel in Stone
6 year old Halle Denison made the long walk home from Sue Marrow Elementary School. Halle loved school, it was her haven, some children wouldn't think so, but is was Halle's favorite place in the whole world. Stopping at the cross walk she waited until Joe, the crossing guard to say it was okay. Joe walked half way across the road and stopped, then waved the small child over.
"Hey Halle! You can walk now. Did you have a good day at school?" he asked as she started across the street.
Looking up in admiration for the old man she nodded.
"We made sunflowers with real sunflower seeds in art!" she got to the other side and waved frantically. "Bye Joe! See you tomorrow!"
And resumed her walk home.
"Bye Hummingbird! Bright and early!" Joe watched as the young girl walked away… never in his days has he ever met a more endearing child, one who loved school quite so much, one who had so many friends to play with during recess, and yet seemed so alone in the world. Joe had never seen Halle's parents pick her up from school, the child always walked in the same direction every day, alone. He had five grandchildren, he would throttle his sons if they had allowed even his 11 year old granddaughter walk home alone. And Halle was just the tender age of 6 years. He would love to come across her mother and ask her what she was thinking. He always wondered about the bruises that dotted her shins and arms. Yes children played hard, but not Halle, she always ran with her friends chasing butterflies and lady bugs, or sat under a tree reading her picture books. Must be neigh hood children playing so rough with the girl.
Almost home, Halle walked even slower. Watching as a mother and son, walked home from school , laughing and walking a puppy, Halle longed for that. All she wanted was the simple things, maybe mommy and daddy surprise her and pick her up from school with hugs and cuddles waiting, smiles instead of scowls. She didn't mean to be bad. Like last night when she didn't load the dishwasher in a timely manner, or a few months ago, when she spilled bleach on daddy's new work shirk. She knew she deserved to be spanked, she didn't like it but she knew she deserved it. She wanted to stay with her friends tonight, she missed them. Sam and Alex could always make her smile, when daddy had told her she was bad. But she know a sleepover was foolish, daddy would say no.
Now looking despairingly at the house just down the walk way, with it's dead, brown grass, overgrown weeds and untrimmed palm trees, she decided she had better get moving faster, other wise mommy would wake up and be up set that she had been late again, she didn't want to go to bed two days in a row without supper, it was an awfully long time until lunch tomorrow at school.
That night Halle was awoken by the crashing sound of the side door screen slam shut. Pushing the cover aside, clutching Chloe, her baby doll, Halle crept down stairs, seen daddy hit mommy, running back up the stairs she made a detour for the bathroom, laying Chloe on the bathtub side, she went potty, washed her hands and took a cool drink from the grimy cup on the sink, she slowly opened the door and peered down stairs. Satisfied that daddy was still down there, she tiptoed back to her room, got comfy in her bed and started to drift back to sleep, only to remember Chloe, she would be scared with out Halle to protect her. She walked back down to the bathroom, collected her baby and started towards her room once again. Only to find it blocked by the 6'4 frame of her drunken father. Even now, so much smaller than daddy, she could smell the nasty scent of beer. Her eyes wide with horror, she shook her head. No not again, she didn't want to be spanked! Last time, daddy hurt her arm badly enough that she had to go see the doctor, they gave her a pretty pink cast, a sucker for being such a good girl and asked what had happened. Daddy had told her before they even got there, 'Tell them you were playing to rough with Michael and Kay. You don't want another spanking do you?'
Of course she lied, she didn't want to, the doctors were always nice to her, but she didn't want to make daddy mad. She could remember before daddy started getting mad, she use to take her out for sneak Ice Cream treats before mom got home to make supper, that was always fun, they would stop at the park and watch the baseball players toss the ball around. Daddy use to be so handsome, he would dress up in a nice blue suit and take his briefcase with him, he would count money all day long and then come home and play princess with her, but one day Daddy came home to early, told her to play in her room he had to talk to mommy, Mr. Konns said he stole money, but daddy said it was a lie, he started getting mad when he found new friends, where he gets his special drinks. After that things changed. She didn't like being home. Those days before were her favorites now daddy was spanking her for getting out of bed with out permission.
Maureen Denison watched from the stair as her husband of eight years beat there daughter, she touched a hand to her lip wiping the blood away, crying when she heard Halle scream as Frank's fist come into contact with Halle's head.
"Daddy I'll be good! I'll sleep! I'll be a good girl!" Halle cried from the ball she had cowered into. All she wanted was daddy to be happy again, so he wouldn't hurt her anymore.