by Alejandra Mendoza Rais
Father at his home
Robert suddenly opened the door dazed and confused because it was around 23h30 and his daughter rarely insisted to visit them directly from home so late in the evening.
“Hi dad, how are you?”, I said to him.
“Hello sweetheart, I am a bit shaken but good to see you, what happened that couldn’t be said through the phone?” said dad, relaxed.
“I know that you sometimes tell me to be careful and not to go alone to some places after a certain hour. I know that maybe I should be more careful in general,” I said shyly while looking at the floor.
“What happened? Did you forget your keys hanging on the lock of your apartment again?” he said laughing.
“No dad, unfortunately I went to the movies with Jason and well… he insisted to drive me home and well…I refused because I wanted to take a small walk home.” I said while still looking down at the floor.
“Did you drink while in the movies?” said dad now in a severe tone.
“No dad I did not, it was not a big deal to be honest, I wanted to avoid problems when the thief asked for my purse and my watch, so I gave them without a thought” I said now looking up at him.
“What? He? How’s he? You trying to tell me that you got mugged? How? Were you alone? What have I told you about going to public places alone after 20h00? Did you call the police? I am calling the police right now if you didn’t! I’m just giving you a heads up, well, did you?” said her dad without pausing for air.
“Yes dad, they came by when one of the employees saw it. Dad I just really took the train after this happened and came to your apartment. I haven’t even had the time to talk to anyone but the police and now you. I came to hug you because we take life for granted and I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. I wonder if I can sleep in my old room?” she said in a worn-out voice as she tried to get inside of her dad’s apartment, as they were both still standing in the hallway.
“Oh sweetheart, of course you can stay as long as you want, I can call the insurance company tomorrow so they can replace your belongings, ok? Are you sure that you don’t want to talk with me about this?”, said dad in a worried but grateful tone that his daughter came to him for protection.
“No dad, you know me, please I just need some time and space. And please don’t call mum. Let me call her.”, I said annoyed.
“Yes sweetie, but promise me that you will indeed call her”, said dad worried.
“Uh-huh” I said dryly.
“Honey…. She’s still your mum, please.” Said her dad in a matter-of-fact way.
“Dad, stop defending her please, I will when I have time, ok? Promise” she finally said rolling her eyes while taking her coat off.
“Okay honey, come here and give me a hug and then if you want you can take a bath and you go straight to bed, ok?”
I continued to take my boots off and I tried to take away the absence of a watch that was stolen earlier. She knew that the insurance company could never replace it as it was a gift from her deceased grandfather. Her dad followed her as she moved around the hallway and the apartment like a duckling follows its mother.
“Thanks dad,” I finally said closing the door of her old room filled with her old memories.
Best Friend in a restaurant
“Finally, we go to eat something together after some weeks of not being able to talk” said Brenda as she opened the menu of that crêpe restaurant, they both loved to visit.
“Yes, I also wanted to talk to you about some things that happened last week,” I said as I also opened the menu.
“Yep, tell me”, said Brenda in her sweet tone, still looking at the menu.
“Well, I got my uni report back and I got a good grade which made me feel less stressed, I actually got to see my dad, when I hadn’t seen in a very long time and that was nice. And yes, one last thing, I went to the movies and got mugged and I was actually knocked down to the floor. Did you decide on the crêpe?” I said using the same tone of voice during the entire explanation.
“Wait… what? What? You got knocked down on the floor? Mugged? Stop minimizing things again! What happened?”, said Brenda while she threw the menu onto the table in an upset manner.
“Well, I just told you, I am not minimizing anything, I am just telling you that I went to the movies and got mugged and knocked down, which is what actually happened.” I said while putting the menu down in a very calm and relaxed way. I was still speaking calmly. I tried to stay calm and collected because I knew that from the moment I truly acknowledged what happened to me then I had to work on the trauma that this left in my mind.
“Aren’t you a martial arts black belt?” asked Brenda as her blue eyes turned a bit red as she got more and more irritated.
“Yes, but I do not see how that would’ve helped in this case, it would be ridiculous to expose myself over something so banal” I insisted.
“I understand, I’m so sorry, come here you. You can always call me; I hope you know this?” said Brenda in an agitated tone as she saw her friend grabbing the menu again and pretending that the news, she was delivering were not even that important.
They hugged for 30 seconds as Brenda took her friend’s menu away. Then they both saw the waitress coming.
“I guess it’s true what you tell me, I do minimize it a bit because I am indeed shaken by the situation.” She finally said after she waited for the waitress to leave. “I cannot believe this happened. I can’t believe that everything happened so fast and that it could’ve gone incredibly south if I would’ve listened to my first instincts, fight or flight.” I finally said seriously.
“So, you wanted to Karate chop him or something?” asked Brenda humorously to try to light the mood.
“Uhm, yeah sure, something like that. But it would’ve been incredibly stupid of me” I said while drinking some of the homemade lemonade. “The important thing is that I am here and my priorities are clearer than ever” I said smiling. “Friends and family are what matters the most in life, spending good moments with them. Everything else remains secondary” I said smiling.
“I love you and please take some days off for yourself, ok?” insisted Brenda, although she knew that her friend wouldn’t take any time for herself.
“I will think about it, now let’s eat.” I said while devouring the crêpe.
Police officer at the place of the incident
“Again, I am very sorry to have to ask you some questions again but you need to be a bit more precise with the information you are giving me,” said the police officer somewhat annoyed after he asked her several times for more details and she refused to say more than was necessary.
“I already told you, I said goodbye to my friend and then I turned around and there he was, with a gun in his hand asking me to give him my purse and watch.” I said frustrated.
“I understand, but did you get to see him? Was he tall or short? Could you see his skin colour?” Asked the annoyed police officer.
“Oh right, yes okay. He was tall, around 1,85m and he was Caucasian. He seemed to be very nervous, therefore I gave my things as quickly as I could because I did not want him to make him even more anxious. He was wearing sun glasses and a hat with an oversized hoodie. He was slim and like I said, because of his sunglasses I couldn’t see his eyes. After that, he knocked me onto the floor and told me that if I moved then he would shoot.” I said finally.
“When did you realize he was gone?” he said.
“When the cinema employee came to ask me if I was okay,” I said while rolling my eyes at the tall police officer with tired green eyes and blonde hair.
“Uh-huh. I think we will not be getting anywhere for now. Thank you so much miss, I think it’s okay for now. I gather we have your personal information and if we need any possible identification or any other information then we will give you a call, alright? Do you need a ride home?” asked the police officer as he still wrote some notes on his black note pad.
“No thanks. I will walk to the train station” I finally answered.
Sister at her house
“Hey! Dad called me and told me to check up on you, but I don’t understand why you asked me to come to my house? I could’ve perfectly come to your apartment. What happened? Is it true what he said? Is it true that you did not want to leave the house for the entire week-end?” said Andy as she moved her arms frantically around her living room like a crazy cockatoo.
“Breathe… I’m not going anywhere so, allow me to elaborate the very exaggerated story dad told you”, I said in an undisturbed manner as I sat down.
“C’mon, it’s me, I won’t lecture you like dad, what really happened?” insisted Andy.
“Ugh, fine, yes it was hardcore. I thought I was going to die. Yes, I went to the movies with Jason, and yes, he insisted to drop me off but because I ate too much in the movies, I wanted to go for a walk to burn off the calories. Yes, I’m counting them again and yes, I know I have to call my therapist again. I haven’t been really eating the way I should and I was feeling weak and then at the movies Jason insisted to eat something and I was so hungry that I ate so much. And…” I said as I stopped talking as my sister moved frantically towards me.
“…What the hell? You have to stop this crap. Sorry I interrupted you but, do you realize that you are not alone anymore? Are you still angry at mum? Are you doing this to get back at her again? We know you and we are here for you. I’m happy that you went to dad’s but still, why didn’t you call me?” said Andy finally in a condescending voice.
“You promised…” I said in a displeased tone as I looked at my much taller sister go to the kitchen and pour herself yet another glass of that red wine, she couldn’t finish the night before.
“Yeah ok, not lecturing… go on,” said Andy while sipping her wine.
“And then he came out of nowhere and I was too shocked to even think about anything at the moment, I gave him what he asked but I considered for a moment to try to defend myself, but I was so weak I would’ve been injured. I felt so bad, I thought he was going to do something else to me, and then he knocked me down” I said.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry, do you want some tea? Never mind, I’m going to put the kettle on, continue, I’m here,” said Andy.
“I just think I need to talk to someone because I haven’t been able to sleep since it happened and it’s not fair for you guys to carry my weight. I thought if I maybe pretended that it was nothing, then it would eventually disappear from my head,” I said biting my nails.
“And?” asked Andy staring directly at my eyes.
“Well, didn’t work,” I confessed
“I will be here for you, anything you need. In fact, I’m driving you to your therapist the day you feel ready. No walking please? It’s winter and you never wear the right coat. Ok?” said Andy.
“Ok,” I said as I tried to smile kindly at my sister so she could know how much this meant to me.
Mother on the phone
“I am very disappointed that I heard this from your sister and not directly from you. Do you really think that little of me?” said Isabella with a very displeased tone.
“Mum, please. I just don’t have the time for a lecture. I’m in the middle of something now so let me call you later, ok?” said her daughter already bothered by the phone call.
“Well, tough, I’m your mum and you will always get lectures from your mother because that’s how we show how worried we get. Please, at least tell me a bit of how it happened. Let me just listen to you, please?” implored Isabella as she was talking from her phone in her white Audi while driving back home.
“Fine. I think it’s pointless to explain the beginning of the story because I assume you heard it from my sister and dad- even though you cover for him- so let me save us some time and tell you that I went to the movies and I got mugged. I didn’t fight and I didn’t resist. For the first time in years your advice actually helped me this time and I did what you told me in this type of situation, I just gave my things and did what they asked, “I admitted irritated.
“Did he do something else? Did he knock you down?” as she already knew the answer to her question.
“Mum, you already know the answer to this. Yes, he did, please, its embarrassing. Can I call you later?” I said as I was counting the seconds to end the call with my mother that was absent for five years.
She remembered it as if it was yesterday, she left the house five years ago and went with her new, younger and mister-I-am-too-good-to-be-true boyfriend. That’s what she thought because he spent so many hours at the gym and just talking about himself. Isabella pretended that she cared but she was more focused on her new life. She only included people that agreed with anything and everything she had to say; which in this case, Andy was the only one who did accept her new boyfriend.
“Okay honey, I don’t want to push. Call me when you’re ready, and if you don’t want to talk about it then just know that I’m here. And can you please do something for me?” asked Isabella in a gloomy voice.
“Mhm?” I said coldly.
“Can you please take the taser I bought for you out of the box and have it with you?” asked Isabella.
“Mum, please!” I said loudly.
“It will help me to sleep knowing that you have at least something with you.” Insisted Isabella.
“I’ll think ‘bout it. Gotta go mum.” Said her daughter abruptly.
“Would you come to eat this Sunday with me?” I insisted.
“Depends, are you still with that douche of a boyfriend?” but I already knew the answer to this. This was my perfect excuse to avoid my mother’s self-absorbed boyfriend.
“Honey, we’ve talked about this, please. He’s important to me and we want to spend time with you. Why can’t you come like your sister does?” said Isabella raising her voice desperately.
“Bye mum” I finally said as I hung up while looking out the window of the train.