"Destination Anywhere"

“Destination Anywhere”

By Cody Williams

 

1.

Rosemary decided that she was leaving. It wasn’t all together a hard decision to make really. She already had a secret bank account set up for it. It was the one she started several years ago for her future child’s college fund only to later find out that she was completely infertile. Rosemary remembered how hard the news felt on her, but looking back at it, it was probably the best.

            When Rosemary decided to go home after walking around the local Wal-Mart with tears running down her face to tell her husband of the horrible news that she learned at the doctor’s office he hit her. It wasn’t the first time and still wasn’t the last. She remembered it all too clear.

            “Hey honey!” She said to her husband, Hank, with a weak voice as she walked into the trailer. Hank was sitting in the brown Lay-Z Boy recliner that his mother bought for him ten years ago. It was a wedding present for him.

            ‘That b***h mother yours must have put some goddamn grizzly glue in the seat of that damn chair. Lord knows I tried to get your lazy a*s out of it so you can go get a damn job!’ Rosemary would often think to herself…but not out loud…never out loud. A statement like that would have been enough for him to knock her out the rest of the night. Hell, she might have even had to call Food City where she worked and tell them that she tripped and fell down the stairs. She’s done that before. So many times that peoples now at work call her ‘clumsy Rosie’.

            “Where have you been?” Hank asked her as he finished off the can of beer he was drinking and quickly opened another.

            “The doctors office Hank.” She replied. Rosemary reached up and ran her fingers through her long red hair and then wiped some tears from her face.

            “The doctors office? What the hell did you go there for?” Hank asked her.

            “I needed to know why I wasn’t getting pregnant. I thought that there maybe be a problem with me or…” She started before Hank through the now only half full can of beer across the room and stood up.

            “Or me? That’s it isn’t it? You thought that I might be the problem. That’s the problem with all of you women! You think the guy is always the problem. So what? You went behind my back?” Hank shouted. Tears again started to roll down Rosemary’s face.

            “No. I…I…” She tried to explain.

            “I…I…I…” Hank said in a mocking tone as he puckered his face. He reached down and began to unfasten his leather belt. Hank pulled the belt from his belt loops of his blue jeans and then made a smack sound with it. “You b***h! It’s been far too long! It’s time for you to learn your lesson! You can’t just accuse me! Did you think that it could be something wrong with you? Huh? Now, expose that fat a*s of yours and bend over. Take it like a man!” Hank shouted. Rosemary threw her hands in the air and slowly started to back away towards the door.

            “No Hank! It’s not you! It was me! I am infertile! The doctor said that my uterus is an unsuitable environment!” She said crying again. “It’s not you! It’s me!” Hank lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment. He raised his head back up and walked over to her.

            “Honey! I’m so sorry!” He said. Rosemary smiled and Hank hugged her. “I’m so sorry that it’s all your fault!” Hank whispered in her ear. Rosemary pulled away.

            “What?” She asked just before the leather belt in Hank’s hand stuck her face leaving a red mark behind. Rosemary fell to the floor of their trailer and hank continued to beat her with the belt. She didn’t work the next day. She didn’t work the next week. Rosemary told everybody that she fell down the step again thus living up to the nickname that they had given her.

            Rosemary sat down at the bench next to the bus stop with her suitcase in her hand. She looked down at her watch. It was almost midnight.

            “The bus should be here any moment now!” She said. Rosemary closed her eyes for a moment and said a soft prayer for the bus to arrive.

 

2.

Rosemary only ever told one person of the troubles she was having at home. She told her mother. She always though that if she told anybody else and it somehow got back to Hank, he would beat her until she actually died.

            “When did you lose your smile?” That’s what her mother said randomly while they were out to dinner that day that caused Rosemary to tell her. Rosemary looked up from her salad and gave her mother a strange look.

            “What?” Rosemary asked her.

            “You don’t smile like you used to. I was just wondering where you lost your smile.” She said again as she took another bite of her chicken salad. Rosemary looked down at her food again and sat in silence for a moment.

            “He hits me mom!” Rosemary said softly.

            “What?” Rosemary’s mother asked her.

            “He hits me mom! He drinks all day while I’m at work. When I get home, he beats me because he forgot that I had to go to work. Then by the time my nerves are finally calmed down, I fix dinner. If it’s not done just the way he wants or by six o’clock, he hits me again!” Rosemary said as she started to cry. “And sex with him is more like rape. If he wants it, he takes it! It doesn’t matter what I say about it! And if I try to back talk, he knocks me unconscious and then f***s me anyway!” Rosemary said crying hysterically. She fell out of her chair and onto the sidewalk of the patio. Rosemary’s mother stood up and walked over to her.

            “Shh! Shh! Rose, honey, stop it this instant! You are making a scene!” Her mother told her. Rosemary looked back up at her mother and gave her a strange expression.

            “What? I poured my heart and soul out to you and you are concerned about me causing a scene?” Rosemary said. She lifted herself off the ground and then sat back up in her chair.

            “What do you expect? God made girls to assist our men and to make them happy! That’s the way it has always been!” Her mother said as she took another bite of her salad followed by another sip of wine.

            “I thought about leaving!” Rosemary said to her mother.

            “No! Don’t you dare let that nasty thought enter your head! You are not a quitter! You can’t just walk out when things get tough!”

            “What do you want me to do mom? Just stay there and get hit?” Rosemary’s mom was silent, but the silence said it all. That’s when the decision was made.

 

3.

Rosemary looked back down at her watch and waited impatiently for the bus to arrive. She closed her eyes for a moment. She waited until she heard the rumble of a diesel engine stop in front of her. Rosemary opened her eyes and smiled. She stood to her feet, grabbed her luggage and walked up the stairs of the bus.

            Rosemary reached into her pocket and pulled out seventy-five cents and placed them in the coin dispenser at the front of the bus. The bus driver looked at her.

            “Destination mam?” He asked her. The man was wearing glasses and had a brown colored beard that covered his face. Rosemary thought for a moment.

            “Anywhere!” She said with a smiled as she began to make her way towards the back of the bus. Rosemary sat down. She looked in her black purse that she bought with money that she took from Hanks wallet (she felt like he owed her that at least) to check and see that her pistol was still there. It was. If he tries to come near me again, I’ll kill him! She thought to herself. Rosemary smiled and sighed again. “Destination anywhere!” She mumbled as the bus drove away.

 

Destination Anywhere…damn right.

Copyright 2015 by Cody Williams
Courtesy of TTP Entertainment
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Author's Note

This one was hard for me to write and it may be hard for you to read as well. I even felt myself beginning to tear up at times, which normally doesn't happen with me. I hope you all like it. Something with a hope filled ending for a change. Comments and reviews are welcome as always. Thanks for reading.

"Ain't no big secret so forget all you've heard
Love ain't nothing but a four letter word
For some it's a belling, for some it's a curse
Love ain't nothing but a four letter word"

Bon Jovi "Love Ain't Nothing But A Four Letter Word"


-CW

Reviews

[Dayran]

This one comes close to home on issues ... and its nice to see you tackle them. It creates for a great view ... review ... and sometimes helps with people looking over the walls of their confinement ... at events they thought they had quit on forever. But in looking at it again ... at a later date ... it brings new meaning. Keep it up ... buddy.

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading Dayran. I'm sorry for not being around for a while. I've been working really hard on the new collection (not to mention college) which has slowed down my output. I should have another one up tomorrow called "Closed". Thanks again for reading!

-CW

[Sesame]

Hello Cody,

Thanks for entering the competition. Alas not a winner this time, although I enjoyed reading your story. I do not have the time to provide a detailed critique on all the submissions, but a few remarks:

"When Rosemary decided to go home after walking around the local Wal-Mart with tears running down her face to tell her husband of the horrible news that she learned at the doctor’s office he hit her. It wasn’t the first time and still wasn’t the last " -> Why tell this here, while you are showing it in detail hereafter? The latter option is much more powerful. You are giving the effectiveness away however if you already tell us here what is going to happen when she tells Hank. Next to this, judging from the ending of the story it actually IS the last time she will be hit by Hank. Despite this inconsistency, the word 'still' does not sound correct.

I would name Hank the first time you mention him.

Lay-Z Boy is a big chair for a trailer

I would lose the ... in "...but not out loud..."

through = threw?

the belt 'stuck' her face -> hit? stung?

step -> steps?

“When did you lose your smile?” That’s what her mother said randomly while they were out to dinner that day that caused Rosemary to tell her. Rosemary looked up from her salad and gave her mother a strange look" -> see my previous remark, here again you are already telling what you are showing later on. Don't, it ruins the experience of being in the moment with the two of them.

It really like the story though, needs only a bit of work. Good luck!

Regards,

Sesame

@followsesame on Twitter

www.themagiccave.com

[Sami Khalil]

A very touching write and tears producing. Excellent as usual...:).....................

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading Sami!

-CW

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:)......................

[Jessica Weed]

Very empowering, and beautifully written! I loved it.

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading Jessica!

-CW

[SmittyJas]

Tough to read indeed wondering what I would do too the man who would beat my daughter in the way described here. I'm usually easy going but some say I a little crazy at times and unpredictable Anything is possible Don't like abuse of any kind. Woman children none of any kind. Treat people like you would like to be treated Fair enough.

[Cody Williams]

I couldn't say it any better myself Smitty! Thanks for reading!

-CW

[Tania]

Wonderful piece . It caught my attention all the way until the end . Love it !!!!!

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading!

-CW

[child of God]

I always love reading your stories the are wonderful they're are times I read and forget think I'm reading something that Steven kking wrote but you are thetcreateor of the work wonderful piece

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading.

-CW

[child of God]

No problem thank you for sharing