Chapter Three part two

June 4, 1986

 

Maggie left home the day she graduated high school.  She was seventeen.  Charlene and her husband Joe threw her a celebration party before the graduation ceremonies, and it was then that Maggie asked Charlene if she could come to stay with them for a few days.   Although Maggie never spoke of anything that took place between her mother and herself, Charlene knew her little sister well enough to know that whatever it was, it was literally unspeakable.    She knew things were difficult enough for Maggie just living with Barty, “that sorry excuse for a human being” as she called him.   

The day that she took Maggie shopping for clothes, they spoke about the hideous exercises he put Maggie through.  The walking with a ten pound book on her head, in high heels no less...how he would throw her dinner away if she used the wrong fork to eat her salad...and the next day, the worst blow of all came.  He tried to strip her of her true identity.  If anyone deserved the title of being a Sampson, it was Maggie.  The thought of that just made Charlene's blood boil.  Charlene and the older siblings had enough time with their father to know what a gift he truly was.  He left their mother when Maggie was a baby, and Maggie held on to his broken legacy as if she was drowning and it was her life saver.  

Charlene and Joe spoke intently, that night, on how they could prevent Barty from stripping Maggie of everything she valued.  The day she came home from shopping with Maggie, Maggie left a message on the answering machine detailing the name change.   She got the message the next day and called Joe asking him to come home early from the office.  Although Joe was the vice president of acquisitions for the bank, his first post-graduate degree was in law.  They spoke about what it would take to keep her mother from legally changing her name and from there developed a plan of action to do whatever necessary to put that plan into effect.

Their plan worked.  When Maggie walked with her classmates on graduation day, her diploma read Margaret Sally Sampson, and although Maggie didn't know that her name had been restored, the look in her eyes when they called her up was payment enough for Charlene.  Shock covered her face, tears welled up in her eyes, and when she stepped on to that stage to collect her diploma, there was a smile on Maggie's face that Charlene could not find words for.  She wrapped her hand around Joe’s and saw that he was crying too.

As Charlene and Joe made their way down to the field where the graduates stood, Charlene noticed something very peculiar about her little sister.  As the other graduates were hugging and crying and saying their goodbyes and farewells, Maggie only shook hands.  She maintained a distance with those that she's spent these last years with.  Although she smiled at her fellow students and listened to their future plans, she kept a very safe, almost cold distance.  As they neared the place where Maggie was standing, Maggie looked up and smiled for the first time since she collected her diploma.  There was a look of relief on her face.

Maggie hugged her sister and her embrace lingered for a long moment.  When she finally let go and looked up at Charlene there were tears in her eyes, only this time they did not appear joyful.

“Charlene, Joe can I talk to you?” Maggie held her breath and fidgeted with her gown.  Without receiving an answer, she continued on.

“Please don’t make me go back to Mom’s.  I know it’s an imposition, and I should have been more up front with you this afternoon, but please…” Tears welled up in Maggie’s eyes, her body shook as she continued.

“Please don’t make me go back there.  Can I live with you?  I’ll get a job and I’ll clean the house…I’ll do whatever you need me to do.  Please, I can’t go back there!”

Just as she finished, Maggie saw Joan and Barty making their way toward her.  Charlene noticed her fear, and winked at Maggie.

“Maggie.  We’re so proud of you!”  Joan’s voice was dripping with sweet, almost sincere delight.  Barty was standing next to Joan and appeared almost angry.

“We’ve made your favorite dinner to celebrate your success and jump-start into adulthood,” Barty interjected, “Go aheadand finish your goodbyes and we’ll see you in the car.  Don’t dawdle though or dinner will get burnt.”  Barty made a point of looking squarely at Joe as he said those last words.

Maggie gave Charlene a quick plea with her eyes, and Joe stepped in between them to take charge of the situation.

“Joan, Barty, I’m very sorry, but Maggie has already agreed to come to dinner with us.  I’m very sorry for the imposition, but …” Barty shot Maggie a look of disgust, and opened his mouth to reply, when Charlene took her turn.

“Hello, Mother,” Charlene said coolly.   “I’m very sorry.  I should have told you earlier, but we’ve invited a few of Maggie’s friends to dinner and you can imagine how it would appear if she didn’t come.  It was meant to be a surprise.” 

The look in Charlene’s eyes was challenging.  She knew her mother was not a fan being made to look foolish in public.  However, she also knew that she would not do anything to break the sweet façade she had going.

“I’m sure the dinner is lovely, but would you mind terribly if you saved it for tomorrow?”  Joe interjected, taking note of the cold, almost cruel, look on Barty’s face. 

Barty must have realized that his thoughts were written all over his face, because he quickly recovered and then replied “Yes.  Yes, of course.  Dinner can wait.  Mags, you go have fun.”

Without further ado, Maggie, Charlene and Joe turned around and walked toward the parking lot.  Maggie held tight to Joe’s arm with tears in her eyes, but didn’t look back. 

“Thank you” was all she could say.
 

 

Reviews

[Ken Simm.]

Flowing exceptonally well. Its about time something happened for Maggie that was positive and well. The more I read the more I get into this story.
It is developing into a classic. Barty and Mother are true nasties. Damien is evil and you really care what happens to Maggie. We know that there is at least one more person who loves Maggie.

[Arthur Henn]

Very good, I liked the way you had Maggies sister intervene for her, breaker her away from the scene. You have also captured my heart with her sisters character.

Well written and the flow is good. I'm enjoying all of this.

Art

[Dezaraye]

I still like her sister a lot. I know what it's like to be stuck in a family situation that's less than loving ... it hurts my heart for her.

[Dezaraye]

How amazing to have a sister like her. This brought tears to my eyes, too. Names are important. This is a really important piece to the story and well placed.