"Mari ~Part II~ " #ShortStory #Fiction #Betrayal #Anger #Crime

Introduction:

“Tragedy in life normally comes with betrayal and compromise, and trading on your integrity and not having dignity in life. That's really where failure comes.” Tom Cochrane

Mari  ~Part II~

Mari had not spoken to anyone, now, for a couple of days, locked up in her room awaiting disposition to her sinful acts. She kept thinking “If I were dead, I wouldn’t have to awaken to this shame”. Her mind and heart kept battling moments of immense despair, not breathing, at time, as each wave of agony hit. She curled up in her bed praying for sleep that would not come. 

Finally, her mother came into the room and sat at the edge of her bed, grabbing her hand said “My dear sweet child, your father has decided you will travel to the United States and live in a Catholic boarding school for your high school”. 

Mari protested vehemently “Mama, I don’t want to leave my home please Mama, please forgive me, I will never do this again, I swear please let me talk to Papa!”. 

Mari’s mother shook her head and simply said “Querida he does not want to speak or even look into your eyes right now”, “Pack your things, we are leaving on the morning train.”

The following day began fresh and splendid after an early morning tropical shower. Mari could smell the earth mixed with jasmine, an aroma familiar and adored, for which she cried about inside and after a two day journey Mari and her mother arrived at their final destination. Her room was like a prison cell, small, cold, tiled, no bath room (the bathroom was a communal down the hall), a single bed and dresser, nothing else and this was where she lived for the next three years, summer, winter, fall and spring. School and the tedium from the dorm mother, Sister Roach, helped cure the immediate pain of loss, but a hole had been created which would always be there. It was just less prominent as time went by.

One day Mari’s mother comes to visit. It was the beginning of summer and although there were no classes, Mari was involved in many activities. “Mama, I have missed you so much!”, “How are you? How is Papa?” Mari spoke in a quiet uncertain manner. She kept thinking “Mama what did Papa do with Ale?”; however knew very well this was not a conversation to have. Mari could not stop thinking about those days three years ago, it weighed deeply in her heart. 

“Mari, I am here to take you home for a summer visit”, her mother quickly stated. “Pack your things; we leave on the evening train.”

The gloom instantly disappeared, as if someone had handed her a gift of life. Mari was happy again, she rushed about packing; they were letting her come home for the summer. She was a strikingly beautiful young woman now, fully developed and yes still a virgin. As she readied herself, she kept thinking quietly “I wonder what Papa will say to me, he has not spoken to me in three years.” In the back of her mind and deep in her heart, she was scared of being rejected again. The trip was long and tedious; however they both arrived safely home. There standing in the patio was Papa and Mari for the first time in three year began to cry openly, sobbing “Please forgive me Papa?” 

He hugged her tightly stating “We have missed you my sweetness and welcome you home with open arms, there is nothing to forgive.” So, Mari made it home!

However, there were restrictions, placed on Mari by her father. A man by the name of Elizeo was hired to watch over her, at a distance, during those long summer days when she would go horseback riding or walking about. He would report back to the father every evening on the day’s actions and/or events that transpired something Mari never knew. Elizeo, a man of middle age, lived with deep anger and regret in his heart. He had five or six children, a wife of fifteen years with no passion left yet there were those needs. She would always reject his advances “Elizeo, every time we have sex, I get pregnant, I don’t want any more children, STOP!” He was frustrated beyond words and began to covet the beautiful Mari at a distance. Once, when she ventured to bath in the spring, he watched, as she took off her clothes. She was voluptuous and so ripe. Large pointed breasts, with long nipples, well defined buttock and he fantasized her taste on him over and over; relieving himself sexually, on occasion, as he maintained a close yet vigilant eye on his assignment. He kept thinking to himself “Well she has this reputation of being a slut at a young age, it serves her right, and I am doing what every man would do.”

Towards the end of July, Mari asked permission to ride by horseback to where the two rivers met, a good two hours away. Her father granted this permission with the caveat that Elizeo ride with her for protection. This was the first time Mari had ever met Elizeo and from first impression, something about him made her uneasy “This man frightens me!”  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and this time she was going to speak-up. Taking her father aside she said in a quiet tone “Papa this man frightens me, can you assign someone else to the duty please”. 

“No mi hija, I have full confidence that he is a man of good character, go have fun and be safe, my sweetness.” Mari set aside her protective instinct for the desire to see the river and at the break of dawn; they rode off towards the intended destination.

Several hours later, they arrived. Mari dismounted her horse, tied him up to a tree branch and roamed off, alone towards the river bank. She took a spot on a large rock alongside the river, placing her feet into the cool water below, thinking “this is heaven on earth”. Distracted by pleasure, Mari suddenly realized that Elizeo had quietly crept up behind her and as she turned to face him, instinctively alarmed at his close proximity, she became frightened and distressed. Elizeo quickly placed a choke hold around her neck, dragging her to the ground. Her mind started screaming, heart beats raced and her only conceivable thought was “This guy is going to kill me!” He was older, stronger and began brutally dragging Mari to a sandy beach area, tearing clothing as he drug her along, choking her, where at times she could not breathe and blanked out. Mari kicked and screamed violently, she wanted to live and almost by the grace of God, Elizeo makes a fatal mistake, placing his hand over her mouth in an effort to shut up the screaming, Mari opened her mouth, sinking her teeth deep into his hand tissue, quickly drawing blood and pain. In agony, Elizeo loosened his grip, Mari automatically thought to herself “Now fight and run or die”. She kicked him in the face, knocking him down to the ground. Free, Mari, got up and started running towards her horse, second later she is on her way home. Her mind was completely blank all that mattered was getting home.

Upon her arrival, brutally assaulted and half-naked, the seventeen year old, Mari, found her father, standing before him in agony and shame, screamed “And this was someone you trusted, Papa!”

Diana Mary Sharpton © 2014 ~ All Rights Reserved

Reference:

1.) Photography: http://www.kirsisalonen.com/html_kuvat/2010/lady_godiva.html