Chapter 2

Rose

I haven’t seen daddy since the scary man took me. I was afraid to call him grandfather. I called him grandpa a few times and he hit me with his belt. He made me swear to never repeat the words to him again. 

“Rose?”

I was afraid to get out of bed. The scary man was coming to see me today. I heard how they talked about it last night. They didn’t want to tell me he was coming because I always wet the bed when I know he is coming.

“Time to get up, Rose.”

I held the covers with all my might. I didn’t want to get up. I don’t like the bad man when he comes to see me. He hits me with the belt for nothing.

“What’s taking her so long?”

I heard his harsh voice and shrieked inside the covers and closed my eyes.  

“I- She - I will get her ready.” 

“Don’t pamper her,” he shouted.

I curled my body and hoped he would go away but he pulled the covers. I rolled and fell on the bed with tears already on my face. 

“I’ll clean the mess,” Aunty Stella quickly spoke.

“No,” he said looking at me, “You filthy child. Get up.” 

I got up quickly and looked down at my feet. I wiped my tears. I saw his shiny shoes walking toward me. I heard the jingle of his belt and I closed my eyes.

“Apologize to her.”

“I’m sorry,” I said but no sound came out of my mouth.

“Filthy just like your mother.”

I felt the belt on my legs. He was hitting me again and again until my feet were weak. I was pressing my lips tighter. Crying and screaming made it worse. Aunt Stella couldn’t stop him. She was afraid of him too. 

“Go and wash her with cold water. I need her down in five minutes.”

I kept my head down and watched his shoes. He left but I was going to see him again soon. 

“Oh no. Hurry.”

Aunt Stella pulled me and rushed me to the toilet. I had peed on the floor when he left. She took off my clothes and cleaned me. The cold water made me shiver.

“I’m sorry. He will know if I use warm water.”

I looked down. It wasn’t her fault. She washed me and helped me into a dress and shoes. She brushed my hair quickly pulling and untangling the knots before tying it. She pushed me out of the bedroom and I stood at the door.

“Go. You don’t want to make him angry.”

I walked down with my head hung low. I could never look at his face. Only his shiny shoes. He was sitting on the same chair he always sits in when he comes. I placed my hands in front of me and stood where he wanted me.

“Face up and smile.” 

I did as he asked. I lifted my head and looked at uncle Jason and smiled. The bad man wanted the photos to send to Fabio. I’m not allowed to call him daddy anymore. I looked down when he placed his phone in his pocket.

“Fabio is having a baby soon and he will not come see you.”

I sniffed and wiped my tears. He always comes to tell me Fabio doesn’t love me and shows me pictures of my brother but I’m not allowed to call him brother. He hit me on my legs when I asked if I could call Samuel big brother. 

“Sit,” 

I walk and sit on the big chair and table. Uncle Jason walked to the laptop and played the same video. It’s Fabio and his family. The bad man always makes me watch how happy they look. I’m not allowed to look down. I have to watch Fabio play with Samuel. 

“You see, Rose. You are nothing. Fabio doesn’t need you anymore. He has Samuel and soon they will have another baby and there is no space for you. Do you understand?”

I nod and wipe my tears. He doesn’t like it when I make a sound. He told me he despised everything about me. The less I speak the better it was for him because my face was enough distaste he could take.

“A bag is getting packed for you. You are leaving the city.” I dared to look at him and saw his white and brown eyes staring at me, “You have nothing here and the farther away you are the better. Fabio has a family. You're the daughter of a woman who seduced my son. You were born in a brothel. You have no father. Do you understand?”

I nodded and he got up. He never looked back at me again.

“I need her in the car in ten minutes.”

I watched uncle Jason nod. He hasn’t spoken to me in a long time. He comes when he can to tell me stories of how Fabio misses and loves me. I stopped listening to him. I listen to the bad man. The videos he shows me tell me he moved on. 

He never came to see me. He doesn’t love me. He loves Samuel and he will love Connor when he comes soon. He is not my father. I have no father. I am the daughter of a prostitute. I was born in a brothel and I’m an orphan. An orphan has no family.

Aunt Stella comes and looks down at me sadly.. Aunt Stella hugs me and places the satchel on my shoulders. I wiped my tears. I started at the closed laptop on the table. I understood what was happening. I was never going to see Fabio again.

I bit my lip from crying out. The bad man grabbed my shoulder and pushed me to walk in front of him. I have to look where I am going. If I trip and fall he will take out his belt and hit my legs. 

His phone rings and he lets go of my shoulder. I keep my head low and hold the satchel with both hands. He was shouting at someone on the phone. He gets intimidating when he is shouting. 

I see his shoes and my shoulder hunched. I don’t want him to hold my shoulders. It hurts when he does. He lifts my head and I look up at him. I don’t blink. He looks angry.

“You are going with Jason.” I nod once. “Remember what I told you. Fabio is not your father. You are no granddaughter of mine. Telling people that is not allowed, do you understand?” I nod twice. 

I watch him get in the car. Uncle Jason comes to stand beside me and we both watch the car drive away. 

“You are safe now Rose. I’m going to take you somewhere nice.”

I don’t speak. Uncle Jason takes me to another car. I take off my satchel as he drives. I look outside the window. I don’t know where he is taking me until we get there. I have never been to a place like this before. I walk behind him until he stops.

“This is where mommy is resting.” 

I look up at him and I look at the ground. I wipe my tears. I was never going to see mommy again. The bad man killed her. He told me she was a sinner and she didn’t have a place in heaven. 

“Hey sunshine,” I keep looking down. “I’m so sorry it took me too long to come get you but I finally did it. I’m taking you away and we are going to go somewhere just you and me.”

Fabio is beside me. He lifted me up and I squirmed. He was trying to hug me but I kept moving until he put me down. I walk away from him and go and hide behind uncle Jason’s leg.

“It’s okay Rose. You can go to daddy,” Uncle Jason tried to push me but I shook my head.

“Why won’t she talk,” he shouts and I back away from him, my eyes closed.

“She has been like this for a while,” 

“What?” he shouts and I hide my face away. He is scary and looks like the bad man.

“Go to dad, Rose.” Uncle Jason prompted but I shook my head.

“Sunshine, it's me. It’s daddy. Come give me a hug.” His voice was nice again, not shouting. 

He walks and tries to hold me but I hide, “Give her time. Your father wasn’t nice to her.”

“She is afraid of me, Jason. What did he do to her.” Uncle Jason looks down, “Tell me.” he shouts.

“He forbade her from making any sound.”

“He hurt her. He hurt his grandchild?” he was shouting.

I looked at him and I was afraid. He was shouting the same way the bad man does and reached for uncle Jason collar. He shook him before he let him go and looked at me. He tried to walk to me and grab me but I ran away. 

“Rose,” he screamed. “Honey!”

The bad man would not like it. He would hit me with the belt again if I called Fabio daddy and let him hug me. I didn't want him hurting me. I have to remember what he told me. Mommy was from the brothel and I have no daddy. 

I looked back at Fabio. He was following me. I didn’t want him to follow me. It’s not allowed. The bad man told me to run away if Fabio comes. If I let him take me he promised to send me to a place where sinners go.

I tripped on my feet with my body rolling because I wasn’t looking where I was going.

“Oh no, Rose,” Fabio shouted.

I fell. I looked up at the sky and saw Fabio trying to reach for me but I was too far. Uncle Jason jumped inside and looked at me before he looked at Fabio. I couldn’t hear them talking anymore. I couldn’t move my hand to wipe away my tears. I was going to die just like mommy did. 

The bad man told me that if I died I was not going to heaven. He told me I would never see mommy when I die. He told me I would be somewhere alone. I didn’t want to close my eyes but they are closing. 

“Don’t close your eyes honey. Help is on the way. Cover her, Jason. She looks cold. Please hold on baby. Daddy is never going to let you go after this. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you soon but keep your eyes open. Look at the sky. See how beautiful it is. Just like you. My beautiful sunshine.”

I closed my eyes.

“No Rose. Open your eyes. I’m sorry. I love you so much sunshine. Don’t ever forget that. I want you to fight. Open your eyes sunshine,” I opened my eyes. “I love you princess. Keep looking at the blue sky. Keep blinking. Keep listening to my voice.”

I tried to keep my eyes open. I wanted to listen to him but my eyes closed again. I couldn’t hear him anymore. I was going to be alone but I wasn’t afraid anymore. The bad man would never come to me because he said I would be alone. He would not be there to hurt me.