Daddy
The year was 1970. Two days after my eighth birthday, we packed up our old beat up beige Ford station wagon and left the only home I knew in Roanoke Virginia on 1212 walnut Ave.
Mama had been driving for hours, we were on our way to our new home in Berkeley springs West Virginia. Only fresh air and Open road ahead of us.
But the longer it took to get there the more I started to feel sick to my stomach. Sometimes I get car sickness on long rides.
This one was just shy of 4 hours. Though I thought maybe I could hold it in at first. It wasn't meant to be because soon I felt the acidic burning in my throat followed by the sweats and all too familiar gagging sensation. Quickly telling Daddy that I was feeling like I was going to throw up, he turned around and held his finger up to my nose. I remember his anger clearly "you better not. I swear if you do your ass will be Black and Blue by the time I'm done with you". Mama didn't like it when he got violent. It's the whole reason we ended up moving here. He had had an amazing job as a journalist for the the local town paper. Till one day he snapped sending his boss to the hospital, he ended up not pressing charges though.
She told Daddy to "be nice" then pulled the car over.
We stopped so fast it made the bile rise further into my throat, Mama turned completely around in her seat, reached back to fling the door open, I know she really didn't want to be cleaning up my mess.
She was urging me to get out but we struggled with my buckle, so instead of upchucking my lunch in the grass next to a large open field full of cows, I threw up in the car all over my two year old sister Katie , she started crying, I started crying, and daddy well daddy he was screaming, mama she was cussing and mama tries to be a good god fearin woman so I know it was bad. I'll never forget that day that was the last day we were all together.
We pulled up to an old house that looked weird to me. Paint chipping off the rotting cedar siding. Kudzu Vines growing up the sides breaking in and out of the house, windows sit at a tilt sagging like the house had given up on itself. Grass hadn’t been tended to in a long while. It had grown up to my neck.
When we got inside everything was coated in dusty film that covered every surface. Mama started coughing the moment she walked inside. But the smile that spread across her face told us, she didn't care. It was our first place. That was all ours.
She started straight away putting the few things we own on shelves, setting up beds that the last owner had left behind, that made me smile i ve never had my own bed i ve always shared with katie. Daddys job was checking and changing locks, and by the time we were done it was nightfall.
Mama told Daddy that someone was going to have to go to the store and get at least something for us to eat for dinner even if it was cold ramen. Daddy agreed and took Katie with him to give Mama a break. Mama sat at the table as she continued to take dishes out of boxes and put them up in the cabinets. I remember the soft glow off mama's honey hair and she turned around and smiled at me sweetly. " Dani I know you're just gonna love it here," she said smile getting even bigger.
Mama was the most beautiful lady in the world to me, with honey-colored hair and big green eyes, her face heart-shaped and littered with freckles, Katie looked just like mamma too, same eyes, same hair and covered in freckles.
Daddy got home from the store around 10 that night with a knocked-out Katie in his arms "little firecracker didn't even make it to the stop and shop" daddy whispered passing her off to mama to take to bed I could hear mamma tucking her in and telling her good night and saying how much she loved her while daddy started getting down a pot and filling it with water. He made a disgusted face when he turned the tap, the water came out dirt brown. He let it run till the weather was clear
"so sprouts you ready to decorate your room with us tomorrow?" Daddy asked me.
I sat up on my knees in the chair with a big smile on my face "YES!" I shouted with excitement and mama shushed me as she came around the corner into the kitchen s***h dining room. dinner was good daddy had made ramen just like he said he would, my eyes started to drop closed as I sat at the table daddy noticed then I was told to go and get ready for bed.
when I left the kitchen mama and daddy were standing in front of the sink mama washing a pot as daddy stood behind her humming a song and swaying back and forth they were going to be so happy here, I got to the bathroom at the end of the hall right next to my bedroom grabbed the stool and turned the sink on to brush my teeth. Thank goodness this water came out clear.
As I was finishing up I heard mama and daddy starting to yell. I heard a glass plate smash in the kitchen.
I hopped down from the stool and started back towards the kitchen. The yelling got louder as I got closer, I didn't hear what they were saying because the moment I came around the corner daddy rushed past me and went straight to their room and slammed the door shut so hard it shook the house.
In the kitchen, mama was crying at the table, visibly upset. "Mama?" I spoke, keeping my voice low. Mama sat up and looked at me with surprise " I'm so sorry baby daddy's just tired, you want me to tuck you in?" I nodded and mama got up and walked me to my room then pulled back the covers and helped me in. She covered me up and tucked my blanket around me, " these covers are scratchy" I whined, fussing. But Mama would hear it "Hush. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" She then kissed me on the forehead and handed me my teddy bear. Mama got up and told me she loved me and to have sweet dreams then flipped the lights off and walked out. Then through my cracked door I saw her go straight to the bathroom and shut the door. as I started to doze off I heard the shower start and the sound sent me straight to sleep.
Wakening with a jolt. Sitting up in bed I just knew something was wrong I slowly pulled my covers back and started to step down out of bed, creeping towards the bathroom I quietly opened the door really needing to pee, grabbing the stool I was about to turn on the lights when something caught my eye, a hand hanging out of the side of the tub.
It had to be mama I thought. but why is she in the tub with the lights off I felt a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach it felt like I had eaten moths, getting closer i saw the bath water it was so dark, pure black I turned and looked at Mama's face, my eyes grew wide and I held in a scream, in the middle of Mama's face was a giant bloody gaping hole and behind I could see blood covered the wall with chunks of something.
tears started to run down my face. Mama was dead. I knew I backed up slowly and then thought about Katie, then thought about daddy.
Backing up I knew I needed to get to Katie needing to make sure she was okay, turning around and running out down the hallway. That's when I got to Katie's room and stopped in my tracks, daddy standing over Katie's bed.
Something was in his hands, something shiny.
It was a gun and then a pop and I let out a blood curdling screamed.
Katie's blood splattered everything hitting me in the face. I froze and daddy looked at me letting out an almost pained whale "Oh god Danielle. It's okay, come here baby"I backed up slowly, emptying the contents of my stomach on the hardwood.
Shaking my head no as he started after me, he came around the bed with what used to be my little sister I turned finally and ran and headed straight for the back door I unlocked in time and threw it open I heard daddy running after me so I sprinted down the steps into the uncut tall grass rocks digging into my bare feet
"DANI!!!!!!!!"
Daddy yelled my name over and over but I just kept running. I started to sob the visions of mama and Katie dead kept playing in my head as I ran, how could daddy do that ?? Why would daddy do that? my 8-Year-old brain could not comprehend it. All I could do was run and run through the grass and into the thick woods. It felt like daddy wouldn't stop till he found me and finished what he started, I kept going.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a dark hole, it was a hollow tree nestling my small body inside. I tried not to make any noise. minutes went by no footsteps, daddy hadn't called my name for a long while, that's when I heard another loud pop startling me and knew daddy was gone. sobbing in my hiding spot I was covered in blood, and cuts from running then because of either fear or exhaustion I passed out.