Melody's Melodies

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“Melody,” her father slurs. “Come give your father a hug.”

She knows what he said, but it sounds more like, ‘Merody come gile your fader uh huh.’

She doesn’t make a move, she doesn’t look him in the face, she just stares at the empty glass he has left on the counter, knowing how this evening will end.

“Melody,” he says quietly. “Come here my girl.”

She stays as still as possible, wishing she could disappear into thin air.

“Amara,” he growls.

That name makes Melody’s heart beat quicken. She glances at his face, and she sees the transformation in his eyes. She sees that she has changed in his mind and that in his drunken state she is her mother now, like many times before.

“Why don’t you love me anymore Amara?” he asks, his voice suddenly clear.

Melody stays silent.

“Answer me!” he yells, making her ears ring.

“Dad,” she says softly. “I- I.”

“You what? Don’t stutter and mumble when you speak you know I hate that.”

“I do love you,” she pushes her words to come out of her mouth, it’s nearly impossible.

“You sure as hell don’t act like it, ever since you had that child you've changed. You’re always with her.”

Melody shakes her head slightly; it’s the same spiel every time.

“Do you love her more than me?” he asks quietly, looking at his white paint covered boots as if he’s embarrassed that he has asked.

There’s silence.

He then looks back at her, “Amara, you know I don’t like hurting you. But you give me no choice. You’ve never given me a choice.”

“Please don’t,” Melody says bracing for the pain that she knows is soon to come.

“Don’t beg and don’t blame me. You’ve brought this upon yourself.”

Melody takes a step back seeing his arm twitch, but it’s not a big enough step to be missed from his
hand. He grabs a handful of her hair and yanks. Melody lets out a scream, but it doesn’t shake her father. He slams her against the counter, and the corner of it jabs into her belly. She cries out again in pain, but then the side of her face smashes with the force of his hand onto the counter top.

“Dad, dad please I’m sorry!” she yells, but the words come out contorted. “I won’t do it again!”

“You’re lying!” he roars.

She’s in tears, she squirms underneath his grip, but it’s no use.

“I swear I still love you,” she cries.

“But you love her more, don’t you?!”

He grabs her hair again and pulls her away from the counter, pushes her with full power, knocking her into the fridge. Her head slams into the door of the refrigerator and then she falls onto her back, unmoving. Tears well up in her eyes and her father grabs the bottle of bourbon from the counter and walks over to his damaged daughter.

“Amara, you sicken me,” he spits.

“I don’t love anyone else but you,” she says quietly, hoping that he will just leave her alone.

He just huffs, stares at Melody a second longer and then walks away, going down the hall to his bedroom and slams the door.

Melody lies on the floor, with a bloody face and in an immense amount of pain.

She lies there, crying quietly, she doesn’t rush to get up, because he won’t come out of his chamber until tomorrow evening, then it’ll be the same thing tomorrow.