My Life... Bleeding on the Bathroom Floor
Would You Call Me Mercy?
"Mara darling! Come to the kitchen for a quick second please!"
"Yes Mommy! I'm coming!"
She ran down the marble staircase, her shiny black shoes with a silver buckle clicking on the cold stone. It was three weeks till her sixth birthday, happy as can be with her silky midnight black hair tied back in a ribbon, lavender dress with ruffles at the bottom. What a beautiful little girl! Not a care in the world, rich parents, a Nanny whom she loved very much, and a house larger than life. Yeah, perfection is what she had in mind.
Her father though, was never home. She didn't care really, she had her mother and Nanny Marie. Well, she ran into the kitchen and saw a big news paper, a man hiding behind it.
"Daddy? Is that you?" she said enthusiastically.
He lowered the paper and it wasn't her father, not at all her father. He had sandy blond hair, and unnaturally white teeth, a medium sized nose, and a mouth of equal size. Mara, which she cleverly hid behind a smile, was disappointed. Rather greatly disappointed, she had never really known her father, never home, but called a lot.
"No deary, this is John, Mommy's new boyfriend. He's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Okay. Mommy? Where is Daddy? You said he'd be home today."
She and John glanced at each other, Mara could see the nervousness in the brief change in expressions.
"What happened to Daddy. I can tell somethings wrong."
"Daddy had... an accident sweetie. He's in the hospital, he... he'll be home within a week of your birthday. Okay darling? You... you can go back to your room, or outside."
Mara turned around and ran out the front door. Not in sadness, oh no. But in confusion. Why is that strange man in our house? And why is he staying here? Is he homeless? She ran to the small park, just down the street, and climbed the big oak tree. She scrambled about, until she reached the small platform. Sitting down on it she looked out toward the horizon. When is Daddy coming home? She heard a squeak, and looked downward. A small boy was trying to climb up.
"Who are you?" she laughed. "And what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get up there!" he pointed at the platform.
"Why?"
"Cause I like it up there! How did you get up there?"
"I can climb fairly well." showing off her superior intellect, privet schooling helped a lot.
"Teach me! Please?"
"Fine."
Little Mara climbed down and told him how to do it right, step by step. He got it. She nudged him upward a bit every once and a while. When he was up all the way, he plopped down on the board and grinned with all his teeth. She giggled in response.
"Um... I'm Mara by the way, what's your name?"
"My name is Frankie. You got a pretty name. But it's also a very sad name too, reminds me of 'Mercy'."
"Mercy? It does, a little. I like it, would you call me Mercy?"
"Okay."
"What does mercy mean?"
"You say it when you're being hurt, like when my Daddy hurts my Mommy. She always says mercy."
"My Daddy is never home. Why does he hurt her?"
He looked down and a tear fell to the board. She hugged him tightly. He was so nice, and bright, why would he cry? But even though tears rolled down his face, Frankie and Mercy would become friends... for a while.
"Yes Mommy! I'm coming!"
She ran down the marble staircase, her shiny black shoes with a silver buckle clicking on the cold stone. It was three weeks till her sixth birthday, happy as can be with her silky midnight black hair tied back in a ribbon, lavender dress with ruffles at the bottom. What a beautiful little girl! Not a care in the world, rich parents, a Nanny whom she loved very much, and a house larger than life. Yeah, perfection is what she had in mind.
Her father though, was never home. She didn't care really, she had her mother and Nanny Marie. Well, she ran into the kitchen and saw a big news paper, a man hiding behind it.
"Daddy? Is that you?" she said enthusiastically.
He lowered the paper and it wasn't her father, not at all her father. He had sandy blond hair, and unnaturally white teeth, a medium sized nose, and a mouth of equal size. Mara, which she cleverly hid behind a smile, was disappointed. Rather greatly disappointed, she had never really known her father, never home, but called a lot.
"No deary, this is John, Mommy's new boyfriend. He's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Okay. Mommy? Where is Daddy? You said he'd be home today."
She and John glanced at each other, Mara could see the nervousness in the brief change in expressions.
"What happened to Daddy. I can tell somethings wrong."
"Daddy had... an accident sweetie. He's in the hospital, he... he'll be home within a week of your birthday. Okay darling? You... you can go back to your room, or outside."
Mara turned around and ran out the front door. Not in sadness, oh no. But in confusion. Why is that strange man in our house? And why is he staying here? Is he homeless? She ran to the small park, just down the street, and climbed the big oak tree. She scrambled about, until she reached the small platform. Sitting down on it she looked out toward the horizon. When is Daddy coming home? She heard a squeak, and looked downward. A small boy was trying to climb up.
"Who are you?" she laughed. "And what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get up there!" he pointed at the platform.
"Why?"
"Cause I like it up there! How did you get up there?"
"I can climb fairly well." showing off her superior intellect, privet schooling helped a lot.
"Teach me! Please?"
"Fine."
Little Mara climbed down and told him how to do it right, step by step. He got it. She nudged him upward a bit every once and a while. When he was up all the way, he plopped down on the board and grinned with all his teeth. She giggled in response.
"Um... I'm Mara by the way, what's your name?"
"My name is Frankie. You got a pretty name. But it's also a very sad name too, reminds me of 'Mercy'."
"Mercy? It does, a little. I like it, would you call me Mercy?"
"Okay."
"What does mercy mean?"
"You say it when you're being hurt, like when my Daddy hurts my Mommy. She always says mercy."
"My Daddy is never home. Why does he hurt her?"
He looked down and a tear fell to the board. She hugged him tightly. He was so nice, and bright, why would he cry? But even though tears rolled down his face, Frankie and Mercy would become friends... for a while.