If you have a family member, or a friend that is struggling with domestic abuse, you may see through the lies that are being told and the hurt that has built up, however you may not. Domestic abuse is a deadly thing, that my aunt Rose fell victim of. Her life was taken from us in 2004, due to her abusive husband. She will remain in our hearts forever. Read and understand the purpose of this short story, and the burden it can take on you. This story is not specifically about Rose, but for Rose, the story told from many angles.

"You’d think she would know. You’d think that she would understand that he doesn't love her, I mean how could he love her if he hurts her? I’ve heard the banging of the wall’s and the treacherous screams coming from their apartment above us late at night. I see her walking the streets, covered in long attire which covers her whole body, and sunglasses that cover her eyes. Was it from the bruises or the sadness she doesn't want anyone else to see? She is a fair woman who had light brown hair, with a fair skin tone. He seemed like a nice man, who wore a suit and tie everyday, the man who you’d usually want to marry.Until you can hear the late night screaming and banging which would be a horrifying nightmare for the young woman, or as it seemed.

I had asked her one day if she needed any help, any help to get away from the domestic violence problem she has been having. I’ve never told anyone about her problem, If she doesn't want help then why would I help her? I told her how I could hear the banging of the walls and the terrifying screams coming from their apartment late at night. She had just answered “ why no, of course not. He’s not hurting me, he just gets a little mad sometimes, but it's okay. He loves me.”

*****

We had gotten married back in 2009, Ryan loves his job. He’s a hardworking bank accountant, who always is at work and when he gets home I make him a nice hot meal, I have to make sure it’s ready by 8:15 sharp. I mean, he deserves a nice hot meal after a long day of work providing for me and putting up with me when I’ve become bitchy. Sometimes if the meal isn’t ready on time, he gets a bit angered. He has hit me before ,but he always has such a long day at work and I know how exhausted he is when he gets home, He’s also pushed me too, hard against a wall one time, I guess it hurt for the time it had happened, but once he realized what he had done he grabbed me and held me. I knew he was sorry. Truly sorry. He told me he loved me many times that night. I knew he was telling the truth. I probably egg him on anyways, I never seem to know when to stop when it comes to talking and asking questions right when he gets home.

Someone had asked me the other day if I needed help with my domestic violence problem, I seem to laugh a little bit to myself when I think about it. Who asks someone that anyways? Who would think Ryan was trying to hurt me anyways? He loves me.

*****

Rose is the love of my life, she’s smart, beautiful, hardworking and she takes care of me. She does her best to make sure that I have a nice hot meal when I get home from work, and when it’s not done then sometimes I may get a little mad but after a while it seems to be fine. I have never intentionally hurt my wife, sometimes she gets me angry and I’ve pushed her or slapped her around, but they’ve never been bad, just a little love slap. I always tell her I love her, which I do.

*****

She’d been forced to come see me a few times after an incident where she had been injured, badly. I never really was sure if she even understood why she was at a psychologist, but she came, served her four times and left. From what I had seen, she wasn’t aware what had happened, she wasn’t aware he’d done it. She blames herself for getting hurt, which really is a common symptom for domestic abuse. I had made her read the patterns of abuse. Over and over and over.

Calls you names, insults you or puts you down

Prevents or discourages you from going to work or school

Prevents or discourages you from seeing family members or friends

Tries to control how you spend money, where you go, what medicines you take or what you wear

Acts jealous or possessive or constantly accuses you of being unfaithful

Laughing it off as always, but one day, one time was different when she had read those words. She didn’t laugh, or smile, or say really, anything. She sat there, staring at the paper I had given her and gazed, in a sort of disgusted way. I think she knew what had happen to her, and was finally coming to realize it, but was too afraid to admit it to herself. she would never be able to admit it to me. The rest of that whole time she didn’t speak, that was the last of the time she was forced to come and see me. She sat their, watching the clock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. As if she were watching the rest of her life fade away. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock."

The 24 hour national domestic violence hotline- 1-800-799-7233