The colored strobe lights flashed red and blue into the
night sky. An ambulance pulled away with her cousin's husband Ed and a
rubber-gloved attendant bandaging his head and checking his eyes with a
flashlight for signs of a worsening concussion. The ambulance with her cousin
Janelle had already gone. She was unconscious and her ears had blood dribbling
out of them. Eva watched t through the living room window as they pulled away and
tried not to cry even as she held a bag of frozen peas to her own face.
Eva sat on the sofa, adjusted the peas on her swollen cheek
so she could talk and tried to answer the sheriff's deputy's questions. "I
told you I was just trying to stop him. If I'd wanted him dead I wouldn't have
used that cheap aluminum skillet; I would have used that cast iron one."
She stared at him. "He was going to beat her to death. When I yelled for
him to stop and grabbed his arm, he back-handed me so hard I hit the
floor."
"What started this?" the deputy asked.
"We share a ride to work since I live just across the
street. The cheap bastard won't even let her have a car," she interjected.
"Anyway, he was drinking, as usual, when we got home. We were barely out
of the car when he came storming across the street yelling and carrying on
about her signing up for direct deposit. He pulled her arm and started dragging
her to the house telling her he'd teach her to fool with the check. I knew
there was trouble so I followed them. He's hit her several times before, you
see," she said.
The deputy clicked his radio and asked if there were any
complaints on file. The reply was negative. "Well, there don't appear to
be any complaints on him."
"There wouldn't be. If she did, he'd just give her
another beating and she knew it."
"What did he hit her with?"
"A wooden TV tray," Eva answered. "That pile
of kindling used to be part of a set."
"How many times did he hit her with it?" he asked,
scanning the pile of rubble.
"Only once," Eva answered. "That was because
he knocked me down when I grabbed his arm. He picked up that table and popped
her in the head and was going for a second blow when I popped him with the
skillet." She swung her arms with the bag of peas in one hand
demonstrating.
The deputy squeezed his eyes shut trying not to laugh at
her. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked at last.
She shook her head. "Can I go home now?"
"I suppose; I don't think I need anything else. Stay in
the area for a few days until the D.A. sorts this out. He may want to call you
if he has any questions."
"I'll be home or at work," she said as she stood
to leave. "Wish I could say nice to have met you."
"I understand," he said. He handed her a business
card. "I'll need you to come by and sign a report tomorrow at the
sheriff's department."
"Okay." She wobbled a little on her feet and the
deputy motioned for another officer to walk her home.
"Is there anyone I can call to stay with you
tonight?" the deputy asked her. "You might have a concussion yourself
where you hit that floor."
"I'll call a neighbor. I'll be fine," she replied.
