Never Again- Part I

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.