Be My Soldier Forever

Ep. 69

I vaguely called my name, but it sounded very far away. I squeezed my eyes tighter and flexed my sore muscles, I felt something writhing on my forehead, it felt wet and cold. I extended my hand to my eyes, rubbed it and removed something that made my forehead alkaline and cold, I groaned with slight discomfort as the throbbing in my head ached.

“i think he's starting to wake up.” A familiar voice said, I felt warm hands touching my cheeks, the voice pushed me to sit up, my body stiffened as I began to sit on the bed, my eyes began to adjust to my dimly lit room. I held my throbbing head, I asked for water with a hoarse voice. As soon as my glass was completely empty, I looked around my room and saw the worried Alan, the teary-eyed Kenny and the panic-looking Adrian.

“What happened?” I groaned, my body still resisting every move I tried to make.

“You passed out at the restaurant earlier.” Alan said and sat down beside me on the bed.

“We were all scared and worried when Adrian called us and said you were unconscious in his arms, then we came and had the doctor check you out, your blood sugar level is low and you don't have enough oxygen going into your body.” Alan explained, the events of that night flowed back into my memory, a beautiful night, me and Adrian out as well Alan and Kenny out dating. The reason I was in this bed, I started to grip Alan's arm so firmly, I started to feel nauseous and fear enveloping me.

“Alice, what's up?” He asked, I felt Adrian holding my left hand, giving me a look of curiosity and uneasiness. I looked at Adrian and looked at him blankly, then turned to Alan.

“He's back,” my lips quiver as my worst fears come out of my mouth.

“He's back, Alan. I saw it.” I said. My sobs exploded and uncontrollably I buried my head into Alan's chest in search of comfort, but he looked dumbfounded, unable to understand what I was saying, I saw Kenny walking towards me, she knew my past and knew exactly what and who I was talking about, she hugged me in her little arms and hugged me tightly. Adrian is confused, not knowing anything about my dark past and the reason for his lack of trust and sadness.

“You should tell her Alice, for her sake and your relationship.” Kenny calmly said that to me. I look up to him, he wants me to tell him and know I have to. I went up to him and grabbed one of his hands. I started to take deep breaths to prepare myself.

“When I was a teenager, I was in high school, I met a man. She always asked me to date her and tried to bribe me to go with her by giving me chocolates, cookies, but I always refused and said no. And one day, she met me outside, the school parker place and made a big fuss in front of people for me to say ‘Ya’ and I did. After that, she treated me a princess, always drove me to school always giving me surprises with so many gifts and sending flowers to school every day. After I graduated, I felt that I was sure, that I had started to fall in love with her.” I laughed bitterly at my own naive attitude. “I then went with him, I felt my life was very happy, but not long after I stayed at his house, things changed. He started drinking, every time he came home from college, he went to the bar and threw away all the money I was going to spend to pay, then he started playing physically with me, he hit me when we started fighting, he said, the malm time.”

 

At that time, I was waiting for Stefan to come home, I wanted to eat well and talk like he used to, ever since he started drinking, we never had a good meal together, I started to feel lonely and sad, every time I talk about it if I want to go out together, he gets angry and yells, grabs my arm and throws me on the floor, he gets angry because we're in a financial crisis. But today, as if it had been planned, I heard the crackling of the key that was put into the door lock and Stefan awkwardly walked over to slam the door. I walked up to him, I smelled beer and alcohol.

“Halo, darling. How was your day?” I asked him to take off his coat, he got drunk and grumbled, then walked into the kitchen and opened his beer bottle again, he didn't even see me on the table. I saw him open the bottle and started to gulp it down his throat.

“I make your favorite food.” I said to him, but all he did was glance at me and mutter, “The red woman will be lowly.” He said, with the beer in hand, he started walking towards the bedroom. I am full of anger and humiliation. He completely brushed me off again and insulted me, I walked up to him and threw the bottle out of his hand and threw it on the floor and all the water in the bottle was scattered everywhere.

“I can't believe you-how dare you treat me with disrespect. All you did was bully me with a drink, a drink and a drink, I was bored enough and sick of seeing you like this.” I screamed in front of him. And the anger that was evident in his eyes turned furious. He grabbed my wrist violently then pushed my back against the wall, the smell of his beer breath billowing over my face and his grip tightened with every puff of anger.

“Don't talk to me like that! Basic women don't know in profit!” he then again jerked myself and I fell to the floor holding my cheek. After that, things got worse, he beat me even worse, usually he slapped me and hit me in the stomach with a few punches, but this time he kicked me, my nose started to bleed and spread to my cheeks and every time he kicked me, my mouth was bleeding so much. I felt pain all over my body, I didn't know if I could stand up, but all I knew was that he didn't stop doing that to me. I saw him take the broken glass shard and spread it towards me, I could do nothing, all my energy was drained, I was helpless. He then tore my shirt and sliced my chest with the broken glass, and the marks are still there.

Then he started to get away from me, saw my mess, and took away my future, something I've been keeping broken. He took everything, ruined me, desecrated me.”

End of flashback…

 Everyone shed tears. My tears also began to seep into my cheeks as I reminisced about the horrifying memory that I had been trying to bury as deeply as I could. Adrian hugged me, leaned me against his chest, we both cried, his tears flowing for my past, for every pain I felt in the future.