Notelet IX: Push Back

Thump! Thump! Brandon put his fist once more into the tummy of Ursula. Again he gave his best shot into her back right on her spine. With a mighty thud her head hit the cold linoleum floor that was the bathroom. It was a good thing the light in the bathroom was dim. She didn't want to have to look at herself in the mirror another time. "What's the damage this time", she thought to herself. Brandon had caught her smiling sweetly to herself responding to a text message she'd received an hour before midnight. "Who's texting you at this time of the evening", he shouted and "how can you disrespect me by picking your phone to answer it". "I know you've been cheating. Who with - this time?" In order to keep the noise at reasonable levels, Ursula started walking to the bathroom to have a shower as she normal would. Brandon stormed after her. "Woman, I am talking to you answer me". Ursula was mute. "Loose woman. You are disgraceful", blurted Brandon. "If I can't have you to myself no one can", Brandon bellowed. The neighbour's dog, Babi, a young terrier, had started to bark at the increased decibels. Langley Close was a residential area with a mixture of residents, some young, some old, married, retirees and students thrown into the mix for good measure. The Close residents slept early or to be precise had their lights out early. They'd started to get a bad reputation for going at each other like cats and dogs. Recently the arguments had become more frequent and so had the beatings. Ursula had learnt to treat herself having bought and hid a first aid kit. Tonight would be no different.

She turned to explain who the text message was from and it's contents. Brandon had worked himself into a frenzy and there was no calming him. This time the physical injuries were bad, very bad. She'd even got a black eye. "My God, I hope I am not blind", she silently thought. It wasn't as if she'd not had red flags about Brandon's insecurities and possessiveness. Who could blame him though. He'd been through two failed relationships where the women run off with other men. Her sister Trish never liked him from the the start. She'd said that she didn't like the way he spoke down to her and how he took her phone each day to check her GPS to find out where she'd been. "Ursula, that is not normal", she'd told her time and time again. But she loved him. She genuinely did and held on to the belief that love would conquer all. After 8 years together she had started to see that she'd need more than love with Brandon. She'd tried her best to arrange counselling sessions at the onset of their relationship. After two attendances and five no-shows their sessions were cancelled and money partially refunded. "Why can't Brandon learn to live with me with understanding?"

Having passed out for a solid 20 minutes, she opened her eyes to see Brandon towering over her limp body half angry, half worried. She launched at his throat with every ounce of strength she had. It wasn't her action that threw Brandon off, it was the resolve in her eyes, the resoluteness, the fire. It was as if she had come to know herself and she was taking no prisoners with her. She was pushing back - full force. At that point, Brandon knew he had to change or lose her to someone more worthy of her.

You Are Quintessentially Special,
Love Abba