Stairway to resilense(Chapter two) Just the beginning

STAIRWAY TO RESILIENCE1

                                           CHAPTER TWO -- JUST THE BEGINNING2

   Anah had gotten up early that morning  to get ready for school. She got dressed and brushed her teeth and than did her hair. The normal stuff that kids do before school. Anah had always loved school because It was another escape from her abuse and her her father. She loved getting dressed in the morning knowing that she would soon get on the school bus to see her friends. Anah had a low self esteem because she didn't feel pretty. No one ever told her that she was pretty. Most kids in her school wore brand name clothes while she wore clothes picked out by her father from the Salvation Army. She soon got used to it. She had no other choice.  By the time Anah was ready to leave to get on the school bus, her mother was home from work. She looked forward to seeing her mother. After all, her mother was more decent and friendly than her father was. Anah knew that when her mother came home from work that she was tired but her mother made her husband breakfast on most mornings no matter how tired she was. It was usually something like pancakes, french toast or eggs with sausage or bacon. Anah and Abe usually had a bowl of cereal with milk. It was always something small and quick.3

   Anah heard her mother walk in the door.4

   'Hey, mom!' Anah said as she greeted her at the door.5

   'Hey! Are you ready to go to school today?' her mother asked in reply.6

   'Yup. I can't wait,' said Anah.7

   Anah's mother went into her bedroom to find her husband still sleeping.8

   'It's time to get up for work,' she said.9

   Anah's mother made breakfast for her father and prepared Anah and Abe some cereal in a bowl. After Anah was done eating, she got her backpack and things she needed for school as well as Abe's backpack and put it on his back.  Afterward, she held his hand as they walked towards the door to meet the bus.10

   'Goodbye, Mom and Dad!' Anah said as she started to walk out the door.11

   'Goodbye! Have a good day at school' said Anah's mom.12

   Anah left to go to the bus stop with Abe. They had lived in a small trailer located in a trailer park where many other children lived. She dreamed of school lasting all day sometimes because she never wanted to go home. She loved her friends and she loved her teachers. It was the only form of social life that she was allowed to have and she wasn't afraid of it getting taken away from her because she somewhat knew that her mom and dad could never take her out of school. She knew that being in school was a law. 13

   The bus ride to school was always fun. The bus driver was laid back and didn't really mind all the talking and the noise. Abe usually sat in the same seat as Anah and didn't talk much. He was more on the shy side.   When they returned to the school, Anah took Abe to his classroom and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she left him there for the day. She then proceeded to go to her classroom. Abe's class wasn't too far down the hall from her own, so Anah felt somewhat comfortable knowing that her brother wasn't too far away from her.14

   'Hi, Anah!' said one of her friends named Ashley who sat behind her in class.15

   'Hi! What are we doing in class today?' Anah asked as she coughed.16

   'Oh, the usual,' said Ashley as she turned around in her seat to face the front of the  classroom.17

   This was only the beginning of Anah's day.  Her teacher began her lesson which consisted of learning all the subjects that were required such as reading, spelling, and math, which were then followed by gym class, recess and lunch. Anah enjoyed every minute of it. There wasn't one part of the day that she didn't enjoy. She just loved school so much.  Anah had a great day at school, but when it was time to get on the school bus to go home, she frowned. She always did. The best part about the end of the day to Anah was going to find Abe and to see how his day was.  The bus ride home was usually 45 minutes, depending on the traffic, and Anah enjoyed that a lot. She would talk to her friends, draw pictures, or look outside the bus window to do some quiet thinking.  As she arrived home, Anah walked into their small trailer finding that her mother was laying down for a nap.  Anah went into her mother's bedroom and woke her up.18

   'Mom, were home,' Anah chimed.19

   'Oh, hey guys.  Do you want a snack before dinner?' asked Anah's mother.20

   'Yeah, were hungry!'21

    While Anah's father was at work, Anah's mother allowed her to do a lot of things that her father didn't allow her to do. Eating a snack before dinner was one of them as was playing with her best friend, Amy who also lived in the trailer park. Lily had spoken to Amy's mother and father several times so she knew Amy was a good kid for Anah to play with. Anah and Amy got along so well. They were close like sisters. Amy was three years older than Anah, and when they were together, they played with  Barbies, listened to the radio, colored and did a lot of other fun things.  Amy didn't know what Anah was going through at home but Anah felt that no one had to know. She was afraid of what would have happened if they did know, so she just kept it a secret.  After she ate her snack, Anah washed up and changed her clothes, then asked her mother for permission to play with Amy.22

   'Mom, am I allowed to go play with Amy for a couple hours before dad gets home?' asked Anah, hope brimming in her eyes.23

   'Yes, but make sure you are home before dark,' Anah's mother replied.24

   'Okay, Mom.  I'll be back in a couple hours,' Anah said as she headed towards the door of their small trailer.25

   Anah rushed out the front door and headed down to Amy's place. Amy's mother called Anah's mom and asked her if Anah had her permission to eat dinner at Amy's house. Anah was too afraid to call and ask, even though her mother didn't yell at her much. It was because she was afraid to ask her father things that made it hard for Anah to ask anyone for anything.26

   'Yes, she can eat dinner with you but please have her home no later than six o'clock p.m.,' Anah's mother replied matter of factly.27

   'That is not a problem!' said Amy's mother, Gayle.28

   Anah felt uncomfortable eating in front of people so she asked Amy if she was allowed to eat in her bedroom.29

   'Yes.  My mom lets me eat wherever I want,' Amy said with a chuckle.30

   Anah had a wonderful time with Amy. She always did. She enjoyed dinner and thanked her mom and dad for inviting her over to share it with them.31

   'Oh, you're welcome anytime, Sweetie,' said Amy's father.32

   'I think it's about that time that you go home now. It's almost six o'clock, and your mom wanted you home before then, so you better go, Hunnie. I don't want to see you get into any kind of trouble.'33

   If they had only known what Anah had gone through they would have kept Anah, but they didn't.  Anah politely thanked them for everything and said goodbye. She walked on home by herself but she was happy that she finally got to be out of the house for a couple hours. That didn't happen much.  Anah walked into the trailer and saw her family eating dinner.34

   'You know better Anah! You know you're not allowed out after school. You are to come home and make sure your homework is done. No friends, no phone, no nothing. Your homework is to be done and that is all you are allowed to do until you are 18 years of age. Do you hear me?' yelled Anah's father right as she stepped into the door.35

   'Yeah,' said Anah as tears filled her eyes.36

   'What was that?' screamed her father from the top of his lungs as he got out of his chair and slammed his fork down on the table.  'You don't Yeah me! You say 'yes' when I ask you a question!    Do you hear me?' he asked with such rage and anger as he put his hands on her chin and flicked her chin upwards, making her head flip back a little.37

   'Yes, Dad,' Anah replied as tears filled her eyes.38

   Anah's father was angry. He took her by the hand and dragged her into the bedroom that was right near the kitchen. He went into his closest and grabbed his black belt that had a metal eagle emblem on it and started beating her with it.  One, two, three, four, five, six. Anah was beaten six times with that belt. She couldn't stand. Her bottom was too red and sore where she couldn't sit either.39

   'I told her that she could eat with Amy tonight. There is nothing wrong with her eating dinner at a friend's house,' said Anah's mother angrily.40

   'She will obey by my rules until she is 18 years old and there is nothing else to it!' said Lloyd full of hate.41

   'Now, you stand in that corner and don't get out until I tell you too. Do you understand?' asked Anah's father.42

   'Yes dad,' Anah fearfully replied.43

   'You know, she didn't do anything wrong.  Why is she getting into trouble? I'm the one that told her mother it would be all right for her to eat dinner with Amy. Amy is a nice girl and there is no reason for you to hit her with the belt and to put her in the corner for something that she has no control over. It is my fault!' said Amy's mother in Anah's defense.44

   'Well, you don't make the rules around here. Enough is enough! It will be my way or no way!' Lloyd shouted.45

   It was hard for Anah to stand. Her legs felt numb and her hands were shaking. She was scared to death of her own father. All she could do while she was in the corner is pray that one day her father would stop abusing her.  An hour later, Anah received permission to get out of the corner and to clean the kitchen, and that's exactly what she did.  Anah was so afraid that she cried while she washed the dishes. Her father had gone to bed and her mother was too mad to lay down before work, so she stayed up.46

   47

   'Here, I'll help you. You rinse the dishes since you are already at the sink and I will put them in the dishwasher for you,' whispered Anah's mother.48

   'Lily!' screamed Lloyd from the bedroom. He had opened up his bedroom door and than slammed it shut again. Anah knew there was something that must have gone on in that bedroom.  Lily put the dish that was in her hand into the dishwasher and kissed Anah on the head.49

   'Goodnight,' said Anah's mother.50

   'Goodnight, Mom. I will see you in the morning,' said Anah.51

   'Goodnight, Abe,' Lily said to Anah's little brother.52

   'Goodnight, Mommy,' said Abe as he ran up to her and gave her a hug.53

   Anah's mother went into the bedroom and Anah finished the kitchen. Abe was in the living room playing with his toy fire truck and his army men.  When Anah finished the kitchen she put Abe into his pajamas and put him to bed. She noticed her mom and dad's light was still on in their bedroom. That was nothing unusual.  Anah brushed her teeth and put her own pajamas on.  Anah had heard her father's voice all the way from the other end of the trailer, but she could not figure out what he was saying. She figured that he was yelling at her mother and that she was probably getting punished too. Anah didn't know what went on in that bedroom but she did worry about it constantly. It bothered her.54

   Anah had too much on her mind to get a full night's rest on most nights. She hopped into her bed and closed her eyes. The only thing that she could think about was how her body hurt, how mean her father was and how much she hated her life. Anah was only seven years old and she was already beginning to hate her life. Her family life anyway.      Anah couldn't sleep so she went and laid halfway between her room and the hallway. Most of her body was in her room but she laid on the floor to where her head was sticking out of the hallway. She was scared. She didn't know what to do anymore, so by sleeping in the hallway, she could get an idea of what was going on in the bedroom. When Anah heard a lot of noise, usually that was when they were getting ready to come out of the bedroom, Anah would jump up into her bed and pretend she was sleeping. She always stayed up to hear her mother walk out of the door. It made her feel comfortable knowing that her mother was all right.55

   The lights flickered on and she heard her mom say goodbye to her dad as the sliding glass door opened. Her father wouldn't even walk his own wife out to the car to make sure she got there safe. He was a lousy father and not only that, he was a lousy husband and Anah knew it too. She was very intelligent for her age. She knew a lot of things that most kids her age didn't even begin to know until after the age of ten years old.  The lights went off as Anah looked around her bedroom frightened. She heard her father's door shut and she felt somewhat relieved but she knew that is was only a couple more hours until a new day began.56