Chapter 4 The Daily Torture

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The cane kept landing on Eleanor’s back, making her cry out loud with pain. Maeve, who was shivering with fear, could not watch any more. She stood up and came out of Harriet’s protection.

“No, no, Eve, no!” shouted Harriet, but Maeve didn’t stop. She ran to her mother and hugged her tightly.

“Please, don’t hit my mom. Hit me. I broke your bowl. Don’t hit my mom. I… am sorry! I am sorry. I will buy you another one when I grow up, please! Please!” sobbed Maeve and looked at Mara with her cute, tear-filled eyes.

A loud cackling filled the kitchen. “You? You will buy it for me? Nice joke! Your mother is my slave, and you will be my slave all your life. You think you can buy something for me? You think you will make money in future? You, mother and daughter will live on our scraps. You are good for nothing except maybe you can become whore like your mother. Your mother let your father impregnate her, and then he ran away as he didn’t like your whore mother.”

“Mara! How dare you? Don’t talk about John and think before saying such words before a child,” shouted Eleanor with fire in her eyes.

“Where is it?” shouted Melvin and ran towards Eleanor. He pulled Maeve away and threw her across the floor. Immediately, he grabbed a big chunk of Eleanor’s hair and asked again, “Where is it?”

Mara rolled her eyes and, with a bored look, asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Beer! My beer! Where is it?” shouted Melvin and then turned to look at Eleanor, “Did you drink it?”

“Me! No! No! I didn’t! Why would I?” whimpered Eleanor.

Maeve again lifted herself up and ran to her mother. “Please don’t hurt her. Please! I will go and get you some, please!”

Melvin lowered himself near Eleanor’s ears and whispered stealthily, “If you come to the guest room after everyone’s fallen asleep, I will save your precious daughter.” Eleanor gasped with shock after realising what Melvin was saying. But she didn’t have time to think about that. She had to act fast.

“Yes, yes, whatever you want!” sobbed Eleanor. The moment Mara lifted the cane to hit Maeve, Melvin lifted his hands and stopped Mara.

“Stop!” ordered Melvin.

“Excuse me!!!” shouted Mara and looked at Melvin. “You dare stop me? Did the whore influence you with her magic? Do you think she will pleasure your dick if you save her daughter?”

Melvin groaned loudly and stood up. He grabbed Mara’s neck and pushed her against a wall. He tightened his grip and gritted his teeth, “don’t forget who the man of the house is. I was just saying that if you hit the tiny leech, how will she go to the store and get us drinks? She needs to be able to walk in order to get beers for us. After she comes back, you can hit her to your heart’s content.”

“Okay, asshole! I get it!” croaked Mara.

Melvin loosened his grip and looked at Mara with lust. “God! I love it when you call me asshole!” he immediately smashed his lips on Mara and started kissing her. While kissing, he reached into his pocket and threw some crumpled-up bills at Eleanor.

For a second, he stopped kissing Mara and then ordered, “go girl! Get me beers! You know what I like!” Everyone knew who he was talking to.

“But… but… it's almost night. Oz… Ozul… what about Ozul? He killed four people last night, please!” begged Eleanor.

“Didn’t you hear bitch! Send your spawn to get my man some beer,” shrieked Mara and grabbed Melvin’s face and started kissing him. The soft kissing turned into sensual kissing, and soon Melvin moved his hand over Mara’s breasts. She pulled her spaghetti top, and one of her breasts hung open for everyone to see. They were acting as if they two were the only person inside the kitchen. When Melvin’s hand moved inside Mara’s shorts, Eleanor immediately closed Maeve's eyes, and they all ran out of the kitchen.

Eleanor was fed up with her sister and her brother-in-law. They never gave a second thought to anyone else and would end up having sex in open. They had no shame. They had no concern for others. She tried hard to protect Maeve from every immoral act, but the bullying, the beating, the torture, the bad words, the display of sex was a daily routine for her.

“Mom! Help me!” cried Eleanor. “I cannot send my kid to the store at night. What if Ozu… no, I can’t even think about what might happen.”

“El! Look at me! Ozul will never be able to harm our child. Only people harming our child are the monsters who are doing god knows what in the kitchen. Now that will delay the dinner, and again they will beat you for not cooking dinner on time. I am sorry you have no other relatives. I am sorry that I birthed your sister. But at the time being, you have to send Eve to the store,” somehow Harriet explained.

“What if… something happens to my child. How are you so sure that nothing will happen to her?” asked Eleanor with tears in her eyes.

“Trust me when I say this… I believe with all my heart that there is some god that is protecting Eve. No matter what, she will always come home unharmed and alive. That girl was born to bring good luck to everyone, and I know for a fact that soon her time will come too. Those who bully her, those who harm her, will regret everything,” said Harriet with determination.

“I will… I will be okay mom. Please don’t cry. You can watch me from the balcony. I will run and come back soon. I don’t want Uncle to beat you. I don’t want Uncle to beat me. Please let me mom,” begged Maeve.

“Go!” Eleanor closed her eyes in defeat.

Maeve had the money in her grip. She was breathing heavily. She gulped and opened the door. Every hair on her body stood up with fear. She was a little girl; she knew she would not be able to do anything if Ozul came before her. But she took a step forward as her tiny brain told her one thing – dying would be better than the daily torture. Now she really wanted Ozul to approach her and end her suffering.