The little black book challenge

Little Black Book Challenge

“The painting”

Rose got up at he same time she woke up every day, 5:55 am. It’s like she had a tiny alarm clock installed in her brain, with the exact time, minutes and seconds. She went in the bathroom to wash her face and brush her long brown hair. She was gazing at her reflection in the mirror and noticing her fine wrinkles and were she supposed to have laughing lines, she had sad lines; that reminded her of the sad mouths the clowns paint on their faces.

As she continued to day dream about sad clowns, while looking at her reflection, suddenly, she heard a males voice, that same voice she’s been hearing the past 15 years. The hair on her skin stood up and Rose shrugged her shoulders, she then looked at her reflection one last time and headed towards the sound of the voice.

See that voice belonged to Roses’ husband, Trevor of fifteen years. He was an abusive man that never wanted Rose and him to have a child because, “children take up lots of time and money” as he liked to tell her. Within the fifteen years of their marriage Trevor never complimented Rose, never bought her any gifts, would belittle her at any given time and would threaten her. Trevor had all the finances in his name, including all bank accounts and even all the household bills. Trevor would tell Rose because of her never having a job, higher education and her age, no employer would ever hire her. If she ever thought of leaving him she would end up homeless and gang-raped Trevor would continually tell her during dinner time while poking her with the end of the fork.

Trevor was a big guy that loved spending time at his makeshift gym, while Rose was barely 5,4 foot tall and really skinny.

Trevor wasn’t abusive towards her when they first met, he was the schools football captain with a huge scholarship deal on the way and a promising career, until that fateful afternoon that he had that motorbike accident. Trevor's dreams were crushed that afternoon and Rose was riddled with guilt, which in turn he pick upon and turned it into resentment towards her. That was nearly 19 years ago and Trevor became steadily more and more abusive towards Rose and lately he even had started poking her with the end of the fork during dinner.

This was a Friday afternoon and Trevor had arranged to go out with the boys at the pub for a drink. When he left, Rose peeked around the street corner and decided to go for a walk at the local op shop which supported her favorite charity.

It was a beautiful breezy afternoon and the sun was about to set. The suns rays were painting a beautiful red-orange color across the sky while simultaneously piercing the fluffy white clouds – making the sky look like a 4D laser beam. The grass had just been cut that afternoon across the streets and the smell was so divine, that Rose felt an amazing wave of calmness wash over her.

The local op shop was around 700 meters from her house. People from around the area would donate old paintings, books, clothes etc. which in turn would be sold for cash and that cash would go to an organization that supported domestic violence survivors. Rose always thought that it wasn’t a coincidence that her and Trevor lived just up the street from that op shop.

Alice a retiree was the owner of the op shop. Alice knew Roses story, she was the only one who knew and would always tell her to leave him and that “Divine Femme” the organization that supports domestic violence survivors would help her with accommodation and work. But Rose was so fearful of Trevor and had no belief in herself anymore, she felt so beaten and torn down that she believed that the rest of her future lied with Trevor.

Rose entered the op shop; that afternoon Alice's granddaughter was looking after the store. After exchanging pleasantries, Rose had a look around the shop. She spotted a painting that featured a woman with her back turned towards the ocean. She was wearing a long red dress and her back and feet were bare. Her right hand was pointing towards the sea.

A wave of freedom washed over Rose, she felt that she knew that woman, she felt for a minute that woman was her; “How beautiful would it feel to be free” she thought, when suddenly the woman from the painting said “You’re free Rose, it’s you that has imprisoned yourself all these years, it’s you that has all these fears and guilt and has allowed Trevor to diminish your self-worth. You’re free; You just have to believe it yourself; Believe in yourself”.

Rose opened her mouth to say something but no words would come out, she turned around and looked at Alice's granddaughter, and she was on her phone. Rose bewildered grabbed the painting and a small black “Moleskine” notebook which was next to the painting; paid for them and rushed back home. She intended to use the small black notebook as her journal towards freedom.

When she arrived home she took the painting in the spare room to hide it behind the wardrobe and when she tried to pick up the small black notebook a cheque with $20,000 in her name fell out. Rose Stanley it wrote; her maiden name. Rose was left gobsmacked when suddenly the woman from the painting spoke again; “This is your chance Rose, take the cheque to the bank, take the money and go start your life again. You’re so young, only 38 years young; This is your chance to be free again”. Rose clutched the small black notebook in her hand and prepared herself for the first entry towards freedom.

Eva Skartsaris

19-02-2021

989 words – including my name and date