The Other Cheek

Justin was finishing drying himself after a shower when he heard a knock on the door to his apartment. He hastily put on some shorts and a T-shirt and took a towel with him, still drying his hair as he got to the door. As soon as he opened the door the man doing the knocking walked into the apartment, pushing past Justin.

‘What the…’ Justin said.

‘We need to talk about Savannah.’

‘Let me guess, the foster Dad.’

The other man nodded and Justin pushed the door shut.

‘I’ve heard about you.’

‘From Savannah?’

‘Some of it.’

‘Did it never feel wrong to be having intimate chats with a seventeen-year-old girl?’ He asked as he started to walk around the lounge area looking at the extravagant furnishing and ornaments.

‘She didn’t seem to think so.’

‘It’s the guy in his thirties that should be spotting it. Who else have you heard about me from?’

‘I play Rugby with someone you went to school with. Had a fling with one of your ex-girlfriends and drink with one of your neighbours. Curse of living in a small town.’

‘Ah you’re one of the Rugby Union chaps, doesn’t surprise me. And what have these people been telling you about me?’ He said as looked at a couple of pieces of expensive artwork.

‘That you are the calmest person they have ever met. Annoyingly calm. To be totally truthful they say that you’re the softest guy in town. Tommy isn’t it?’

‘That’s right,’ Tommy said as he ran his finger along the top of the enormous flat screen television. ‘You’re cleaner is over paid,’ he added looking at the dust on his gloves.

‘She only comes in once a week.’

‘Once a week? You fallen on hard times?’

‘No. So they tell me that you never get angry.’

‘Do they?’

‘Yeah, your ex said that she has literally seen a guy punch you in the face and you just walked away.’

‘True.’

‘And that you would never get involved in an argument, even when you disagreed with her. She got to the stage towards the end when she would say something that she knew you strongly disagreed with just to see if you would react.’

‘Yeah that was obvious.’

‘The lad from school mentioned a story from college when one group bullied you mercilessly and you just took it.’

‘And he did nothing about it.’

‘And your neighbour says that Savannah is always screaming horrendous abuse at you and you never shout back, don’t seem to have any control over her at all.’

‘My job isn’t to control her it is to develop her.’

‘You’re just her door mat.’

‘Her anger is totally understandable after all that she has been through.’

‘She’s told me all about it.’

‘I highly doubt that.’

‘You think that you’ve never had a reason to get angry, getting punched, bullied and terrorised by a teenager?’

Tommy sat down on a leather two-seater sofa. ‘How would anger have helped in those situations? After the punch if I get in a fight I could win and go to prison or lose and get badly hurt or die. The bullies got bored soon enough. Savannah has finally found a safe space to offload what she is feeling and vent her anger.’

‘So you’re a Saint?’ Justin said as he sat in an armchair.

‘Not even close. Just a cold logical thinker, able to control his actions. Now let’s cut the small talk, you know why I am here.’

‘Do I?’

‘You raped Savannah earlier tonight.’

‘No I didn’t.’

‘Three people know you did. Savannah, me and You.’

‘You believe everything that girl says?’

‘Of course not. Everybody lies. But she’s not lying about this.’

‘How do you know?’

‘When you allow someone to be their natural self around you then it is so much easier to tell when they are lying. Plus your reaction has confirmed it.’

‘My reaction?’

‘Or should I say lack of it? You have just been accused of rape and shown no sign of shock, dismay and dare I say anger?’

‘Do you know what I do for a living?’

‘Let me see, arrogant prick, sleazy, vulgar extravagant taste, values money more than people, living in an isolated barn conversion well away from the peasants? I’m going to say lawyer.’

‘You knew that didn’t you?’

‘Yeah the rest was just a way to insult you.’

‘Do you really think that there is any chance that a chavvy, angry bitch like that is ever going to win a rape charge against me? It won’t even go to trial.’

‘They’ll be physical evidence.’

‘If only someone hadn’t made her have a shower afterwards.’

‘Bruises.’

‘Nothing that comes close to proving rape. If you get them in the right position you can do it without having to hold them anywhere that bruises.’

‘You’re obviously cold and logical too.’

‘The difference is that I use it to get what I want, not to allow other people to walk over me.’

‘You’re saying the law won’t provide any justice?’

‘Don’t pretend you’re here to get your own form of violent retribution. We both know you are not going to do that.’

‘Do you know me? Or do you just know what other people have told you about me?’ Tommy leaned forward.

‘An entire town of people can’t be wrong.’

‘I moved to this town when I was twelve. You know why I moved away from where I used to live?’

‘No.’

‘My Dad was sent to prison. He was a good man, but had an issue controlling his anger. Always standing up for people and protecting them, but that led to him getting into a lot of fights. One night him and Mum were in a bar when some lad starts hitting on my Mum and grabbing her. Dad is fuming and starts laying into this lad. He landed a couple of punches to his head, we don’t know whether it was the first one that killed him or the second or maybe a combination. I was just like my Dad when I was a kid, always scrapping at school, in a fight most days. Just before he was taken away to prison Dad made me promise that I wouldn’t get in any more fights, that being a man was not about physical violence that it was about doing the right thing. He told me that I could still help and protect people without getting angry and fighting. It took me a little while to get my head around it, but I figured the only way I could do it was to be completely calm all the time. If I let in a little bit of anger it would take over me. I learned karate to help control my emotions. The reason I am so calm now is that I know where anger can lead. Dad got into a fight in prison, he lost that one and died.’

‘Such a touching family story. Doesn’t change a damn thing about our situation right now,’ Justin said as he leant back in the armchair. ‘We both know you are going to walk out of here, you’re probably going to report it to the police because it’s the right thing to do. They are going to take your report seriously, but they won’t be able to get anywhere with it.’

‘Where do you stand on the whole nature versus nurture debate?’

‘I would say you’re a shining example of nurture, you even became a foster carer because you believe that people can change given the right environment.’

‘You’re right,’ Tommy said as he stepped up and headed towards the door. ‘You ever watch surfing?’ He asked as he stood right by the door facing it.

‘What?!’

‘Surfing, I always think it’s a fascinating battle between nature and humans. Those top surfers are phenomenally good. But sooner or later a big wave comes along and wipes them out,’ Tommy said whilst still looking at the door.

‘And your point is?’

‘Sometimes nature wins,’ Tommy said and locked the door and turned to face Justin.

‘Think about what you’re doing,’ Justin said and got up out of the armchair and backed away from Tommy.

‘Oh don’t worry, my cold logic is still here. You have raped a seventeen-year-old girl, trust me I have thought about what I am about to do, and I think it is perfectly logical.’

‘You’ll never get away with this.’

‘If I beat the crap out of a lawyer and leave you alive, I know I will end up in prison for a long time. If I kill you there is a chance that I will get away with it, especially with all the people who have a reason to kill you. What do you think is the cold and logical thing to do?’

THE END.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the story. It would be interesting to see if anyone can work out what song inspired this story.