Chapter 20

It was a few minutes before 6, Raven’s mother, Josephine sat on the wooden kitchen stool, her troubled mind as far away from the cooking beanstew that had been simmering for the past hour. Usually, the calm woman paced on her feet, happy to make meals for her family however not on this particular day.

After weeks of the brewing gut feeling, warning Josephine something was not right with her second born child, on this particular day those alarms rang louder, screaming for her to listen. On the other hand, this could be her motherly heart unable to handle the separation. Never had Josephine been apart from her little girl, though she knew that time had slipped through her and Raven was now a young woman. Sooner rather than later, it was definite to prepare bidding goodbyes with the independent child.

Before the young girl came out, her heart ached a little less knowing she still had 3 months. A summer before the girl flew away to college. Somewhere Raven would come back home, no longer the same person and Josephine would embrace Raven learning who she found in herself while surviving the outside world. Raven’s mother, though quiet held the power to stand up for her daughter when the time would come that Raven turned into someone the world would not accept.

Raven being attracted to the same gender was no surprise to Josephine. She had hid Raven’s sexuality whenever it bubbled out to the surface through little mistakes. Raven forgetting her Rainbow flag, a time she was seen kissing a girl by a neighbor and Josephine had to threaten said person to never utter a word. Movie nights where she focused more on female actresses to the point of obsession.

Josephine observed her children, not for control but safety. She had survived living her childhood under a roof where a monster fed off her, traumatized and took so much while her mother never noticed, never cared enough to notice. Never believed her, Josephine swore her children would get a better mother, though not perfect. A tentative mother regardless.

Her phone startled her, vibrating over the mable counter top before her atomic bell ring tone blew through the speaker. She tilted forward bringing her hands on each side of the phone and eyed over the unknown digits. This number had never called, she was sure of it. She hesitantly slid her thumb over the green option answering the call then chose to stay silent until she identified who the stranger was.

“Mom?…Hello?”

Her heart skipped, a stutter in her breathing before she swiped the mobile off the Mable and brought it to her ear.

“Mom?. C- you he- me?” The line was cutting which meant network problems.

“Ra..Raven?” Surely this was not her daughter, her voice almost unrecognizable.

“Yes, oh mom. I…I don’t ha- -ch time, is he there wi- you?”

Josephine knew who Raven was asking about and it pained her the girl even had to ask with so much fear in her tone. She had failed.

“No, no baby are you okay?. Are they treating you right?. Are they feeding you?. Tell me everything Rae…”

“Ma-, I don’t –  –  – time. I need you…please don’t tell dad but I –  –  – get me out of here please!”

The cry shook her mother to the very core, scaring her already afraid motherly heart. She brought her phone closer to her ear and opened her mouth to speak but the broken weak voice cut her off.

“–ease don’t – him know, Mom. Don’t te- dad please…..so– com–  o– I gotta go!” Her voice cracked, the same way it did when she panicked. Much to her mother’s knowledge.

“No, no Raven you have to tell…” The line went cold and she brought her phone down with shaky hands. Her black screen stared back at her.

Where was her daughter?.

That was the first question to penetrate through her mind though it raced with many incoming thoughts, this one reserved a special kind of priority. Where had her husband send her daughter to?. Raven was not safe, that one thing Josephine could attest to. One thing that could drive her to do whatever it would take to change that.

It was clear really. Raven was not safe, she had to be safe. What the mother would do to make that possible, held no boundary.

Josephine felt as though her limbs lacked bones to hold her up however, she needed answers and answers she planned to get. One way or the other, her husband would comply.

“Mama! Mama why are you standing like that?. Are you sick again?” Reagan’s squicky voice disturbed her line of thoughts, fortunately perfect timing to hear the beanstew fizzle over indicating the soup drying out.

“No baby” Josephine turned to her daughter, ran her fingers in the blonde hair that ran down her shoulders and offered her a reassuring smile that was enough for the small child “Just trying to decide what to do for dessert?. Pie or cake or ice cream?” Josephine moved forward, taking over the stew.

“Cake!” The oblivious girl skipped over “Ice cream is good too” She muled squishing her butt in her small kitchen stool.

“Hmm can only be oneee” Josephine played along, though her kind was elsewhere, plotting and planning. She was thankful the cooking steadied her enough to think somewhat rationally otherwise she had murder on her mind.

“Which flavor of cake would it beee?. Chocolate my favorite?” Reagan counted with her little pointer finger “Orrrrr Red velvet, Rae’s favorite?”

“Well, what flavor do you want?”

“Chocolate for now and Red velvet for next week!. A special occasion!”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Raven is coming home!. 3rd month is the charm!”

A month had turned to three, Raven was safe. Just taking a little longer but finally she was listening, getting better. Accepting the help she so much needed. Quote unquoting Auron, her father of course.

Josephine was not a careless mother, just a woman who believed these were nuns. Worst case scenario, the nuns would kick her stubborn daughter out. Deep down, she had an inkling that lines had been crossed by her husband. Which lines?. Josephine was yet to know but the call confirmed her husband had become Raven’s monster just like Josephine’s father bhad been.

The circle stayed unbroken.

Chocolate cake became the final choice that Friday night dinner, motivating the little bean to stuff herself rotten until she could barely move an inch. Her husband sat at the head of the table, granting in approval and somewhere in Josephine’s mind, she had an evil inner thought.

What if I just kill him?.

That would have nothing to do with Raven, she knew that. He was still innocent until proven guilty by how he was going to respond. Josephine had already made her mind up about her husband based on what her own father had done to her. The justice her inner child never got, she planned to give it to herself…

Wrong person, right victim.

To her, she was doing for Raven what her mother should have done. If she cared hard enough.

Reagan was put to bed as soon as she began to nod off while trying to force the rest of her huge piece of cake down her throat. A bad habit she adapted from Raven who used to do the same thing. Josephine came back, eyeing Aaron who was groaning with his hand placed on his head.

The medicine was working. Just as slow as she hoped it would do. Josephine paced softly, the kind of control in her step that her husband should have worried about over the years. There was something about Josephine, an unpleasant grimly aura that made people fear her deep down.

Never saying It out loud, never in front of her of course but in group meetings they always mentioned the unsettling hellish vibration Josephine carried around. Like she had the devil on her side.

Maybe they were right, after this day they knew they were right. Josephine had the the devil wrapped around her finger. Just this once, he had to take notes on how to deal with a man of God.

Her own husband.

☆☆☆

I wanna know what will happen next too, believe me😭