You’ll See

Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Photo prompt: © Mikhael Sublett

 

“You’ll see,” he lifted the mallet to strike again.

She cringed as plaster and glass and bits of home clattered to the ground. Every resonating thud another shattering, another ruin, another wound that would not heal.

She bit her lips and knew she’ll never be the same.

For not stopping him. For not standing up to him. For not listening to all who’d warned her that he was a loose cannon who’d bring only sorrow. For insisting she loved him.

She saw now.

And stood silent as his mallet dented will. Her life in shards, devoid even of tears.

 

 

 

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Note: Dedicated to all who live with violence and do not know a way out into help. Know that there is always hope, that you deserve a chance to heal, and that you need not carry shame.

 

44 thoughts on “You’ll See”

  8. This is a good, powerful story, Na’ama. You capture so well that the assault on material things precious to her is a direct assault on her will and personality. I wouldn’t mind betting she suffered similar abuse as a child – that was certainly the case in one woman I knew in a situation like this.
    Dealing with abuse means dealing with the chain of abuse across generations.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Sandra. I think that for many it is exceedingly difficult to muster the energy to change their circumstances because so much of what energy they have is focused on just surviving the next few minutes/hours/day/night. It is less, in my view, a lack of will, than it often is the lack of self-esteem in combination with secrecy (and shame) which keeps people from getting the support they deserve in order to help them muster the energy to leave. Complicated, always. And all too often, with roots in childhood abuse that ‘primed’ a person to accept the unacceptable.

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  11. Na’ama Y’karah,

    Years ago I stood by a close friend who went through this with her husband. On the outside, he was charismatic and talented. What a shock it was to find out what a monster he was behind closed doors. He even threatened me for my support. Happily she did get away from him and married a good man. This brought back memories. Keep standing on that soapbox, my friend. The battle’s far from over.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you Rochelle,
      I’m glad your friend had your support. Sometimes it is that one thing that makes all the difference between absolute tragedy and a chance at a new life and safety. Charisma and talent are often masks that abusers wear. It is what lures people under their spell, it is what keeps others at bay and what allows them to defend the abuser and blame the victim (who may be beaten down and not very capable of exuding charisma at the time of their disclosure and susceptible to critic besides after being brought down by an abuser.) Abusers power feeds on domination and intimidation and control and violence – whether physical or sexual or emotional or all of the above. They also tend to fly under the radar and have people disbelieve accusations. Even in the face of facts. Even in the face of evidence.
      I’m so glad you were there for your friend! I hope no one got entangled with that man’s snare again, though I suspect some probably had … Oy.
      Hugs and thank you for this comment. Yes, the battle is far from over. But we must go on. Na’ama

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      • I wish I could say no one else became entangled in his web. 😦 Sadly the second was forewarned, but as your story goes…perhaps it will be different. What was infuriating was the way the man’s buddy’s refused to believe the stories and stayed his sycophants for years to come.
        Fortunately I haven’t had any contact with him for many years.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Oy. And … I hear you. It will not be the first time (or the last, alas) that people like him have others who refuse to believe the victims and prefer to stick by the perpetrator. We see it all the time, even to the highest posts in the land …

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