Jailer

House lights began coming on in the street and front doors were opening. Each with a lively curiosity it looked like it was going to be a good fight. The red door in front of Jessie began to give way under a constant barge of beating, a crack appeared and a gruff voice said something through the crack, she was impatient and wanted to see him face to face. There he is trying to control things again. She an immediate reaction her fist came down loudly on the door and it shot open. The man she wanted to confront was standing with just his dressing gown on looking unsure and vulnerable not knowing what was going to happen next.   

The young women appeared at the side of her, she looked angry and scared and in shock, she didn’t move to his side she stood at the side of Jessie so they were both looking directly at the Jailer. The words escaped her lips “Why, why, what have I done to deserve your attention in this way?”

All at the same time they were talking no one listening and in each breath was getting louder and more brutish. Suddenly the young women pushed her forward and she found herself beating her fists on his head and neck. The tears began to run down her face and he began pushing back to push her out of the house. It did not work. She hit harder and he moved backward to get out of her way into the hall. By now it had become clear the young women “Jo” was her father’s daughter and in a vain attempt at defending him. She had started the whole thing off and was now just following the whole proceedings into the calm warm house she had just left not ten minutes ago.

Jessie looked at the man and she could see his contempt for her and her reacting this way. He could still control her, which is what he had set out to do. What happened next wiped the smirk off his face. She saw the telephone and reached for it, grabbing the housing she ripped off the wall, next she quickly and stamped on the fitting connected to the wall, breaking the thin coloured wires, disarming the telephone totally. Jessie gasped out loud, and the young girl begs “Please tell me what is it what’s wrong?”

Jessie just stared into space. As suddenly as it had started it was over and she moved to the front door. She answered “Ask him frightening poor defenseless women, making them frightened of their own shadows.”

Then, she was outside on the pavement walking down the street looking at the open doors and smiling to herself.