Sisters

•Chapter 10•

We eat lunch listening to Wesley's cries and screams as he got whipped. I threw up all over my plate but Daddy still refused to excuse me until Mrs. Jones had enough and dragged me to the bathroom despite Daddy forbidding her.

Her and Daphne had stood outside the room so they heard the whole fight. The first thing Daphne did when we got out was beg Daddy not to have Wesley whipped. That's when it clicked how stupid we were for even thinking he would say yes. Now here is Wesley taking the punishment for us both.

"Delilah stop it. Your gonna pass out my dear".

This is one of the few times she slips into mother mode and comforts me like she used to do when I was little.

"He's screaming! Tell them to stop!"

Mother sighs and holds me against her chest, "he's strong he's gonna be fine-"

"Tell Daddy to stop this! I swear I ain't gonna talk to him again! Mama I swear ain't do nothing-"

"Maureen you two best get back out here now".

Mother closes her eyes and wipes my mouth with the wet towel, "come on before we make your father even angrier. Hold your tongue unless you want to end up like that boy".

She leads me out of the bathroom and to the dinning room where Daphne is silently crying and my plate which I threw up on uneaten food is replaced with a new one. I can't believe he even thinks I'd eat one grain of that rice.

"Daddy I'm sorry. Please just stop this, I can't bare to hear him crying for what I am to be blamed for as well".

He nods, "you suggest taking the rest of his lashes?"

I hesitate because I have never been whipped in my life and from the way Wesley is screaming, I know it must be painful.

"Phillip I wont allow that!", Mom tells him.

"I'll do it!" Daphne says as she stands. "He's innocent in this! I bet she seduced him and forced him because this is so out of his character!"

I look down and nod slowly. How could she gave herself up for something I took a part in all so that Wesley doesn't suffer anymore? Maybe they really are in love with one another? And now I feel so disgusted with myself for being so selfish.

"No", I whisper. "I'll do it".

Mother stands up after me and runs to guard the door, "Phillip I refuse! I swear if either of them are to even get a scratch I'll pack a suitcase and take them down to my father's house! You will not abuse my children!"

"You and they and everything on this land belongs to me Maureen! Now sit the f*ck down...all of ya!"

None of us move until Daddy stands up and unbuckles his belt. The look in his eyes is threatening and I have never in my life seen him so angry. He looks like the mad man that came into town two summers ago and had raped the carpenters wife. 

Mother walks back and sits rigid in her seat staring straight ahead at the wall above my head and Daphne cries until she passes out in her seat but no one bothers to check on her but Miss. Lucy. I throw up again but Daddy gives me a threatening look when I push my chair back so I can walk to the bathroom and clean up.

We sit there the whole time until Wesley stops screaming but the sound of the whip slapping his body is still audible. We sit there until Daphne wakes up only to cry some more. We sit there until we hear the overseer call other slaves to come get Wesley's body. We sit there until Daddy finishes eating and dismisses us. Daphne goes straight to bed, Mother writes a letter to her Mom and I ask Miss. Lucy to go check on Wesley for me.

I don't dare sneak out. I'd be an idiot, a bloody idiot for making such an irrational decision. And even after dinner comes with Daddy forcing Daphne to wake up, and all three of us refusing to eat, I still don't dare make a move to go see him.

After dinner, I watch Daphne walk to the back kitchen door but when she sees the overseer that Daddy set out there, she swallows and pushes past me.

It's my fault and I know it. And if I could go back and change history, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"No use crying over the past Delilah. Let's go before you father finds ya here".

I shrugged off mother, "I'm waiting for Miss. Lucy to bring me word. I'll be up in a bit".

She frowns but let's me be. I probably sit there for half an hour before Daddy walks in and leans against the doorframe.

"I hate seeing you cry or showing the ugly side of me...but It needed to be done so ya could understand that I ain't playin' witcha ya. What I say goes. Git in bed, I told her not to come back, ya need to forget that boy Delilah".

I can't hold my cries anymore, they force through my bruised lips and fill the kitchen. I sound like a broken animal, like the eagle Daphne and I rescued last summer and healed it's broken wing.

Daddy makes his way to me slowly and reaches out to wipe my tear but I flinch back in fear he'd strike me.

He's right, I didn't want to see the monster side of him and now I cant get it out of my head. I don't trust him like I did before. For goodness sake he suggested I go take the lashes for Wesley, and he pulled out his belt to threaten us. I saw the slave master side today, and now I know why he is feared.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya suga, I'm just trying to clean the snot off ya face-"

I slap his hand away from my face as rage creeps in, "I love him Daddy! Why didn't you stop? It hurt me hearing him cry!"

He sighs and looks at the wall above my head, "ya ain't love him Delilah. And he ain't love ya either baby. Now enough about him. Git upstairs, it's late".

He wipes my nose with his handkerchief and I try my hardest not to cringe when he touches me. A part of me feels unsafe around him now. He's unpredictable to me after that change of emotion I just witnessed. We walk to my room in silence

"I love ya", he says after kissing my head and tucking me in.

He stands around waiting for me to say it but I never do and he silently leaves. I hope that broke his heart like he broke mine.