Townies, Cronies and Hayseeds II C2.2

The next morning, Brielle woke to see Bill packing a suitcase.

“Another business trip?” she asked.

“Of course. What else?” Bill said coldly.

Bandit came into the bedroom and hopped onto the bed. He licked Brielle in the face before she sat up in bed and smiled. Bill paused and looked at his wife suspiciously.

“What’s that smile all about, huh? ‘You glad I’m leaving? What? You know something I don’t?” He snapped in a tone of suspicion.

Bandit lowered his head and lay on his belly beside Brielle.

“Why are you always so negative? ‘So suspicious of people?” Brielle asked.

“Shut up. I’ve heard all I want to hear from you.” Bill snapped as he closed his suitcase and headed toward the bedroom door. He stopped at the door and turned around.

“I’ll be in Las Vegas. If there’s an emergency, I’ll be at the Biltmore.”

Bill took out his business card and threw it on the floor.

“The address and phone number to the hotel are written on the back, as is my room number. I’ll be home on Saturday.” He informed her in a rough tone.’

Opportunity presents itself

Brielle just sat there, shrugged her shoulders, looked off to the side, and raised one side of her upper lip in indifference before looking back at Bill.

Bill just stood there and glared at her.

“I don’t know what this smart-ass attitude is about, Brielle. But it better be gone when I get back home.”

And he walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door. Brielle sat on the king-sized bed and listened as the car engine cranked on and Bill’s BMW backed out of driveway. She then heard the gears shift and the car drive away.

Bandit hopped off the bed, gently took the business card in his mouth, then walked back to the bed, jumped onto the bed and dropped the card in front of Brielle. He then sat there and began to pant.

“Good doggie! Good dog!” Brielle gushed as she ruffled the fur on his head, then picked up the business card. Bandit licked his chops as Brielle continued to show him affection.

Brielle took a deep breath and exhaled. She then got up and walked across the Master Bedroom to the door of the walk-in closet and opened it. It was a good thing that summertime was here, so she was in no rush and didn’t have to take Jane and Olivia to School.

A Well-Thought Out Plan

It was almost six-thirty in the morning and the kids were still asleep. Brielle decided to put this time to good use. Bandit sat on the bed and watched Brielle attentively as she went into the walk-in closet, stood on her tiptoes, and reached for the luggage that was kept on one of the top shelves.

Brielle pulled down three huge rolling suitcases, a duffle bag, and two overnight bags. She then drug them all out of the closet, flung them on the bed, whipped open the zippers and opened them all.

Next, Brielle began rummaging through her bureau, chest of drawers, and dresser, removing all the contents of all the drawers, and flinging them on the bed. Bandit scurried and jumped off the bed. Brielle then, began quickly folding the clothing, starting with her braziers and panties. Next, she folded all her night gowns and pajama sets. When she was done with them, she began folding her smock tops, tee shirts, pairs of shorts, sweaters, and sweats.

Once she had emptied all the drawers and folded the contents and placed them neatly in one of the huge suitcases. She then rushed back to the closet and removed all her nice dresses, pantsuits, stylish blue jeans, slacks, and blouses. Brielle made four trips from the walk-in, to her bed and back, carrying armloads of her attire, still draped through the plastic hangers. She flung them on the bed next to the half-filled and opened suitcases.

Exodus

Bandit sat in the corner and his ears perked up. He cocked his head, as he watched Brielle working.

Brielle worked quickly and efficiently, going into the master bath and to the huge vanity and huge lighted mirror. She began grabbing all her makeup, skin care items, and fragrances. Brielle pulled one of the bottom drawers open, took out two huge makeup bags, then set them on top of the vanity. She then began placing the makeup and skin care in one makeup bag and the fragrances in the other.

After she was done packing her beauty items, she grabbed one of the overnight bags and quickly packed her toiletries. She opened the huge linen closet, took out three rolls of toilet paper, and threw them in too.

Just as she finished packing all her personals, she heard Baby Kennedy start to whimper in the nursery down the hall. She quickly rushed into the baby’s room as the baby girl began a full-blown cry and lifted her out of her crib.

“Mama’s got you, pumpkin.” Brielle assured the baby in a soothing voice as she lifted her in her arms and kissed her forehead.

She then laid the baby back in her crib, checked her diaper. Baby Kennedy cooed and sucked on her fist as Brielle pulled the soiled diaper off, then cleaned and powdered her little bottom. As soon as Brielle secured a clean diaper onto the baby, she lifted her in her arms again and the baby cooed happily, taking a hold of Brielle’s nose and studied the tip of it as a jeweler would a diamond.

Making Good Time

“Are you hungry, darling? Let’s go downstairs and get some breakfast!” Brielle said in a playful tone of excitement. She took the baby downstairs with Bandit following at her heels.

Two hours later, Brielle had fed the baby and placed her in the play pin and was preparing a breakfast of eggs, sausage, ham, and biscuits, when Olivia sleepily trudged down the stairs and came into the kitchen. Bandit was thirstily lapping up the water in his water bowl.

When Olivia came into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, Brielle smiled.

“’Morning, sunshine. ‘Ya want some breakfast?” She asked cheerily.

Olivia nodded her head ‘yes’ and plopped down at the table. Just then, Jane came into the kitchen, yawning. She blinked her eyes a few times as she sat down across from Olivia.

“Is Dad gone already?” Jane asked sleepily.

“Yep. ‘Sure is.” Brielle chirped.

First Day of Their New Lives

Jane stared at her mother as Brielle happily bounced about the kitchen, preparing the food.

Jane noticed her mother’s usually upbeat demeanor and gave her a strange look.

“Boy! You sure are chipper today. What’s the occasion? I mean, I know Dad’s gone and everything, but I’ve never seen you with this much pep in your step, Mom.” She remarked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Brielle said as she took the spatula and placed two fried eggs on each of the three plates. She then forked over two pieces of crisp bacon per plate and buttered a piece of toast for each of them.

Jane and Olivia exchanged funny looks. Puzzled, Olivia looked at her mother, then looked back at Jane and shrugged her shoulders.

Brielle brought the girl’s plates and sat them on the table in front of them. She then walked back over to the counter, where her plate was sitting.

Jane slightly turned her head to a side and looked at her mother with suspicion.

She Couldn’t Contain Her Smile

“Okay, Mom. Something’s up. Now, what is it?” She said sternly.

“It’s nothing, honey.” Brielle said.

“You’re practically glowing, Mom.” Olivia added.

“Okay, girls. Eat your breakfast.” Brielle said, standing at the counter with her back turned to the girls, popping a piece of bacon in her mouth, and trying harder to conceal her excitement.

Bandit let a cheerful yip as he sat beside the door, panting in excitement. Brielle paused from her cooking to open the patio doors and let him out.

After breakfast, Brielle handed Jane the baby and the girls went back upstairs to their rooms. Next, Brielle went outside, with the dog following close behind her, to the tool shed and rummaged through the tools until she found a spade. She then went out to the stone-built fence that bordered their huge back yard. At the far-east corner of the fence, just under the three huge palm trees, Brielle knelt and began digging.

Because the weather had been dry and it had been about six weeks sense the last rain, the ground was hard, and Brielle had to extend extra effort to dig. It took an hour of digging before she finally set the spade down beside the hole.

Brielle wiped the sweat off her forehead before she reached into the hole and pulled out something wrapped in a black trash bag. She then tore open the trash bag and pulled out an old, tin lock box sealed in a gallon Ziploc bag.

A Well-Hidden Secret

Bandit came sniffing around Brielle and his large snoz twitched as he sniffed the wrapped object in Brielle’s hand.

“Not now, Bandit. Run along. Go play.” She commanded the dog.

After removing the small lock box from the Ziploc bag, Brielle opened it and took out two small envelopes wrapped in clear plastic wrap. When she tore off the plastic wrap, she opened the envelopes to reveal a slew of one-hundred-dollar bills. She then closed the envelopes, placed them back in the lock box, and took it inside the house after refilling the hole.

When Brielle got back inside the house, she went upstairs. As she then headed down the hall to her room, she could hear Olivia in her room, playing with the baby, and the baby laughing. She could also hear Jane in her bedroom, typing on her computer.

Brielle went into her room, closing the door behind her. As she finished packing her suitcases, she heard Bandit scratching at the door and yipping. Brielle dashed over to the door and let Bandit in.

The Value of a Dog

Bandit was so close to Brielle that he could not stand being away from her. Not even a short distance away. Bill, on the other hand, the dog avoided like the plague. From the time, Brielle brought him home as a puppy, Bandit avoided Bill and would even growl at him if he got to close. It seemed that on the very first day in the family, that small puppy could sense evil when it was near.

Brielle thought of this.

“Isn’t it funny how much better dogs were than humans at figuring other people out? How I wish I’d been as smart as Bandit when I met Bill.”

It was sad that most people did not give dogs the credit they deserved, or any animal for that matter. They often mistook animals to be stupid and they were anything but! Animals had stronger instincts than humans, or did they just listen to them more and stay in tune with their natural instincts? Whereas people often ignored their intuitions.

Brielle remembered the first day they had Bandit. She remembered Bill coming home from work and reaching to pet the cute puppy only for baby Bandit to let out a ferocious snarl, then snap at him, prompting Bill to snatch his hand out of the puppy’s reach. She remembered telling Bill that the new puppy would just have to get used to him. But Bandit never did get used to Bill and now, Brielle knew why.

The Love of a Dog

But he loved Brielle and those girls, and he was fiercely protective of them. Bandit was their four-legged defender and they loved him back. Dogs were more loyal than humans and would defend their beloved humans to the death. The loyalty and love of a dog was the closest thing and second purest to the love of God.

Townies, Cronies, and Hayseeds II C2

Chapter 2
The Last Straw
Present day.

Brielle Bennett Markowitz was busy over the stove getting dinner ready as her six-month-old baby girl Kennedy cried from her play pin which had been placed in the breakfast nook. “Mom!” Brielle heard one of the older children call out as her two older daughters, thirteen-year-old Jane and eleven-year-old Olivia came storming down the stairs after having a huge argument upstairs.

“I’ve told Olivia a thousand times to stay out of my closet! She’s got her own clothes! Why does she always want to wear mine!” Jane shouted in frustration.

“Because I like your clothes better! C’mon, Jane! I was just burrowing your pink blouse with the shoulder holes! I would’ve given it back!” Olivia cried back as baby Kennedy continued to cry and scream in the background.

“Alright, girls,” Brielle gently scolded as she scurried over to the play pin and took the baby in her arms. Then she carried the baby over to the stove and continued to prepare dinner with the baby on her hip.

“Look, I’m tired of you going in my room and pilfering through my clothes and makeup! You could at least ask me before you start rummaging through my stuff!”

Sibling Rivelry

“Okay, girls! That’s enough. And Olivia, your sister’s right. You wouldn’t want anyone going through your belongings. So, stop going through Jane’s. We’ve had this discussion before.” Brielle told her.

She walked away from the stove and repositioned the baby to her shoulder, gently bouncing the crying infant.

“I know you’re hungry, sweetie. I’m working on it.” Brielle cooed as she went to the pantry, opened it, and took out a small jar of peas and carrots style baby food. Olivia followed her mother and kept talking.

“I know. But when are you going to start buying me clothes like Jane’s? I’m tired of wearing this baby stuff! And when are you going to start letting me wear makeup?” Olivia groaned.

“When you get to be Jane’s age.” Brielle told her middle daughter as she opened the baby food jar and emptied it into a small pastel pink child’s bowl.

An Abusive Husband and Father

Olivia turned to her older sister and glared at her.

“You make me sick!”

“Shut up!” Jane shot back.

“Hey-hey-hey-hey! Both of you girls stop bickering. Jane, honey, could you feed the baby for me while I finish getting dinner ready?” Brielle said.

“Yes, ma’am. Hand her to me.” Jane sighed.

Brielle handed the fussy baby to the big sister and Jane took her to the dinner table and began spoon-feeding her. Brielle then walked over to the patio door and whistled.

“C’mon, Bandit! Here, boy!”

Bandit, a large collie and Lassie look-a-like, came bouncing into the house as Olivia sat his bowl of dog food on the floor in front of him.

Suddenly, they all heard the front door open and slam shut.

“Hey! What’s all this racket in here! I could hear you all outside when I pulled up!” Bill called as he came into the kitchen in his suit and carrying his briefcase. He sat the briefcase down.

His Temper Flares

Jane and Olivia quieted immediately as they cringed. But the baby kept crying as Jane tried to feed her.

“Shut that baby up! I’ve had a shitty day at work, and I want quiet!” Bill yelled to Jane.

“Oh, right! ‘You want quiet with a baby in the house? Good luck, Dad!” Jane replied.

Bandit stopped eating and lifted his head. He whimpered, then darted under the table and hid.

Bill stopped dead and his eyes flashed at Jane, seemingly shooting fire at his oldest daughter. He then slowly and threateningly took a few steps toward the young girl feeding the baby. Jane paused as the look of fear slowly spread across her face. The baby’s cries decreased to whimpers.

“What did you just say to me, little lady! What did you just say!” He growled, his voice raising with every word and ending with a yell. Hearing the yelling, the baby suddenly began screaming again.

“Dad please. Don’t.” Jane said in a low but stiff voice as her father slowly loomed above her.

“No! Bill, don’t!” Brielle shouted.

Bandit let out a few more whimpers. Olivia just stood back, frozen, and slightly shook her head at her father.

Jane’s Had Enough

Bill suddenly swiped the jar of baby food from the table, then violently turned and hurled it at Brielle. Brielle ducked and the flying jar soared past her shoulder, missing its target by only a centimeter or two. The jar shattered against the Mosaic tiled wall, spraying droplets of leftover baby food all over the kitchen. The baby’s screams suddenly increased to shrieks of terror.

Olivia flinched with every move her father made, she then began crying.

“Nobody say’s ‘don’t’ to me! Not you, not her! Nobody!” Bill growled before looking around the kitchen, then looking back at Jane, then Brielle.

“Now, clean this shit up!” He barked before walking out of the kitchen.

Jane looked at her mother.

“Mama, I don’t understand. Why…” She began.

Brielle looked at Jane and shook her head frantically. You could hear Bandit whimpering again, under the table.

“Shhhhh, Jane. Please, honey. Keep your voice down or he’ll hear you. Don’t make him any angrier than he already is.”

Suddenly, Jane jumped up.

“No! Screw this! I’m tired of living in fear all the time! You’re wrong, Dad! What you’re doing to us is fucking wrong and I’m sick of it! I’m sick of the rest of us being terrorized by you! So, screw you and the horse you rode in on!” Jane shouted, “I’m done being afraid of your ass!”

Brielle gasped.

“Jane, stop! Please!”

Bill Gets a Nasty Surprise

Suddenly, they heard a door slam and Bill darted back into the kitchen, grabbed Jane by the wrist with one hand, and slapped her across the face with the other hand. Bandit began barking frantically.

“No! Noooo!” Brielle cried, “Bill, unhand her now!”

As the dog continued to bark loudly, Bill went to slap his daughter again, something in Jane snapped. Jane blocked the potential slap and twisted her father’s arm such that she flipped him over on the floor. Bill then lay on the floor, looking up at his teenaged daughter with the look of shock and horror.

Jane stood over him, looking down at her father with fire in her eyes.

“Let that be the last time you ever again raise a hand to me! I won’t take it anymore, Dad! I love you, but enough is enough! I’m done being your whipping girl and so are the rest of us! Be a man and start being a decent father for once in your miserable life!” She shouted.

“What the hell! How did you do that!” Bill asked in an angry but shaky voice.

“Gee, Dad! I don’t know. Maybe I’m just tired of your crap! Did you really think we were going to keep taking your abuse forever! Really, Dad? You wouldn’t accept being beat down, but you think we will, or should? Ha! Boy, are you delusional! Our fear may have been our biggest weakness, but your grandiosity is yours. And the good thing about weaknesses is that it can be used against you. Oops!” Jane taunted before she took the baby, stepped over her dad and walked away.

Bill is Stunned Silent

By then, Bandit’s barks had decreased to low growls. Brielle put her arm around Olivia and they too walked out of the kitchen. Brielle knelt down and put her hand out to Bandit, who was still hiding under the table and growling.

“Here, boy! It’s okay, sweetie! Come on! Come on, baby!”

Bandit slowly came out from under the table and approached Brielle. Brielle petted and soothed the frightened dog as he whimpered, then began panting.

Bill got up, visibly shaken, and didn’t speak a word to his family for the rest of the night.

Spousal Bullying (Domestic Abuse)

One of my readers suggested that I do a piece on spousal bullying, and I apologize for the length of this post. Because there’s much to cover on this subject, I did my best to cover everything as concisely as possible.

Whether you call it domestic abuse or spousal abuse, it is still a form of bullying, only the bullying takes place in the home against a significant other. The reason this is a form of bullying is because there is a clear power imbalance between the abuser and the target and the attacks, whether physical, verbal, or psychological, are repetitive. They become a pattern, and are ongoing over a period of months, years, or decades.

The bully in the home, (or domestic abuser) abuses the target verbally, emotionally, and/or physically to assert power and dominance and keep them from gaining or maintaining their independence, defending themselves, or leaving the relationship.

The bully feels he/she must use intimidation and force to keep their partner in line because they are life losers who have no social intelligence and no redeeming qualities. Somewhere along the way, they’ve been taught through experience that being a loving partner, calming talking out any issues, or seduction and soft persuasion are either signs of weakness, or doesn’t work.

But the reality is that they never learned how to love. They never learned social skills and how to use positive re-enforcement. Also, they never mastered the art of charm or soft persuasion. So, the only thing these poor souls have left in their toolbox is the use of intimation, force, and violence.

Here are ways that domestic bullies keep control and dominance over their partners:

1. Verbal abuse. If you have a partner that subtly puts you down through jokes or offhand comments, it is still verbal abuse, only you are in the early stages of it. But understand that this stage is the safest time to leave and the longer you stay in the relationship, the more danger you will be in when you finally do walk away.

 Know that you deserve to live a peaceful life on your own for a while. And when the time comes, you deserve a partner who respects you and treats you with love. You owe it to yourself to get out of the relationship before it gets any worse. 

Anyone who screams, yells, curses you, or calls you degrading names does not love you but only wants to control you and run your life. They may claim they love you but actions speak louder than words..

Again, you must find a path of escape and disappear because verbal bullying tends to turn physical if not dealt with. Do what you must do to get yourself to safety. I realize that it’s hard to leave someone you love, but if your partner doesn’t love you enough to treat you with respect and ensure your safety, you’re better off alone where you can live in peace and make room for someone who truly loves you and treats you with the respect you deserve.

2. Physical abuse. Nobody wants to be physically beaten and many people will submit to a bully just to keep from getting hurt. However, submission only provides physical safety in the short term. Bullies/abusers always come back for more. Again, any form of bullying and abuse will escalate if it’s not addressed properly.

Like school bullying, workplace bullying, and neighborhood bullying, spousal or domestic bullying can very quickly become a pattern and escalate because the bully grows comfortable with abusing their target. Bullies and abusers are notorious for pushing the envelope. In other words, when they get bored with verbal abuse, they will begin to commit “borderline physical abuse,” which is shoving or tripping. Next, they’ll up the ante to “blatant physical abuse” through punching, choking, kicking and progress on to severe beatings until it finally ends in murder.

If you are being physically abused, it’s imperative that you call police and a battered partner’s shelter and get help. Find a way to get out of the relationship. The last thing you want is to end up dead and any children you have (if you have any) to become orphaned.

3. Controlling the purse strings. Domestic abusers/Spousal bullies are notorious for keeping a tight fist on any household income. They refuse to give their partners any money or allow them to go to work and make their own money. If the abused partner happens to have a job, the bully/abuser will demand that they give them the money, or they force them to quit their jobs.

Understand that the reason these bullies are so stingy with the money is because they want to control you and they know that having your own money brings freedom and independence. The last thing the abuser wants is for you to have enough money to find an apartment somewhere and skip out on them one day while they’re at work. What better way is there to keep you stuck in the relationship than to keep you broke?

4. Isolating you from family and friends. Spousal bullies (or domestic abusers) do this to cut you off from any support you might receive from outside the relationship. Understand that the bully is very much afraid that you might speak up about the abuse and that your family and friends might advise you to drop them. And gasp! You just might take their advice!

So, they cut you off from your support system and keep you all to themselves to abuse and degrade at will. Again, you must find a way to get away from this person…fast!

5. Using any children you have together as leverage. Many spousal bullies will threaten to take the children and never allow the abused partner to see the kids again. I’ve heard and read many stories like this. Domestic abusers/spousal bullies use the love you have for your children to intimidate you into staying with them and letting them continue the abuse. But understand that when an abusive partner does this, he/she doesn’t really love the children nor want what’s best for them. They only use the poor kids as pawns in a very dangerous game. 

I cannot stress enough that, if you want to protect yourself and your children, you must find a way to leave the relationship and get legal and financial help. Because not only will you be in danger, but your children will too. Also, your children can end up with long-term emotional trauma if you don’t take them and get away. So, please. I beg you. Get your ducks in a row and leave this person, not only for your own safety, but for that of your precious children.

Understand that anyone who must bully and abuse their partner is highly insecure in the relationship. They are the weak ones. They are the cowards. If you are the target in an abusive relationship, I want you to know that none of it is your fault. Realize that it’s not your responsibility to fix this person. Know that you owe it to yourself, your children, and your family and friends to find a way out of the relationship so that you can lead a better, happier, and more productive life, and so that your children, family, and friends do not risk losing a loved one to murder.

Know that you’re worth it and you deserve to be free of your abusive partner and lead a life of peace and safety!

If you’ve suffered spousal bullying (domestic abuse), please feel free to tell your story in the comment section below. Also, if I’ve left anything out, let me know in the comments.