Random acts of Violence, one

It was a warm day and the sun beat down making the pavement hot, the warmth radiated upwards and she could feel it on her bare legs even though she was up higher than normal. She took a step and her skinny legs wobbled. She took another and she shook again, this time too far and her balance was gone. In that moment, she knew she was falling but was safe as strong arms reached out and pulled her completely off the low fence that run along the beach and into a firm hug.

She giggled, then laughed. "I almost made it all the way that time, Daddy."

"You did indeed, you are getting so much better at it, tomorrow for sure. Want an ice cream?"

"Of course! That is a silly question. Again." she smiled with a fake scowl.

The sound and smell of the waves crashed into the senses just as they did the golden sands beyond the beam she had just been attempting to walk it's length. It was almost a ritual, every time they walked to the beach she would see if she could walk the length of the fence without falling. Today was a good day, she almost made it. She only ever attempted once each day though, it made it more special.

Her little hand was wrapped inside his as they walked and it always made her feel safe. She knew, as long as he was by her side, she would have nothing to fear. She also knew he was smart, he had an answer for everything and when he explained things, he left out nothing. She didn't always understand everything but, she always listened and always tried to grasp even the difficult parts.

As they reached the ice cream stall he bent down to her so they were eye to eye. He always did this for the serious moments and this was serious.

"So, think hard. What flavour today?"

It was more off his nonsense questions of course, another ritual. The answer was always the same and he knew it. When he bent down to her eye level it was either for seriousness or for silliness. There had only been once when it had been really serious, when her mother had died from cancer. She knew it was going to happen but, hearing her dad say it broke her. It broke him too, she knew.

She knew he had tried to help, but even he, as smart as he was, could not help her. They got through it together, but it had been a long year. Every time he bent down to talk like this it reminded her of the pain she saw in his eyes.

"Mint chocolate, you know that, daddy!"

He raised and ordered while she looked about. She enjoyed observing people as they lived life, perhaps it came from her fathers lessons or perhaps the genes but, she would watch. She moved from person to person, the toddler crying after a fall, the mother rushing to his side. The man on the beach going from group to group selling sunglasses, sunscreen and watches. Who buys a watch at the beach she wondered.

"Here you go honey."

"Thanks, daddy. Did they have Pistachio for you this time?"

"Not this time either. One day though."

The sun was coming lower in the sky and the shadows were lengthening. Plenty of daylight left to enjoy for the walk home. It wasn't far so they would walk randomly along the back streets to see what knew things they could find to talk about. Last time they came across an injured cat, it's legs were broken, probably hit by a passing car.

Her father inspected it and said, there was nothing to be done. He said to turn away as he must help it. But she had insisted she must watch as it is part of life. He was the one that had taught her about life and death after all. she watched as he gently picked up the cat, its eyes seemed to know. There seemed to be gratitude in them. He broke its neck quickly, the movement stopped. She cried, but knew it was the right thing to do and knew again, her dad did the best he could, he is a doctor after all.

"Which way?" He asked.
"Thattaway!" She pointed. "We have never been there."
"Thattaway it is!" he mimicked, and they set off down a narrowing road.

She wasn't looking where they were going now just wandering in an ice cream filled dream, concentrating on the job at hand. The ice cream was melting fast in the heat and she was licking both the edge of the cone and her fingers equally, trying to not let one drip fall and be wasted.

"Hey honey, we are going to go back the way we came."

Her dad's voice snapped her out of the daze and she looked up. Four men were standing in front of them, she had no idea where they had come from but they were scruffy and as the breeze shifted, she could smell them. Unclean and dirty, like they had been sleeping in trash.

"We don't want any trouble." Her dad said as he backed them away, "We will be on our way."

"Give us your money." one spat.

"Sure, I don't have much but I will give you what I have, ok? Just let us on our way. We will just walk away. Ok?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled the few notes and coins that were in his shorts and dropped them onto the ground.

"That it??" He shouted, and twitched. "That all you got?"

Her father confirmed and added , times are hard for everyone at the moment, we are all struggling to survive. She watched her father, she was behind him, and could not see his eyes but she knew, he was scared, he stood straight and tried to make himself as large and as wide as he could. To shield her she thought. They had talked about moments like this before. 'Run' was the order, do not look back.

The men split and spread out and the one doing the talking looked straight at her. "The necklace." he said. Her necklace, her mother's necklace. The thin chain of gold, the only thing she had left of her, the only material thing she valued in the world.

"No." she said, "NO!" she shouted. Defiance from a little girl. Defiance of the man who wanted it and her father who had always said to just hand over whatever they ask, it is just stuff. Life is more precious.

For a moment, the man was taken aback, and then anger flashed in his eyes as he lunged for her, hands out, aiming for her neck where the necklace lay. She froze and closed her eyes but no blow came, he didn't make it.

Her father cracked him in the side of the head with his fist and he fell the ground as she opened her eyes. Something clattered to the ground, a syringe but it was a large dirty spoon that made the noise.

Her father looked at her as she saw the three men behind him leap forward. He turned back and swung wildly, clipping one enough to push him back but not stop him for long. The other two knocked him down to the ground. But he was strong she knew. He pushed one off but the third had recovered enough to join his companions.

Her father fought, gripping and clawing at the men, hurting them she could see. There was still a chance she knew, but there was nothing she could do. She watched as one of the men struggled and fumbled for something on the ground. His fingers clasped and he raised his hand, she spoon flashed, caught in the dying sun.

"Ruuun!" her father screamed, but she could not. The hand came down, all movement stopped, time froze. The men stopped, her father stopped. Her heart stopped.

And then, time began again. The men slowly stood and moved away. Her father did not. He lay on his back, staring into the sky, the bowl of the spoon pointing in the direction he looked, the handle plunged deep into his eye.

The men looked shocked, scared like rabbits and they pulled their leader to his feet. The man looked at the scene he had missed, looked at the blood spouting from her father's wounds. He looked at her, there was misery in his eyes, it was the same look her father had when he had knelt down to her level and told her of her mother's death.

"Why? Why didn't you just give it, it is just a necklace?"

Taraz
[ an original ]