Read Online Divine by Karen Kingsbury - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Kingsbury
Tags: Fiction, General, Popular American Fiction, Large Type Books, Religious - General, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Washington (D.C.), General & Literary Fiction, Fiction - Religious, Christian - General, Religious & spiritual fiction, Parables, Christian life & practice
Ads: Link
thought and thought and thought, but she couldn't figure out what Jimbo meant by that. What could she do that would make him rich and happy? She was still wondering when morning came and Lou brought her a bowl of oatmeal and a banana. "Leave your dishes on the bottom step," Lou told her. "I'll get 'em later."
It was a new day, Mary told herself. The day when her mama and her grandma would come. Maybe when she was finished eating. But when she was done and she put her bowl on the stairs with the banana peel inside, Jimbo opened the basement door and stared at her. He came down.
His face had that strange look, and when he reached the couch he smiled at her. "Today's the day, Mary."
"What are you—?" But Mary never finished her question.
He came closer, and he did unspeakable things to her that made her scream—even after he stopped. She felt dead, inside and out, and she threw up her breakfast. Lou came down and cleaned it up.
For three days no one came down to the basement except when Lou brought her food.
Then one afternoon another man came. A man she'd never seen before. He took one look at her and grinned the way the devil grinned in cartoons. Then he gave Jimbo a handful of dollar bills.
Jimbo smiled. "She's all yours." He thudded back upstairs, and now it was the new man's turn.
"This is our special visit, little girl," the man told her. Then just like Jimbo, he hurt her and did awful things while she screamed for her mama and her grandma. "Help me!" She scratched at the man. "Someone, help!"
But no one came and helped, not that day or the next or the day after that. She tried to think of a way to escape. But where would she go and how would she find her way home to her grandma's house? Was this what Jimbo had meant when he said that tomorrow was the first day of the rest of her life? her new life? If so, then she wanted to die.
Mary had no answers, nothing but a sick emptiness. And by the end of the week—with Jimbo and the other man making special visits to the basement—she didn't have to wonder how she was going to make Jimbo a rich and happy man.
She already knew.
----
Chapter 6
Contents - Prev / Next
Emma felt like she was going to pass out. She slid forward and steadied herself on the edge of her chair. "I ... I have to go."
The voices were back. Yes, go, Emma. Go buy the drugs and get it over with. No one loves you, no one'll miss you.
The fog in Mary's eyes cleared. She was a counselor again, sharp and in control, no longer lost in the sickening days of her tenth year. "We're finished for today." Her tone was firm but tender. "You can get your girls and go to your room. We've assigned you to one on the third floor. We have a library on the first floor and a craft table off the kitchen. If you and your children want to watch a movie, there's a den with a television and a VCR on your floor."
Crafts and movies? Emma shook her head. "I don't know." That wasn't what she wanted, was it? She looked out the window. Clouds had gathered, and it was starting to rain. That was okay, she could still find a dealer, still get enough junk to be dead in an hour.
And everyone'll thank you for it, Emma. Your life's been a waste for years now, so leave. . . go get it done. You're trash, and trash needs to he taken out and —
"Emma?"
The voices stopped. Emma shot a look at Mary. "I'm not sure about anything." She needed to flee. The girls were better off without her. If she hadn't wound up here at the women's shelter, she would've been on the streets. And then something terrible could've happened to her girls, the same way it had happened to Mary. The thought was too much to bear. They'd all be better off if she left through the front door and never—
"You promised me you'd come back for the rest of the story." There was a depth to Mary's words that stopped Emma's thoughts in their tracks.
She did promise that, didn't she? But wasn't it obvious where Mary's story went from there? Mary was abused for
It was a new day, Mary told herself. The day when her mama and her grandma would come. Maybe when she was finished eating. But when she was done and she put her bowl on the stairs with the banana peel inside, Jimbo opened the basement door and stared at her. He came down.
His face had that strange look, and when he reached the couch he smiled at her. "Today's the day, Mary."
"What are you—?" But Mary never finished her question.
He came closer, and he did unspeakable things to her that made her scream—even after he stopped. She felt dead, inside and out, and she threw up her breakfast. Lou came down and cleaned it up.
For three days no one came down to the basement except when Lou brought her food.
Then one afternoon another man came. A man she'd never seen before. He took one look at her and grinned the way the devil grinned in cartoons. Then he gave Jimbo a handful of dollar bills.
Jimbo smiled. "She's all yours." He thudded back upstairs, and now it was the new man's turn.
"This is our special visit, little girl," the man told her. Then just like Jimbo, he hurt her and did awful things while she screamed for her mama and her grandma. "Help me!" She scratched at the man. "Someone, help!"
But no one came and helped, not that day or the next or the day after that. She tried to think of a way to escape. But where would she go and how would she find her way home to her grandma's house? Was this what Jimbo had meant when he said that tomorrow was the first day of the rest of her life? her new life? If so, then she wanted to die.
Mary had no answers, nothing but a sick emptiness. And by the end of the week—with Jimbo and the other man making special visits to the basement—she didn't have to wonder how she was going to make Jimbo a rich and happy man.
She already knew.
----
Chapter 6
Contents - Prev / Next
Emma felt like she was going to pass out. She slid forward and steadied herself on the edge of her chair. "I ... I have to go."
The voices were back. Yes, go, Emma. Go buy the drugs and get it over with. No one loves you, no one'll miss you.
The fog in Mary's eyes cleared. She was a counselor again, sharp and in control, no longer lost in the sickening days of her tenth year. "We're finished for today." Her tone was firm but tender. "You can get your girls and go to your room. We've assigned you to one on the third floor. We have a library on the first floor and a craft table off the kitchen. If you and your children want to watch a movie, there's a den with a television and a VCR on your floor."
Crafts and movies? Emma shook her head. "I don't know." That wasn't what she wanted, was it? She looked out the window. Clouds had gathered, and it was starting to rain. That was okay, she could still find a dealer, still get enough junk to be dead in an hour.
And everyone'll thank you for it, Emma. Your life's been a waste for years now, so leave. . . go get it done. You're trash, and trash needs to he taken out and —
"Emma?"
The voices stopped. Emma shot a look at Mary. "I'm not sure about anything." She needed to flee. The girls were better off without her. If she hadn't wound up here at the women's shelter, she would've been on the streets. And then something terrible could've happened to her girls, the same way it had happened to Mary. The thought was too much to bear. They'd all be better off if she left through the front door and never—
"You promised me you'd come back for the rest of the story." There was a depth to Mary's words that stopped Emma's thoughts in their tracks.
She did promise that, didn't she? But wasn't it obvious where Mary's story went from there? Mary was abused for
Similar Books
