A New Story: Broken

After arriving home late from work, Marsha had a fight with her husband.  The two screamed at one another with a ferocity that finally revealed what both knew for a long time.  They had built up resentment for each other over many years but suppressed it for the sake of appearances.  Neither was happy and blamed the other for their discontent. 

 

Venom spewed from husband and wife and arrows flew around the house.  Each target that suffered a blow caused a retaliatory strike.  Old ammunition was used and new exaggerations augmented the blast radius and effectiveness. 

 

The stress of the whole day, the argument and the situation with the card she took from Julie finally caused Marsha to reach her breaking point.  She suddenly began to sob.  Bob had endured this before.  Normally, seeing the one he once loved crying reminded him of their early days.  Bob would apologize and try to make things right.

 

Instead, her tears caused a feeling of revulsion to rise from the depths of his gut.  He screamed, “No, dammit, no you are not doing that again.  I’ve had it, do you hear me?  I’m done!  I can’t do this anymore!  Not one more minute!”  Then he ran up the stairs to the bedroom.  Marsha sat on the couch weak with tears.  She heard banging and crashing noises but could make no effort to move. 

 

Bob returned downstairs with a large suitcase.  Afraid of what this meant, Marsha shuddered as she asked, “Where you goin’?” 

 

“I’ve had it.  I’m leaving.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘leaving?’”

 

Bob stopped and looked at Marsha.  He leaned toward her and yelled with emphasis on each word, “I am leaving you!”  Fear gripped Marsha.  Primal thoughts of abandonment reached into her chest and removed her heart.  She could feel Bob trampling her heart with each of his words.  The sentence played in a continual loop.  All she could hear was, “I am leaving you!” 

 

She was paralyzed.  After forging her life as one who was in control, the earth shattered in that moment and she was lost in the oblivion.  She felt as though a child wanting to scream out for Bob not to leave.  Only muffled sobs followed Bob as he exited the house. 

 

Marsha was broken.  For the whole of her adult life she had to be in control.  She had to manipulate people and events to maintain what power she could possess.  It was her protection.  It was the way she shielded her soul from the world.  She didn’t comprehend the events and how they turned against her.  She only knew the abject brokenness she felt.  How could she go on?  How could she get up and go to work tomorrow?