Tina A Woman of Today.

Tina sighed a sigh of relief, she had just been granted her Decree Nici, six weeks to go and she will be a free woman the word free, went through her mind over and over again, Free from the mental and physical abuse which she had suffered, going through a divorce and living in the same house, it was hell on earth. It would mean no more barricading the bedroom door at night and no more rows in front of the children, oh, how she wished that she could go to sleep, and wake up when it was all over. The last three months had left her body completely drained, her eyes were black underneath and puffy due to lack of sleep. Her husband came home all hours of the night, mostly the worse for drink. She lay fighting against sleep waiting and wondering what state he would be in. Would the abuse start again or would he be too drunk and fall asleep, how she prayed for the latter, She knew every car engine in the street; her heart beat like crazy when she heard his car come round the corner.

Tina could never understand why he was never stopped by the police for drunken driving.

She heard him put his key in the door. He came in cursing and swearing. Tina’s heart was near to bursting, she pleaded with God to let him go to sleep. He banged about as he went into the bedroom, cursing her through the bedroom wall, telling her that her number would soon be up. Eventually he fell asleep, leaving her mentally exhausted.

With the birds all gone it would soon be time to dismantle the aviary.

The buyer will be collecting it later this afternoon. This would give Tina time to pick up Ellie from her nursery school and collect Paul from school.

The children were watching the television when the men arrived.

Two happy looking chaps took the aviary apart and loaded it on to the lorry, by this time the children were watching through the front window.

"Where are those masters taking my shed said Ellie". "What are they doing with it said Paul". Tina told them that the birds will be going to live in a bigger place, where they will have a lot more space to fly about.

The children satisfied with this story, settled down to watch the television.

The weeks passed by rather slowly. Tina was still fighting to keep her sanity. It was the last week, the sixth week, it will soon be over, tomorrow he will be gone from the premises. Could she make it through the night?

him knowing it was his last night made Tina more frightened. She kept hearing his voice over and over again "your number is up".

His threats were going through her mind all the time.

She was more frightened knowing that the telephone had been cut off, because she didn’t have the money to pay the bill.

She was panic stricken. Tina put the children in her bed and barricaded the bedroom door and waited, she prayed to God that he would be drunk,

And fall asleep. She lay on her bed shaking with fear, her bladder near to bursting. Could she make it down stairs through the kitchen to the bathroom.

Tina unbarricaded the bedroom door and made her way down stairs.

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard his car come round the corner. She couldn’t go back now, she was desperate, and she knew that no matter what he did to her he wouldn’t harm the children.

If she could just make her way to the bathroom she could lock herself in and be safe.

Her heart pounding Tina tried desperately to move quicker, but. Her body seemed to be in slow motion. She reached out her arms to hold on to something, something crashed down on her knocking her to the floor. It was the ironing board and the metal piece had hit her head giving her a nasty cut. She lay on the floor blood pouring from her head. Eventually she pulled herself up from the floor soaked in blood and urine, and locked herself in the bathroom.

It was very quiet; all Tina could hear was her own heart pounding.

"Where was he? She wondered, he must have lost his key, he could stay out there all night there was no way that Tina was letting him in.

Suddenly there was shouting coming from the front of the house.

He was cursing through the letter box threatening what he would do to her if she did not open the door. Tina knowing that he was outside and that she was safe cleaned herself up and put on a clean robe. If she needed to escape she wanted to look tidy.

His cursing had stopped. Tina became suspicious; she crept out of the bathroom stepped over the ironing board on the floor and went over to the lounge window. She peered through a gap in the curtains, her heart missed a beat, she jumped back in horror, and his face was peering back at her. The cursing began again even louder than before.

Tina knew that the only thing to do was to go upstairs and barricade the bedroom door. Once inside the bedroom she felt safe again.

She pleaded with God to help her; she recited the same prayer over and over again. Out of the depths I cry to you o lord, lord hear my prayer, time seem to go slowly he was still outside cursing.

Then suddenly there were more voices, some one had phoned the police they were questioning her husband. Tina ran down stairs and opened the door for the policemen. After a lengthy discussion the police told him to collect his belongings and leave the premises. Tina realised it was after midnight and the absolute was up now.

He was warned by the police never to cause her or the children anymore distress and to keep away from them.

Tina could not believe her eyes, this eighteen stone monster that had terrorised her and made her life hell. Was now being escorted off the premises blubbering and crying like a baby.

                                                                         by Marie Staniforth