The Angel's Silence

It was 7:56 PM, on a breezy Autumn evening.

Lenka Zita was trying to put her seven year old son Juraj to bed without awakening her four year old daughter Dijana. She begged and pleaded with him, but he refused to listen. He was jumping on the sofa, yelling at his mother to turn the television set back on. Lenka never disciplined her son, fearing that he would grow to despise her the way she despises her father. His idea of discipline was a beating anytime she or her sister did anything wrong. Her parents split up when she was only seven. Her mother ran off with another man, and moved to Spain. Leaving Lenka and her five year older sister Tihana to bare the wrath of their abusive, alcoholic father. Tihana left home at eighteen, leaving Lenka to deal with her father alone. His anger only increased after she left home, and for the next five years Lenka feared for her life daily. The day of her eighteenth birthday, Stojan, her father, packed his things and left. She never heard from him again.

She was now a mother of two whose husband spent many nights away.

He was a successful defense lawyer, which allowed Lenka and her children to live a life of luxury.

Though she would gladly give it all up to have Koloman, her husband, home more often. She was practically raising her children alone. Even when Koloman was home, his mind was buried so deep in a case he might as well be somewhere else.

Her daughter Dijana was an angel, who never gave her any troubles, but her son was a totally different story. He was a handful, who Lenka could barely manage to take care of.

She was a Nurse before becoming a mother. Their wealth made it possible for her to hire a nanny for her children, but Koloman refused. He did not want his children being raised by a stranger.

Now Lenka sat alone in the diner room, listening to the sound of Juraj destroying everything he would get his small hands on. Her head was pounding, and she found herself reaching her breaking point. Finally, she snapped!

She ran back into the living room, grabbed Juraj, placed him in his bed, and yelled at him to go to sleep. He slapped her, and tugged on her hair.

"I'm not going to sleep!"

He shouted.

"Oh, yes you are!"

Lenka shouted back.

She grabbed his favorite stuffed bear, and said that he would not get it back until he learned to behave.

"No!

Give it back!

I hate you!"

He shouted, while tossing a toy airplane at her, making her lip bleed.

At this moment, she felt herself becoming her father. She was on the verge of losing control.

However, she just stepped out of the room, and locked the door behind her.

She stepped into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

She was horrified at her appearance.

She was a mere shell of the beautiful woman she used to be.

Her dark brown hair was beginning to turn Grey, her skin began to wrinkle. He eyes were bloodshot, while heavy bags fell below them from lack of sleep. There was not a drop of makeup on her face. Food had become her only comfort, thus, resulting in weight gain.

She was only thirty-two, but looked at least ten years older.

Juraj was still screaming, but Lenka was not going to give in.

She was not sure, however, if she was doing the right thing.

She went into the kitchen to get some ice for her lip.

She sat down on a black leather chair and stared directly into the burning fireplace. It was the only light on in the house, other than the night lights in the children's rooms.

She looked around at the room. There was broken glass everywhere from Juraj.

Her husband was due home within the hour, and if he saw the house that way it would not be pretty. He was also abusive on occasion, but only to her, and not nearly as bad as her father was. She has no money of he own, and no family or friends close by, so leaving him was not an option.

She had picked up all of the broken glass, and now was on her hands and knees cleaning up fruit juice from the carpet.

"Mommy."

She heard a soft voice call out behind her.

It was her daughter, Dijana.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Lenka asked

"I heard screaming, and got scared."

She said.

She was wearing a light pink nightgown, while holding her stuffed rabbit.

"It's alright now, Dijana. Go back to sleep. I'll be up there in a minute, OK?"

Lenka said. Her voice sounded exhausted.

This situation played out almost nightly.

She continued cleaning up the mess

"What the hell is this?"

Someone with a deep voice shouted behind her.

It was her husband Koloman.

"I come home from a hard day at work to this?"

He said, sounding more and more angry.

Lenka looked up at him, and said,

"You're home early. I thought this mess would be cleaned up by the time you got home. I'm sorry."

"I am only thirteen minutes early.

You really think this whole mess would be cleaned up by then?

You're a bigger idiot than I thought."

"I said I was sorry. I really am."

Lenka said, while reaching for a towel she had next to her.

"Sorry isn't going to clean this mess up."

He said, while kicking a bucket of water over.

"Koloman!

Why did you do that for?

Lenka shouted.

"Don't you ever shout at me!

Why are you wearing your good close to clean in?

Do you have any idea how much they cost?"

"I'm sorry. I was in a hurry, and forgot."

"You think I'm just made of money, don't you?

You have no idea how hard I work, while you sit around the house getting fat.

I want the weight off of you by years end or else.

I don't want anyone to know I'm married to a fat slob."

He then walked away.

Lenka breathed a sigh of relief.

She continued cleaning, and when she was done, she stepped into the bedroom.

Koloman was in the shower.

She picked his clothes off of the floor, and was about to place them over a chair, so she would remember to take them to the dry cleaners the next day, when she saw what looked like a red lip print on the color of his white button down shirt. It was not hers, seeing as she never wore lipstick.

She looked up, and saw Koloman staring at her. She could hear the shower still on.

"Whose is this?"

She asked him.

"None of your business."

He shouted

"I this from the same woman who you're always on the phone with? I think I heard you call her Soňa."

"How dare you listen in on my private calls!"

He said, while grinding his teeth together.

"How many other girls are there, Koloman?"

"That is none of your business!

I wouldn't need any other girl if you weren't so disgusting. I'm ashamed to call you my wife."

The argument continued, and soon became violent after Lenka stated she wanted a divorce."

"If you even consider leaving me, I'll take everything, including the children, and leave you with nothing."

"You don't care about me or the children. Your son gave me a fat lip tonight. Like father, like son."

"You're right. I don't love you. I haven't loved you in many years. You ruined everything when you got pregnant with those brats. But I will make your life miserable if you ever cross me."

"Go to hell!"

She shouted, while walking away.

He ran after her, and began punching her. She tried to defend herself, but was no match to him. He was strong and powerful.

The fight continued for several more minutes, when Dijana walked out of the room, and said,

"What's going on?"

Dijana could see the fear in her mother's eyes.

"Nothing, dear. Just go to sleep. I'll be there soon."

"You said that a long time ago, and I can't sleep until you check under my bed for monsters."

"Disgusting brat!

She looks just like you.

She'll probably grow up, and become you, and make some man out there miserable. Just like you have done to me.

Go to bed now!"

He shouted at her.

"I want my mommy."

She said, holding onto her stuffed rabbit even tighter."

"You do as I say!"

He screamed.

when she did not obey, he slapped her across the face.

When she started to cry, he slapped her some more. She ran away, but he ran after her.

Lenka tried to stop him, but he shoved her. She fell and hit her head. She was now unconscious.

The house was so large Koloman quickly lost sight of Dijana.

He now turned his attentions to Juraj, who was now asleep in his locked room.

This infuriated Koloman. He did not know where the key was.

He filled a bowl full of cold water of poured it on Lenka to wake her up.

When she opened her eyes, he grabbed her by the hair, and began to lift her up.

"Where is the key to Juraj's room?"

Lenka refused to answer, so he decided to break down the door. She tried to stop him, but failed.

Juraj was awake, sitting up in his bed.

Koloman walked slowly towards him.

"Juraj, run!"

Lenka called out, now with Dijana by her side.

Juraj began to step out of the room, when Koloman grabbed him by his ankle.

"Let go!"

He called out, while Koloman slapped him.

Juraj bit his hand, and was able to get away.

They ran for the door, but Koloman ran faster.

Lenka got a vase, and hit him over the head with it.

He fell to the ground.

This bought Lenka and her children some time. They got into her minivan, but she soon realized that she had left the keys inside the house, and there was now no time left to get them.

They now must escape on foot.

She picked up Dijana, and she and Juraj ran as fast as they could. They ran for more than twenty minutes. Koloman was nowhere to be found. She stopped near a stop sign to catch her breath.

The train station wasn't far, so she continued to run towards it. Still fearing that Koloman was behind her. She was almost there, when a hand was placed firmly over her mouth.

"Make a sound, and you all will die."

He lead them at gunpoint into a black van, and drove away.

(To Be Continued)