take away the thrill of receiving gifts from her mother and her friends. Evie opened her big gift first. The one she knew was from her mama. Mama’s gift was in a large shopping bag that had paper flowers pasted all over and pictures of butterflies colored in bright colors. It contained the most beautiful doll Evie had ever seen. She had curly blond hair and blue eyes that would open and shut. Grace had purchased it at the secondhand store and cleaned it up. She’d made a beautiful dress for the doll from scrap material and a pair of bloomers from an old pillow case that was too worn to sleep on.
As Evie lifted the doll from the bag, all three girls smiled brightly and giggled with delight at the special doll. Evie’s friends seemed to envy the gift and that made it feel even more special to Evie. She told both her friends that they could hold the doll while she opened the gifts they had brought. Rachel had brought a box wrapped in striped paper and topped it with a bright yellow bow. Evie took her time when opening the gifts from her friends. She wanted to save the pretty paper, but she also wanted to savor the happy feeling that came with receiving the gifts on her special day.
In the box from Rachel were some ribbons and bows for Evie’s hair and a brush and comb set with a small mirror so Evie could fix her hair for school. Then from Emily, wrapped in paper covered in pictures of balloons, was a coloring book and one of the big boxes of crayons. For a short time Evie was so happy she almost forgot what had happened earlier when Ralph came home, but when she heard the clock in the hall chime, she knew the girls were about to leave. Once their mothers came to pick them up and the kitchen was clean, Grace told Evie to go straight to bed. I knew she was hoping Ralph had passed out in the recliner as he so often did when he had been drinking. If he happened to sleep through the night, maybe he would forget what was said.
Evie had not bothered to change for bed but had climbed under the sheet still wearing her little green dress from the party. She lay in her bed listening for any sound that might imply he was coming for her. Evie was about to drift off to sleep when Ralph came to life. He was stumbling around and bumping into things. He would curse and mumble but then he got loud. She could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs about how that snot-nosed brat was going to learn a lesson. Evie knew he had his belt because he would always fold it in half and make snapping noises with it before spanking her. She heard Mama rush up the stairs in front of him, trying to calm him and telling him to just let it be and come to bed. Ralph ignored Grace. It was apparent that he could not be distracted. The closer he got, the louder he became. Evie’s bedroom door flung open, and he came in with the belt held high ready to strike. Grace was holding his arm and pleading with him not to hit Evie.
“Ralph, please, you’re too angry, and I’m afraid you will go too far. Calm down, please, and then we will think of a punishment,” she reasoned. Ralph was so angry his entire head was blood red from it. He had a wild look in his eyes, and Evie cowered under the blanket afraid she would be beaten worse than she had ever been. Ralph had spanked her with a belt almost once or twice a week for any little thing, but he had done it before almost like a game to remind her who was boss. He didn’t even have to be angry to whip her. He enjoyed doing it. But this time was different. He was furious and Grace knew once he started he might not be able to stop before doing serious damage.
“Please Ralph; please don’t spank her while you are so angry.” He stopped for a second and with an eerie calmness looked at Grace and said,
“Well, someone is going to pay for the brat’s smart mouth, so if not her then who?”
Grace put her hand on the belt and with the sacrifice of a mother’s love for her child, she
As Evie lifted the doll from the bag, all three girls smiled brightly and giggled with delight at the special doll. Evie’s friends seemed to envy the gift and that made it feel even more special to Evie. She told both her friends that they could hold the doll while she opened the gifts they had brought. Rachel had brought a box wrapped in striped paper and topped it with a bright yellow bow. Evie took her time when opening the gifts from her friends. She wanted to save the pretty paper, but she also wanted to savor the happy feeling that came with receiving the gifts on her special day.
In the box from Rachel were some ribbons and bows for Evie’s hair and a brush and comb set with a small mirror so Evie could fix her hair for school. Then from Emily, wrapped in paper covered in pictures of balloons, was a coloring book and one of the big boxes of crayons. For a short time Evie was so happy she almost forgot what had happened earlier when Ralph came home, but when she heard the clock in the hall chime, she knew the girls were about to leave. Once their mothers came to pick them up and the kitchen was clean, Grace told Evie to go straight to bed. I knew she was hoping Ralph had passed out in the recliner as he so often did when he had been drinking. If he happened to sleep through the night, maybe he would forget what was said.
Evie had not bothered to change for bed but had climbed under the sheet still wearing her little green dress from the party. She lay in her bed listening for any sound that might imply he was coming for her. Evie was about to drift off to sleep when Ralph came to life. He was stumbling around and bumping into things. He would curse and mumble but then he got loud. She could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs about how that snot-nosed brat was going to learn a lesson. Evie knew he had his belt because he would always fold it in half and make snapping noises with it before spanking her. She heard Mama rush up the stairs in front of him, trying to calm him and telling him to just let it be and come to bed. Ralph ignored Grace. It was apparent that he could not be distracted. The closer he got, the louder he became. Evie’s bedroom door flung open, and he came in with the belt held high ready to strike. Grace was holding his arm and pleading with him not to hit Evie.
“Ralph, please, you’re too angry, and I’m afraid you will go too far. Calm down, please, and then we will think of a punishment,” she reasoned. Ralph was so angry his entire head was blood red from it. He had a wild look in his eyes, and Evie cowered under the blanket afraid she would be beaten worse than she had ever been. Ralph had spanked her with a belt almost once or twice a week for any little thing, but he had done it before almost like a game to remind her who was boss. He didn’t even have to be angry to whip her. He enjoyed doing it. But this time was different. He was furious and Grace knew once he started he might not be able to stop before doing serious damage.
“Please Ralph; please don’t spank her while you are so angry.” He stopped for a second and with an eerie calmness looked at Grace and said,
“Well, someone is going to pay for the brat’s smart mouth, so if not her then who?”
Grace put her hand on the belt and with the sacrifice of a mother’s love for her child, she
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