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"SSC29: Tea and Sympathy"

I’d not seen that much tongue since I quit working at the Deli, but there they were, hanging out of slack jaws. A deathly silence greeted my entry to our weekly coffee morning, and I shouldn’t have been surprised, given the almighty shiner I was sporting. Maybe I should have left my sunglasses on, but I didn’t feel that I should have to hide it. After the best part of a minute with no sound, but that of Gladys’ cup and saucer rattling in her hand, Linda ushered me towards my usual seat.
“Are you alright, Gail?” she asked, her eyes focusing on my purple one.
“Oh this?” I said with a false chuckle, pointing one finger at my grotesquely swollen eye, “I walked into a door.”
“You poor thing,” said Sarah. She’d been single as long as I’d known her. She moved to the village to get away from her ex-husband. He was a drunk, and a violent one too.
As I sat down they were all still looking at me with suspicion.
“No, really. The light bulb blew in the hall and tripped the switch. I was on the way to the utility room to reset it, when I misjudged where the kitchen door was.”
Sarah came over and took my hand. “We can help you through this, Gail. You don’t have to put up with that kind of treatment.”
” Mike was so sweet about it. Wrapped the frozen peas in a tea-towel and tried to stop the swelling.”
“I bet he did,” said Gladys, tea cup still rattling away, “they always feel so guilty afterwards.”
“Until the next time,” added Linda.
“No really, it was my fault,” I said.
“No Gail, don’t blame yourself, that’s what they want you to do,” said Sarah as she tenderly stroked my hand.
“But Mike didn’t do anything, he was sat in the living room.”
A sigh sounded out across the room, and Clare, who had been quiet until now brought me over a cup. “I’ve made you a nice strong tea, Gail. It’ll help,” she said with a weak smile.
“There’s nothing to help. Look, when I walked into the door-frame I knocked my hip on the way down.”
I stood up and pulled my blouse away from my skirt, which I lowered slightly to reveal a small purple patch.
“That b'stard. So usually he only marks you where it can’t be seen,” said Sarah. Gladys took a sharp intake of breath upon hearing the ‘b’ word and slowly shook her head.
“No,” I said as I stood, placing my cup down carelessly on the table. I must have misjudged it and it tumbled off, cracking in two and spilling tea all over the floor. Silence returned to the room.
“There, there,” said Sarah after a moment, “it’s okay to be angry.” She moved to place an arm around me. I brushed it away as I headed for the exit.
“I’m not like you lot. My man doesn’t sleep with every other woman in the village like yours Linda. I don’t sit here and judge everyone with sighs and clichés whilst letting my grandson rob my pension for drugs like you Gladys. I don’t think a nice strong cuppa will solve all the world’s problems like you Clare. And Sarah? I’m not as stupid as to let a man hospitalise me three funcking times before I finally get the sense to leave him.”
I slammed the door on the way out, imagining Clare re-boiling the kettle whilst Gladys shook her head, and Sarah put a reassuring arm around Linda. I didn’t need any of them and their false concern.
It’s time to go home. It’s going to take ages to gather all of my things together without the help I hoped I had the strength to ask for, and I’ve only got a few hours until Mike gets home.

Like Sleepy said, I thought the ending would have gone the other way ... not sure if that would have been better or not like that, but hey. Nice, but didn't do much for me.

The ending surprised me, in a good way. I found her final words to the ladies quite amusing really, but then the ending instantly brought reality back. Nicely done, methinks.

I thought that was very well written from a female point of view. I didn't see the end coming - I thought it was going to be true that Mike (Lordy he does get around doesn't he) didn't beat her and expected a humourous finish.

So yes, the whole wanting help and actually having the bottle to admit you need it....

You hit a bit of a nerve with this as people in these situations make me so mad.

I didn't find that as good as your usual efforts. That's not to say I didn't enjoy reading it, because you've yet to write something I haven't enjoyed, it just didn't engage me the way something like Grunty Fen did. It felt a little bit like you rushed it.

Sounds like I'm attacking you, or something, but I'm not. I'm just (fairly) sure you'd rather have some criticism than nothing.

Quite liked that. Subtle. Stories in which speech is done well are always very readable, I find.

Nice, I liked it, although the ending didn't pack the punch it should have I felt.

Still, good read. :)

I’d not seen that much tongue since I quit working at the Deli, but there they were, hanging out of slack jaws. A deathly silence greeted my entry to our weekly coffee morning, and I shouldn’t have been surprised, given the almighty shiner I was sporting. Maybe I should have left my sunglasses on, but I didn’t feel that I should have to hide it. After the best part of a minute with no sound, but that of Gladys’ cup and saucer rattling in her hand, Linda ushered me towards my usual seat.
“Are you alright, Gail?” she asked, her eyes focusing on my purple one.
“Oh this?” I said with a false chuckle, pointing one finger at my grotesquely swollen eye, “I walked into a door.”
“You poor thing,” said Sarah. She’d been single as long as I’d known her. She moved to the village to get away from her ex-husband. He was a drunk, and a violent one too.
As I sat down they were all still looking at me with suspicion.
“No, really. The light bulb blew in the hall and tripped the switch. I was on the way to the utility room to reset it, when I misjudged where the kitchen door was.”
Sarah came over and took my hand. “We can help you through this, Gail. You don’t have to put up with that kind of treatment.”
” Mike was so sweet about it. Wrapped the frozen peas in a tea-towel and tried to stop the swelling.”
“I bet he did,” said Gladys, tea cup still rattling away, “they always feel so guilty afterwards.”
“Until the next time,” added Linda.
“No really, it was my fault,” I said.
“No Gail, don’t blame yourself, that’s what they want you to do,” said Sarah as she tenderly stroked my hand.
“But Mike didn’t do anything, he was sat in the living room.”
A sigh sounded out across the room, and Clare, who had been quiet until now brought me over a cup. “I’ve made you a nice strong tea, Gail. It’ll help,” she said with a weak smile.
“There’s nothing to help. Look, when I walked into the door-frame I knocked my hip on the way down.”
I stood up and pulled my blouse away from my skirt, which I lowered slightly to reveal a small purple patch.
“That b'stard. So usually he only marks you where it can’t be seen,” said Sarah. Gladys took a sharp intake of breath upon hearing the ‘b’ word and slowly shook her head.
“No,” I said as I stood, placing my cup down carelessly on the table. I must have misjudged it and it tumbled off, cracking in two and spilling tea all over the floor. Silence returned to the room.
“There, there,” said Sarah after a moment, “it’s okay to be angry.” She moved to place an arm around me. I brushed it away as I headed for the exit.
“I’m not like you lot. My man doesn’t sleep with every other woman in the village like yours Linda. I don’t sit here and judge everyone with sighs and clichés whilst letting my grandson rob my pension for drugs like you Gladys. I don’t think a nice strong cuppa will solve all the world’s problems like you Clare. And Sarah? I’m not as stupid as to let a man hospitalise me three funcking times before I finally get the sense to leave him.”
I slammed the door on the way out, imagining Clare re-boiling the kettle whilst Gladys shook her head, and Sarah put a reassuring arm around Linda. I didn’t need any of them and their false concern.
It’s time to go home. It’s going to take ages to gather all of my things together without the help I hoped I had the strength to ask for, and I’ve only got a few hours until Mike gets home.