Jasmin: Descent Ch. 02

I sat up when I heard the radio stop and the front doors opening. Mum and David got out. She had pulled off the highway in to a rest stop and with my terrible sense of direction I had no idea where we were except that we were driving through forested mountains. No one else was there. Mum told David to stay with Graham at the van and she slid the door open and folded the side middle seat down so I could get out. I didn't want to but I figured it would be better to argue outside.

"Come with me, young lady," she hissed and took a hold of my arm. I was still a little wobbly after being screwed so I just let her steer me over to a covered table that had a bench seat each side. She sat me down one side but remained standing herself. Her hips and legs seem to work just fine when she needs them to. There was another table a bit further away and a toilet block across the roadway.

Then she started. I can't remember every name she called me and pretty soon I was yelling back at her. There was no way she was going to make me cry. I was sure I would never cry again. Mum wasn't even silenced when I shrieked, "It's what you wanted, mum. I've left Damien and gone with Graham. Did you think Graham wouldn't want to have sex with his girlfriend?"

"You're a little hussy!" I might have laughed at her words if it wasn't for how she reviled me at that moment. "You're lucky your father isn't with us. He would have walloped you so hard and Graham he would have... David," she called, "Tell Graham to get his bag and get out!"

"You should be happy mum," I retorted, determined to give her as good as she could dish out. I'm not with the man I love but I'm with the one you wanted for me." But I was almost blubbering, hysterical as I thought about Damien. Angrily I locked my heart up again. I could never think about him again and I didn't want mum to think I was weakening. I saw Graham get out with his bag and I called to David then. "Would you throw my bags out as well, David?"

"I'm not going with you, mum. I hate you," I screeched viciously. "I'm staying with Graham now," and Graham nodded so I realised he could probably hear everything else we had been saying or screaming at each other as well. Too bad, I thought. "No one can threaten me anymore mum and I'll have sex with whoever I want!"

Finally that shocked her I think. It was what I wanted. I knew mum wouldn't be able to tolerate that. She slapped me anyway so I'm sure she wasn't at all pleased with how her plans turned out.

My mother walked back over to the van, took my bags from David and tossed them over to where Graham was. "Come on, David we're going." And they got back in the van and drove off. I didn't watch which way they went at the highway but I wasn't sure which way was Sydney and which way was to the mountain park anyway.

Graham came over to me with our bags. He plonked mine down on the table. "Well we should get going. We'll hitch hike it or I've got my mobile if it looks like raining."

It didn't even occur to me that Graham didn't ask how I was or even give me a caring hug. He didn't even support me as I walked along the highway behind him. I never realised until the following weekend that he had heard everything mum and I had said...