Love or Loyalty - Original Writing

Love or Loyalty - Original Writing

‘Be quiet Margaret! I am trying to read!’ Robert bellowed, as he

pondered over the reason for Margaret’s newborn unruliness. He was

almost tempted to put her in her place at once, yet he decided

necessary though it may be, it was not something that was to be

rushed. ‘Get me a drink Margaret, Scotch.’ Robert barked eager to

gain control once again. Margaret on the other hand hobbled off

nervously, she feared that this might happen yet she knew better than

to protest. It was customary, every evening, for Robert to spend two

hours drinking, sometimes scotch, sometimes vodka, always too much. It

was not this that Margaret feared, however, it was that after Robert

had drunk himself into his accustomed frenzy, he somehow saw it as his

duty to deliver Margaret a good beating, it was useless even trying to

resist. Margaret never tried to resist, after years of punishment,

Margaret had come to see herself as an awful woman and a dreadful

wife, and she herself had grown to believe that she somehow deserved

to suffer. That night Margaret was particularly badly beaten and as

she crawled into a corner, consciousness left her almost immediately.

It was 7.30 and Margaret had already taken a shower, cleaned the whole

house and patched herself up to the best of her ability. Margaret was

never allowed to go to the hospital; Robert did not want other people

to know about their personal affairs. Margaret was just examining a

particularly nasty gash on her thigh, when she heard the door creak

open. Margaret quickly replaced her skirt, but as she looked up she

knew it was too late.

“Oh thank you very much” Margaret said as she quickly took the post

from the waiting mailman. Margaret nervously attempted to usher the

postman towards the door, but he seemed completely oblivious to

Margaret’s attempts. The postman simply stood there without speaking

almost as though he did not know what to say.

“Madam, I do apologise for bursting in like that, but I must say, you