The Power Of Words...

Chapter Forty Six

Kily walked carefully down the dark icy street and paused under a street light pulling her sweater close to her. "It's so cold tonight," she said to herself. This was the last street light on her route home. She eyed the ground carefully, icy patches sparkled in the reflection of the light and Kily dreaded the rest of the walk to the apartment that would be done in darkness. She would have to walk carefully after she left the illumination of the street light to keep from slipping on the icy sidewalk. It had been a month since she had run from Jacob down this very street. It was this spot that the police officer had stood telling her and Jacob that he could do nothing to help her. She bit back tears as she remembered his words and the impact they had on her life. With a heavy sigh she resumed her walk and shivered against the bitter cold of the January night.

Kily climbed the icy stairs to the apartment slipping twice and hanging onto the handrail to keep from falling all the way back down. She reached the top and opened the door. Warmth from the room engulfed her and she squinted against the brightness of the light. "Kily!" She heard a woman's voice exclaim. Kily turned just in time for Branda to tackle her with a huge hug. "Surprise!" Branda squealed. Excitement filled the air as the two girls hugged again and began talking at the same time. After an hour had passed the excitement settled into calmer conversations and Kily learned that Branda had broken up with her boyfriend and chose to leave Salem. She asked Kily is she could stay with her and Jacob for awhile until she figured out what she was going to do with her life. Kily was ecstatic at the news and told Branda she would love to have her stay them, then a moment later regretted her offer as she remembered how her life with Jacob was. Branda noticed the sudden change in Kily and with a frown asked if there was something wrong. Kily bit her lip and studied Branda for a moment. Should she tell Branda what it was like living with Jacob? She knew Jacob would be furious if he found out she said anything. Kily took a moment longer to study Branda. "She will see for herself if she stays here for very long," Kily thought. Kily took a deep breath and decided to tell Branda the truth. She thought it would be better for Branda to know than to be caught off guard. Branda listened intently as Kily described what Jacob had done to her. "My God, Kily, why don't you leave him?" Branda exclaimed! "How?" Kily asked her. "I've tried, and he always finds me and what he does to me afterwards is never worth it." Kily said with quiet despair. Branda stared at Kily, "there must be a way," she said sadly. "He keeps telling me if I leave he will find me even if it takes him a lifetime, and when he does find me he will kill me." Kily said with tear filled eyes. "I believe him Branda," Kily said softly. "We will go to the police they can help you Kily," Branda said firmly. Kily moaned and told Branda how she had run to the police just the month before and was told that they could do nothing because it was a civil matter. Branda was horrified, "You have to be kidding!" She exclaimed. Kily hung her head and quietly said, "No, no I'm not Branda. There isn't anything I can do except try my best to keep him from getting angry." Branda hugged Kily, " Well maybe if I'm here he won't touch you Kily," she said as she wiped her own tears from her cheeks. Kily nodded, "Maybe, let's hope so," she whispered.

Branda met Kily at work just as she was closing up for the night. It had been two weeks since she arrived and Branda had made a habit of walking to Kily’s work at quitting time so the two of them could take the walk back to the apartment together. "Geez Louise, Kily!" Branda said through chattering teeth, "I don’t know how you do this every night, it’s freezing out there!" Branda said blowing warm air onto her shivering hands. Kily smiled, "you get used to it after awhile." "Yeah but Jacob has a car for crying out loud, the least he could do is give you a ride home!" Branda said with exasperation. "He says it costs him too much in gas," Kily said as she put on her sweater and picked up her purse. Branda sighed, "I wouldn’t put up with this Kily, he has enough gas to go drive around to wherever it is he goes everyday, it doesn’t take that much gas to drive another mile to pick you up!" Kily just smiled at Branda, "come on, let’s get going." Branda grunted pulled her coat close and the girls headed out the door. On the walk home they talked about all kinds of things and Kily told Branda how grateful she was for her staying at the apartment, "Jacob hasn’t gone into one of his rages at all since you have been here Branda," "Yeah, maybe he doesn’t want me to know that he is like that," Branda told her with a smile. "Well whatever the reason, I’m very glad that you are here," Kily said again and hugged her.

It had been a month since Branda arrived and she was now very concerned about Kily. Kily had been sick for the last three days and couldn’t keep any food down. Just getting out of bed seemed to be an unbearable effort for Kily. Branda noticed that as sick as she was Kily would pull herself out of bed each day and go to work. When she came home her face was pale and she fell into bed. When Jacob came home, Branda tried to tell Jacob that Kily was very sick but he only insisted that Kily was lazy not sick. Branda kept harping at Jacob to take Kily to the doctor and Jacob became enraged. He pushed Branda into the wall and stormed down the hallway to where Kily lay in bed. Jacob grabbed Kily by the hair dragging her out of the bed. "Get your lazy ass up and fix me some dinner," he screamed at her. Branda flew down the hallway and jumped on back. "Leave her alone," she screamed at him. Jacob threw Branda off and grabbed Kily again. The people who lived downstairs heard the commotion and called the police. When the police arrived Jacob was beating Kily and Branda was hanging off of his arms. The police separated the three of them and Jacob yelled that Branda and Kily had attacked him for no reason. Kily lay on the floor to weak to get up. Branda explained that Kily was sick and Jacob wouldn’t take her to the doctor. In all the confusion the officers explained that this was a civil matter and they had no jurisdiction. Branda was appalled. Seeing the condition that Kily was in the officer told her that he would do his best to convince Jacob to go somewhere else for the night. But he reminded her that he had no real jurisdiction in civil matters. Eventuall, the officer was able to convince Jacob to go somewhere else for the night and Branda asked the officers if they could give her and Kily a ride to the emergency room. The officers finally agreed.

That night Kily found out she was pregnant. She and Branda sat stunned. Kily felt trapped. What would she do now. How could she ever hope to get away from Jacob. Branda said they should wait until Jacob came back to the apartment and when he was asleep, take his car keys and drive to Salem. Kily looked at Branda with despair, "I did that once, remember. He was there before I was and beat me all the way home," Kily told her. Branda looked at the floor and said, "I’m sorry Kily, I’m sorry I didn’t help you then." Kily put her arms around Branda and hugged her for a long time.

The next morning Branda went to the pay phone and called Kily’s boss. She explained that Kily was very ill and wouldn’t be able to come in for a few days. Jacob came home that afternoon. He was belligerent and demanding and Branda told him that Kily was pregnant. "It ain’t mine," he said coldly. Branda was appalled. Kily could not take any more. She had come to the end of her rope. She stood up and said, "Well, Jacob, whether you believe this baby is yours or not the fact is, I’m pregnant! The police may not be able to do much to you when you harm me, but I can guarantee you that if you cause harm to this baby either before it’s born or after, they will be able to do something to you then. If you cause me to lose this baby I will make sure they put you away for murder." Branda was shocked to see Kily stand up to Jacob, she realized her mouth was hanging open, promptly shut it, and stood up next to Kily. Jacob glared at Kily with pure hatred. "Well, I’ll tell you what miss high and mighty," Jacob said, "As long as you do what you’re told, take care of me, and keep your mouth shut, I will continue to allow you to live in my house. The minute you stop doing those things, I put you out on the street." "That goes for you too, Branda, You think you’re something special but you’re no better than she is," he said as he pointed to Kily. Then Jacob turned and walked into the bedroom. Kily and Branda stared after him. Branda looked at Kily and said, "wow, where did that come from Kily, how did you think that up so fast?" Kily stood rooted to the spot, and said, "I have no idea!" But, Kily knew those words had carried power! She felt as if she had reached a turning point in her life. She didn’t really understand how, but she knew the words that she had spoken had created a change in her existence.

The tension in the little apartment was thick for the next two weeks. Whenever Jacob was home, Branda and Kily avoided any conversation with him. At the end of the second week Jacob said he was going out and wouldn’t be back until the next day. Kily and Branda both breathed a sigh of relief when he left and celebrated by making pop corn and cool aid.