"Legudia is, what you on Earth would call, our chaplain," explained Darelia.
"She is the one we come to with our problems and concerns. She is very
spiritual, a wonderful listener, and I'm sure you will come to love her."
Emily replied with some uncertainty, "I really don't know what to expect. When
Claire told me that she had a close encounter, and that she met and fell in love
with your commander, I wondered whether she was telling the truth. When she
called me, when Howard went off one of his tirades, I finally had the courage to
call off Claire's wedding. Neither Howard nor Van know that, and all I want is
my life back. Why didn't I realize that he was stifling me all these years?"
Darelia said, "Once you open up to Legudia, you may finally regain that freedom
that was so cruelly taken from you."
°°°°°°
It was a comforting room, Legudia's chambers, all warm colors and filled with
glowing candles. An altar dominated the far end of the room, a statue of Imyn,
Edev's chief deity, held court. What struck Emily was the depiction of Imyn as
an incredibly beautiful woman, an obviously strong woman who embodied all the
independence and feistiness men like Howard abhorred.
"Come in, Darelia," said a
voice. It was a voice as warm and inviting as the chamber itself. The captain
replied, "I have brought the Earth woman's mother, Legudia."
"Thank you, captain," the voice said, "You may leave us."
In walked Legudia, and Emily was taken aback at the Edevian woman's striking
beauty. Crossing the room with an almost gliding grace, Legudia, dressed in
flowing deep purple and gold-trimmed velvet and brocade, greeted her visitor.
"So you are Emily Brown, the mother of Aarien's true love." Legudia embraced
Emily warmly then invited her to sit and talk. She pressed a button on the side
of her chair; immediately a robot servant appeared bearing a tray of
refreshments.
"This may not be what you're used to on Earth. The Edevian fruits are especially
delicious, as is the wine. The cakes I'm sure you will approve of." How
gracious, how kind Legudia was. Emily silently surveyed her host as the robot
servant offered wine and cakes. Mrs. Brown tentatively took the treat, sniffed
the unusually apple-like fruit then tasted it. It had a smooth custard-like
texture and a flavor reminiscent of pineapple and banana. The wine was
exceptionally delicious, not too sweet, not too dry. Those cakes, generously
laced with what Emily gathered were like Earth raisins and currants, were
perhaps the best she ever tasted. She sat there next to Legudia, a tall,
slender, ebony-hued woman with warm brown eyes and winning smile. Emily could
tell the woman was deeply spiritual; Legudia exuded wisdom and ethereal
ambience. Legudia smiled as she began to speak.
"Emily. I'm sure you wondered why I summoned you here. Your daughter, via
Aarien, had told me much about you. Claire is deeply worried, and she knows why
you've remained so...what is her word...Oh yes, 'mousy' all these years."
Emily, trying not to appear embarrassed, explained best she could. "I will not
pretend to enjoy my years with Howard. I'm not sure how much Claire has said,
and I know my sister could tell her so much. It was a traumatic time in my life,
and Howard took advantage of my situation. Really, to tell the truth, Howard
Brown was the instrument in my downward spiral, and I'm afraid he'll let Van do
the same to Claire..."
°°°°°°
It was well after two in the morning, and the ladies still slept. Quite an evening of "coming out" for Claire, and her aunt and friends gave her and Aarien a proper farewell party. After so much wine and good food, accompanied by eye-opening and stimulating conversation, everyone drifted off to sleep shortly after midnight. Come dawn, Claire would accompany Aarien back to the field by the river, back to the waiting shuttle to take them to the StarSeeker, to Edev. Jen was probably the most affected, what with both her sister and niece spending their last night on Earth. If all went well, Emily could decide for herself if she wanted to go with Claire or spend the rest of her life at Howard's beck and call. However, according to the latest communiqué from Captain Darelia, Emily Brown was currently in conference with the Edevian priestess Legudia. Perhaps Emily, away from the mind-numbing, spirit-killing influence of Howard Brown, would finally open up about what happened to her long ago. Jen Dorfman knew exactly what happened and told Claire so much. She felt it was best for Emily herself to tell her daughter; however, with Howard always breathing her neck, opening up was just impossible.
After stretching out of a deep slumber, Jen made her way upstairs to the bathroom. Ever so quietly as not to disturb the others, Jen answered nature's call then decided to tidy up. All the long hours of deep conversation and good food seemed to show. Her face was a mess of smeared mascara and caked foundation. Finding some of Latoya's cold cream, Jen began to clean the streaked makeup from her face. In the process she thought she heard a noise coming from outside. Shrugging, she assumed it was a cat or other animal prowling around, but upon a second and third listen...
It sounded too human, like men
talking. This was a relatively safe neighbor, not much action in this area
during the wee hours of morning. Jen wondered if it could be either teenagers
cruising or worse – prowlers looking for an easy house to burglarize.
Cautiously, she peered out the bathroom window (it overlooked the side street),
trying to make out the figures standing by the car parked on the street. She
cracked the window so she could get a better listen. If these guys are up to no
good, she could alert the others then call 911. The ladies gathered may be
strong and liberated, but Jen wanted to take no chances. They were still women
home alone, and some hot-headed man would take advantage of such a situation.
After a few seconds, Jen could immediately identify the men by their voices.
With a gasp, she tore down the stairs, crying out, "Claire! Aarien! Wake up!
It's Van and Howard! They're parked outside, and they're heading up here."
Claire stirred herself awake wondering if it was all a very bad dream. No,
this was the truth as Latoya sprang to the window, peeked outside and saw the
three shadowy yet recognizable figures coming up the front walk. "Oh God," said
Claire in a panic, "Now what? I know Van and my father. No telling what they'll
do to me once I'm cornered."
She literally shuddered and trembled at the thought of Van striking her, this
time more soundly than a mere slap in the face. She visualized Van beating her
black and blue while her father stood by approvingly. Aarien, now fully awake,
and knowing Claire's turbulent and violent relationship with Van, turned to
Latoya, suggesting, "We can go out your rear exit. Is that possible?"
Latoya nodded. "You two head out the back way, get in the car, and tear out of
here. I'll stall Van and Howard."
That said, she made a hasty phone call then motioned to Claire and Aarien.
"OK, I've called reinforcements. Hopefully they'll get here as you're getting
away." Aarien was curious. "What kind of reinforcements? This is no ordinary
problem. Allow me to contact my captain. If I know Darelia, she'll have a
contingency swarming down on Howard Brown and Van Allen–"
"No!," interrupted Claire, "While I'd love for Dad and Van to come face-to-face
with dozens of Edevian warriors, I say we get out while Latoya and Pansie stall
for time. Besides, my mom is on board the StarSeeker, and I'm curious about her
session with Legudia."
The Edevian commander nodded in agreement, saying, "All right. We must leave now
while your father and fiancé deal with Latoya." Then, "If those men should
catch up with us, don't forget that you have the Dream Shield. Use it the moment
either of them begins to lay hands on you."
******
"It was so long ago, when I was in college. I met Howard at a student mixer although he didn't impress me. He was one of those new conservatives who wanted to turn back the clock on all the positive, progressive changes. I was very much the feminist, idealistic in my outlook and worldview. I worked alongside those who fought for equality and fair representation: women and ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, environmentalists, poor people, all those who've been victimized and subjugated under a brutal regime based on supremacy of wealthy white males. Howard challenged me on such issues, and I merely brushed him off with a few choice words. I never gave the man a second thought, but he managed to catch up with me after the party..."
Emily Brown began her recount of the traumatic event that led to her marriage to Howard Brown. She told the priestess Legudia all about her charmed childhood, her close relationship with her lesbian sister Jennifer, and the dreams and hopes both shared. Emily said she had every intention of finishing school, perhaps go into teaching before earning her advanced degrees, finally settling into a life of scholarly research and writing. What began as a politely but firmly refusal of a young Howard's invitation turned into a heated and bitter exchange of words. There was much name-calling followed by Howard resorting to literal strong arm tactics. "Everything escalated into a situation of which I couldn't fight my way out," said a tearful Emily.
"Howard accused me of being an instrument of this country's downward spiral into what he called a pit of sin and iniquity. He literally hit me, Legudia, he slapped me squarely across the face. I tried to get away from him, started to run, but he caught up with me, knocking me to the ground." Then Emily recalled what happened next. She was a bit dazed from Howard's blow then felt him drag her to a secluded spot behind the administration building. Well concealed in the thick underbrush, Howard proceeded to rip off Emily's clothes, calling her filthy names in the process. "It was evident he intended to rape me, and I tried to fight him off. God knows I tried. I screamed but he hit me again, harder, knocking me out cold. I knew nothing else until I came to and found him on top of me, inside me. It was so vicious and violent, and I hadn't the strength to fight nor scream. All I could do was pray that someone should happen by, but no one came..."
A sympathetic Legudia handed Emily a silken handkerchief. The Edevian priestess silently seethed that this highly intelligent, warmly loving woman had been so viciously assaulted. No woman on Edev ever endured such as the men were never allowed to touch them. If such a thing did happen, the offending male would suffer the worse of punishments: Death. Capital punishment was rare on Edev and only reserved for the most heinous of crimes. Sexual assault of women was definitely a capital offense, and the guilty party was taken to Zeop's Hill where he was promptly beheaded.
"Emily," she asked, "what happened afterwards? Did you report the crime?"
Emily wiped her eyes, saying in a sobbing voice, "I did report it, but Howard
denied the rape. He claimed I led him on, goaded him into what he called 'taking
a tumble'. Of course, this was so long ago, back when rape was still a hush-hush
crime. No one liked to talk about it, and rape victims were so often ripped to
pieces by the offender's lawyers. I just decided to forget what happened and go
on with my life. But when I discovered I was pregnant, I had to put my education
on hold. That's when Howard coerced me..."
"Coerced you? How?"
"He said my charges would never stick, that no one would believe I was
raped. When I confronted him about the baby, he said he would sue both me and my
family for defamation of character. He threatened to smear my parents' good name
with lies if I didn't marry him. So, against my better judgment, I did just
that. Well, we married, but I lost the baby. Howard blamed me for the
miscarriage, said it was my 'misguided' upbringing and 'wrong' values that
caused me to lose 'his' baby. He demanded I convert my religion or else I would
be forever damned. When I converted, I ended up converting myself into a mousy,
submissive wimp who let her husband have the final say in anything. Every aspect
of our lives – the house, car, clothes, Claire's upbringing, everything – had
the Howard Brown stamp of approval. I had no say-so. What Howard said was law.
Of course, there were the times when he hit me, just to keep me in line..."
That said, Emily broke down in tears, unable to stop. Legudia comfortingly draped her arm around Emily. In a gentle voice she said, "Emily Brown, what you have told me is so foreign to my Edevian ears. What you have endured only proves that men such as your Howard do not have our best interests at heart. When Aarien arrives with your Claire, I want you to make a heartfelt decision: Come with us, to Edev, or return to Earth as Howard Brown's doormat."
°°°°°°
With Jody acting as lookout, Claire and Aarien made their way from the
backdoor and out to the garage. All the while, Claire literally quaked with
fearful rage that Van and her father are, perhaps, now in the house. The men
could be, at this moment, coercing Pansie, Latoya, and Aunt Jen, threatening
them with violence if they didn't reveal her whereabouts. Hesitatingly, she said
to Aarien, "What if we go back in there? I can't leave Aunt Jen with Dad and
Van. They might do something to her, to the others."
Aarien shook her head. "No, Claire. We must be on our way. Your aunt and friends
are capable women; they should be able to handle your father and Van. Come, we
must leave at once."
Without further hesitation, Claire and Aarien got into the car; the former
started the engine. As if on fire, the car sped out of the garage and into the
street, and Claire looked back momentarily to see her ex-fiancé dash out of the
house. She could hear him scream, "Claire! Damn it! Come back here!"
She became a bit unglued and nearly collided with the huge black SUV coming from
the opposite direction. That vehicle stopped in front of Latoya's house, and
Aarien looked back to see the hulking forms of two men getting out.
"Who are those men?," she asked.
Claire didn't have to look back. Keeping her eyes on the road, she replied,
"Those are Toy's reinforcements. Her brother Jamal and his friend Shemar.
They're both pro athletes and very much support Latoya. Just let my dad and Van
get past those big guys."
The field was twenty miles away, and Claire prayed she and Aarien would get there in time. She also prayed that the timely arrival of Jamal and Shemar would stall her dad and ex-fiancé long enough. By the time Howard and Van figured it out, Claire would be on board the StarSeeker, traveling through outer space on her way to Edev. But there was one more complication. What if her mother decides not to accompany her? Emily Brown would be at Howard's cruel mercy for the rest of her life. Surely Howard would beat his wife soundly for allowing Claire to "run off", for sending those wedding cancellation notices, for just not being firm enough with her daughter.
"He'll beat her, Aarien," she said, trying hard not to break down in tears. "Dad will make Mom suffer so much..."
The Edevian commander's hand brushed Claire's tear-stained cheek. Getting out her communicator, she said, "Do not worry, my love. I shall contact Darelia. Surely your mother has made her decision..."
°°°°°°
Van drove as a raging Howard sat in the passenger seat. The nerve of that
black dyke calling her overpaid jock brother and his equally obnoxious friend.
"The way they talked to me. Van, in the old days those boys wouldn't have gotten
away with that. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Giving those people
too much is just plain wrong. It only makes them more belligerent."
Van
understood, replying, "But don't you see? It was a stalling tactic. And that
sister-in-law of yours, threatening to 'expose' me. Expose what? Those women
have done the unforgivable by turning Claire against all we stand for."
He
grinned, adding, "That was priceless, Howard, turning the tables on those boys,
threatening to air their own dirty laundry."
Howard, still seething, said,
"Humph! Overpaid, overindulged spooks! They're both into perversion and immoral
activities. Drugs, women, the whole ungodly hip-hop scene."
"Well," Van said,
"our top priority is to find Claire and bring her home. Where did Jen say she
went?"
"A vacant lot by the river road."
"Then we'll meet her there. In fact,
I'll take the interstate, and we'll be there before she and that slut she's
with. If I have to beat both of them, so be it. Claire will come to her senses,
Howard. Just let me have my way with her..."
"Do what you have to do, Van.
You have my blessing, and my undying support."
They had no idea they were being followed.
To Be Continued...Go to Chapter 10
Copyright©2004 by Pepper Shriver*
*My pen name
:-)