Читать книгу Shadows of Sören - Nicola Stöhr - Страница 15

Eric had been only three then. The scene had been a similar one. Eric had been sitting at the kitchen table, scribbling on a pad of paper with some extra thick crayons Gunhild had bought him. Gunhild had been standing by the stove preparing dinner. The mechanical milker had broken down a couple of times that week and Per was still out trying to get the machine to operate again. Gunhild prayed that he wouldn´t be in a terrible mood when he came home. But her payers had not been answered.

The first thing he did when he came in was to get a beer from the fridge. He leaned back against the kitchen counter so he was facing her. Then he poked her in the side not too gently and gave a short nod in the direction of Eric.

“What´s he doing here at my table in my kitchen? I told you I don´t want him around here.”

Gunhild didn´t answer. Sometimes he let her be when she just stayed quiet and didn´t react. But not that time.

Per poked her in the side again, this time a little harder.

“I said, what is that little bastard doing here in my kitchen? And look at me when I´m talking to you.” He gripped her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.

Gunhild turned her head away and quietly said, “He lives here Per. Where else shall I keep him?”

Per gave a malicious laugh and said, “Do you think I care? How about the barn, that would be a good place for him.”

“Per, he´s only a little boy and he´s not bothering you,” Gunhild said again in a docile voice.

Per poked her in the side again, this time even harder.

“What did you say? What? He´s not bothering me? He bothers me all the time. He bothers me because he´s here. How dare you contradict me, you stupid bitch.”

“Sorry”, Gunhild answered submissively. She had lost any form of self-respect long ago.

But sorry didn´t do it for Per. “Sorry? That´s it? That´s all you´ve got so say about lumbering me with that freak of nature? Sorry?” Per was almost shouting now.

Eric was distracted from his drawing and looked at them with uncomprehending but watchful eyes.

“Mama?” he asked warily.

Gunhild quickly turned to him and said soothingly, “It´s alright, angel boy, everything is alright. Daddy is just a little upset. But it will be alright.” And the moment she said it, she knew it was a mistake. She should have just grabbed Eric and gotten him out of Per´s sight. But sometimes she didn´t know anymore what was right and what was wrong.

Per exploded, grabbed her arm, swung her around and screamed in her face, “What did you say? Daddy? I´m not that little freak´s Daddy, I would never produce something like that. You fucked another man. That freak is no son of mine.”

“Per please”, she begged, „You know that´s not true, calm down.”

“You think you can tell me what to do, you slut? Nobody tells me what to do, especially not unfaithful slutty wives. I think you need to be taught a lesson.” And in the same instant he slapped her across the face. Eric started crying loudly.

Per strode over to him and dragged him out of his chair by his little arm. Eric wailed in terror and pain.

Gunhild was immediately by his side and tried to loosen Per´s grip on Eric´s arm. “Per”, she cried, “Please let him go, you´re hurting him.”

Per took Eric´s arms in one hand and with the other gave her a hard shove, so that Gunhild flew backward and landed on her back.

He spat out at her „I’m taking him where he belongs. From now on the bastard can stay in the stables with the other animals, where he belongs. And then we will have some order in this house again.” He began dragging Eric towards the door.

By that time Eric was screaming like a banshee and choking on his tears.

Gunhild struggled to her feet, lunged at Per and held him back by the back of his shirt.

“Please Per, please,” she cried, “he´s only a little boy. He doesn´t understand. He´s sick, he has a weak heart, you might kill him. He might have a heart attack.”

Per turned and tried to shake her off, “Well that would be the best thing for all of us, wouldn´t it? In fact you´ve just given me an idea. I´ll just scare the little bastard so much that he´ll drop dead on the spot.” And he continued to drag little Eric, who was howling at the top of his voice, by the arm towards the door.

Gunhild held on to his shirt and tried to drag him back. Per let go of Eric, turned, grabbed her by the front of her blouse and brutally shoved her backwards against the wall, one hand held tightly around her neck, while he prepared to deal a blow to her face with the other.

Eric was on the floor and curled into a fetal position, quietly whimpering. At that moment they heard a knock on the front door and shortly after they heard a voice calling out, “Hello? Anyone home?”

It was Frederik Hellström. Thank God, Gunhild thought. Frederik Hellström was also a drunk and a gambler, but he was no wife and child abuser. He would not approve if he happened to walk in on a scene of domestic violence. And for reasons that Gunhild couldn´t fathom, Per wanted Frederik´s approval.

Per let go of Gunhild and hissed, “Get yourself and that freak out of here. I don´t want him to see you like this, you pathetic bitch.”

Gunhild lost no time in following his orders. She grabbed Eric from the floor, carried him into her bedroom and locked the door. Then she sat on her bed and cradled Eric in her arms for a long time. And she knew clear as crystal that she had to go and leave Per as soon as possible. Right away. He harboured an irrational, vicious hate against Eric and he would never leave him alone. Maybe he would really kill him one day. She had to protect Eric and she could only do that if she left. Gunhild had packed a suitcase and then with Eric in tow had crept past the living room, where Per had been entertaining Frederik Hellström. And then she had driven herself and Eric right out of there and into a new life. And she had never looked back.