Identity+-+No+Love

=No Love=  Jackie looked at the long list of chores. She knew it would take hours to do all these chores but she had done this her whole life. She looked at the bottom of the list. Finish by 3:00 PM. It was 2:00 right now. She had more than 20 chores to do in less than an hour. Plus, she had to make dinner for her ‘parents’. Jackie sighed and started her chores.

“Jackie! You had better be done with your chores,” Jackie’s mom screamed an hour later. Jackie panicked. She wouldn’t be able to finish all her chores in time. Jackie scrambled to the kitchen and started making dinner. Jackie’s heart thumped rapidly like a drum.

“Jackie! Give us our dinner!” Jackie’s parents screamed from the dining room. Jackie opened the fridge and fished out some wine.

“Here. Some wine to refresh you before you have your dinner,” Jackie stumbled.

“Jackie, are you hiding something from us?” Jackie’s dad asked. “I bet you didn’t finish your chores! You lazy, stubborn girl!”

“You just didn’t give me enough time. One hour isn’t enough to finish chores. Can I please have two hours tomorrow?” Jackie begged.

“Sarah, get the bat,” Jackie’s dad ordered his wife. Jackie’s mom walked to the closet and got out a long, blood-smeared bat. Jackie’s mom stared at Jackie through her round glasses and snickered.

“Please! I didn’t do anything wrong. I just need more time!” begged Jackie. The cruel man lifted the long, wooden bat and grinned.

//Be strong, Jackie. Be strong,//Jackie thought to herself. He forced the bat down and there was only one thing Jackie could think of: love.

As Jackie walked to school the next day, she thought of the cruel events that happened every night of her life. Jackie had never been loved before. No one loved her. Especially not her parents. Jackie was the one that did all the cleaning, she was the one that made their dinner, and she was the one that wanted to be free. Jackie got spanked every day, even if she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Class, it’s problem sharing day today. Come on, let’s sit in a circle,” Mrs. Cherry, Jackie’s teacher said in a sweet voice. Jackie stared at her teacher wave her glossy, blonde hair while smoothing out her flowery, pink dress. Her skin was as smooth as paper and her eyes were as blue as the sky.

“Why can’t I be like her?” Jackie thought to herself. She stared at her own skin. It was jagged from all of her wounds and her clothes were cheap hand-me-downs from her cousins.

“Jackie? Jacqueline? Can you come and sit in a circle please,” Mrs. Cherry asked. The whole class was giggling. Jackie ran to the circle and sat next to Mrs. Cherry. “Jackie, do you want to start talking about your problems,” Mrs. Cherry asked.

“What do I talk about?”

“You can talk about problems about your family, school, your friends, and so on.”

“I…I don’t have any problems,” Jackie muttered.

“Are you sure?” asked Mrs. Cherry.

“Y…Yes,” Jackie whispered. In Jackie’s head, she wanted to talk about all of her problems about her family but she couldn’t say anything. At the end of the class, Mrs. Cherry asked Jackie to stay after school to talk about ‘things’.

“Jackie, what are those marks on your arms?” Mrs. Cherry asked worriedly.

“Oh… um… I fell off my bike,” Jackie stuttered.

“That does not look like you fell off your bike.” Mrs. Cherry stated. Jackie looked at her watch. She had to go home and start her chores.

“I have to go. I have a dentist appointment,” Jackie lied. Jackie ran out of the colorful classroom to go back to the place she always dreaded: home.

“Jackie! It’s 2:10! You were supposed to be home by 2:00! Where were you! Why are you so late! You have tons of chores to do!” Jackie’s dad screamed as Jackie opened the front door. “Your 10 years old! You’re supposed to be responsible! I gave you a watch for Christmas so why don’t you use it!”

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me! I was at school talking to my teacher,” Jackie stammered.

“What did you tell her?! Did you tell her about your arm?!” Jackie’s dad hollered. “You know what? I’ve had enough of this!” Jackie’s dad opened the closet and took out a small, black object. As soon as Jackie realized what it was, she started to scream. “Stop screaming! Shut up!”

“Please! Don’t! Please!” sobbed Jackie. “God, if you can hear me, please get me out of here. Please!” Jackie prayed. Jackie’s dad put the gun next to Jackie’s head.

“I’ve had enough of you! I bet you told your teacher everything,” yelled Jackie’s father. Suddenly, Jackie heard someone knock on the door. “Sarah and Jackie, act like nothing happened. It could be social services,” whispered Jackie’s father. “I’m coming!” Jackie’s dad put the gun back in the closet and skipped to the door.

Jackie was now alone in the living room. Jackie quietly ran to the closet and took out her parents’ car keys. She ran to the window next to the television and opened it. The window was shiny like diamond. Jackie remembered when she had cleaned that same window yesterday. She climbed on the television and jumped through the window. As Jackie got in her parents old, green Honda, she heard her parents chatting with the visitor. Jackie slowly started the engine.

“Hey! Jackie! Get out of the car! Get out!” screamed her father. Jackie grinned and pushed the pedal. She could hear her parents run after the car but it would be impossible for them to catch up. Jackie opened the windows of the car and drove off in the sunny afternoon. She could feel the wind pull her hair back. She felt like an eagle flying in the bright blue sky. Jackie smiled while turning on the radio. She was free.