#dulljournals

The small frail woman felt the dark pressure against her mouth stifling her voice, sensations of intends crawling up her spine as she struggled to breathe. The two men at this ones sides seemed close in like perverse vultures, there between unfeeling buildings no one see...not that it would change anything if any one did see. Fear and helplessness crawled up her tight esophagus almost suffocating her as hot foul breath spilled over her ear

'you see, you should have taken a husband when you had a chance. You might have been spared this trouble, but now no one will want you”

something tore and cold clammy hands gripped at her hips as she tried so hard to scream out

instead a hollow thunk could be heard along with profuse cursing, the man at her ear jerked around to see an old woman  leaning out of her wheel chair. A silver unlabeled can rolled across the grubby cement, the old woman glared so sharply it could have cute down any man. The small woman felt grip on her body slack though she was not released.

A tired hoarse voice shouted

“now you little henchmen just get your hands off my daughter in law”

bewilderment crossed the mens faces

“no”

he laughed as one of the men let go of her to waltz up to the strange old woman, he leaned down close to her face

“ listen here you old bag”

promptly she smacked him right in the nose with another can, as the man howled and cursed he glowered

“YOU OLD BITCH!”

    he raised a hand to strike her out of that ratty chair, though just as he closed in on her wrinkled face a wide calloused hand clamped down on his wrist until a sickening crunch could be heard. A large man now stood behind this old woman, the bright sun behind him blotting out his features

“mother”

he leaned down to make sure she hadn't been touched, he patted her cheek softly before stepping around her

“...”

she smiled rather proudly at her son, tall with a wide chest and only his muscular frame visible to the frail woman being held so firmly. Off to the side the man with his shattered wrist wailed out loud and cursed  before one more left the small frail womans side, leaving  her with only one.

Sunlight shines over his shoulder and where it lands he sees only a small frightened hurt woman being held down. The tears streaming down her bruised face  leaving a heavy frown on his own, he didnt need to know who she was to know she didnt deserve whatever was going on here. His mother chirped from behind him

“we found her, my son. Your wife, these men must have took her while she was out”

confusion didnt show on his face although it was loud in his mind. Wordlessly he walked over and as the nameless man tried to fight he was backhanded so hard his head slammed against the brick wall behind him, leaving him limp in a crumpled heap on the garbage.

The frail woman could see the man who held her turn red with rage before dropping her to the ground,  as the old womans son came closer the remaining assailant slammed his foot across her face. Her head snapped back and her whole body was thrown over, she didn't see what happened after.

However long it had been she didnt know, only that she felt sore all over and could hear voices blurred in the air. Exhaustion prevented her from moving or even opening her eyes all she could do now was listen.

“ mama why did you say that to them? They are like to feel they have been robbed”

“my son, she is not a possession to be stolen from them”

she scoffed in agitation

“well no matter now its done isn't it? We cannot leave her back out there you know”

“but mama, I don't... what if she does not wish to stay?”

“ she knows better than to run out there again im sure, I bet shes a nice girl.  You know going back out there alone after all this...”

she left the words hanging in the air, horrid violence in the silence.

“mama”

he sounded tired confused and riddled with worry”

“my son, they overlook you. You are too much trouble for them to bother with, she is safest here with us. She needs a home and you need a wife”

“mother!”

“you do- I will not be here forever, I raised a good man and you will be a good husband im sure.”

a soft patting sound was heard

“ah, we will ask her when she wakes I would not force such a thing-”

“mama, not on her you wouldn't”

“ Salem, you work so hard and for such long hours how would you ever have the time to find a wife on your own?”

salem, as hes called does not reply

“ I can feel it in my bones, im sure she is a good woman. We have been blessed and I know this”

the rest of the conversation drifted away to be forgotten in the darkness of dreamless sleep, she lay almost unmoving for so long.

In the small ramshackle home the large man called salem sat on a metal folding chair and looked to the thim battered woman now laying on his sleeping roll. Purple swelling colored under her right eye and massive bruise swollen up her right cheek where she had been kicked, the sight made his heart sink. Despite taking her away from her assailants he felt helpless unable to assist her healing.

He looked over and watched as his mother pushed her self up and hobbled to the cooking area. She opened a drawer to pull out a baking soda box,  her knobbly finger poked in and pulled out a few coins.

“ salem, I know you are tired but I must ask you to fetch my tea. She will need quite something when she wakes”

salem sighed as he accepted the money, this was all they could save for emergencies and now ah well. He stood and helped his mother sit down into her cushioned wheel chair, quietly he placed a kiss on her forehead and left.

Hours later the small woman woke quietly, her eyes opening to blurred vision. She gave a few slow blinks, it hurt though her vision cleared each time,  she looked up and saw scrap wood and sheet metal. The ceiling was held up by what looked like tree trunks and street poles, as she turned her head she saw blue walls... walls that moved? ah...tarp this is a tent. Her gaze skimmed the area, a cement floor... a sink beside stacks of crates with make shift drawers and an oven made of was that clay?

Her vision failed at crossing the short distance, though close enough she spied a cracked toilet with a folded room divider. Beside it sat a ruddy metal bucket bath, the place was so odd. Off to the other wall blankets and towels hung from the frame of the place over the tarp, crates stacked to hold up a thin mattress. Between the bed neatly made with patched sheets and thin blankets  and herself was a small obviously repaired table and only one chair that looked barely strong enough carry its own weight.

“ oh good, I was beginning to worry”

the old woman smiled from her wheel chair as she looked to her

“can you sit up dear? I have some tea brewing”

salem returned home from work in time to see his mother helping the small woman sip at warm tea as it seemed she could grip the cup.

He nodded at her, unsure how to greet her just yet. How long had she been awake? Had his mother already spoken with her? Hed only just arrived home and felt more stressed than he had  in a fourteen hour shift at the factory.

His mother smiles as she watches him sit in the feeble chair.

“ her name is Kotyk, isn't that a pretty name?”

she helps kotyk with another small sip before taking the empty cup away

“this is my son Salem”

again he just nods, the small woman raises one stiff hand in a meek wave. Salem takes the cup to keep his mother from moving trying to get out of her chair

“i can pour my own tea mama”

the week passes slowly, salem never sure of the conversations being had while hes at work. Though he does watch as the brightness of kotyks bruises begins to pale and the swelling slowly falls, its difficult see through all the damage so much so he wonders what she looks like beneath it all.

At the end of the second week his mother looks at him  while he watches her sleep

“i will speak to her tomorrow of becoming your wife”

salem only places a hand over his face having given up arguing with her

“ yes mother”

as the sun comes up the following day he dresses quietly and leaves for work, yet another long dreary shift. About an hour later Handan, his mother wakes and  slowly moves about her home to start breakfast, rice and two boiled eggs. One for her and one for her soon to be daughter in law, who began to stir at the sound of water boiling over the makeshift stove.

“good morning ma'am”

handan turned to kotyk who slowly stood out of bed and began to try and fold it up