The Real Me - Chapter 20 (Patreon)

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‘Mum, in here.’ Dannie shouts. ‘Mum!’ The door opened wider and Mum entered. ‘What on earth?’

Then she saw him. ‘What are you doing here? There’s an order against you. I can have you arrested.’ ‘You won’t do that. I know you of old. Why don’t you make yourselves a nice cup of tea? The girlie can do it. Run along Daniel, be a good girl and make tea. I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat too. ‘Do it, Daniella. Make him an omelet.’ ‘Mum!’ ‘And chips, Daniella.’ He says. ‘Daniella, the oven chips. Do a tray while we talk.’ As Daniella left the room, glad to escape from her father’s presence, she heard her mother say, ‘Don’t mess with us, Arnold.

We don’t want you here. I suppose you received the divorce papers. They found you, did they?’ ‘Yes, they found me.’ Dannie closed the door and set to work in the kitchen. She took three eggs from the rack and cracked them into a jug, added seasoning, and a little cream. She whisked with the hand whisk. She shot oven fries into a pan and stuck them in the oven. She made a tea tray ready with cutlery and cups for her and Mum.

All the time she listened for sounds of a fight, verbal or otherwise. Dannie gave the fries a few minutes and then heated the pan for the omelet. She considered lacing it with some of her mother’s sleeping pills Mum had kept from when her broken ribs were mending, five blissful months ago, in which her father had been God knows where.

She placed the omelet and fries on the plate, put condiments on the tray, and took it to her father. ‘Fuck, perhaps you are a girl after all.’ Her father said. ‘That looks really nice. What’s in the omelet?’ ‘Cheese and tomato.’ ‘I can do with this. Come and sit by me then, girl.’

Dannie didn’t move. His eyes which had sparkled with cunning and wickedness were glazing, and she recognized the signs that he was in the midst of the character change that was alcohol-induced. She didn’t want to be anywhere near her father. She looked at her Mum. She received no sign, no words. Father reached out and dragged her down. She sat frozen while he ate. He paused and poked Dannie’s false breast. ‘Don’t touch her.’ Mother said. ‘Her? She? He’s a fucking boy. Look at it, my son, a little fucking tart, he’ll be having guys stuffing her up her jacksie and you allow this? God help us if this is what’s happening.

Look at it!’ He turned and ripped at her blouse, exposing the little brassiere she filled with a fake foam breast. The half-eaten meal, plate, cutlery, condiments, and sauce, hit the floor. Mother was on her feet, reached Dannie, and pulled her behind her. ‘Don’t you dare touch her! We don’t want you here, you should not be here. Get out of our house!’ He arose to his full six feet two inches, his chest barrel puffed out and he smacked her in the face with his half-closed ham-like fist. She fell, crumpled, blood spurting from her nose and her lip cracked, bleeding.

Dannie flew at him, fist flailing ineffectively. He grabbed Dannie by the throat and threw her across the room. Her head hit the wall and her body bent across the arm of the chair. The door burst open and Rachel stood, observing the chaos. ‘What have you done?’ She could see what he had done. He lurched towards her. ‘You too? You were always my little girl.’ ‘We don’t want you, you shouldn’t come anywhere near us, Father. Get out.’ ‘I won’t. You can speak to me like that, your father?’

‘I disown you, I wish you weren’t my father.’ He flashed out a hand and slapped her across the face. She shrieked. Her mother tried to rise and fell back. Daniella hadn’t moved at all. She lay like a rag doll across the chair. Rachel retreated into the kitchen as he advanced toward her. ‘Don’t touch me. I’m calling the police.’ She reached for her phone she had left on the worktop as she entered. As her fingers closed on it, he wrenched it from her, throwing it across the room.

Her fingers closed on the kitchen knife Dannie had used to cut open the plastic of the bag of fries. As her father closed on her, she thrust. Her father’s eyes seemed to bulge from his head, and a great fist landed on her face and another on her stomach. The shriek died on her lips. Her father staggered back, pulling the knife from his stomach. ‘Bugger, you used a knife, your father.’ Blood spurted, and pulsed through his fingers.

‘Fucking hell, that hurts.’ Rachel had crumpled, fallen to the floor, and propped against the cupboard like a resting marionette. Rachel watched dazed from where she sat on the floor. Dad made the front door, opened and staggered into the darkness. Rachel came to, hearing the noise of sirens. She raised herself on her hands and fell back. Daniella appeared in the kitchen doorway and knelt by her side. They hugged, their blood mingling on their skin. That was the scene the police officers found when they entered the open doorway, three minutes later. There was no sign of father.

They were all taken to hospital. Mum was semi-conscious. Daniella was diagnosed with a concussion. Her nose was broken. They took her to the Maxillo-Facial unit to set her nose and planned a repair of her damaged teeth. Mum and Rachel were put in a side ward. Over the next day, they all gave separate statements. They were reunited in the sideward when Anna Rainsford and two male detectives entered. ‘Mrs. Artherton, Miss Rachel, and Miss Daniella Artherton, I have some grave news.

Your husband Mr. Arnold Artherton, died in hospital from a stab wound to the stomach. In the circumstances, we need to re-examine your statements, separately.’ Anna says apologetically. ‘I don’t think I can add to my statement,’ Mother said. ‘Nor me.’ Daniella says. ‘With what intention?’ Rachel asks. ‘This is now a matter for the Crown Prosecution. You are all still under Police caution as you were yesterday. I would strongly advise that you read through your statements and make changes where necessary.’ ‘I will.’ Dannie said. ‘I want to add things.’ ‘Hush Dannie. I need a solicitor present, for all of us.’

Rachel says. ‘That’s your right,’ Anna says. ‘He might have killed any of us. Look at us. One man did this.’ Dannie says venomously. ‘I know,’ Anna replied, ‘but a man has died. We have to examine all the facts. I’m sorry. This has been traumatic enough, but the law has to take its course. It’s likely there will be a charge of murder. You are all still under caution. If you would like to re-examine your statements, I have them here.’ ‘Look, Anna, they have both said all they can.’ Rachel said. ‘You can see the state they are in. Look at my face, you can see what he did to me.

Look at Dannie and Mum.’ ‘I, we realize that, but what we have is a case of murder. The photos taken by the hospital will appear as evidence, as will the hospital’s report on your father. Your father has died and on your own statement, I have to arrest you and you will be taken from here to a police station as soon as you are declared fit. I advise you to have a lawyer.’ ‘Then Anna, you and your team are wasting your time here, today. The only thing I can say is that Mum and Daniella played no part in our father’s death.’ ‘I’m sorry Miss Rachel Artherton. I have to caution you that you will be arrested on discharge from the hospital.

You need to find legal advice or we will provide a lawyer for you.’ ‘I’ll find a lawyer.’ ‘Good. Then we’ll leave you. I hope you are all better soon.’ The police departed. Rachel phoned Richard. She told him what was happening. Two days later, returned to the family home, and they all added to their statements. Rachel was arrested and charged with murder. She spent ten hours at the police station, going over and over her statement of the events that evening.

Rachel was firm in her statement, the truth, that she came in upon a scene of mayhem, her sister lying like a rag doll, unconscious, her mother her face a bloody mess, unable to rise. Her own face was bloodied and bruised. Her solicitor passed copies of their damaged faces. Rachel was released on bail. Two weeks later, they all returned to normal life, Mum back working in the supermarket, Daniella back at school, having had the plaster cast on her nose removed, her teeth wired and one front one replaced with an implant. Rachel too returned to work.

Richard made sure she was kept busy but not overloaded. They worked together a great deal, Richard making sure Rachel was not overtaxed. Meanwhile, the firm had found a top defense lawyer, Mr. Martin Philips QC. Rachel pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates Court, a routine appearance prior to the prosecution taking the case to the Crown Court.

The date for the hearing was in ten months’ time. Of course, in the meantime, the murder prosecution of a young female lawyer made all the local and national media, shots of Rachel entering and emerging from the court, being hustled into a taxi, guided through the press by Alexander and Richard, more shots of Mum and Daniella arriving at court. Richard issued a statement as her employer, saying he had every confidence in his young pupil, that the eventual case would be resolved in her favor. Rachel herself tried to live life as normal, a difficult task with the threat of imprisonment hanging over one’s head.

Dannie had become a celebrity at school, but in the wrong ways, taunted with remarks like, ‘watch out, here comes Lizzie Borden, hold on to your head’. She still suffered daily taunts of queer, fucking queer, sissy pants, and from some of the girls, exclusion, ‘you’ll never be one of us, ‘just a guy without a cock’, ‘cock sucker’. In the girls’ toilets, ‘lookout, there’s a boy in here,’ giggles and nudges, stares and smirks. Her little army of friends did their best to protect her. At least she had some good friends, ten or so in her class who looked out for her.

The teachers also protected, when they observed bullying but that was only if they were present. The school year progressed. Mock exams in January and February occupied Dannie with much more homework, with results Dannie had that were better than any of her teachers had expected they would be a year ago. Rachel looked at the results and praised but pushed her to work harder. Rachel tutored her little sister as best she could. Jenny also helped and the two firm friends worked together on Monday and Thursday nights, usually at Jenny’s. Daniella was happy, even with the background bullying.

After a time, she managed to become hardened and took no notice. She felt confident enough in her new persona, to ignore the ignorant, the biased, the inane, and plain cruel. On occasion, she would strike back with biting criticism. All this time, the cloud of Rachel’s impending prosecution cast a shadow over the household. Mum was sometimes tearful, especially when a work colleague had been cruel or unthinking. June arrived and Dannie sat her exams. Rachel was hopeful.

She knew little Sis had worked hard and when she spoke to Jenny in private, Jenny was full of praise for her friend. ‘She’ll be good. I expect As at least.’ She said. In July, Daniella went on holiday with Jen and her family. Jenny had two younger brothers and her parents welcomed having a companion for their eldest child. They spent three weeks in Cornwall, soaking up what sun there was, walking, eating ice creams, and going to the one Club in the local town. To most girls Dannie’s age, it would have seemed quite dull, to Dannie, her first real holiday as a teenage girl, was thrilling.

She felt liberated, real. Her World, at last, looked conquerable. She returned home, renewed, and while her Mum and Rachel worked, Daniella ran the house, saw to the shopping, made lists for her mum to bring home, worked in the garden, and cleaned the house, while also finding time for fun with her friends. Knowing her father would not reappear, she felt liberated. August and they received GCSE results. She had six As, one A star, and a B.

She would go on to A levels, taking maths, history, English, and French. School now regarded her as a high flyer. September loomed darkly, Rachel’s time was spent preparing for her appearance in court. Richard and her defense team were confident. Rachel had periods of euphoric optimism followed by awful doubts and depression. Anna stayed away, keeping her own thoughts, and being professional. She could not be involved on a personal basis. Anna received notice that she would be called as a witness for the defense, Arnold Artherton’s previous record being cited as important evidence for a plea of self-defense and defense of her mother and sister.

Martin Philips QC quoted, ‘The case we always rely on is, ‘to prevent an attack on another person, e.g. in Regina v Rose, a young son shot dead his father to protect his mother from a serious assault, believing that this was the only practical way of defending her given his small physical size.’ In your case, Rachel, that your small sibling had already been attacked and your mother lay bleeding in a heap, and your own damaged face, ought to be enough of a defense.

‘There is also protection in the Convention and Human Rights Act. Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights repeated in the United Kingdom Human Rights Act, I quote, Deprivation of life shall not be regarded as inflicted in contravention of this Article when it results from the use of force which is no more than absolutely necessary: ‘in defense of any person from unlawful violence; ‘There’s plenty more previous we can quote but we shouldn’t need to.

It must have been a shocking scene that met your eyes when you entered the house that night. Your two dearest bleeding, the food scattered on the floor, your father in drink, struck you and you retaliated with whatever came to hand.

Added to all that, your father had entered the house, uninvited in defiance of a Domestic Violence Protection Order and, he was considered a dangerous criminal on the run. You will be completely exonerated.’ Rachel hoped that would be the case. The day of the Court case arrived. Rachel still at liberty, judged by the court not to be a danger to society, was driven to court by Alexander to whom she was now engaged. Mum and Daniella made their own way. The case took just a day. The prosecution decided to accept a plea of self-defense.

The judge stated she should be found not guilty and released without a stain on her character. A huge party followed, Rachel’s friends and colleagues, Daniella and her friends, her mother and one or two from her work, plus Mr. Nesbitt from their old street attended at the King’s Head Hotel. ‘All’s well,’ Daniella said to her sister in a quiet moment as they strolled in the hotel garden that bordered the river. ‘It’s not Dannie.

I killed my Dad. I shall always have that memory.’ ‘But that was his fault. You can’t feel responsible?’ ‘I shall always think, what if. What if I hadn’t picked up the knife?’

‘What if I hadn’t left that knife there?’ Dannie said. ‘But what if Dad had never come home, never got drunk. He had no right to be in our house, so it was his fault.’ ‘Well, it is no good saying what if. We have to think of the future. You have been a girl for over a year now. Is it right for you?’ ‘Yes, Rache. I feel alive at last. Being a boy was a living death.’ ‘You’ll soon be sixteen. Then you can have hormones, estrogen. That’s still what you want?’

‘I can’t wait. I want breasts. I want to look as much a girl as possible.’ ‘You do already.’ ‘Yes, I’m lucky but I still have that down there and foam breasts. I want to be real, not a boy in a dress. I haven’t even seen a psychiatrist yet. Doctor says, two more years before my clinic appointment.’ ‘Perhaps we should find hormones online, a web doctor.’ ‘Rache, could we please? Rache that would be so great.’ Dannie snuggled into her arms and Rachel gripped Daniella tightly to her. ‘I’ll make sure you are as girlie as possible but I want a promise from you, you work hard, get a good degree and make me proud.’ ‘That will be easy Rache. You make me so happy. I’m going to follow you, be a lawyer.’ And so it will be.

The End.