K. Randis - Spilled Milk

Jason cracked open a beer and pointed to the living room. “I might watch the game, want to join?”

“Oh sure, drink a beer in front of the fat lady.”

“You’re not fat.” He grabbed me by the waist and pressed his lips into mine. “You’re my beautiful, very pregnant, somewhat chocolate addicted wife.”

I rolled my eyes and whacked his butt. “You go ahead, I want to write for a little while.”

“All right baby, don’t work our children too hard, there are labor laws you know.”

Midge had passed away of pancreatic cancer six months earlier. She would never get to meet my children but I kept her picture on my work desk and planned to tell them all about her one day.

One of our last conversations played in my head as I sat at my computer. I had asked her what she thought about me going to confront Earl, to finally close that chapter in my life. I didn’t know what I expected from the conversation we would have but I did know I wanted him to show some kind of remorse, or to admit to what he did to my face.

“Child, you ain’t ever gonna get it,” Midge said. “And if you go there, you still giving him all the control. He can get up and walk outta that room if he wanted. He’d make you feel like you the one that did something wrong by coming to see him.”

“Yea, you’re probably right. He just had no emotion, no reaction when he was sentenced. Like he had nothing to say.”

“Maybe he don’t. But I’ll tell you what. You ain’t ever gonna forgive that man, and you aint ever gonna forget. I know you. You’ll put it behind you and you’ll move on, that I’m sure of. But I think he needs to know he didn’t ruin your life. That you out here with a fine husband, job you love, and remind him that he in there because of what he did to himself, not what you did to him. Best way to do that is to write a letter. Can’t walk away from a letter, he can’t interrupt you none and I am sure willing to bet he will read it front to back. So if you feel the need, you go ahead and write him what you feel.”

It was the last conversation I had with Midge. A co-worker called to tell me that she had passed, and that Midge had left me a small amount of money that she wanted me to use to take some time off of work and write about my experiences so that maybe it would help someone else. I owed that to Midge. Maybe I owed that to myself.

I powered up my laptop and waited for the humming to slow before I opened Microsoft Word. My fingers traced over the keys. I thought about the day I drove to New York when I told my aunt and uncle what was going on. So much had happened since then. I had so much to say, and I wasn’t sure how it would end, but I sure did know how it should start.

Hi Earl,

I bet you’re wondering why I’m calling you Earl…

K.L Randis, author of Spilled Milk, has had numerous local publications that brought awareness to domestic violence. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and an expert in the field of domestic violence.

In October 2010 she hosted a panel of experts to discuss domestic, sexual and gang violence and its impact on communities. She has provided her expertise to local media outlets and she became a spokesperson to local high school classes on teen dating violence. She was also named Community Woman of Distinction for 2011 by East Stroudsburg University.

She resides in the Poconos with her husband and daughter. This is her first novel.

Contact the Author:

spilledmilkrandis@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/spilledmilkrandis

Copyright © 2013 by K.L Randis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Cover Design Copyright © 2013 by K.L Randis

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.