The Forgotten Child Novel – I was ignored for years. My father and my brothers treated me like rubbish. Now that I have finally gotten rid of them and have my own new life, why do they still come to bother me? “I am not going to the stupid Christmas dinner with a bunch of pricks like you. Come to my house and Ill call the police you got it?” I said. “What you don’t understand yet, little sister?” “Is that we get what we want, when we want it. Now we will be picking you up at 6 sharp, if your not ready, we will get people to change you ourselves, you got it?”, He said calmy, staring right into my eyes. “Good. See you soon little sister”, He said and went out to kiss me on the forehead. I slapped him. Hard.
My father hated me as soon as I was born. I was taken care of by my mother best friend, Celina. My brothers gave me no attention growing up, I mean as a kid I tried, Hard. They just were never bothered. 5 older brothers. People would say when they found out that no one must ever mess with you with the brothers you have. Nonsense. They did the hurting. My father use to smack me around as a kid, a smack on the lower thigh, a whip of a towel, a backhand across the face. He would always stop there but for the last few years he’s become more angry. I stay out now, I rarely ever go home. I knew they were going to leave me some time or another. After all they all forgot about me for years. I may hang around with the wrong crowd but it is what it is. Smoking a joint never hurt anyone. I went home last night high as a kite, hoping that my father wasn’t around, but he was. He was there, sat with a dim light showing his face in the darkness. I sobered up pretty quickly.
“Where were you? I get you not being around and I couldn’t care less if you are but I don’t want the cops coming to my door with a fool-faced daughter high on weed and coke.”, He said, slurring his words. He had obviously been drinking. I was too scared to even breathe as I walked backwards towards the stairs. He notices but just raises his eyebrows and smirks. He then slowly gets up and I break for the stairs. “Where do you think your going”, He said half shouting, half screaming. I ran to the stairs only to be pulled back by the tips of my hair and only the floor. He kicked me in the face so blood splattered everywhere like a rainbow. I sat their on the floor as he kicked my stomach, screaming each time he did. Everything started to go blurry when he stopped. He walked to the kitchen, wavering in and out as I layed on the floor, the lights still pitch black, only the light on the cooker visible.
He fumbled around in the draws for a while until he pulled out a huge kitchen knife. I felt my heartbeat pick up faster and faster as he got closer. He then pulled me down and pushed my arm against the floor, pushing the knife inwards. I screamed bloody murder, crying through the pain of a million tiny needles being stabbed into my arm over and over again. He carved something before throwing the knife down next to my face and kicking me one last time, knocking me out completely. I woke up today on the sofa, the blood was now cleaned up but dad was no where to be seen. My arm killed and felt like terrible. Dad walked in and came and sat on the sofa opposite. I got up pretty quickly which caused me to gain a gigantic headache almost instantly. I wasn’t paying attention to that though, I was looking my dad straight in the eyes. Challenging him to apologise.
“Look. Matilda. This isn’t working anymore. You need to move out. Stay far away from your brothers though, they aren’t good for you, I know I’m not good for you, but trust me, they are a lot worst. Stay far away from them if you want to survive”, He said quietly, still not looking up to me in the eye. “A while? Are you kidding me?!”, I screamed at him. He looked confused for a second, before he just looked back down. “It never worked! I was ignored, neglected, you treated me like rubbish for years! I know my brothers suck! I’ve met them, I’ve lived with them. Now I’m gonna do as you say. I’m packing my stuff, and never, ever coming back for the rest of my life, don’t look for me, and don’t tell the others. God forbid they would have to be involved in my life.”, I said. I was now stood up with the blood still dripping from my arm. I started to go upstairs before walking back slightly with my hands on my hips glaring at him. The next day, I drove my car and left the home with the support of Celina.
6 months later. I was lucky to meet a kind grandmother. Now I stay with her. She even got me my own flat to myself, and a job working at the diner. I was sat down waiting for my shift when my phone rang. I looked at the called ID and my heart stopped for a second. Why was Stone calling me? I coughed and picked up. “Hello?”, I asked into the phone, trying to sound as confident as possible. “Matilda Rushwood. Where are you?”, He asked sharply, I could tell he was pissed of with the edginess in his voice. “Why do you care?”, I answered back matching his tone. I don’t know where this sudden urge of confidence came from, but I was liking it. I hadn’t told granny about my brothers or father, she only knows that my mother has passed away when I was born. “Jesus, we’ve been worried all day waiting for you to get home for dinner with dad, hes pretty stressed out”, He said half shouting causing me to just roll my eyes. Dads only stressed because they would find out that he let me leave.
“Look Stone, I left 6 months ago.”, I said to him calmly, without a care in the world what they thought. He was silent on the other side, all I could hear was two sets of heavy breathing, meaning Ravy was with him, one of the most hated brothers. “What.”, He said slowly, as if trying to comprehend what I just said. “Look what do you want Stone? I don’t have time for this I have to get to work.”, I said impatiently, then hit myself on the forehead for even telling him that. “Work? Your 16! You cant work, last time I checked you could just about tie your shoes”, He shouted into the phone, as I moved it away from my ear slightly. “That’s because I was around 4 when you last check Stone, now leave me alone and don’t contact me ever again”, I said calmly, already bored of the conversation.
I was about to put the phone down when he called my name. “Look Matilda, I get that you are rebelling cause you haven’t had enough attention in your life, but come home, now, dad is worried sick about you, he drunk, I had to come down and drop him off and you weren’t here to take care of him”, He replied in sharp voice. I was infuriated with him. How dare he!? “Stone, do I have to spell it out, I. am. not. coming. home! I have a new home with people who actually cares about me, hes your father too, you take care of him, do something for someone else for once in your life”, I said slowly, as if he was a toddler. “I swear to Matilda, don’t make me come and get you, the others will come too, you cant live alone your a child for god sake, stop wasting my time with this silly tantrum”, He said sighing in and out with fury, his breathing becoming uncontrollable. I just rolled my eyes again, He just never listened.
“Technically you cant do anything legally, so good luck with that, and I have a new family now, so go yourselves”, I said and slammed the phone down, slumping down onto the sofa. The next day Christmas. A day that truly sucked. My brothers all bought eachother gifts, my father to his sons, but they would normally send me to my room for the day, claiming its way to hard for them to see me on a special day like Christmas. So does that mean a 6 year old doesnt deserve it? It was complete and utter nonsense, but when I was younger I would blame myself as well, when Stone left I blamed myself, when the others started to leave as well, I would feel the blame directed straight onto me. I always would stay in my room on Christmas, either crying or glaring out of the window except for my 7th Christmas. Never again after that. I kept the teddy bear, I still have it out of spite, to prove to them that they did care at one point. Just being born took that all away. It was Christmas tomorrow and I didn’t really fancy doing something huge. I got a knock on the door, I opened to see Granny staring at me.
“Hey Hun, so I wont be here tomorrow as I’m off to my daughter house to see the grandkids for Christmas.”, She said with a sorry smile. I preferred it this way. “Its alright, go see your family Granny I really dont mind.”, I said smiling holding her hands. She nodded but something was off about it. “You can come if you like, they have heard so much about you and they would all love to meet you at some point”, She said with a sad smile. “No thank you, but thanks for the offer, I dont celebrate Christmas”, I said. She nodded her head before giving me a quick smooch on the cheek. “Any chance you can help this old lady bring the presents out to the car?”, She asked. I smiled whilst nodding. I skipped off to jacobs flat. I knocked with a rhythm. Knock Knock, de Knock Knock. “Coming”, I heard him call. He came to the door, with soaking wet hair and no shirt on showing his stomach, and no he didnt have like a 6 pack, just a faint 4 pack, which is how I like my men anyway.
“Oh hey, sorry if I interupted anything”, I said with a smile. He shook his head grinning. “Nah, whatsup, miss me already?”, He said, I rolled my eyes at him, but inside my heart was pounding like crazy. “Granny needs our help with lifting the prezzies in the car”, I said to him. He nodded and shut the door to his apartment and walked with me in a comfortable silence to Grannys as she as in the diner getting her pay check from Monty. “So any plans for Christmas?”, He asked. I shook my head. “I dont celebrate it”, I said quietly whilst grabbing a few small and big boxes. “You?”, I asked. “Oh yeah, my older sister is visiting, so I’m heading off home to spend it with the fam. They are pretty chill so it will be all the family there. Does your family celebrate?”, He asked.
“They do, just never with me.”, I said quietly. He nodded in confusion but didn’t question further. As she drove off she gave us a loud beep and a honk. We laughed and waved her off. “I got to go soon as well to get home by diner”, Jacob said next to me. I just nodded and gave him a short awkward wave, not before he pulled me close and gave me a long smooch on the lips. I pulled away after 5 or 6 seconds and he smiled. “Ill see you in a few days”, He said. I nodded as he went back into his flat. God, I was late for work. I practically sprinted to the diner. I ran in, put my apron on and ran out to the front. Monty was in the back flipping burgers. “Hey hun. Can you work tomorrow? Everyone is gone”, He said. I smiled. “Of course Monty, I have no plans.”, I said smiling at him. “Yes she does.”, A familiar voice said behind me.