Poppies

Pauline sat in the coffee shop, waiting for Pascal to arrive. Months had past since the night they had consummated their union. Now her worst fears had come true.

  She was pregnant and not married.

  She sipped her coffee, lost in her own thoughts.

  What had she done? What was she going to do now?

  Christmas had come and gone and she still didn’t have Pascal’s ring on her finger. She didn’t doubt he would marry her. She had come to realize that he would. He just liked to use that as leverage over her head, so she would perform his carnal acts with him.

  The question was, did she still want to marry Pascal?

  And the answer was that she wasn’t so sure anymore.

  Over the last few months Pauline had seen a different side of Pascal, not that she hadn’t seen this side for some time. It was just that for the first time she was allowing herself to realize that maybe this Pascal she was witnessing was the real one.

  Pauline sighed and looked out the coffee shop window, wishing she had someone to talk to about this. But she didn’t. Who would understand her trepidation over her relationship with Pascal?

  Pascal was not blind to what was going on with Pauline. He was starting to notice her ambivalence toward him. When Pascal threatened to leave Pauline, she didn’t seem to react the way she used to and this bothered him.

  He had always taken comfort in the knowledge that Pauline adored him. This had been his power, his control over her. If her feelings for him changed, then he would be powerless and life as he knew it would end. He was no fool.

  He knew that the only reason he was getting attention from other women was because he was Pauline’s choice for a mate.

  What Pauline didn’t know was Pascal had been trying to get her pregnant. He wanted to get her pregnant so that she would be helpless again. He needed her to want him as her husband once more. He could sense that he might have pushed Pauline too far and her feelings were changing. If she were pregnant, she would have to beg him to marry her. Pascal would, of course. He wasn’t going to risk losing his hold on her. Not now, not ever. In fact, he wanted to marry her soon, before Pauline got cold feet and ran. She would be his and he would never have to worry about it again.

  Pauline stared blankly out the window, lost in thought. A thudding on the windowpane brought her back to reality with a jolt. She adjusted her eyes to the figure outside waving at her.

  It was Mara-Joy and she looked surprisingly happy.

  Pauline waved back, glad to see her older sister in such good spirits. Mara-Joy disappeared and reappeared inside the coffee shop.

  The eyes of every man in the place turned toward the fur-clad woman as she breezed her way toward the delicate girl sitting alone in the corner.

  “Pauline, darling!” Mara-Joy called out loudly. “Fancy meeting you here!”

  Mara-Joy sat down in the seat across from Pauline, bringing with her the buoyant fragrance of her perfume. She lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply before continuing to speak.

  “Why do you look so glum?” Mara-Joy asked, blowing smoke out of her red painted lips. She began to shrug out of her black mink coat, intent to stay for a while.

  Pauline looked around nervously, hoping Pascal wouldn’t show up early.

  She’d arrived beforehand to have time to think before facing him with her news. He didn’t like Mara-Joy. He felt clumsy and awkward around her, and he hated to feel that way around anyone. So he wouldn’t be happy if he arrived and saw Pauline having coffee with her sister.

  “Do I?” Pauline whispered, trying to hide her emotions. Mara-Joy scrutinized her. She didn’t miss a thing. Pauline was distressed about something and she intended to find out just what it was.

  “Listen, Pauline, whatever it is, it can’t be so bad. I know we have never been terribly close, but I am your sister and if I can help, I will.” Mara-Joy inhaled, blowing smoke out of her mouth. It was an art the way she did it.

  Pauline, mortified at herself, began to cry uncontrollably. Mara-Joy tensed and reached across the table grabbing onto the young woman’s hand.

  “There, there, Pauline. Is it all that bad?” Mara-Joy said trying to comfort her. She felt foolish with this outward display of emotion coming from Pauline. Constance and Joanna had always hidden their emotions, not unlike Mara-Joy herself. The three older sisters were similar in some ways. But here sat Pauline, the youngest of the lot, sobbing her heart out. Mara-Joy didn’t know what to do.

  She was stunned.

  “Is it that boy you’ve been seeing?” Mara-Joy said with a tone to her voice.

  “Constance’s brother-in-law?” she asked with distaste. Like Alan, she didn’t care for the little weasel. Pauline was much too attractive to be with such a homely fellow with a bad attitude. Besides, Mara-Joy thought, he doesn’t even have any money to compensate for his bad looks.

  Pauline nodded, blowing her nose into the tissue Mara-Joy handed to her.

  “Well, what has the little bastard done now?” Mara-Joy offered Pauline a smoke. Pauline shook her head and sat up straight. She was miserable and wanted to tell someone why. Mara-Joy was the first person that seemed to want to know what was going on in Pauline’s life.

  “I don’t think I want to see him anymore,” she said, trying to compose herself now that the words were finally spoken out loud.

  Mara-Joy looked at Pauline in disbelief. This is why she sat there sobbing like a broken faucet? She wanted to break it off with that little troll?

  “Well, break it off then,” Mara-Joy said, stubbing out her cigarette in the tin ashtray. She motioned to a waitress to bring her a cup of coffee. “How awful is that, Pauline?”

  Pauline began to cry again. Mara-Joy didn’t know she was pregnant on top of it all. She didn’t know that Pascal was not the sort of man you just broke it off with. It was just not that simple and she said so.

  “How is it not so simple?” Mara-Joy asked before sipping the coffee the waitress had brought to her. She shooed the blonde girl away with her hand when she lingered, wanting to know if they needed anything more. Pauline blushed. She knew the waitress and was embarrassed by how Mara-Joy dismissed her like a servant.

  “It’s complicated,” Pauline spoke softly, twirling her spoon in her cooling cup of coffee. How could she tell Mara-Joy the truth? It was too awful.

  “Well, it seems to me you would be doing yourself a favor getting rid of that baggage. You know Pa can’t stand the guy.” Mara-Joy commented, looking around casually. The coffee shop was not a place she frequented. It amused her. She preferred restaurants of quality to the dinginess of a coffee shop. She would have passed by the shop completely if she hadn’t noticed Pauline sitting inside stewing alone.

  Pauline’s head shot up. Her face crumpled with emotion.

  “Dad doesn’t like Pascal? Since when?” she asked, surprised. If she’d known this, she would never have started seeing Pascal in the first place. There was

  one thing about Pauline; she never went against her parents’ wishes. Too many times they had been hurt by their children’s decisions. Pauline didn’t want to be one of them.

  “Since always, Pauline. I thought you knew that,” Mara-Joy said, surprised. Why was it that Pauline always seemed to be clueless to matters that were obvious to everyone else?

  “No one can stand Pascal. He is beneath you and our family. I’m surprised you ever gave the creep the time of day.” Mara-Joy said matter-of-factly.

  “I never knew.” Pauline said, dazed. “I always thought everyone approved.”

  Mara-Joy shrugged her shoulders.

  “Well, maybe Constance at first. And that husband of hers. But the rest off us are still wondering what on earth you are doing with him.” Mara-Joy looked up and was startled by the expression on Pauline’s face.

  “What?” she asked, “You can’t be surprised by this information, can you? The guy has nothing to offer you. He is nasty to look at and has the personality of a slug. He gives me the creeps just think
ing about him,” Mara-Joy said, shivering for effect.

  “You are much too good for the likes of that guy; I don’t care if he is Constance’s brother-in-law.” She sipped her coffee again, totally unaware of the effects of her words on Pauline.

  “You really think so?” Pauline asked, astonished. Mara-Joy had never shown such interest in her before. Let alone compliment her.

  Mara-Joy rolled her eyes. Pauline was so eager to please and so easily pleased.

  The kid would be eaten up by the likes of Pascal.

  “Pauline, you could have any fellow you wanted. You are drop dead gorgeous!” Mara-Joy eyed Pauline as she flushed crimson red. “Much to my dismay,” she added cocking her eyebrow. Pauline smiled shyly, drawing her shoulders inward.

  “And,” Mara-Joy paused, sighing deeply, “if you ever tell anyone I said this, I will kill you,” she threatened bending in closer. “You are sweet. Men like that quality in a woman. Especially when they want a woman to share their life with.”

  “Mara-Joy--”

  Mara-Joy raised her hand to silence Pauline.

  “I’m not finished. What I am trying to say is, why waste your life on the likes of Pascal when you could have the pick of the litter?” Mara-Joy waved her hand around the coffee shop. “I happen to know that you are a much desired woman in your peer group. So much so that your little boyfriend gets more attention than he deserves simply by virtue of your acquaintance.”

  Pauline sat silently stunned. Every word stuck in her brain like a fly caught in a web. The only problem was now she was certain she didn’t want to be with Pascal. How was she going to get out of the relationship, now that she was pregnant with his child?

  “Anyway,” Mara-Joy stood up, “I have to get back to Larry. We are having a little celebration tonight,” Mara-Joy looked as though she were glowing. It was the first time Pauline noticed. Mara-Joy actually seemed ecstatic.

  “What are you celebrating?” Pauline asked curiously. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Mara-Joy so happy before.

  Mara-Joy looked around as though not wanting anyone to hear. She bent down her expensively set head to Pauline’s pony tailed one.

  “Can you keep a secret?” Mara-Joy whispered, barely able to contain herself.

  Pauline nodded, touched by Mara-Joy’s outreach of affection.

  “Larry and I have been seeing a doctor,” she said with a glint in her eye.

  “What kind of doctor?” Pauline asked, confused. Mara-Joy didn’t look sick.

  “A baby doctor,” Mara-Joy looked around again. “You have to promise not to say one word.” She pointed a long finger painted deep red into Pauline’s face. “I mean it.”

  “I won’t, I promise,” Pauline said with sincerity, pulling slightly away from the accusing finger.

  “I am going to have a baby!” Mara-Joy could barely contain her excitement. She covered her mouth with her heavily jeweled hand.

  “Mara-Joy--But I thought?” Pauline was stunned to say the least. Her mouth gaped open in shock.

  “I know! I know! But this doctor has been working with us for months and,” she stopped to take a deep breath, clasping her hands to her heaving chest, “a miracle has happened.”

  Pauline had never seen Mara-Joy so happy. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight for her. She stood up and hugged Mara-Joy tightly to her.

  “This is the most wonderful news, Mara-Joy. I am so happy for you and Larry. The family will be so delighted!” Pauline hugged Mara-Joy warmly, smelling her airy perfume. It felt good to share Mara-Joy’s news. It felt right.

  Mara-Joy pulled away, composing herself, jerking her mink high around her neck.

  “Yes, well, you promised not to say a word,” she said, unable to contain her pleasure, the blue of her eyes radiating with life.

  “I promise. Mom is going to have a fit when she hears. Mara-Joy, she is going to be beside herself,” Pauline said, feeling a little weird. Her mother wasn’t going to feel so happy finding out Pauline was also pregnant.

  “I know, I know,” Mara-Joy beamed, clutching Pauline’s arm. “But I just want to wait a little–you know, ‘till I am sure everything will be all right.”

  Mara-Joy’s face darkened. The memory of her last pregnancy was always fresh in her mind.

  Pauline picked up on her emotions.

  “Everything will be fine,” she said, placing a warm hand on Mara-Joy’s. “Tell Larry I said ‘hi and congratulations’. You deserve this.”

  Mara-Joy brightened up and lifted her head regally.

  “I will, and I suggest you prepare yourself,” she said, looking toward the door where Pascal had just entered, “to dispose of certain garbage.” She deposited a twenty on the table. “For the coffee,” she said and waved her fingers at Pauline as she brushed passed Pascal without saying a word.

  “What was that all about?” he asked, sitting down in Mara-Joy’s seat.

  “Nothing.” Pauline smiled. There was something to be said about Mara-Joy. She didn’t pull any punches. She let you know exactly what she wanted you to know.

  Pascal leaned over the table, already bored with the conversation and looked at Pauline. She looked good, even though her eyes were a little bloodshot.

  “You look good, babe. Let’s blow this place. I need to feel the wind at my back.” Without a response from Pauline, he stood up, expecting her to follow him.

  Pauline huffed and stood up, placing the change from the twenty into her pocket. She left the waitress a hefty tip, hoping it would make up for the abuse from Mara-Joy, and followed after Pascal.

  “Do I need some loving tonight,” Pascal said, loudly hammering his steering wheel with his closed fist.

  Pauline sat huddled in the corner of the passenger’s seat. A shiver ran up her spine. She was not going to comply this time. No matter what.

  “No, Pascal. I need to talk to you,” she said barely above a whisper.

  “What?” he asked, scrunching his face in disbelief at her. “What are you talking about? You do as I say, right, babe?” He turned his attention back to the

  road. He made a sharp right turn into a bushy, secluded area. There were no streetlights here and the only illumination available was from the car’s front lights. He continued to drive.

  Pauline had no idea where he was driving, but assumed that he was taking her to a place where they could be alone and undisturbed.

  “No, Pascal, I can’t do this anymore,” Pauline shook her head, summoning all her courage.

  “Pauline, listen. I don’t need your shit tonight okay. Let’s just get to our destination, have a little fun and then if you’re lucky--” He looked over at the frail form huddled in her seat. She had taken down her ponytail and her hair was hanging loose, hiding her face from his view. She never wore her hair down. He didn’t like it. Pauline was an attractive girl. Hiding her face behind her hair was unbecoming of her. He pushed the hair out of her face. Pauline pulled back instinctively.

  “What’s with your hair?” he demanded gruffly. “I don’t like it like that. Put it up.”

  Pauline obeyed, taking an elastic hair band from her purse and pulling her hair back in its customary ponytail.

  Pascal observed her and smiled.

  “That’s better,” he said, pulling into a clearing of dense bushes. He stopped the car and turned off the engine. He leaned over and pulled Pauline to him.

  She jerked back stiffly from Pascal’s embrace.

  “What the hell is the matter?” he said angrily.

  “Pascal, I don’t want this anymore.” She swallowed, feeling afraid.

  “Listen, if this is about not being married yet, well don’t sweat it.” Pascal swelled up with pride. “That is the surprise, baby. I want us to get married. I was planning on asking you tonight.”

  Pauline sat with her mouth open. This would solve her problems regarding the pregnancy, but she didn’t want to marry Pascal anymore.

  “And you can make it as big as you want.??
? Pascal grinned sure of himself. “In fact, you should make it the biggest wedding of the year--hell, the century.”

  “I don’t want to marry you,” Pauline spoke the words before she realized they were out of her mouth.

  Pascal looked at her, amazed. His hand shot out in front of him striking Pauline firmly across the face. She flew against the door, banging her head hard on the window.

  She hunched in the corner of her seat, frightened.

  “You don’t want to what?” he asked venomously. Fear rippled through him. He wasn’t about to lose his little gold mine.

  “Pascal, please,” Pauline begged, clutching her throbbing head. “I just can’t do this anymore.”

  “I just can’t do this anymore,” Pascal mimicked in a cruel voice. “Well isn’t that a little too bad now.” He reached out and grabbed her arm roughly. Pauline tried to pull away but his grip was too firm.

  “Since when do you make the decisions in this relationship, Pauline?” He glared down at her wickedly. “I am speaking to you, woman!”

  “You are hurting me, Pascal. Stop, please!” Pauline was terrified. Pascal looked manic and completely out of control.

  “You don’t know what hurt is, but it looks like you’re going to find out.”

  Pascal pulled Pauline closer and a fist flashed as everything went black.

  Several hours later, he dumped her in front of her house.

  Both Pauline’s eyes where black and her left arm hung limply in her right hand. She knew it was broken. But that was not all that was broken.

  After beating her senseless, Pascal had raped Pauline continuously until she was unconscious. She awoke as he hastily pushed her battered body from the car.

  “Babe,” Pascal said as Pauline stumbled up the stairs. She turned to him unable to see clearly out of her swollen eyes. “Remember. You met up with some hooligans. I never saw you tonight,” Pascal said very calmly.

  Pauline turned away, numb with pain, both physical and emotional.

  “I mean it, Pauline. Hey,” he continued sounding uplifted, “we will announce our engagement afterwards.”

  Pauline continued up the stairs, not bothering to respond.

  Pascal smiled to himself. This would work out well. He would look like a big man, announcing that he would marry Pauline after her attack. He pressed on the accelerator and drove off, not bothering to look back to see if Pauline had made it safely inside.

  As soon as the car spun away, Pauline fell to the ground in front of her door.

  What would she do? She had no one to turn to for help. The one thing she did know was that she wasn’t going to marry Pascal and she didn’t want to have his child. Life with him would only get worse. Once they were married, her life would turn into more of a nightmare than it already was.

  Her thoughts turned to Mara-Joy.

  She had money. Maybe Pauline could borrow some and go away for a while.

  If she left without Pascal knowing where she was, she could heal and deal with this pregnancy one way or another.

  She stood up. If she told Mara-Joy the truth, maybe she could help Pauline. One thing was for sure, she couldn’t face her parents.

  Pauline held her injured arm. She looked a mess. She couldn’t lie and protect Pascal from what he had done to her, and she couldn’t face telling her parents the truth. There was no one who could help her except Mara-Joy.

  Mara-Joy came down her staircase, pulling a silk robe around her protectively.

  She was half asleep when Larry woke her, telling her Pauline was there. He had warned Mara-Joy that something had happened, but she was not prepared for what she saw standing in the doorway.

  Pauline looked terrible and about to collapse. She had taken a cab over, using the money Mara-Joy left at the café.

  “Larry, get her on the sofa!” Mara-Joy ordered. He obeyed and carried the sagging Pauline into the living room as Mara-Joy followed behind, frantic.

  “What the hell has happened to you?” Mara-Joy stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at the battered form of Pauline.

  “I need your help.” Pauline mumbled through swollen lips. She could barely see Mara-Joy’s stunned face through her black eyes.

  “Larry, call Dr. Avery,” Mara-Joy ordered, needing to take control of the situation. She was totally unprepared for Pauline’s unexpected visit.

  “No!” Pauline protested. Mara-Joy pivoted to Pauline.

  “Larry, make the call!” she said sternly ignoring her little sister.

  Larry, obeying his wife, left the room to call his personal doctor. Whatever happened to Pauline, Mara-Joy had decided to keep it secret, for now.

  Once Larry was safely out of the room Mara-Joy bent down to her beaten sister. She looked at the pounded face and felt her anger rising. Never had she felt this type of anger. Not even after Joanna and Chad had run off together.

  “Who did this to you, or do I need to ask?” she inquired coolly, gently smoothing the matted hair from Pauline’s bloody face.

  “Mara-Joy, I need your help,” Pauline sobbed trying to lift her head. She winced in pain as she moved her broken arm.

  Mara-Joy eyed the ruined arm and cocked her eyebrow, her mind racing.

  “You need my help, do you?” she said through lips pressed firmly together.

  “Yes, I need to borrow some money and I need your word that you won’t tell Mom and Dad about this,” Pauline sputtered through cracked lips.

  “You expect me to help you when you haven’t even told me what has happened?” Mara-Joy stood up and walked around the spacious living room, richly decorated in the newest fashions.

  “Please, Mara-Joy, I have nowhere else to turn,” Pauline begged, trying hard not to cry. Mara-Joy was her only hope. Without her, Pauline didn’t know what she would do.

  “Don’t beg, Pauline, it is very unbecoming,” Mara-Joy turned abruptly back to her crumpled sibling. “Did that boyfriend of yours do this?” she demanded, full of hate for the man.

  Pauline, weakened from the nights events, nodded, defeated.

  “I thought so,” Mara-Joy went to the fireplace mantle and retrieved a cigarette from the pack that rested there. She lit the white stick and breathed in.

  “How did it happen?” she asked, feeling chilled to the bone.

  “I told him I didn’t want to marry him,” Pauline cried weakly, looking like a broken doll.

  “So he beat you,” Mara-Joy said, disgusted, her arms firmly crossed against her chest.

  Pauline breathed in ragged breaths that rattled in her lungs.

  “Monster!” Mara-Joy said under her breath. She turned her attention to Pauline, resigned.

  “Well Pascal has made a very grave mistake.”

  Pauline’s swollen eyes looked up beseechingly to Mara-Joy. She didn’t resemble the pretty girl Mara-Joy had spoken to only hours before.

  “He should have never messed with my sister. To mess with you was to mess with me,” she inhaled, her arms still pressed against her chest. “And everyone knows not to mess with me.”

  Mara-Joy was very efficient. Dr. Avery arrived and mended the broken Pauline as best he could.

  With a bit of Larry’s money stuffed in his pocket, he agreed to keep quiet about the whole affair. Arrangements were made for Pauline to go to a hospital in another town where no one knew her. There, she could heal from her injuries without being recognized.

  With great trepidation Pauline revealed the whole story to Mara-Joy, including the most imminent problem: her pregnancy.

  Mara-Joy arranged it so Pauline would no longer have that burden to carry. There was no way Pauline was going to be forced into marrying Pascal. At the hospital where Pauline would stay, they would take care of that problem along with the broken arm and bruises.

  Pauline, grateful to have the responsibility taken from her shoulders, fell back into the seat of the car, exhausted and eased of her burdens. She sat snugly wrapped in a thick blanket in the back seat.

&nb
sp; Larry sat in the front seat with the doctor. Mara-Joy had insisted he go with Pauline to settle her into the hospital safely. Mara-Joy stood outside the car looking in. She clutched her robe tightly to her bosom. She hadn’t any time to change in all the excitement.

  “Now listen, kid,” Mara-Joy said, lighting another cigarette, “Don’t worry about the folks. I’ll take care of it.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you.” Pauline said, eyes welling with tears.

  Mara-Joy brushed her comments aside and, feeling ill at ease, shushed Pauline up.

  “What are sisters for?” she said casually, dismissing the tenderness in Pauline’s voice.

  “What about Pascal?” Pauline trembled thinking about how mad he was going to be when he found out Pauline had disappeared.

  Mara-Joy glared down on Pauline and in a very cool and steady voice, she said, “He is never going to be a problem again for you, Pauline. Right, Larry?” Mara-Joy grinned wickedly at her husband in the front seat, as she inhaled deeply from her cigarette.

  Larry turned his heavy bulk around, his eyes and nose visible over his shoulder.

  “That’s right, Mar. He ain’t going to be a problem anymore.” He laughed deep in his chest.

  Mara-Joy tried to contain her own laughter and turned back to Pauline in the back seat, tossing her cigarette behind her.

  “Leave everything to Larry and me. I’ll be up tomorrow to visit with you and see that you are all settled in.” Mara-Joy reached a hand inside of the car and placed in on Pauline’s shoulders.

  “You are not going to ruin your life over this man,” she said. “Everything will work out fine. Trust me.”

  Pauline nodded sleepily. The drugs Dr. Avery had given her were starting to work. She lazily closed her eyes, feeling safe and secure. Mara-Joy was going to fix everything. Pauline was going to be all right and, thankfully, free of Pascal.

  Chapter 43 —