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Ships in Bottles

Journey to the horizon

By Patti Marrs MagillPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
6
photo by author

Abby never gave much thought to how her life would end. She was, afterall, only 16...she only knew that she would not mind if it ended sooner rather later. 16 years would not seem like the time to think of death, not to most people anyway. But Abby already lived a lifetime. A lifetime of pain and abandoment. Her best years, her ONLY good years, were those spent with Papa Mac.

Backtrack to Abby's 3rd birthday. Mommy and Daddy dropped her at Papa's so they could go pick up the finishing touched for her birtday party. Somehwre between picking up the cake and the balloons, a drunk driver ended any possibility that Abby's life would ever continue on the path her paremts had planned for her. She never left paps's house after that afternoon. She remembered she had cried for many days, then one day..she didn't. By her 4th birthday, she could not even tell you what Mommy and Daddy looked like. Papa Mac was her family, her only family, having lost her Grammy before she was old enough to crawl.

Her Paternal grandparents had never been a part of her life, unforgiving that their white son had married a black girl. As far as they were concerned, Abby did not exist. It was fine with her. Papa Mac was her life and her home and all that she needed.

Her youth was spent in Papa's workshop. Ships in bottles. that's what they did all day every day. Make little miniature ships inside bottles. It was magic to Abby. She thrilled at it. Was enthralled by it. She imagined that one day, she and Papa would sail off into the horizon on a ship like the ones in the bottles.

When Papa had his heart attck, Abby was 13. The social workers took her away from all that she had known, all excpet the three bottled ships she had managed to hide in her closet. The ships went with ther to foster home after home. Sometimes she displayed them if the foster parents were deemed trustworthy. Most of the time she hid them in her black plastic bag with an old blanket and stuffed bunny because the family had 'sticky fingers'.

She managed okay until the 6th foster home. that's when the abuse began. the "father" came home drunk and angry. he continued to drink through the evening which made th anger come out in horrible fashion. One night he came to Abby's room full of rage after hearing she had broken a beer mug he especially treasured. He ransacked her room and found the treasrued ships in bottles. He waved them at her and said he would sell them to pay for the mug. She ran at him, angrier than she had ever been. How dare this worm of a man touch her Papa's art!!! She struck at his eyes with her fingers. He punched her full on in the face. She came back up and lunged at his throat. He smashed the bottle on the bedtsand and came at her. She was no longer scared, she was only trying to save the tiny ship. He slashed the broken bottle across her throat. She gasped. She slif to the floor, feeling the blood pumping out of her body. She slumped to the floor. The blue walls and white ceiling became sky and cloud. The grren carpet became waves of sea. Whats' that? Over the horizon? A ship? A ship bouncing across the waves? And as the sunlight caught the bow, she could see a lone figure waving to her. Papa? is that you? Ans she smiled for the first time in years. She smiled because papa was coming for her in the way she always knew he would. On a ship. On a ship they would sail on to the end of the time.

trauma
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About the Creator

Patti Marrs Magill

Retired Corporate Flight Attendant, pursuing new careers in writing and education. I have 4 adult children, 6 grandchildren, and live in Central California. Currently I am taking on students to tutor in reading and writing.

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