"Wait, so he hit you?"
"Yes, but it's not what it seems. He's been really stressed at work. He swore it would never happen again."
I could tell she wasn't convinced. Cheryl, self proclaimed leader of our little girl's coven. Tea and cake Tuesdays. I'd always felt like I was a token member really. The others had more in common than me. Mousy little me.
"He's a brute. You should leave him." Amy blurted out over Death By Chocolate, then snorted her Assam.
"Or kick him out!" another chorused. Kate? Earl Grey. Victoria Sponge. As usual. Very bland girl. No dress sense.
The crowd agreed. They didn't recall the wedding ring. The "Till Death Do Us Part". It might have been different, more support, more sympathy if I'd been a woman…
My wife, a family and children's psychotherapist, says it wouldn't be. Different that is. Domestic violence is rarer for men, who often won't talk about it, but Fear is less a part than for women. And the title, I think, should have honoured the song lyric "Don't you know that it's different for girls." from "Steppin' out" by Joe Jackson.
Didn't really see that coming!
This is available as audio as part of #AudioMo July 2013 at
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1500982-audiomo-late-13th-july-it-s-different-for-men-6minutestory
This one really has me thinking. As a girl I was raised to believe that a boy should NEVER hit a girl. I had no clue that boys could be attracted to other boys until I was in high school, one of my best friends was gay. I have never considered what it would be like for a man to be in an abusive relationship with another man. I think men who hit women must hold back at least some for fear of doing real damage. Would an abusive man hold back as much against another man, and would the abused man fight back? I'd like to see this expanded and the narrator fight back. I wrote a similar story about a woman with a mentally abusive husband and I'm still waiting for her happy ending to come to me. I really like this one, Mike.
I do all sorts of things. Mostly badly. Mostly better than others. I tell stories. Occasionally, I lie.