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Category:
Romance
Type: Fiction
Pages: 245
Fixing John a Drink tells the story of Abigale Jones, a young girl growing up in London. She yearns for a better life, for more money and for a relationship with her father.
Abigale Jones comes from a disadvantaged background. After her father abandons the family home, her mother falls into a silent stupor and Abi and younger sister Megan are left to console each other.
With dreams of making a success of her life, Abigale finds motivation from Oprah and Ebony magazines and enters Oxford University. She studies hard and after three years, graduates with first class honours.
During her time at oxford, she meets John Masters-Cromwell and falls in love.
An elaborate wedding is planned and Abigale’s emotional ride begins. She longs for her father’s entrance back into her life and has to accept that that is never going to happen.
After a few years, the happiness she thought was forever begins to turn sour and she is regularly beaten, abused and raped by her husband. Too ashamed to speak out, Abigale continues in the destructive relationship, shutting away her self-worth.
Visits to the local hospital and pharmacy for pain relief, leads to a confrontation with the truth. She had to do something to stop him or he would certainly kill her. She leaves with the usual dose of pain killers and something extra special for John.
Tortured by what she is about to do, Abigale stalls the long journey back to Manor house.
As she contemplates what was to come, she remembers the child she desperately wanted, but John was not interested and made sure her dreams of becoming a mother was never to come true.
Surviving the rape, beatings and even the loss of her much wanted baby, Abigale fixes John his last drink. As the ambulance’ siren rings out in the distance, she prepares herself for the inquest that would possibly take her freedom.
She is given a new chance to change her life after she meets and marries writer Charles. Many months of counselling and Abigale finally forgives herself.
She finds the strength to move forward with her life and assisted in the opening of a centre for battered women and children.
Excerpt
Bikini-clad females floated as if walking on air, whilst rippling brown six packs posed in the shade. Phew! I couldn’t bare the heat myself, so I quickly found a cabana and spent most of the early afternoon watching the waves crash and bang against the rocks.
“You look like you could do with a back rub?” A deep voice shook the waves from my mind and I looked up to see a tall brown-skinned man looking down at me. He had sharp green eyes and a smile that went from ear to ear. I sat upright and cleared my throat “What would give you that impression?”
The handsome face, which couldn’t have been any older than 25 lit up and he edged closer “A beautiful lady like you, wouldn’t want to be sun-burned now would you?”
I smiled and stared for a second, thinking of what else to say “Are you volunteering your services?” I wasn’t really sure of where I was going with such a suggestion, but I felt an attraction to those huge green eyes.
He knelt down and picked up the bottle of sunscreen. Pouring a handful, I turned over and waited for his touch.
Blissfully and contentedly in my day dream, I was disturbed by the horrifying tone of my husband’s voice. It rang loudly in my ear like an annoying siren. Ignoring the clamour, I was reminded of his earlier out burst.
John called me ‘crazy’ this morning, and screamed like a banshee “you’ve lost your mind. I should have you institutionalized, you stupid woman!”
Secretly, I smirked as I thought ‘it was he who was in dire need of psychoanalysis’ - screaming like a hormonal maniac.
I sat up, picked up the picnic blanket and walked back into the house. Looking around, I wished I was on the beach and miles away from this place. Brushing my hair in the dressing room mirror he stood over me like a sergeant major, belittling me further. I had gotten used to John telling me how useless and unworthy I was. After many years of hearing the same thing, one does become immune to the insults.
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