The sea breeze was gentle and soothing. The tears had dried, and the pain in her heart had lifted. The scenic view of the crystal clear blue sky, the emerald green sea, and the high waves blasting its powerful froth on the golden sands, comforted her. She stared aimlessly at her surroundings and felt a strong sense of calm engulf her entire being. She looked up at the twilight sky and suddenly realised that she had been sitting at the beach for hours! She wondered if her absence from home had caused any alarm and bewilderment to the man she had been sharing her life with for five long years.
She rose slowly from the bench and stood up. She made up her mind that she must leave Adam and return to New Zealand. She must save her sanity before things turned chaotic! It was strange that the anger and frustration she felt earlier had dissipated. She knew that she had to be strong and not let her affection for Adam enslave her to a situation of abuse and indignities. She was determined to quietly disappear from his horizon, his captivity and his emotional blackmail. With this aim, she strolled towards her car. She turned the ignition key, the engine started smoothly and she drove her car towards her beachfront townhouse in Williamston.
She took the lift to the fifth floor. As she walked towards her apartment, she felt her heartbeat rise; with anxiety she turned the key to the front door. She uttered a silent prayer that Adam would’ve gone out to meet his workmates who had planned to go to the footy that afternoon. As she stepped inside she felt safe and secure. She glanced around the living room and there was no sign of Adam anywhere… what a relief!
She walked towards the bedroom and heard the water running in the shower. She panicked, images of their early morning row echoed in her ears and she feared that if she raised the subject of separation it would only make matters worse. She quietly left the bedroom and walked towards the kitchen. She decided to make a toasted tuna sandwich; she wasn’t hungry but she decided to stay away from Adam’s presence. She took the loaf of wholemeal bread and began to prepare the tuna sandwich.
Just as she bent down to get the sandwich maker, she became aware of the strong fragrance of ‘Joop’, his favourite cologne. She steeled herself and very casually lifted herself with the sandwich maker; their eyes met. Adam looked a lot calmer and casually asked, “where have you been?” She remained silent. Adam put his arms around her and kissed her as if nothing had happened between them.
She wanted to avoid confrontation, so she kissed him back. “Ashley, I’m so sorry for the way I treated you earlier, my precious girl, please forgive me…I am so, so sorry for hurting you. I promise it will never happen again”. Adam’s embrace almost choked her. She wondered if he felt her heart thumping with apprehension and fear. She mustered enough courage to ask, “I’m making a tuna sandwich, would you like some Adam?
“No darling, I’m going to the footy with my mates. You take care love, I’ll see you later in the evening and I’ll have dinner at the club”. He kissed her forehead and grabbed his house and car keys and left.
Oh! What a relief! She had to sit down on the dining chair to steady her. She had to map her strategic escape and get as far away as she could from Adam’s clutches and senseless control. With this resolve and clarity of mind, she quickly ate her sandwich, drank her coffee, cleaned the dishes and walked to her room to pack a few things, get her passport and other essential documents to start life afresh.
She rang her sister and her confidant, Lizzy, to come and pick her up from her apartment at 5:30pm. She rushed to the shower and got ready for her escape. Everything went according to plan, no hurdles no hitches…. And yet Ashley’s heart rate rose and fell with anxiety. She must get out before Adam returned from the game. She looked up at the wall clock; it was 4:50pm, which meant there was a forty-minute wait. Forty minutes; this appeared to be both excruciating and torturous. “Please God, help me”, she whispered with agitation. “Please God, help me”, she uttered again and again. She quickly tidied up and was careful not to leave any tell-tale signs to alert Adam about her escape.
She hurried towards the front door after collecting her suitcase, handbag and jacket. At that very instant she heard the front door open. Ashley stood paralysed, stunned and utterly dismayed. There before her stood Adam equally shocked to see her trying to make a dash towards the front door. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked with suspicion and fury. She moved away from direct contact with him. “I’m leaving you Adam, our journey ends as of this moment.” She said with courage and certainty. What happened next was beyond comprehension.
Adam grabbed her throat and pushed her towards the wall. “You bitch! Do you think you can fool me?” A flurry of punches landed on her head and face. He grabbed her throat once again and squeezed it tightly! She could feel warm blood rush from her head and nose. She could hardly withstand the suffocation and was gasping for breath. A voiceless voice screamed from within her, “Adam please don’t kill me, let me go!”
Within seconds her limp body collapsed and she was shrouded in a pool of blood and a sinister darkness enveloped her. Adam kicked her shouting, “get up you bitch! Get up before I kill you!” He was not aware that the front door was open and the terrified neighbours could hear his raging, bellowing voice. They were too scared to stop him from his rage and violence. His kicking, raving and ranting suddenly stopped when he realised what he had done to Ashley. She lay unconscious in a pool of blood, her eyes shut. Adam was suddenly on his knees crying like a madman. “Please Ashley, I’m sorry, open your eyes, speak to me,” he cried.
Just as he was crying like a wounded animal, two police officers and two paramedics arrived with a stretcher. The action of a civic-minded neighbour brought help for the severely injured woman. The police officers subdued Adam, who was sobbing uncontrollably, while the paramedics tried to resuscitate the unconscious woman. She was not responding, so she was given oxygen to help her breathe while they placed her on the stretcher and took her to the ambulance below. The police officers were with Adam, trying to piece together information leading to Ashley’s injury.
Lizzy arrived as arranged to take her sister home. She met a neighbour in the lift on her way up to the fifth floor. She was dismayed to hear that Ashley has been taken to the Williamston Hospital in an ambulance. Rage and anger soared. Lizzy got out of the lift and rushed towards Adam’s apartment. “You demon,” she cried, “What have you done to my sister? She wanted to leave you…why didn’t you let her go?” Lizzy ran towards Adam to punch him. The police officer restrained her and told her to calm down. Adam stared at Lizzy like a zombie. She saw the suitcase and Ashley’s handbag on the floor.
“Those are my sister’s belongings, can I collect them please?” The officer said that it was a crime scene and things had to be left as they were. The officer told Lizzy they wanted her to answer some questions, and needed her to go with them to the police station. Lizzy said that she would, but needed to be by Ashley’s bedside at the hospital and promised to report to the police station.
The officers handcuffed Adam and took him to the police station. When Lizzy reached the Emergency ward to enquire about her sister, she was informed that Ashley was taken into the ICU and was in a serious condition. Lizzy’s heart raced with anxiety for her younger sister’s safety and wellbeing. When she reached the ICU, Lizzy was told that Ashley was not allowed any visitors as the doctors were attending to her. Lizzy begged the nurse for information about Ashley’s condition; however, she was told the doctors would speak to her once they had stabilized Ashley’s breathing.
Lizzy collapsed on the chair, which was in front of the ICU. Tears flowed uncontrollably; she wept openly and unashamedly for the plight that Ashley was caught up in. If only Ashley had the strength to leave Adam earlier, but she returned to Adam again and again, believing that his abusive behaviour would change, but this was not to be. Today, she lay unconscious and fighting for her life!
Alone in the waiting room in front of the ICU, Lizzy took out her rosary and began to pray for her sister’s recovery. An hour passed and there was still no news. Lizzy continued praying, hoping to hear something about Ashley’s recovery. A nurse from the ICU approached her. Lizzy’s face turned ashen. “Lizzy, come with me,” said the nurse. Lizzy followed the nurse, who led her to Ashley’s bed. “The doctor would like a word with you,” said the nurse gently. Ashley lay with an oxygen mask, intravenous tubes and a bandage on her head. Suddenly it dawned on Lizzy that Adam has fulfilled his promise: “If I can’t have you, no one else can!”
Dr Fong Lee placed his hands gently on Lizzy’s shoulder and said, “Sorry madam, your sister has lost her battle to live. She passed away a few minutes ago!” Lizzy screamed, “Oh! No! No! No!” and rushed to Ashley’s side, held onto her and cried! “You wanted to escape, you craved freedom…. Oh God! You have been freed from your hellish life!” She cried hysterically as she held the lifeless body of her sister in her arms. Ashley lay peacefully, freed from the “torture cage” called home. She was free at last, her last courageous attempt to free herself from the miserable life she shared with her abusive lover and partner of five years!
Lizzy knelt down by Ashley’s bedside and prayed, “eternal rest, grant unto her Oh Lord, let the perpetual life shine upon her!” The nurse gently helped her on her feet and walked her towards a chair nearby and another held a cup of coffee for Lizzy and gently said, “In death Ashley has finally found peace, she has found her freedom and eternal peace from an abusive relationship.” “How many women have to die, before the government can establish systems in place to stop abuse and brutality aimed at helpless individuals?” Lizzy said with pain and disappointment.
