From 92562f6ec5af4fc690f5fd8cc3f9d077b19487c8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Wirzenius Date: Wed, 2 May 2018 17:59:18 +0300 Subject: Add: chapter on Anna being assaulted This is based on something that happened to me. --- assault.mdwn | 138 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 138 insertions(+) create mode 100644 assault.mdwn diff --git a/assault.mdwn b/assault.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1a0c92 --- /dev/null +++ b/assault.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,138 @@ +# Assault + +It's been a couple of weeks. It's late on Thursday evening. Anna is +sitting in the subway train, on a bench. On the Helsinki subway the +trains are orange, and the benches are orange. Ths benches are in +pairs to form booths, ostensibly to get the famously asocial locals to +be modern and urban. In practice, it meant they read books, +newspapers, or, these days, looked at their smartphones. Or out of the +windows into the underground tunnel walls. Anything to avoid talking +with each other. + +Anna is doing that. It's been another long, stressful day at work, and +she's enjoying watching episode of her latest favourite TV show on the +phone, while going home. When she gets home, she'll go to the sauna to +really relax and clean herself both bodily and mentally and +spiritually. + +A pair of twentysomethings come into the train car, and shove into the +booth with Anna. She shifts a little. The young men are both drunk, +the other much more than the other. They carry large bags, and a bag +of takeout from an transnational hamburger restaurant chain. + +Anna dubs them as Dumb and Dumber. Dumb is carrying the food, and what +looks like a bunch of gym clothes. Dumber is carrying a bag with +something hard, which makes clonk sounds, when it hits the benches or +the floor. + +"Be careful, that's my Playstation." Dumb is clearly upset at Dumber. +Dumber seems to not care. Instead, Dumber puts his feet on the +opposite bench, where Anna is sitting, and forces Anna to shift to +avoid his dirty shoes. + +The train ride continues for a while. Dumber keeps accidentally +kicking the Playstation, and trying to grab the food bag from Dumb. +Dumb keeps the bag out reach and complaining about the safety of his +gaming equipment. + +Dumber gets bored and starts looking at Anna, then poking her with his +feet. + +"Please stop." Anna isn't amused and tries to get back to watching TV +show. The poking continues. + +"Come on, girl. You should feel honoured by a little male attention, +the way you look." + +Anna puts away her phone and looks at Dumber, straight in the eyes. +"Don't be silly, boy. If you wanted more space, you could've sat in +the next booth, which is all empty." + +Dumber pokes Anna again with his feet. Anna gets up to leave the +booth. Dumber gets up as well and grabs Anna's coat. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +"RUDE WORD Anna. What the RUDE WORD happened to you?" Robin arrives +early to the office, and finds Anna already in the kitchen. Anna +sports a shiner. Her right eye is swollen, and the swelling is quite +dark. There's some other bruises on her face as well. + +"There was a bit of an assault in the subway yesterday. A drunk young +man." + +"Oh no. Have you been to ER? How badly does it hurt?" + +"I've had medical care, though not from the ER. I called Russ instead. +He came over and took care of my face, and held me while I cried." + +"This is not good. The assault, I'm assuming Russ took care you of you +like gentleman." + +"Yes, he was very gentle." Anna makes a wry smile, then winces. +Smiling is clearly painful. The takes a pill bottle from her drawer, +extracts a pill, and takes it with a gulp from the glass of water on +her desk. + +"I'm going to be OK, but I don't really want to have a lot of fuss." + +"Okay, I can understand that. But what happened? Or are you up to +talking about that? Did you report it to the police?" + +"Not really. We talked about it a lot with Russ, and I've started my +mental healing process, but I don't really want to re-live it with +everyone separately. Sorry. I didn't tell the police, you know how +they've treated me before, when I've been raped. Don't trust them." + +"Oh, sister mine, nothing to be sorry for. I know exactly how you +feel. I'm here if you want or need to talk, about anything, at any +time, but there's no pressure. OK?" + +"OK. Love you too, Robin. You're a good friend." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Anna goes on IRC and tells the rest of the team. "Hello, gang. I'm +going to be withdrawn and avoid seeing people in person for the next +few days. I have a black eye. I was assaulted by a drunk young man on +the subway yesterday evening. I'm going to be OK, but I don't want to +be fussed over, or have to talk about it repeatedly. So I'm going to +stay at home for a while, and enjoy a bit of quiet and solitude. I +hope you'll all understand. In an emergency, you can call me on my +private number, but otherwise I'd like to not hear about anything for +a while." + +She turns off her laptop, and packs it in her backpack, then slinks +out of the office to go home. On the way she stops at a grocery store, +to fill up on foodstuffs: bananas, appled, pears, and pine apple for a +fruit salad; eggs, milk, flour, and butter for pancakes. She fully +intends to pamper herself with unhealthy food. + +As she leaves the grocery store and is heading towards the subway +("I'm not going to be intimidated and start avoiding the subway, I +won't"), her phone rings. + +"Hi, it's Sam. My bosses want to have another meeting. Would you and +the Team be free tomorrow afternoon?" + +"Hi, Sam. I'm afraid I have a health thing, so I won't be available, +but Robin can handle things while I'm away." + +"OK. I hope it's nothing serious and that you get well again soon." + +"Thanks, bye". + +She quickly types a message to Robin. "Sam called, they want another +meeting. Could you handle it in my absence?" + +"Sure thing. Don't worry. Get well." + +She walks for a minute, then takes out her phone again. + +"Thanks for yesterday. You saved the day. I'm going to take a few days +off, and be at home incommunicado. If you want pancakes, come knock on +my door." + +She taps "Send" and turns off her phone. Sometimes it'd be nice to +live with someone with whom to share one's sorrows, and not have to +beg for people to come visit to cheer her up. -- cgit v1.2.1