Beyond Silent Cadence
As the Baffling Beat Goes On
by
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"Where in the world have you been? I have been worried to death. You should have called me.” She spoke as the many emotions all at once confused her.
Then the smell of the recognizable odor of beer and smoke made her want to throw up, but she pressed onward and tossed logic to the wind. Meekness had completely left her and pure disgust had replaced it. She bravely stifled the fear of being hurt by him. This familiar scenario had to end, no matter the consequences.
“It's none of your damn business," he stormed.
His cold piercing eyes and his ugly scowl almost caused her fright to return. However, unusual courage and sudden determination empowered her. He would probably hurt her again, but the words continued.
She argued, wearily and angrily,"It is my business. You could have been in a ditch somewhere. Two o'clock in the morning is too late for anyone to be coming home. No one should be out ‘just drinking with the guys.’ Darlene, Marissa, and I all deserve to be treated better."
Christa could see that he had heard enough, but she had no time to prepare for his swift, senseless actions. With one hand, he grabbed her arm and twisted it as he shoved her toward the patio door. With his free hand, he wrenched the knob, swung the door open, and thrust her roughly outside. She crumpled into a heap onto the cold, concrete, patio floor.
Near the door, he snatched her hot roller set from the dresser and slung it at her. His wild vengeance told her he was finished with her (mouthing). Then, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Scrambling up with lightning speed, stupefied and disheveled, but not badly hurt, she dashed wildly toward the door.
With fear mounting, she tried to get back to the door before he could lock it. If the door was locked, she had no way to get inside. In customary fashion, she had bolted the locks on all the other doors before she had tucked the girls in bed! She tried to turn the knob, but he had outsmarted her! Her light taps on the door brought no answer.
In muted silence, the hot tears started streaming down her cheeks. She sat down on the stoop, overpowered by wretched despair. Shaking from the stifled misery that had been buried for so long, she covered her eyes with her hands and buried her face in her lap. Her agony was almost unbearable.
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About the Book
In the spring of 1980, Christa Fonteneau has reached a breaking point. A stay-at-home mother transplanted from Nashville to Houston by the promotion of her husband, Damon, she is entirely dependent on him for interaction with the world outside her home. Their two daughters are now school age, and Christa is left at home alone with her anxieties, created by their troubled marriage.
Damon is out all hours of the night, and when he’s home, he is violent. Christa decides it is time to make a change. She sees a way out through renewing her teaching certificate and finding a job. Meanwhile, she struggles to keep the abusive behavior of her husband a secret, maintaining the façade of a happy family for years. Although she longs to escape from Damon, that desire is held in check by her deep insecurity. Can she find the strength to leave behind the life she knows for a world that she also fears?
This suspenseful novel details the experiences of one woman who, after years of hiding her guilt and shame behind closed doors, fights to find her way out and back to herself.
About the Author
Leisley M. Lantram is a retired teacher. She holds degrees in elementary and exceptional education and works behind the scenes with organizations that address education and the abuse of women, men, and children. She is a member of the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, National Exchange Club, and Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Sorority for Women. Beyond Silent Cadence is her first novel.