The Dilemma of Parker

Chapter16

Parker reluctantly followed William to the valet car park where Richard was waiting. He had showered quickly and was worried that Parker would not agree to come to the car. He was worried that Leon had destroyed any progress that he and Parker had made this morning.

When he saw Will and Parker who was looking around like she was waiting for someone to jump out at her, his heart sank. How could she go through her life being let down by the people who should have had her back? "Parker, I wanted to let you know I sent Leon and the others away. I won't let them keep hurting you. I should of seen the signs and put a stop to it earlier and for that I apologise. I didn't know Leon would be in the lobby" Richard stated. Parker just nodded and continued to look around to make sure none of her brothers would pop up like Leon did.

Prior to any of them finding her, Parker never had to worry about who was around. She was truely free from her so called family and the bullshit. Now she was on high alert and she didn't like that. She wouldn't put it past them to let their father know where she was so he could pop up and beat her, like he used to do when he would stumble home drunk and no one was around. She shuddered thinking of the last beating she got before her 18th birthday, which only stopped because her mother came home early. Her mother had believed her husband when he declared a boyfriend had done this to her. Her Aunty Cheryl had helped her while she healed.

"Parker where did you go?" Will asked seeing the far away look she had gotten. "Umm sorry. What were you saying?" Parked asked Will. "When was the last time he hurt you?" Richard asked noticing the signs of abuse now he was truely looking at his daughter. "What?" William asked. Parker looked stunned she had not told anyone knowing that she wouldn't be believed. She was an Aboriginal woman and had tried to report her step father for his abuse. She wasn't believed, not even by the Aboriginal liaison officer. "Parker, when was the last time? Why didn't you report it?" Richard said gently.

Parker shook her head, she didn't want to speak about this. Here was a man who had been an arse to her her entire life, and yet he had picked up on the abuse so quickly. "I won't let him hurt you again. He won't find you Parker" Richard said softly stepping closer to his daughter. "What the fuck is going on?" William asked. Richard looked at his son with a look that clearly was meant to say 'shut the fuck up'. Richard then turned his gaze to Parker pinning her with a look that said 'don't you dare lie to me'.

"Before my 18th birthday" Parker whispered looking at the ground. She hated admitting that because she just wanted to forget it. "Why didn't you report him?" Richard asked quietly. This made Parker angry and she whipped her head up glaring at Richard with disgusted. She wasn't weak at all and didn't like what Richard was implying. "I did many times. Even the Aboriginal liaison officer didn't believe me. I'm just a stupid black fella in a racist town, who is treated like less because I'm not light skin and I'm not dark skinned either" Parker spat.

Richard stepped back, it was pure venom that Parker was spitting and while he knew it wasn't aimed at him personally, he understood that she was sick of the way she was being treated. "Ok, I'm sorry for asking hard questions. You are beautiful Parker and the colour of your skin doesn't define you. It never should have" Richard stated.

William looked like he was watching a game of tennis, looking between his father and Parker and back again. "How? What? Dad?" William was spluttering. How the hell did his dad know? And why didn't he see what his dad so clearly saw when he finally opened his eyes to Parker? "Leave it Will. If Parker wants to talk about it, she will when she is ready" Richard stated. Parker just nodded her head in agreement. She wasn't ready to tell the world about how abusive her stepfather was at all.

"Anyway, I have booked a few sessions in a smash room. Who is up for hitting something and smashing up a room to let some anger out?" Richard asked. William grinned, Parker had said she wanted to hit something and this seemed like the perfect way to spend the day with his sister. "I'm down, Parker?" William asked looking at her. "I don't know" Parker said unsure of whether that was a good idea or not. "Well, you get to take out the anger in a safe way and I already paid for it. The three of us could go and if you don't like it , just say the word and we can leave" Richard stated. "Please Park" William begged.

Parker nodded and then raced to the car Richard was pointing at and jumped in the front seat. "I'm the eldest, I get the front seat" William called out seeing Parker jumping into the passenger seat of the car. Parker just shook her head and poked her tongue out at William before closing the door and putting her seatbelt on. Richard chuckled shaking his head at how quickly Parker changed from being closed off to being a carefree young woman. He knew the carefree side was an act, but he hoped he could get it not to be an act.

William got into the back whining about how unfair it was for him to be sitting in the back of the car. He stated how it was only fair the eldest got the front seat. "Well I'm the eldest girl so I get the seat" Parker had argued back. Richard enjoyed hearing the bickering of his children and was upset that he had not got that when his kids were younger. He would however, be in both their lives now, he was determined even if it meant he had to move to Sydney, seeing William had said he was going to be moving to have a relationship with Parker.

Parker was teasing William the entire way to the smash room but both Will and Richard enjoyed it. It meant she felt comfortable with them. "I'm bigger therefore I should get the front seat. You are teeny tiny, you don't need the leg room" William argued. Parker just stuck her tongue out and flipped him off causing Richard to shake his head at the pair. William flipped Parker off right back and without thinking Parker stated "dad, Will flipped me off" Parker whined. Richard couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Will be nice to your sister" Richard had chastised. Will was shocked, not by what his dad said, but by what Parker said while Parker just laughed at him getting in trouble. Parker hadn't even realised the word dad had slipped out of her mouth.