One in every four women will be the victim of domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are the victims of a physical assault by a partner each year. If we took those women and lined them up hand-in-hand and stretched them across the United States would anyone notice? Notice enough to do something about it? Domestic abuse is hidden, a dirty family secret no one knows about but those in the house. It doesn’t take long for an abuser to figure out that punching Jane in the face before she goes to work is a bad idea. So instead, he pinches, kicks, burns, hits in places that are less noticeable. This happens every day, day in and day out. These women live in fear, pain and humiliation. Dinner’s not exactly as it should be? A slap, pinch or kick may be the reward. The book you hold tells the story of abuse and though the exact events are not written, as I’ve taken liberties with many things, this is partly my story. I was one of the women who heard, “I’ll kill you,” more than “I love you.” I was quiet, no one knew. I couldn’t trust anyone and the pain of knowing there was this person who acted like love was so close to hate you couldn’t slip a piece of paper between the two, devastated me for years. I took it because the shame of telling someone, the shame of someone else knowing how weak, how useless I was, was more than I could bear. I’m not that woman anymore. I told and I escaped. I went to the one person I knew could save me, my mother. And save me she did. She sat by while I healed, both physically and mentally. I found I am a person who’s worth more than a punch in the face. There is help out there for these women, men (men get abused too, don’t think they don’t), the elderly who find their families not what they should be, and the children. If you have a friend who wears long sleeves in July, ask her why, ask her if she needs help, but most of all listen to her. Look in her eyes when she tells you everything is okay. There you will find the truth and tell her you’re there for her. If you are one of these women tell a friend, tell a family member, but be cautious. If you need information, go to a public library and use the Internet there. Home computers can be gone through and web sites visited can be traced. There is help for everyone if you trust and if you can find the strength. I did. If you need me, I’ll do everything in my power to help. I’m here if you just want to talk. My e-mail address is iwritescary@yahoo.com. Read the book and know this isn’t as far from reality as I would like it to be. Know it happens.

Jade Eckert