Bill of Human Wrongs

Eve sat in front of the television with Ron and Christine listening to a popular Monday morning news show from White Town, an interview that terrified them all. An interview with Jonathan Hart and Eve’s four boys.

“Ouch,” a thin trail of blood ran slowly down the left side of Eve’s neck.

Christine was mortified, “Eve, God, I’m sorry.” She’d nicked Eve’s skin with the scissors. Eve turned to see her new friend running to the sink to dampen a towel. She returned and grabbed Eve’s hand, placing the wet towel in her palm. “Put pressure here. I really am sorry.” She continued snipping at Eve’s hair, with the newly darkened locks falling to the floor in a choppy shower.

Ron rose from the table and walked to the TV to turn up the sound. “Ladies, please.” They all froze as the camera zoomed in with a close up of Eve’s youngest son, Trent.

The boy had tears in his eyes, “Mom, if you’re out there, please call me. I know this can’t be true, you would never do this to Dad.”

The camera panned into David Huntsly, the newsman. He was holding up the morning paper to show the headline to the viewers, EVE HART – TRAITOR – TURNS IN HUSBAND TO LATINO TOWN POLICE.

David laid the paper on the table they had congregated around. His show’s format was an around the kitchen table style of news where he would invite guests to discuss the latest in politics. “Jonathan, this must hurt deeply, are you angry with your wife?”

“No, of course not. I just want the mother of my boys to return to us so we can get her the help she needs. I think she believes what she said, but you know? Even if it were the truth, which it is not, but if it was, the incident would have fallen within the zone of reasonableness. Our constitution clearly states that we have the right to protect our neighborhoods from intruders. So I repeat, if this Latino woman had been walking our streets at such an hour, there would have been every reason for the citizens of our community to fear for their safety. Now with that said, my wife has been under a lot of stress lately. She’s become delusional. Even her best friend has testified to driving this Latina to her bus. The real question is where is this bus? I see this explosive piece in the paper and I have to ask myself, why believe this crazy story when there’s a witness that took that Latina to her bus? Why aren’t these Latino folks combing the streets to find out where the bus is?”

Eve threw her fist in the air and shook it at the television. “You lying snake! I detest you!”

Ron put his hand on her shoulder and said tenderly, “We know, Eve. No one doubts you, you must know that.” He looked at Christine with pity in his eyes, and then returned to watching the devil on the screen.

Jonathan’s voice quivered with his last comment. He raised his hand to his mouth, forming a fist, unsuccessfully attempting to hold in the fuming sound that escaped. “I just want my wife back, I miss her so much.” He looked at his boys, tears in his eyes, and then at the camera. “We all want you back, Honey.”

David put his hand to his earphone. It was obvious that he was getting something from the voice in the receiver. “Folks, I have breaking news.” He looked across at Jonathan, showing him a companionate expression. “It seems that the bus has been found. I repeat, the bus has been found. Hold on, folks. We’ll have some video shortly. But the bus has evidently been found in a trench near Black Town.” He paused to listen to more news.

Eve’s insides felt a jolt when Ron jumped to his feet and yelled at the screen. “You fucking sons of bitches!”

“Honey, please.” Christine put the scissors down and brushed loose hair from Eve’s shoulders. “Eve, forgive him. He rarely speaks like that, but this is just too much.”

“I can’t think of better words, actually.” Eve began taking short breaths, and the tears gushed from behind her eyes. “How did this,” she sniffed some tears up her nose. “How did this get so out of hand?”

David continued, “Ok, you’re now looking at film live from the trenches where they found the bus. The woman they are carrying out on the stretcher, hold on, folks. Yes! It is the Latina! They’re checking her out.” David squirmed, “Sorry, wish I could have had time to warn you, folks. This may be difficult to watch.”

Jonathan had leaned forward to see the video clip. “Jesus, how the hell did the bus get out in that district?”

“Yea, you snake, how did you get it out there without being seen?” Christine put her arms around Eve in an attempt to settle her down, but Eve flung her body to the side to deflect her. She stood next to Ron, and stared at the screen, her eyes blurred from tears, her cheeks puffy. But she could see the innocent looking Jonathan, the fake look of shock on his face. She cocked her head as a dog would do when asking for a treat. It was then that she noticed her reflection, an image in the screen of a woman she’d never seen before, the new her. Eve put her hands to her head, her fingers massaged her scalp through her short, dark hair. She stood motionless for a while when finally she said, “Meet Eve Winslow.”

She turned to her friends, and in a monotone voice, said, “I’m going to find Sandy and bring her here so we can record her story.”

“We’re with you, Eve. When do you ladies want to leave?”