Phoenix Anthology - Volume 3

Songs selected by Charee Grover and Monique Pattillo. Fictional narrative by Genia Wright.

There were shabby couches and loveseats throughout the room, arranged around coffee tables and bookcases that had surely seen better days. In the middle of the room, about a dozen women were sitting in metal folding chairs arranged in a circle. While the women were of varying ages and backgrounds, they all had one thing in common: they had recently escaped abusive relationships.

She sat down on one of the metal folding chairs. This was her sixth time meeting with this group - she had been a resident of the Free Yourself Women's Shelter for two weeks – and she knew it was her turn to speak. "Here we go," she thought. When the facilitator asked for her story, she was ready.

"Things were so amazing when we met. He had that ex factor - that special spark that made people want to be around him. I've always been kind of stupid in love, so I was determined to make the relationship last. We'd been together for about 2 years when things started to change." She shared details about the three years of emotional and physical abuse. "I was so anxious that the lightest' knock, knock' on the door made me jump. I had an epiphany on our fifth anniversary: I was tired of being afraid. I looked in the mirror, decided I was not gonna cry, put on these boots, grabbed the keys, and left that son of a gun."

The facilitator responded, "thank you for sharing your story. You. Are. Amazing. You have overcome, girlfriend – you won the second you decided to leave. You'll smile again. You'll keep on walking. You'll let go of the resentment and the memories of being unappreciated. It won't be easy, but it's not impossible. You create your circumstance, and you create your freedom. Repeat after me: yesterday, I struggled. Today, I dare to win." She repeated the quote – and continued to repeat it throughout her rebuilding period.

Eventually, with several friends in tow, she returned to her former home to gather important belongings and keepsakes. He laughed when he saw her, and immediately began mocking her. "I knew you'd be back," he said. "You need a man to survive. You need me. You can't live without me."

She laughed too. "Actually, I just stopped by to pick up a few things and thank you for all of the good times because truly I relish those years. I am also grateful for the bad times because I've learned so much from them. Thank you for helping me to see that I don't need a man, or anyone else, to feel complete. I want you to know that I forgive you for all of the turmoil and hope you find peace and growth in your journey. Last, I want to thank you in advance, for staying up out my face forever. Take care!"

She smiled to herself as she drove home, and thought, "today, I dare to win."

Click here to check out Phoenix Anthology - Volume One and Volume Two and look forward to Volume Four in July!