But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.
— Dudley Randall, Ballad of Birmingham
Lolita had been trained that being white and pretty gave her advantage — and that she was never to tell what she and daddy did in secret.
She’d been raised from infancy by Ruth, who’d come to live with them young as a servant. Ruth was raped soon after by master of the house, which left her barren. She’d also been trained — dark-skinned women were to serve and be silent.
Ruth smiled proudly when Lolita’s blond ringlets bounced under her bonnet as she rode her pony and cart towards town. Lolita wasn’t her daughter, yet she was her beloved baby girl all the same.
But that smile was the last smile to come upon her face.
Later, when Ruth walked in on master grunting over Lolita, the sharp butcher knife severed his windpipe in one stroke.
Lolita sobbed as Sheriff carted Ruth away.
[144 words]
I am your host today at dVerse’ Prosery. I say:
Use the top quote to write an up to 144-word prose story.
Tao Talk 
Well, if you were sitting here with me, you’d have heard the audible gasp come out of my mouth at the conclusion of your story. Your story, has placed the line in a somewhat similar and horrific context. Sadly, something like this could very well have happened in slavery times.
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Lillian, I have no doubt this happened in slavery times and beyond. Indentured servants (slaves of another sort) and those given over by extremely poor families in hopes their child would have a better life would also find themselves in such a predicament. I wanted to show that females of all kinds are in danger against toxic patriarchy with its delusional sense of entitlement.
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I gasped too!!
~David
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Shocking in fiction. Even more shocking that it actually happened :(
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That took a turn, very compelling
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144 words can make it a little more twisty than the usual 100. Thanks, Randy.
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Human relationships are so twisted, it’s hard to follow them sometimes. The clarity of right and wrong is often invisible to the law, unfortunately. (K)
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Kerfe, irrefutable; I couldn’t express it any better :(
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Dark history repeated too many times! Your twist at the end says it all.
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Thank you for your support with the story. “Dark history” is a good term for it.
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You are welcome. I was not able to get into the dark mode last evening to write a story.
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Perfectly OK, Dwight. As dark as winter can be, going darker isn’t for everyone.
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Thank you.
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Wow, wonderfully penned. A tragic tale for Lolita and Ruth and sadly, many children today, suffer these same traumas. It crosses all socio-economic divides.
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Thank you, Di. Yes it is and yes, they do and it does :(
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This is terrible in its’ telling, Lisa, but to be told, it must. For all those who are living this today…
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<3 You're right, Carol, if you are living this nightmare, please speak out. Support is available, or at least more available than it was in this story :(
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No Lisa, I am not living it, thank goodness. Tragically, sexual abuse, incest and rape still continue today. Your prosery speaks for a past era and sadly, also for today.
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Carol, sorry, I should have split my sentences up, with a period after your name, new sentence starting with If. And I am happy you are not living it <3
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Wow!! A 144-word masterpiece, Lisa, accomplishing what a master auteur would achieve in three hours. The genius of the story is sadly also that it’s all too believable, what with human trafficking on the rise too. I recently read that 40 million people are trafficked worldwide with women and children about 70 percent of the victims.
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Good for Ruth! 👍🏼 BTW — I rewrote my piece Lisa. Sorry, my brain seems to slip a gear every now and then these days. 😟
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Yes, I’m sure prison is a small price to pay for keeping her sweet baby girl safe <3 I just read your rewrite, Rob. I'm sorry brainslip is happening to you too. It seems to come to me with the passing years more and more often.
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Oh my this is gut-wrenchingly tragic.
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Sorry to write it but their stories need to be told.
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I know. This line by itself invites sad stories.
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Tragic but true. This happens over and over again but I wonder how many Ruth’s can summon the courage and anger to wield the knife.
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Insightful comment, Punam. I pray each Ruth finds her strength.
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A fantastic write, Li, with a story that reflected a dark time. You packed it with emotion as you set the stage and arrived at the shocking ending. Kudos!
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Fandango, thank you! Much appreciated.
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So much darkness in this prompt, and here we have a true hero saving someone only to be sacrified for the unjustice of slavery…
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Well-said <3
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I also gasped. The master of the house wanted to have his cake and eat it, and he got his just dessert. I am so sad and sorry for Ruth and Lolita.
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Horrifically the plight of so many women, past, present, and future. Me too, Kim :(
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Such a tragic, twisted tale. Ruth was probably executed, and Lolita probably damaged forever.
(Is Lolita a nod to the novel?)
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You’re probably right on both, and yes, definitely a nod. Good catch!
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You’re welcome, Lisa.
I’m pleased I was right about the allusion.
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Well played, Lisa! What a compelling and absorbing read.
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Nancy, thank you very much.
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Always most welcome, Lisa.
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Sadly all too common an event in those times, well written piece Lisa 🙌
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Ange, thanks, yes.
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Seldom do dVerse prosery posts give me this many chills .. running helter skelter everywhere … this one did, In spades.
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Helen, after working with juvenile delinquents and their families for over 20 years, you’d have the chills even more knowing how alive and “well” these types of scenarios are :( Institutionalized patriarchy seems to turn a blind eye to it at worst, and doesn’t allocate the urgent resources to put a dent in it at best.
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These chosen poetry lines do not leave us much room to be joyful, do they? You did, however, write a fabulous and chilling piece, Lisa. Well done!
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Dale, thank you for reading. I know it’s a tough read. Trying to imagine having to experience any of what these two strong females did and words fail me.
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You did a brilliant job.
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<3
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Well that was dark all the way around! I liked it.
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Thank you, Max. Glad you liked it.
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In dark territory here. And still it goes on…
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:( indeed…
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While this is set in an historical context, I sadly encountered elements of this in my work, so real in my view – sadly. Powerful stuff.
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Paul, I’m sure in your line of work you did :(
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Master got what he deserved, for hurting Lolita, great story Li :-)
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Yes, he did. Thanks so much, Carol Anne.
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