Right now, I have to come to grips with the fact that I am basically two different people. On the surface, I'm the 27 year old girl who has a bubbly personality, 38D-cup chest, curvy body, and happy outlook on life. I have a job teaching kids, I have good friends and family, and everything seems wonderful. Beneath the surface, however, there is another me, a girl who keeps her past and her experiences pushed away, experiences that have nonetheless made me who I am today.
Simply put: just three weeks after I had turned 18, I let myself be molested by my father.
Let myself? Yes, I could have said no, or I was given the chance to anyway. But considering what a master manipulator my father has always been, it's hardly surprising that I let things start in the beginning.
Speaking of the beginning... despite my curves now, in September of senior year I had the body more of a gymnast, and a solid naivetΓ© to boot. Even though my mom is busty, when my chest started to develop it seemed to happen out of the blue, and happened quite fast. I felt shy and as though I was the first person this had happened to, and started to wear bigger, bulkier clothes to help hide what was happening.
One person I couldn't hide it from, though, was my father. I slowly became aware that he was turning into a leering, oddly creepy man when no one was looking. He would "accidentally" walk in while I was changing or getting out of the shower, always trying to sneak a peek. However, he wanted more.
It was a cold night in early fall, and a slow, biting rain had been falling on me and others during marching band practice. I came home to find only my father's car in the driveway; my mom was at a graduate class, and my brother out with friends. I thought nothing of it as I entered the house, stopping to chat with my dad only long enough to tell him that I was freezing and needed a hot bubble bath. To this day, I remember him smiling a smile that I now realize was that of a cat catching a bird.
Quickly, I had filled the bath with water and bubbles, stripped naked, and was soaking away my coldness. Then I heard the knock on the door that would start the slow, spiraling change to my life.
"Marshmallow?" It was the pet name that only one person used with me.
My father boldly opened the door.
I wasn't sure what to say at first, as it was shocking to hear him actually come into the bathroom. I managed a meek, "Yeah?"
Then I could see him. He glanced at me, then looked downwards. At first I thought it was out of modesty, but I saw his eyes crawling over my clothes on the floor, eating up the sight of the thin, sheer lace of my pink bra, the big cups standing in mute testimony to my changing body.
"Sweetie, I was concerned that you were cold. That you might get sick." His voice was firm and solid, as though I had done something wrong and he was focused on it.
"Well... I'm in the bath, so..." It was meant to be an answer to his concern, as well as a hint for him to leave.
He kneeled down and was now improperly, uncomfortably close to me. "I know, Laura. I just don't want you overdoing your soak."
My mind flashed back to when I was younger, how I never felt immodest when he would come into the room while I was taking a bath. With my body exploding with change, with growing breasts and hips and other changes, I felt flushed and cornered. But how could I tell any of this to my father?
He continued talking in a tone that was direct and not to be questioned. "I'm going to grab the washcloth, then your bath will be over."
I didn't move a muscle in the hot bath water, but I felt shocked nonetheless. Surely he didn't mean... and then he had the washcloth in his hand and was soaking it by my feet. He smiled and brought it out of the water, towards my face.
"Close your eyes, Marshmallow."
I paused and felt his stare boring into me. I look back now, these years later, and realize that was the moment that I made a decision. I decided to do nothing, I decided that even though he was a man with needs, he was my father first, and a father never would cross the line. I would find out I was very, very wrong.