just rip it off already

 
she called me one night
outta nowhere
said she got my number from my aunt
{that's a whole other fucked up ball of wax right there}
& did I know how to reach him

she was desperate
any day now she was expecting
{...his...twins...}
not at all surprised
I sighed

listened to her tell how he'd tried to shoot her
shaking my head in disbelief
because even then...she stayed
abuse is a crushing iron fist
I get it
{that one especially}

as she sobbed about how he vanished
not long after their wedding
{that part caught my immediate attention}
leaving her & the babies abandoned
however would they manage
& at that point I had to interject

first off...I don't know what I can say
other than you're not his wife
heavy silence
then a startled yes...I am
we said our vows in January

another deep exhalation escaped my lips
I didn't mean it to be external
but it slipped...

no...that doesn't change facts
it's not legal...it's bigamy
we're still married
his vows were just another in a long string of lies
now if you want my advice...
press charges on his ass

I won't lie
I felt bad for being so brutal
but I'd just escaped that monster's grasp
was still in hiding...as a matter of fact
best to get the worst over...& fast
like ripping off a bandage
the sting fades over time

I gave her what information I had
...all of it...
...every...
...last...
...scrap...
then hung up

got a letter a month or so later
with a photo of 2 little girls
who looked a lot like my daughter
& their pretty blonde mother

{guess he found his blue eyed blonde after all
yet another of my many failings...
...by his reckoning...
...not mine...
she must not have measured up to his idea of perfect either
go figure}

& an update with her thanks
I never heard from her again
which suits me just fine
maybe she took my advice
but I doubt it

as for him...well...
unbelievable the shit people do
when they believe...
they're smarter than you