Woman Killed in Convenience Store Robbery

The article had achieved headline status in the local paper:  “Woman Killed in Convenience Store Robbery”.  Tammy read, feeling sick and horrified, but also strangely thrilled.

Marie Sendano was dead at 19.  Tammy never knew Marie well, but recalled that year in middle school vividly.  Marie was beautiful, and their lockers neighbored each other.  It was four months before they first encountered each other at the lockers.

The article said Marie, although young, had been engaged to be married.  This was not entirely surprising; Marie could have had her pick of boys.  Tammy had been overweight, prematurely busty, and sported thick pink rimmed glasses and long unkempt hair. When she greeted Marie the first time, she was thrilled that the girl had smiled at her.  She had not realized the rest of her life would be indelibly altered in the next moment.

Marie had been hard-working, living with her single mother and helping to raise three younger siblings.  According to the reporter, Marie had dropped out of high school to take the job at the convenience store, and had accepted all the undesirable shifts to earn as much as possible.  She and her family were estranged from her father, who could not be reached for comment,  Her mother tearfully stated Marie had been a good daughter.

“Why the hell are you talking to me?” asked Marie, glancing towards her entourage. Tammy’s own smile dissolved into an embarrassed grimace. Marie, still smiling, said, “Aren’t you Tammy Bemis? Tammy ‘Bemis loves penis’!”  They all laughed.  Tammy had heard this insult regularly since third grade.  She turned away and began manipulating the combination lock.  

“We all know it's true,” continued Marie.  “I know where you live.  I’ve seen your daddy having sex with you in the living room. You were asking him to do it to you.  You wanted it.  That’s why you have sex with all the boys.  I hear you make good money doing it.” Marie continued.  Tammy’s face burned as she opened the locker door.  “They must be desperate to do it with a fat slut like you.  But you like it best with daddy.  Tammy Bemis loves daddy’s penis!” Marie’s voice rose maliciously as she spoke the last sentence and she imperiously engaged her friends with a sweep of her arm.  As if on cue, they began chanting, “Tammy Bemis loves daddy’s penis!”

Tammy had steadily emptied her locker of everything in it.  It was an unwieldy pile of papers, binders, textbooks, and jackets.  She fled down the hall, the group of girls pursuing her. They threw erasers, pencils, and wadded paper at her.  Others watched from the edge of the hall, one boy knocking her books to the floor and another tripping her.  

The thief had escaped the convenience store with $113.79 but was captured shortly afterwards.  

The vice principal had approached the knot of activity as Tammy started collecting her possessions.  Sending the other students away Mr. Delaney said, “Tammy, why are you carrying all of this?  Of course you are going to drop things when you try to carry everything you own. That is why you have a locker.”  He helped her reload her pile of possessions; she nodded gratefully, mumbling she had forgotten her combination, and hauled her possessions down the hall and the ¼ mile to her home.  

The following five months had been a surreal nightmare.  Obscene drawings anonymously folded into her jacket pockets and textbooks.  Whispered chants in the gym locker room and cafeteria.  Boys waving dollar bills at her as she walked through the halls or touching and pinching her body. Strange students following her home in expectation they would see her with her father through the window, “leave the blinds open!” they’d yell as she approached the front door.  They threw pennies and nickels at her on the blacktop during lunch break.

None of it was true.  She was a virgin.  She didn’t even live in the same house with her father.  But she didn’t argue and never told.  She had learned two years earlier how adults reacted to these situations.  She would be mortified, interrogated, blamed and disbelieved. Adults would tell other adults, and soon they would all give her pitying looks, but would never believe her or talk to the other students’ parents. They would label her everything from "desperate for attention" to "mentally ill". Her tormentors would become emboldened and the persecution would only worsen.  

The thief had alleged Marie was responsible for her own stabbing.  She had argued with him.  She didn’t want to give him the money.  She told him to leave. She threatened to call the police.  She had made him angry.  She should have just given him the money and kept her mouth shut.  

Tammy had not expected the call to the principal’s office.  She was a reasonably good student and generally well-behaved.  But Mr. Steadham had called her into the office; the female school nurse was with him.  

“We have heard some very serious allegations involving you, Tammy.  We want you to know that whatever has happened is not your fault. We will protect you and you will get the help you need, but we need you to tell us the truth.”  At first, Tammy thought they had observed the constant harassment and were asking her to tell them about the abuse by her peers.  But then Mr. Steadham said, “we have heard you have been taking money for sex with some of the boys in the school.”  He sped on, “We understand you’ve been forced to do this by your father; but we need you to tell us what is happening in order to help you.”  

Bile now rose in Tammy’s throat. Marie had been stabbed 13 times and nearly beheaded in the attack.  That beautiful neck permanently severed from that vile, lying mouth. Tammy folded the paper and wondered at the tears she felt on her cheeks.  Was she crying for the 19 year-old girl who was murdered last night, or the 12 year-old girl whose soul was murdered years ago?  She no longer knew.