Rose is frightened as Dennis points a gun at Mark. Shot directed by Rosie Murray. - Anthony Minott

By Wednesday Reed, STAR Writer

Mark attacks Rose about her meeting Josie; but Dennis has a surprise for them both.

Rose sat on the edge of her bed thinking about her day. It had all gone, wrong starting with feeling as though she was put in her place by a woman she had been convinced was beneath her. That woman had a confidence that Rose felt forced to admire even if she abhorred the woman's lack of ethics. She heard the grill opening and once again checked the time. She found herself doing that a lot these days, as though knowing what time Mark came in made any difference. He was early. It wasn't even 9 o'clock yet. The crash of the bedroom door banging against the door after being her flung violently open jerked her to her feet. Mark was standing in the doorway looking like the devil himself. His body was tense and his eyes were squinted in anger.

"Mark?" Rose called alarmed.

"So you tun detective now?" Mark didn't venture any further into the room, but even from where she stood Rose could smell the liquor on his breath. He'd been drinking again. He came home at least half-intoxicated most nights now. Tonight he seemed to have finished the second half of whichever bottle he'd been trying to drown himself in.

"What you talking about? You're drunk again, Mark," Rose decided to twist the accusations toward him. Anyway, being angry felt much better than being depressed. She welcomed the familiar feeling.

"Don't play stupid with me," Mark said taking his first step into the room. "You went by Josie's house today?"

Who's mistress?

Rose held her hands akimbo, pulled her shoulder's back and thrust her chest forward. "But you're not easy, Mark," she said with great condescension. "Why should you get upset about my visiting a woman you do not know? Haven't you said you're not cheating on me? So the woman I visited today must be somebody else's mistress!"

"Rose, don't play with me?"

"Play with you, Mark? I don't have time for the likes of you! You and your childish running about when we've got problems here at home. Don't you think its time you stopped letting your penis control you?"

"I said don't play with me!" He grabbed he hand and pulled her close to him squeezing so hard Rose was afraid he might break the bone.

"Mark let me go!" she said struggling to keep on to her anger so that fear wouldn't overwhelm her. He pushed her on to the bed and stood starring down at her. Neither of them heard the quiet click of metal rubbing against metal, but the voice froze them both.

"Touch 'ar again and you dead!" Dennis said from the doorway.

"Bwoi, go back to your room. This is between your mother and me," Mark said, keeping his attention on Rose.

"Mi say touch 'ar again and you dead," Dennis said again and this time something in his voice, or maybe it was the fear on Rose's face as she looked toward the door which made Mark look at his son. He saw the gun pointed at him.

"Dennis, what you doin?" Mark said raising both hands and stepping back from Rose.

"Dennis don't," Rose called raising herself to a seating position and trying to straighten her night-gown. But Dennis wasn't looking at her. All his energies were fixed on his father.

"If you touch 'ar again, me an' you," he said.

Mark laughed nervously. "You know what, I leaving the two of you to the devil. You and you puss yeye pickney can rot in hell."

Then as though he had forgotten that Dennis had a gun trained on him, Mark made his way out of the house. Dennis remained in silence, until they heard Mark's car start.

"Dennis, what have you done?" Rose asked him.

Next Dennis tells Deidre about what he has done.

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