You Can't Beat a Woman

You can't. And you should never.

Never beat a woman.

Last night, as I was helping my dad unload bags of sand from his car, a white Lexus screeched to a sudden halt 15 feet from where I was standing. In the darkness, I noticed a lot of commotion going on. The door on the driver's side flung open momentarily and revealed a man and a woman. I knew then, that they were having a fight because he shouted, "Stop it!"

And then he hit her. He punched her.

The door closes and the commotion continues. I stood there in the darkness, the gate separating me from the fight outside. And I watched the movements of the people inside. I listened to the muffled argument from where I was standing.

"Dy, the people in the white Lexus are fighting," I said to my Dad.

He turned and looked over his shoulder. "Really?" he said disinterestedly.

"He just punched her," I said.

"Well, don't look. It's none of our business," my dad said as he continued to unload the bags of sand. "It's none of our business," he repeated, "and come help me with these."

I stared at the car. The brake lights went off. The car sped 10 feet ahead and screeched to a halt again. I could still hear them. And the light from the lamp post illuminated their shadows in the dark. I knew he hit her again.

I tore my eyes away. "He hit her again," I mumbled, not meeting my dad's eyes.

"None of our business. Come on inside." And casually, my dad dusted his hands and walked into the house.

I turned to look at the car again. It sped off into the night, away from my sight.

I continued to stand there. I felt unsettled, disturbed.

It didn't matter where it happened, who it involved, or at what time it occured. You can never justify the reasons to hit a woman.

You should never beat a woman.