The Second Trial
Page 25
“I know there’s a lot you could teach her,” his mom replied. “She just might need a little time…to trust you to follow through.” She reached out and put her hand over his knee. “You’ll need some cleats.”
He willed his leg to stay still. “Do you think I can still get a paper route? It’d get me back into shape, and taking Buddy would make it fun.” The dog’s tail thumped. “I could make a little extra money.”
His mom smiled. “We could phone tomorrow and see.”
He nodded.
They watched Julia kick the ball towards them, and Danny didn’t try to move his mom’s hand from his knee. Julia was sweaty when she stopped in front of them.
“When’s dinner?” she asked as she tossed her head and pushed her bangs away from her forehead. “I need to jump in the shower first.”
“You have at least an hour,” Mom replied. “Your brother has offered to help you practice some moves.”
Julia narrowed her eyes. “You?” she asked.
His Adam’s apple moved up and down. “Sometimes your stance could be better,” he said. “You can react faster if you keep your weight on the balls of your feet.”
She pursed her lips and then relaxed her shoulders. “Show me,” she said.
He stood and planted his feet shoulder width apart and parallel. He bent his knees and drew his shoulders over his knees. He kept his head up, and his mind automatically shifted to the next move. “You have to ‘think yourself tall.’ When your mind is ready, your body will be too.” He smiled. “It just takes practice.”
He turned to his mom. “We’ll need about half an hour, ’kay?” he asked.
She smiled with her mouth and her eyes. “No problem. Take your time.”
“Grab that ball,” he said to his sister. “And by the way, you can call me David.”
It takes only one abuser to endanger a whole family. In some cases, conventional laws (restraining orders, criminal proceedings) cannot keep victims safe. In 1997, the Alberta Government began a program of last resort. It was called NIVA – New Identities for Victims of Abuse. The program operated for ten years, assisting about five hundred people, some of whom received complete identity changes. Canada’s federal government then took over the program, which is now called the Confidential Service for Victims of Abuse (CSVA). Other countries have similar programs for victims and their families.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rosemarie Boll has been practicing family law for more than twenty years. She has written extensively on how the legal system affects families. She is committed to educating the public about the complex network of laws that govern our everyday lives, and explaining what the justice system can and cannot do. Rosemarie lives in Edmonton, Alberta and currently practices with the Family Law Office of Legal Aid Alberta. This is her first book.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m grateful to Marsha Mildon, who urged me to write this book all those years ago and helped me with an early draft. I’m indebted to editor Carolyn Jackson and Doris Rawson for gently nudging my manuscript into a novel. Thank you to publisher Margie Wolfe and the Second Story Press staff for the opportunity to tell this story in the hope that society progresses past the need for a program like NIVA.