One Saturday, I had to take my parents to the airport in the morning, so I arrived at Annie’s house just after noon. The folks were going on a vacation, which thrilled the hell out of my sister and I. When my folks went out of town, all bets were off we both came and went as we pleased and loved that we didn’t have to check in even with each other. When I pulled up to her house, I noticed Uncle Frank’s T-Bird in the driveway.
“Oh, great this’ll be fun.” I thought, as I parked and got out of my car. Coming up the walkway toward the house, I heard yelling coming from inside. Annie and Uncle Frank seemed to be really going at it. I stood outside the door, not knowing whether I should knock, go on in, or leave them alone and go around the back – until I heard Annie scream, “No, Frank! No, noooo!”
I burst into the house and saw Annie on her back on the living room floor. Her shirt was ripped open and she was struggling beneath Uncle Frank, who had pinned her down, with one hand over her mouth and the other at her throat. His fly was open and his dick was sticking out. There was no mistaking what his intent was. I had heard of people “seeing red,” but I didn’t know exactly what they were talking about until that moment.
Uncle Frank stood up, obviously drunk, and started talking to me, but I didn’t hear a word he said – just the rush of my own quickening pulse thundering in my ears. Annie just lay where she was, sobbing and shaking with fright. At that point, instinct took over. Now I had never been a great football player in high school, because I had no great love of the sport. But being six foot three and a nearly solid 260 pounds didn’t hurt, unless you were the other guy. I ran and flung myself at Frank, driving my shoulder into his gut. He was off his feet and flying back with me to the wall, crashing against it, the force driving my head into the dry wall. My head spun, but I felt no pain, adrenaline does that to you, I guess. I bent down and picked my uncle up, twisting one arm behind his back. My other arm was around his throat in a chokehold, which was making it harder for him to catch his breath. I didn’t really give a shit whether he caught his breath or not.
“Annie? Come on, hon, you’ve got to talk to me now.” I yelled, holding tight to my struggling uncle. “Annie, are you okay? Did this motherfucker hurt you?” Annie was sitting up now, and she shook her head no.
“Good! Now, what do you want me to do with Mr. Fuckhead-wannabe-rapist here?” I taunted Frank. “Do we make him promise to be a good little boy and let him go?” I turned my head more to Frank. “And he will be a good boy, or I swear to God I’ll end his sorry-ass life quicker than I just took him down. Are you straight enough to understand that, jackoff?” I increased the pressure on Frank’s arm and around his throat, he couldn’t form words, but moaned and nodded that he understood.
I turned back to Annie. “Or, you can call 911 and let the cops take him. He might do a couple of days before they let him out, but that’ll give you enough time to get a restraining order on him. And, restraining order or not, my promise stands. I’ll fucking kill him if he ever goes near you again.” I didn’t think I could get angrier than I had been, but I did. I started twisting the arm behind his back higher and higher. “You understand that, don’t you, needle-dick? Huh? You like raping women? I should kill you right fucking now and get it over with.” I heard a wet snap and my uncle screamed in pain. I eased the pressure, but kept a hold on him, coming to my senses a bit. “Holy shit, I broke his fucking arm!”