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A sail boat on a body of water. “Marcus kept his word and on my following visit the three of us spent a day on his boat.” Judy looks at Marcus uneasily as he says, “Stand by to drop anchor!” “I loved sailing and the boat was perfect but it wasn’t really Anna’s idea of fun.” Judy says, “Anna, d’you want a turn on the helm? It’s great fun!” Anna, reading a book, says, “No thanks!” Narrator: “For my next visit we planned another sailing trip but…” Anna says, “You two go without me. I’ve an essay to finish.” “…this time it was to be an overnight trip.” “Marcus and I were to sleep on the boat.” “I thought that Marcus touching me the first time had been a one off but that night when I settled into my berth…” “He climbed into bed next to me and…” “…lit his pipe and chatted about the day…” “When I looked down I saw his erect penis…” “Casually he asked me to hold it…” Judy buries her face in her hands. “However hard I try I can’t remember what happened next.” (The text here is white over a black background, the inverse of the other panels.) Judy sleeps with one eye open as Marcus looms behind her in a robe, holding a coffee mug. “I spent other weekends on Marcus’s boat. The routine never varied. I accepted the abuse because I thought he was my friend.” A view of a window. Inside someone shouts, “Nooo” “I was at art school when Ma tracked me down.” “Anna’s marriage to Marcus lasted four years.” Judy’s mom says over the phone, “Anna’s left Marcus. There’s another man. Steve something… How could she…” Judy listens with a blank expression. Judy’s mom continues, “…do this to Marcus… He’s lovely and such a good man.” Judy looks grim. Judy’s mom goes on, “…all that money we spent on her wedding…” Judy rolls her eyes. A close-up of Judy’s mom: “And what about her marriage vows? Anna’s so religious!” Narrator: “It took me thirty years before I broke my silence and told Anna about Marcus.” “Many years later I was on a family holiday with Anna. It should have been fun but there was a sadness about her.” Anna: “Sigh…having children has ruined my life.” Judy: “It would have been worse if you’d stayed with Marcus...” Judy: “You know…He sexually abused me.” Judy-as-narrator: “I thought by that telling her about Marcus she…” Anna shouts: “WHAT??” Narrator: “…would see that he was a bad man.” Anna puts her hand up and looks away. “No!” Narrator: “…that she’d made the right decision to leave him…” Anna: “No! No! That can’t be true! You’re lying!” Narrator: “…and that I was fine about it all…” “My truth-telling backfired. This would not be the last time it brought me trouble…” Anna starts to get up and walk away from the table. Narrator: “Anna never mentioned our conversation again.”
A sail boat on a body of water. “Marcus kept his word and on my following visit the three of us spent a day on his boat.” Judy looks at Marcus uneasily as he says, “Stand by to drop anchor!” “I loved sailing and the boat was perfect but it wasn’t really Anna’s idea of fun.” Judy says, “Anna, d’you want a turn on the helm? It’s great fun!” Anna, reading a book, says, “No thanks!” Narrator: “For my next visit we planned another sailing trip but…” Anna says, “You two go without me. I’ve an essay to finish.” “…this time it was to be an overnight trip. Marcus and I were to sleep on the boat.” “I thought that Marcus touching me the first time had been a one off but that night when I settled into my berth… He climbed into bed next to me and… lit his pipe and chatted about the day… When I looked down I saw his erect penis… Casually he asked me to hold it…”
 Judy buries her face in her hands. “However hard I try I can’t remember what happened next.” (The text here is white over a black background, the inverse of the other panels.) Judy sleeps with one eye open as Marcus looms behind her in a robe, holding a coffee mug. “I spent other weekends on Marcus’s boat. The routine never varied. I accepted the abuse because I thought he was my friend.” A view of a window. Inside someone shouts, “Nooo” “I was at art school when Ma tracked me down. Anna’s marriage to Marcus lasted four years.” Judy’s mom says over the phone, “Anna’s left Marcus. There’s another man. Steve something… How could she…” Judy listens with a blank expression. Judy’s mom continues, “…do this to Marcus… He’s lovely and such a good man.” Judy looks grim. Judy’s mom goes on, “…all that money we spent on her wedding…” Judy rolls her eyes. A close-up of Judy’s mom: “And what about her marriage vows? Anna’s so religious!” Narrator: “It took me thirty years before I broke my silence and told Anna about Marcus.” “Many years later I was on a family holiday with Anna. It should have been fun but there was a sadness about her.” Anna: “Sigh…having children has ruined my life.” Judy: “It would have been worse if you’d stayed with Marcus... You know…He sexually abused me.” Judy-as-narrator: “I thought by that telling her about Marcus she…” Anna shouts: “WHAT??” Narrator: “…would see that he was a bad man.” Anna puts her hand up and looks away. “No!” Narrator: “…that she’d made the right decision to leave him…” Anna: “No! No! That can’t be true! You’re lying!” Narrator: “…and that I was fine about it all… My truth-telling backfired. This would not be the last time it brought me trouble… Anna never mentioned our conversation again.”

Author: Judy Powell
Judy studied Fine Art in the UK and has exhibited across Ireland and the UK. In 2021 she won the Rosalind Penfold Prize for her draft of ‘Ways To Kill My Mother’s Lover’. Her work can be found in Lockdown Lowdown: ‘Finding our Future’.Over Inked: ‘Strength and Colossive Press Cartographies: ‘Tea With Granny.
Tags: Graphic Memoir, memoir, non-fiction, Nonfiction
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