A woman's dilemma - Episode 5

 

Frances:

 The woman staring me in the mirror looks nothing like me. A fading bruise mar my usually perfect eyebrow. I cringe as I move the concealer brush across the bruise to hide it. It doesn't hurt anymore. It is the emotional bruise that still hurts whenever I look at it.
"Ma'am, Sir Francis said to give you this when you wake up." One of the house maids lets herself into my room but stands a few steps behind me. I know what to expect . I finish applying my concealer before turning around to face her. I give her a small smile.
"What's it, Maria?" I ask even when I see the gift bag in her hand.
"You should check it ma."
"Open it, Maria." I say, uninterested.
"Okay ma." She pulls a small box and smiles at me. A platinum bracelet shines from the inside of the box. I bite down on my quivering lips.
"It's beautiful. And there's a note! Should I read it out to you, ma'am?" Maria oozes to me. I try not to let my smile slip.
"Can you put it down here?" I say instead of answering and point to the table in front of me. She nods and walks to place the box gently on the table.
"How's Olawunmi preparing for school?" I ask when she starts to leave. She stops and smiles.
"He's almost ready

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. He should be eating breakfast downstairs already. With his father" She tells me and I nod.
"You can leave now. I'll be down soon." I wave her off and she leaves without a word. The stupid box feels like the giant elephant on my table and I pick it up. I delicately pull it open. The bracelet really is beautiful but I know what it's for. My eyes stray to the bruise forming around my right wrist. Francis had grabbed me too hard last night when I asked him about his recent infidelity. I shouldn't have asked. I pick the bracelet up and a small note falls out of the box. I pick it off the floor.

  I'M SORRY ABOUT LAST NIGHT, LOVE. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE WHEN YOU DOUBT ME. WEAR THE BRACELET WITH LOVE. FRANCIS.

  I release a long sigh and on habit, slip the bracelet unto my wrist. It does suit me I must say. I look at the woman in the mirror again. The bruise is pretty much covered up. I smile at myself. This is the woman I know. I put my earrings on and dab on powder to complete my make up. I never leave my room without it. It feels like a mask sometimes but it makes me feel good about myself.
"We're ready for the day now." I say to myself in the mirror before walking out of my room to meet my family downstairs.
"Mommy!" Ola sees me as I make my way down the stairs and starts to stand. Francis holds his hand to stop him.
"You should finish your food,son. You're going to be late." I hear him say. I reach both of them and place a quick peck on Francis' temple.
"Good morning honey." I give my son a quick peck too. He's four but still loves the attention I give him. I take my place beside my son and dig into my food just as immediately.
"You should watch your diet, Frances. Wouldn't want to have to alter the door just so we can roll you out through it someday." Francis says without looking up from his iPad. I bite the inside of my cheeks to stop my retort. It never ends well. Whenever he makes a comment on my gaining weight I just swallow it.
"You're right. I was thinking of going on a diet anyways." I say with a big smile. He nods absently.
"Look baby, I wore the bracelet you bought me." I say cheerily to get his attention. He moves his head from his iPad and frowns at my wrist. That isn't the reaction I'm fishing for.
"It looks a little too tight, baby. Did you add a few more pounds in just a week?" He asks with a grimace and my face falls. He'll say these things and add baby to make it look unlike an insult. I take few calming breaths and push my plate of food away from me. My stomach protests but I don't pay it any attention.
"You ready for school, baby?" I face my child.
"I need to clean off my plate, mom. There's still food left." He says and I smile at him. His big appetite always makes me proud. Kids these days prefer sweets for a meal but not my baby boy.
"You make mommy so proud." I praise him.
"Of course. Like mother like child." I hear Francis mock. I can't take it anymore.
"You realize I added this much weight because I had your baby right?" I snap.
"You aren't the first woman to birth a child, baby. A lot still keep their shape." He doesn't even look up from the iPad again.
"Then maybe you should stop stressing me out with your female conquests outside!" I spit. His eyes fly from his iPad and pin me to my chair. His eyes blaze fire. I should run. I gulp down saliva instead. I can't have the maids see this. I know he can't as well.
"Upstairs, now." He says calmly as he slams his iPad on the dining table and storm upstairs. I watch him go up before grabbing my son.
"Baby, come on. You're going to be late." I help him off his chair and grab his backpack on my way. Francis will have to wait till I get back to 'discipline' me as he'll put it. I can't go to my mother today looking battered. I carefully put Ola inside the car before rushing over to my side and slamming the door shut. I don't wait for the gate man and zoom out our electric gate with the aid of the remote in my car.
"Are you okay, mom?" I pat Ola's hair slowly.
"Yes my son. Mommy's fine."

Claudia:

"Listen, women don't like a girly man who ask them what they want, man!" I roll my eyes at the man sitting beside me on the plane. As soon as I boarded the plane,  I plugged in my earpiece even though I don't have the music on. It's just to avoid conversations with this man. His pathetic air of overconfidence really isn't something I want to deal with all through the flight to Nigeria. His friend chuckle softly at his jibe about women not wanting a say in what they want.
"I agree with you but when Clarice kept talking about all those feminist bullshit, I just had to say sorry you know,  to get her to shut up." His friend says. My hands ball into fists. Trust rich men to be snubs. Rich boys actually. Men should be more sensible.
"Damn man! Men shouldn't apologize to women! That just makes them air headed. Just like shaft will say; The former days were so much better, it's a time when men didn't have to apologize and women knew their place." The prick says and yup! I can't control my bitchiness anymore.
"Stewardess." I wave for the pretty woman in charge of first class. She comes up to me with a broad smile. I pull my earpiece off my ears to give her a smile of my own.
"Can I get a drink? Vodka. On the rocks. I mean lots of ice." I emphasize. She nods at me and leaves.
"Oh she speaks." The man who is abhorrent to apologizing to women says when the stewardess leaves. I look around like I'm trying to find who he's talking to.
"I'm talking to you, hotshot." He drawls.
"Oh, does that mean that's all there is to me? Hot? Am I an electric kettle or something?" I ask.
"What?! No. I'm just complimenting you." He looks lost for words.
"Oh a compliment! Couldn't you have called me beautiful or something not entirely chauvinistic?" I raise my brows at him.
"Ouch!" I hear his friend chuckle beside him.
"Umm-- I--" the stewardess comes back with my drink.
"Thanks hon." I say with a smile.
"You want a sip? You look hot." I raise my drink at the dumbstruck man. He seems to come back with a grin.
"If you say so." His eyes dare me to push him further. I smile sweetly and before he gets a hold of the glass, I let it slip off my fingers.
"Oh my God!" He yells when the cold drink spills all over his trousers.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry. You okay?" I say in mock horror.

Read " Make You Mine(Redemption 2) " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. He shoots me an angry glare before he pulls up from his seat and moves towards the toilet.
"That should cool his big balls down." I mutter under my breath. His friend keeps smiling at me like he's on drugs.
"That was epic!" He grins and I shrug. I pull my shades on and plug my earpiece back in. This time, I turn the music on. The chauvinistic dick comes back after a while but keeps quiet the rest of the flight. Which is a relief. Now I can think. I'm excited to meet my father and my four other sisters. Oh and my friends. Amy and Frances! I'm looking forward to getting back in touch after six years. I try to stop myself from smiling like a lunatic but God, I miss my country.