Staff Writer - Latoya Wakefield
“What’s for dinner?” he asked with the same drunken chirp. Angela didn’t quite hear what he said as she was caught up in trying to loosen a tightly knotted bow that prevented his shoe from coming off his right foot.
“Did you hear what I said?” he asked when she didn’t immediately answer.
“Uhh, no” she said, still distracted by the bow.
“Yu deaf?” he said, his voice a pitch higher.
“Repeat your question, hon” she asked, totally unaware of his change of mood.
“Yu cook?” he asked.
“Oh, no, it’s a Friday and I knew you were staying out late and I came from the office later than usual and exhausted so…” Before she could finish, his voice flared.
“What? How yu nuffi cook? Weh yu expect mi fi eat?” he said and finally she noted his anger.
“Well, there is some KFC in the fridge. I can hot it up for you if you want”
“What? Fast food? Whe you dey yah fah?” he asked, his anger boiling.
“Calm down, o.k.” Angela said, thinking she could disarm the situation but her statement only made things worse.
“Calm down, yu betta go put something pon di fire if yu want mi fi cool down!” He shouted.
There's no excuse for abuse
“What?!” she said, her anger rising “Yu betta go look affa dat fi yuself. I’m tired.” With that, she started to walk away. That made him angrier.
“Hey gal, don’t walk wey from mi” He said and jumped on her. She was shocked. Shock turned into retaliation as he kicked and punched her, she crawled and crabbed. He punched harder until she had to use her hands to block his hits. As the pain intensified she begged him to stop. When she said she’ll prepare the dinner, he stopped. He stood there, looking at her until she got up and went to the kitchen. Her hands automatically prepared a one person meal; her mind was lost in wonder at what just happened. It was like a terrible nightmare but the pain made it real. She prepared the meal and carried it to him. He was laughing at the ‘Three Stooges’ as if nothing terrible just happened. He barely looked at her and mumbled thanks as he took the dinner. She glimpsed the blood stains on his cheek where her fingernails did not as much damage as his fists did.
She left him in the room and went into the living room, looking blankly at the floor, unconsciously wondering about the consequences. Soon she was reliving what passed minutes ago and then she gradually broke down, one tear, two, three and then she lost count. She started to sob and pushed her fist into her mouth to decrease the sound. She fell asleep crying.
The sun’s rays caught her swollen black and blue and she licked her blood stained lips, unaware that someone was watching her. Then she felt strong hands lifting her up, her dreary mind mistaking him for the knight in shining armor just like in her dreams. She had no idea it was the villain. ..As he laid her in the bed, she started to wake up, open one eye and smiled. She immediately closed it as her paining eye revived reality for her. He kissed her and apologized over and over again. She pretended as if she fell back asleep. Soon he lay beside her and slipped into dreamland. She lay awake beside, judging from his breathing that he was sleeping. She never dared turned, she just looked straight ahead, thinking about the loving man she’s known all these years to the man that she met momentarily last night. That man wasn’t the man she knows, that man wasn’t her lover, her companion, her soul mate, her friend….
