Chapter Two

The first person on my list was no other person than Gerald, my husband. He was the main reason I fled the city in the blasting weather. I closed my eyes and the memories of that night played back in my mind like I was in a  cinema but the difference was that I was watching my life on a screen.

       It was on a Tuesday morning and I had just finished scrubbing Gerald's bathroom floor when he walked in with his mistress. He tapped her ass and she giggled in response. I looked away and quickly made steps to walk out when he called me. “Mira”. My heartbeat was loud enough for the whole world to hear. I was scared for my life. His voice was terrifying for me,it  was my biggest nightmare. 

     “When is this?” He asked, softly. I slowly turned around and my eyes started getting ready for tears. His soft tone was only a sham, he was nothing like that. He moved away from his mistress and bent down to pick a strip. As he raised it up, my whole body trembled. “Are you dead?” He asked, gently. Anytime he spoke like this, his next reaction was either yelling or a hard slap across my face.

       “I am sorry Sir, it might have fallen out of my pocket “ I replied sincerely. I tried to explain when his mistress walked towards him and took it from his hand. “Baby, it is a pregnancy test strip and it is still packed” she examined it. She looked at me and laughed like I was a joke. “Seems like your wife is having daydreams” she laughed harder. Gerald looked at me without words and looked at the pack in his hand. 

     “You think you are pregnant?” He asked with all seriousness but his mistress laughed hard. I was ashamed and scared for myself. This wasn’t the first time he had yelled at me or embarrassed me In front of his mistresses. I had lived and endured every torment, humiliation and pain for six months of my life with a man I knew met and knew till we got married.

        “I am sorry sir”, I avoided his gaze. It was a very terrible thing to do but I took the bull by the horn. I walked out without his permission. “One more step and you will be sorry you have air in your lungs “ he spat. I stood immediately and held myself from tearing up. “You bought this in my house without my consent. Have you been stealing from me?” He asked, walking towards me. 

     I held myself from running away because I knew what accompanied his question.  Just as I expected, he didn’t fail. He came behind me and held my neck forcefully. “Have you been a little thief?” He asked with his breath hot against my neck. “No sir!! I swear. I didn’t steal from you and I haven’t stolen anything from you or anyone in my life. Please sir “ I begged for my life. 

      He held my neck tighter and sniffed my face down to my hairs. “Cheap shampoo, “ he scoffed. I was extremely careful with how I was breathing so I didn't offend him. “How did you get $5.67 to buy a strip?” He asked, breathing hard on my neck. I couldn’t bear it anymore. I struggled like an entangled cat and tried to flee his grip but I couldn’t till he left me. I fell on the floor and tried to crawl away from the bathroom but he stood on my overflowing dress.

      “I asked a question, “ he said with the devil’s eyes. “I swear, you can ask my mom. She got it for me after I complained of my missed period and my weakness and nauseousness” I wiped my tears as I explained. Gerald was disgusted for no reason. He stepped away from my dress and ordered me to do the most ridiculous thing. “Get up! Take the test here “. I couldn’t understand what he was talking about till he yelled it out.

      “Take the goddamn test here!! You want to confirm your stupid imaginations right? Take the test here! Right now”. I was shaking, I stood up and the mockery from his mistress was enough for me to fall down. I missed my steps. I got up again and searched the bathroom for a mini container but there was none. I was too scared to ask Gerald to give me privacy or permission to go get a mini bowl.

     “What are you waiting for?? Get on it!” He lashed out. I sat on the toilet seat and gently pulled down my old underwear. I had bought them two months before I got married to Gerald. I unpacked the strip and silently prayed that it came out negative. I was scared and as a result, the strip dropped. I hurriedly picked it up in fear and started peeing on it gently. I had quickly improvised to save my face.

       In two minutes, I was done and I was waiting for the strip to give a result. I flushed the toilet while Gerald and his mistress stood and watched me like I was an actress in a stage play. The tension in the room was becoming too much and the worst happened. It was positive, I was carrying the child of a monster. At the second glance on the strip, my fear took the bear part of me and I passed out.

         I woke up in an extremely cold bath. As I managed to open my eyes, I saw my husband’s mistress laughing as she added ice to the bathtub I was in. I sneezed twice and she clapped her hands giggling. “I told you sugar,it works like magic”. My head was spinning, my mind was trying to guess what was happening and what I had done again to deserve this. I was still thinking when Gerald held the strip in front of me. Immediately, my memory came back. 

         To confirm my fear, I looked at the strip keenly and it was true. I had a monster’s baby inside of me. “Mira, I am going to ask once! What games are you trying to play?” he asked,coldly. I shivered from the tone of his voice and from the freezing tub I was sitting in. I swallowed my saliva as my throat had dried up. I had no words, just tears. Gerald bent down in front of me and the next thing I felt was a hard slap across my face.

    I held my face and sobbed quietly. “I won’t ask again!” he yelled. “I am not playing any games. I promise”, I begged, stretching my two hands in front of him pleading. “There are two things here, it is either you got this bastard from somebody else or you are thinking like a maggot. Carrying my child would not make me treat you any better. I will ask for the very last time, what madness is this?” he threatened to hit me.

      “Please’ I begged for my life. “I am not playing any games and I didn’t cheat on you. Please” I sobbed out my eyes. His mistress laughed, “cheat? Do you even think any man would find you attractive enough to lie with you? Even the bumps wouldn’t. Sugar, I don’t know why you still fuck her, I am here for you” she held her breasts seductively. Gerald ignored her and fixed all his attention to me. “Mira, you are dumb. Too dumb for somebody with a degree. Why the hell should I believe this thing in you is mine? The pills Mira! They are for what?” he yelled.

      “I obviously do not want children bearing your genes that is why there is a pill at the end of every session with you. It is either you did this for pity or you are carrying a bastard! You slut” he hissed angrily. I shielded my face with my hands because I felt he would hit me again. I had no explanation, I shivered in the tub hopelessly thinking about how I was going to get out of the situation when his mistress added gas to a burning fire.

       “Sugar, don’t get deceived by all her drama. Did you forget that she ran off to her lover two months ago? Your men found her in Queen's hotel. That is enough explanation for this” she hissed. This was the last stroke for Gerald. He concluded and went crazy.”You ungrateful slut!!” He pulled my hair and I screamed in pain. He got up from the tub gradually, following the pace he dragged me with.