Meeting The Devil Pt. 2

Elena

She was tired as hell. When she got home, she saw John, her husband in his usual position on the battered sofa which was losing its bump due to John’s 24 hour sitting. She dropped her keys. “You are late.” He complained.

“I know. Julie was unwell.” She walked to the small kitchen. The sink was full of utensils. He must have made something in the afternoon.

“I am hungry.” His voice burnt her like acid.

 “You could cook.” She retorted.

“Then what would you do.” This remark made her come out of the kitchen where he was eating something from a pack but hid it as she approached.

“What would I do? Seriously? I work 16 hours, John. The least you can do is to keep the house clean, wash your dishes and make us dinner. But no, all you have to do is taunt me. Here, you are eating something, hiding it from me and telling me what would I do when you do nothing. It’s disgusting.” He was just listening to her but then a slap came and she held her face as she fell down on the floor. He had slapped her. Her self-respect, her dignity was attacked.

“See what you made me do. See….” And he started crying. “It’s not like I am sitting idle at my own will. No one is ready to give me a job. What should I do? I should die. I should die.” And he started slapping himself. Tears had wet her eyes. She could feel the swelling. She gulped and stood up, leaving him alone. He didn’t needed consoling.  She knew he will do it on his own like he had been doing for the past year. He kept mumbling. She went to kitchen and did the dishes. She sneaked to see him and he was back to his TV and his pack of snacks.

She cooked them some enchiladas with tears in her eyes and left the dinner on the counter to take a bath. She looked into the mirror and her face was swollen indeed. She stepped into the shower and water was only lukewarm.

She wondered when her life turned this way. She was the youngest member of her family. Her elder sister Miranda was six years older than her and was happily married at the age of 21. Her parents were a happily married, god-fearing people. They never forced their girls to do anything in life except finding suitable life partners. Elena always saw Miranda happy and blooming with her husband Jim. Elena had always thought that Jim was perfect. He could make everyone smile. She had this little crush on him. but never let him see it. He was her sister’s husband, for God’s sake. She was looking for her own Jim and that’s when John made his entry into her life. He was so unlike Jim but Elena liked the man. He showered her with all his attention and she reveled in it. When he proposed her merely after eight months of dating, she said yes. After all, he was the guy who used to pull her chair for her. What else she could want?

They got married and Elena was happy or she felt she was. She found out that her husband who used to tell her that he was a manager was actually a factor worker. To make ends meet, she started working. They were doing well, but then the factory went up in fire and he came home with an ashen face. That was the day when she had consoled him on that sofa that she was glad that he was safe and they will make it work, they will find a way. Since then, he had not left that place except for playing poker with his friends. He had already lost so much money on his poker. Once she had even given him the savings she had for a new washing machine as he owed money to some bad guys. He would land us in a huge mess one day, she had thought, but had not been able to stop him.

She realized that she was crying. It was not the first time that he had hit her, but she never complained. She knew he was going through a phase and things will be on track.

She stepped out of the shower and dried herself before stepping into a pajama and t-shirt. In bedroom, she saw something she wasn’t expecting. John sat there on the bed for her, only in his briefs, his fat stomach taking up all the space before him. She averted her eyes. These days she didn’t feel anything remotely sexual for him.

“Come on, love, I am sorry. Show me some love.”

“Not in a mood, John.” She left the room.

She has not been in mood for a long time. It had been almost six months since they had not made love. It was six months back when he had hit her and just like tonight, he had sat in the bed, asking for it. The thought made her almost puke. God forbid her, she was thinking so about her husband.

She sat down to work on her blog. Besides being a teacher, she was a blogger. Anything for side money. Her blogs were educational. She had started it as a way to make some side money and even today, she was earning meager amount, but she couldn’t stop it now. There were some regular children with whom she connected regularly. Teaching was her hobby and she enjoyed every minute of it.

She had just started writing when her phone chimed. She opened the messages. It was Sheila. These were the pictures from their park visit. These outdoor activities were always fun. She had to choose the best of them and select them for the school magazine. The main purpose of the visit had been photoshoot. She was going through the pictures when she stopped and zoomed. That man she had seen in the park was there in one of the pictures. Her brows furrowed. He was such a shameless man. He didn’t match the surroundings. His clothes were expensive, his cigarette had been expensive, and looking at him, she knew he was some hot-shot. His arrogance was a proof of that. But what was he doing there? She couldn’t care less, but she had not liked the way his eyes had been roaming on her body without a shame. She wanted to thrust her wedding ring in his eyes. How could men be so shameless?

But then her ears picked John’s snoring and she knew the answer.