Jasmin was currently sitting on the bench in the park close to the restaurant where she worked, having lunch and though she noticed a few people stare too long at her, probably realising who she was, yet none dared to bring out their phone and take pictures of her. It made her feel happy and safe, but also very worried. Cainan ability to infuse fear in people’s hearts which in turn compelled them to behave even in his absence was still something she couldn’t comprehend.
He was that powerful and yet she had overstepped her boundaries a few days ago though he was very angry at her, he didn’t instil any fear-God in her. He said he was going to punish her for what she did, but five days later and still nothing.
She didn’t try to rejoice or think he had a change of heart, he was unpredictable and that was what terrified her about him. He could be smiling one minute and then holding a murderous look the next and she wasn’t innocent in this. She was responsible for a lot of his anger at times, but he always found a way to move past it.
She wondered what her punishment would be if he decided to give it to her. Her mind kept wandering to the kinky kind of punishment which involved being tied up and whipped but she doubted that was what he had in store. Since that day, they had only shared a kiss and though Cainan barely kept his hand to himself, he hadn’t done more than that. She concluded that it was for the best, but from time to time she wonders why that was.
Maybe he didn’t find her attractive enough, or maybe because she was pregnant.
She once told him she didn’t want to have sex with him, but she lied then and maybe he was holding on to that lie.
And just like that, she lost her appetite.
“Can I join you?” Anita’s voice came from behind and she quickly swerved to look at her.
“You had to ask?”
“No,” she chuckled and dropped her tray on the table and sat down on the bench.
“You always had lunch early.” She reminded Anita who was currently having a cup of strawberry flavoured Hollandia and shawarma. A combination Jasmin knew she was never going to have. “What changed?”
“Well, I was thinking.” She began, leaving her question unanswered.
Though her earlier question was important, she chose to move along with the new topic, “About what?”
“George wants us to start a family soon, but I don’t want to.” she sighed in displeasure and sipped her yoghurt.
“Did you tell him that?”
She groaned in defeat, “I did, he can be so stubborn at times, he said he wants to hold George Jr in his arms soon. I told him we were too young, he is too young. His mates barely know what they want for dinner and he believes he already has his life figured out.”
“But George isn’t like his mates though, he is a married man and married men sometimes want babies.”
“I know.”
“Did you two never talk about children while you were dating?”
“We wanted to have kids early, but then we got married and now I have a degree to attain and a sister to send through university. Let’s not forget I will be the one growing a life inside me, having morning sickness, throwing up and having to change diet and then in nine months, I’ll be the one to push a human being through my vagina…”
Jasmin stewed quietly before saying, “You painted that picture perfectly.”
Anita’s eyes were apologetic, “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to be crude considering you’re also expecting, but you’ve got Cainan who is older and to an extent, fulfilled in life. He can choose to stay a year off work and not worry about bills and money so having a baby wouldn’t be such a bad idea. That’s not the case with us though, and I don’t think bringing a child into all that especially in this period of our lives will be fair on me or the baby.”
There were a lot of things Anita didn’t know about her and she planned to keep it that way for now, “Then you should tell him, he’s your husband for a reason, you are going to make him see, make him listen.”
“I have, he thinks a baby would make us happier. He has held onto that belief since I told him you were pregnant.”
The last thing Jasmin wanted to be was a model for making babies, “Pregnancy isn’t as easy as it looks, he needs to know that and tell him you will not be happy if you get pregnant when you aren’t ready.” she could relate to that herself.
Being pregnant wasn’t as enticing as it was shown on TV it was messy and stressful especially when it isn’t at the right time.
Anita’s phone in her purse began to ring and she took it up to look at it. “It’s George,” she informed her before picking it and placing it to her ear.
“Hey, babe,” she said with a mild excitement and waited to hear what he had to say.
In the meantime, Jasmin stared down at her potato chips and ketchup, trying to see if she could at least take two bites of it, but as she took it into her mouth she realised she didn’t have the appetite anymore and she pushed the box away from her.
“Slow down. George. breathe.” Anita guided with an anxious tone and Jasmin turned to see the panic in her eyes.
“Well, what was their reason for doing that?” she asked before getting up to her feet, signifying that something was wrong with George at work.
“Is there something that can be done?” she paced around, looking extremely anxious as well, as whatever George was going through had affected her.
“George, George, Geo….,” she took the phone away from her ear to look at it, before saying. “he ended the call.”
“What’s wrong?” Jasmin tone was filled with concern.
“It’s George. He just got fired from his job and he called to inform me,” she replied with tremendous sadness.
