Bryson slowly arose as water droplets dropped from his face. He couldn't believe that his wife who was just loving and sweet a while ago was the one who poured water at him.
He looked at her and wondered what got into her that made her do what she just did. He saw gee fuming and breathing fast and he knew she was greatly upset.
"You took the job of an ordinary delivery man? Are you crazy?" Ainslie asked in astonishment. "I can't believe you would be so foolish to take such a low job."
"I'm sorry, Ainslie but I had no other option. I sincerely hope that you still believe in me and that you are not disappointed in me."
"Disappointed in you? Hell yes! I'm greatly disappointed in you, Bryson. How could you do this? You know what I've done for you? The sacrifices I have made for you? And what I've left for you? I went against my family and decided to marry you. We got married last month and now this? You took the job of a delivery man? Are you mad?"
"I'm sorry, my love. Please don't get upset with me. I had no idea that I was going to be given the job of a delivery man. I was called in for an interview the other day. I told you. I was surprised to go there and learnt from the manager that it was an interview for the position of a delivery man I was called in for."
"Manager? The factory already has a manager?" Ainslie asked. Bryson nodded, feeling devastated.``Gosh, wasn't it a new factory? I thought your friend told you that you can apply there and get the position of a manager?"
"Yes, but…that guy wasn't my friend. I only met him at the bar and when he asked, I told him about my situation of not being able to find a good job then he told me all about the factory. He said that it's a new factory which was going to be open soon and that I should apply for the manager position after the factory was opened. I did as he said…"
"Then what went wrong? Why didn't you get a better job there than the job or a delivery man?"
"I think I was misinformed by that guy at the bar."
"What? Why didn't you check your facts well before telling me about the job?"
"I did. I got to know that the factory was going to be opened soon but I had no idea that the manager position would already be taken by someone. Believe me, please."
"To heck with believe! You got my hopes high and you really don't know how broken I am now because of you, Bryson."
"It was only my intention to make you feel this way, I'm sorry."
"Shut up! You're sorry won't end my misery! You know I am highly disappointed in you now, Bryson. I'm filled with regret. You know, I already told Julie and Dora that you were going to get a job as a manager at a factory. Dora was demeaning you but I boldly said you were not worthless but now I'm taking back my words. You're incapable of doing anything right. You graduated from the University with good results and I was thinking that would be a big blessing for us. No one ever considered you on campus then. No girl ever thought of having a relationship with a guy like you who's a low class but it was the opposite for me. I fell in love with you and I stupidly kept believing everything you said. You gave me useless hopes all the time. That's why I didn't want us to get married to you soon after we graduated from the university. My family, especially my Father, disapproved of you the moment he saw you because he didn't need to be told that you were a pauper. Now look at what has happened? I feel like I'm doomed," Anslie said and sat on one of the seats. Bryson attempted to assure her that there was still up but she stopped him from doing so with a yell.
After a while of watching her staring at the table with gloom, he felt his stomach grumble and he knew it was the cry of hunger.
"Ainslie, c…can I have the food?" Bryson asked. She lifted up her head and glared at him.
"You're so shameless! You want to eat? I prepared this food with my money and you want to eat what I made?"
"Ainslie, you made the food for me, right?"
"That's a stupid question. This food, you don't deserve it again!" Ainslie arose and took the food back to the kitchen.
Bryson clasped his hands and pondered on what was going on. He never expected his wife to react in such a way. He was dumbstruck by her actions. As his stomach kept grumbling, he recalled the insults his wife had thrown at him.
Later in the evening, he was still at the dining table and was lost in thoughts when Ainslie walked up to him, frowning.
Hey!' she banged the table, jolting him off his thoughts. Bryson looked up to see her dressed up.
"Love, are you still upset with me?"
"Get the dirty plates washed before I returned," she said, ignoring his questions and when she spun to leave, he grabbed her hand.
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands!" She barked, jerking her hand off his grasp. She hissed and left and Bryson knew she was still greatly upset with him. He thought of what he could do to appease her but no idea came into his head for he was feeling disheartened. He went to wash the dirty plates as she had instructed.
It was fifteen minutes to ten when Ainslie returned home and collapsed on the couch in the living room.
"Are you okay, Ainslie? You don't seem fine. What's wrong? Where were you?"
"Shut up! Don't ask me any question you lousy fool. Take off my shoes."
Bryson knelt down in front of her and when he took off her shoes, he perceived a stench from her when she yawned. He realized that she had probably gone to the bar and got herself wasted.
"Gosh, I think I drank a lot. I'm so hungry," she grumbled. "Get me food, Bryson, you idiot!"
Bryson hurried to the kitchen like a squirrel and returned with a plate of covered food.
He placed it on the table and attempted to sit her up but she flinched.
"Eat now, Ainslie."
"What's that?" She asked, staring at the food when he uncovered it.
"Um, it's the food I was supposed to have for lunch but you took it away and I decided to save it up for you. Eat up, I already heated it."
Ainslie stared at him, mouth agape. "You want me to eat the leftover food?"
"There's nothing at home so I couldn't make anything, Ainslie."
"You're mad!" She insulted and arose. "You know who I am! You know my family! How do you expect me to eat leftovers?"
"It's alright. I'll have them. I'll rush down to the store in the neighborhood and get you some cooked- packed noodles. I think I've about five bucks with me. I'll use them to buy the noodles."
"What? You want to get me noodles from that ugly looking store! You want to get me food worth five bucks?! Do I look like a beggar to you?!"
"I'm sorry, that's all I have. If you can give me a few bucks, I'll add it to mine and get a hamburger for you…"
"Quiet! You're a complete fool!" She took the plate of food and went to the kitchen. Bryson was dumbfounded and when she returned with the plate, she dropped it on the table.
"Where's the food, Ainslie?"
"I did a good thing. I emptied the food in the trash bag."
"No, why did you? I could have eaten it. I kept it for you because I thought you'll be hungry when you return…"
"Shut up! You've really made me frustrated, Bryson. You can go eat the food from the trash bag and I'll know you're a real dirty dog!"
"Ainslie?"
"Or, you could have the morsels on the plate. I was a bit merciful not to have completely wasted the food. I hope the morsels tend to the growling worms in your stomach. Honestly, I don't give a damn about you."
She let out a loud hiss and left for their room. Bryson stood in the spot she had left him, staring at the plate on the table with a gloom.
Bryson was shocked by what his wife, Ainslie, did. He couldn't believe she would utter such hurtful words to him and act so inhumane."Is that really Ainslie?" He found himself asking the question to no one else other than himself. He was really marveled by the way she had acted towards him earlier and now. He thought for a while and shook his head. "That is not my Ainslie. She is not like that," he said to himself. He did not believe that whatever Ainslie did or said was intentional for he knows she's not like that.He recalled the food times they had had and how he had come to know of her.Years back, he had only gotten a scholarship to study in one of the prestigious universities in New York and that's how he came to know of Ainslie. He was the brightest and brilliant person in their classes back then and that's why every other student, especially the guys, disliked him. Though Ainslie was part of the people who looked at him in a wrong way, that changed when he helped her with an
After over three minutes of silence, Bryson watched his wife sit down. He thought she had cooled down and so he put on his socks. He stood up to talk to her and she jerked up like a plane taking off, startling him."Where the hell are you going to? You want to go to work for a meager three thousand dollars a month?""Come on, Ainslie, we've got expenses to make…""I see you want to humiliate me more. I won't let you do that! I feel there's something dancing in your brain or maybe they are some insects in your head but I don't give a damn. Honestly, all I know is that I won't let you go work there. Get that into your thick skull.""Enough, Ainslie, please. I'm sure the neighbors are hearing you yelling and it's not proper.""Really? I'm yelling, huh? Why won't I? Tell me Bryson? You've shattered my hope. I'm suffering now because I married a pauper like you! Now you want to take up a job where you get only three thousand dollars a month. That's nonsense. You know I'm going to be earnin
Ainslie sprang up to her feet after dwelling on what kind of outfit to wear. She thought of what party her family was hosting and went on the internet to check on it. She learnt that her father's international shares company had come up top two of the year of share sellers and was very excited. She rushed to her room and went through her clothes in the closet. She couldn't find anything new to wear but picked on a blue dinner gown which she had bought some months back.By 6 pm, Bryson walked into the house and saw Ainslie appeared, looking all dressed up and ready to go out. He wondered if she was going to the bar again to get wasted."Ainslie, you're going out?""Obviously. I'm sure you're not blind.""Where are you going? Please, don't tell me you're going to the bar to get wasted.""You don't deserve an explanation from me. By the way, I'm actually going to a party my family is hosting tonight."Bryson's lips parted and he stared at her, dazed."My father's international shares com
Bryson felt hurt by what his mother-in-law said. He understood well what she meant by his bank account not being 'handsome', she ironically stated that he was poor and he felt more hurt when he saw his wife still smiling like her mother hadn't said anything wrong."What do you mean, Rose?" Her mother's friend asked and looking at his mother-in-law, he knew she really wanted to tell her friend that he was a pauper and humiliate him more but she couldn't because she knew her image would be stained too. "Don't mind me," his mother-in-law simply said and smiled."Hello, how're you?" The woman said to Bryson and he glanced at his wife."Good evening ma'am. Nice to see you. I'm Bryson," he introduced himself."Nice to meet you, Bryson. Uh, tell me. What do you do?""I'm actually a deliv….""He works as a manager of a company," Ainslie interrupted him and when he looked at her, astonished, she gave him a you- must- be- crazy look. He couldn't believe she would lie about his job."Oh. You've
Bryson could see the big fear in his wife's eyes after what Miranda said. He knew her sister wanted to humiliate them the most and that's why she had come after them and overheard what Ainslie had said."I feel father would congratulate you, Ainslie. What do you think, Bryson?" Miranda asked and he ignored her. "This is a very good news. I'll go tell father and…""Please, don't, Miranda," Ainslie said, grabbing her sister's hand. "Do not do that, please. I would owe you for life if you just keep this one big secret from the others."Bryson was stunned by his wife's request. He couldn't believe that she wanted to keep on lying about his job position. He felt more annoyed when she clasped her hands in front of her sister."What's wrong with him being a delivery guy? It is a good job, Ainslie. Don't worry. The others would be happy to know your husband's job.""No! He's a common delivery guy working in a new paint factory. It's going to get really bad for me if the others get to know abo
Aislie stepped on the lawn and looked around for a good table. She saw her parents and other relatives standing by different tables, welcoming and having a light chat with some of the guests. She couldn't bring herself to go and mingle with them let alone go and say hi to some of the families she knows. Her eyes caught a table in the middle of the lawn and she went there to sit.When she sat down, her eyes wandered around and when she saw her sisters almost looking in her direction, she ducked her head and let out a curse word. She looked up and saw her friend Julie. Julie walked up to her and took a seat with a frown on her face."How're you doing, friend?" Aislie asked but Julie simply rolled her eyes, ignoring her. "What's wrong with you, Julie? You know I'm really upset now and you better not anger me the more by giving me that ugly look. What's your problem and what are you doing here?"Julie flicked a stare at her and her frown deepened. "What do you mean by 'What are you doing
Bryson couldn't believe what was happening. He looked around and caught Dulgad and Miranda laughing at him then it struck him. It's possible that they could have been keeping a close eye on him and sorting out the right opportunity to humiliate him. He couldn't believe they would go this far as to give him a public disgrace.When he arose, looking at his wife, he could clearly see the lines of fury in her face. He just didn't know what to say or how to convince her at the moment.As the murmurings and mocking chuckles increased, Ainslie prayed so badly within her that the earth shattered and swallowed her. She couldn't face the shame."Oh, Bryson." Both heard Miranda say and shifted their gazes to her as she walked up to them with Dulgad. "What got into you?" She asked."I guess you didn't have much. Tell me, are you really hungry?" Dulgad asked, scornfully."Come on, brother, look at him. Does Bryson look well-to-do to you? He doesn't. He looks like a real bum who couldn't wait to sa
Bryson couldn't believe what his wife had just done. He dipped his hand into his pocket but only some coins came out from the pockets. He had nothing left with him.He thought of how he was going to go home. He thought of going in to ask for some bucks from Julie who he knew was likely to give it to him but he shoved the thought aside when he thought of what his in-laws will say or how they will react when he goes back there. And he knew for certain that Ainslie wasn't going to be happy to know that he had borrowed some money from her friend, Julie.He had no other way and solution so he decided to start trekking down to the house as he thought of a way to solve the problem he had created earlier. He recalled his father-in-law's insults and couldn't help but feel disheartened. He thought his wife was going to stand up for him at least once but she didn't even chide her sister, Miranda or Dulgad but Insulted him more in their presence. He felt greatly embarrassed.He knew her father ne