Chapter 5: I do mind

“Yes, but I won’t explain how.” He replied dryly like we were having a dispute. Rude. Rude. Rude. Just f*cking rude. He was on the move again.

“Wait!” I called out again with a slightly raised voice while he paused. I waited for him to turn but it seems that the security guard was as pompous as that punk Mr. Clark. Birds of the same feather flock together. He made another move towards the door again.

“I said wait.” I repeated more firmly this time.

“Ask your question I don’t have all day.” He said without turning around. I. said. It! He. Is. Pompous!!

I closed my eyes and let some seconds passed as I calmed myself. I can feel Val switching gazes between the security guard and me.

“What’s your name?” I finally asked.

“James,” He paused for a very short while before continuing. “James O’Brien.”

He walked out the door without further ado.

“What a jerk!” I exclaimed immediately after the door closed behind him.

I calmly explained from the phone call until what just happened minutes ago cleverly skipping the Sickler and fatherless part of Jackie.

“Whatever but from now henceforth Jay will stay with me; I mean I live comfortably alone and can cater for two or three more persons and oh there’s no drama in my house, there’s no boyfriend to hate on innocent Jay to the floor and there’s….” I interrupted her.

“I’ll think about it.”

“You’ll do what?” Val exploded.

“I’ll think about letting Jay stay with you,” I said using her nickname for Jayceline to address her.

“You’ll let her fall ill again? You’ll put her through that rigorous emotional drama in that house?” she asked calmly but obviously provoked. “I quit.” She said calmly while crossing her hands in front of her in form of an “X” shape to show she won’t take any of this anymore. She stormed out on me; with more rage than she came in with.

Sigh. Val’s angry with my ‘I’ll think about it’ syndrome. She knows me quite well to know that once I say ‘I’ll think about it’ or its related words, I don’t actually think about it. It’s just my polite way of saying no and Val doesn’t take a no for an answer; especially when she’s looking as determined as she was today.

I didn’t bother to follow Val since I knew the result will be fruitless.

Mr. Clark, the unusual spy came in and gave me the receipt. “Once she’s up you can leave.”

“Thanks.” I showed my appreciation. The bill he just cleared is huge, and it’s only for some hours. I can’t imagine anything I’ll do that I’ll be able to raise such an amount of money.

“I’ll be taking my leave.” He said so gently that I almost envisioned him as a gentleman. Well, you can go, who cares if you take your damn leave? I would have loved to voice that but I know I’ll sound rude, especially after what he just did for me.

“Ok.” I simply say as he left the room. I wanted to inquire if he won’t take I and Jackie home but I knew better than to push my luck. He’d done a whole lot for us already so I don’t want to stress him; moreover, he might get the wrong gist and say that I was just using any opportunity I get to go close to him.

After some hours, like three hours, I heard someone cough lightly. I didn’t know when I fell into a deep slumber. I can’t believe I did either.

“M-m-mommy.” Jackie’s tiny whisper awaken my senses more quickly.

“Yeah, baby?” I walked closer to her bed. “I’m coming my dear, I’ll go get the doctor.” With that already spoken, I departed for the doctor’s office.

I met with the doctor and told him Jackie was awake then we matched to Jackie’s room and the doctor did a final check-up on her before he’d let us go home.

I waited patiently while the doctor continued checking Jackie. After a few minutes, he affirmed that I can take Jackie home.

“We are going home, sweetheart.” I gushed out happily.

“What happened, mom?” Jackie asked. There was some improvement in her voice, she was no longer whispering as before. It was like the thought of going back ‘home’ quicken her healing process.

“Nothing much; you just fell ill at school and you were brought to the central hospital,” I explained trying as much as possible to make it sound like it wasn’t something serious.

We climbed down from the cab, it was night already so I piggybacked Jackie and walked through the forest home.

“Where are you coming from and why are you coming from there now?” Kirsten questioned me immediately I got into sight.

“Since when is my whereabouts your business?” I asked in return quite tired from all the rigmarole events of today. I don’t have the body for another stress after all I’ve been through today.

“Where are you going to? You haven’t answered my question.” She said in the same bossiness that she’d once upon a time used against me and I’d thought it was the frustration of the things going on in her life; looking at it now, she looked like a lunatic but hey, who cares?

“If you haven’t noticed, I got a weighty baby on my back, so if you don’t mind excuse me.” I counter back.

“I do mind.”

“Well, if you think you’ll mind, you have to wait for me,” I said knowing full well that my next actions will lead to a fight with her. Well good way of avoiding stress, right?

I quickly walked to the room and dropped a now-sleeping Jackie on the bed. I return to face Kirsten A.K.A Madam troublemaker; she was still in the same position I left her when I was going to drop Jackie in the room.

“Yeah, you were saying?” I asked as I twisted my body into weird positions so it will pop. Popping the bones in my body made me feel lighter, better, and even more agile. No wonder some people go for massage therapies during periodic intervals.

I felt a sting on my left cheek. With the satisfied look on Kirsten’s face, I knew that she’d started the fight. “How dare you space travel in my presence?” I hear her voice boom with anger.

Without a second thought, I swung my hands to hit her face. She caught my fist and used it as a medium to draw me closer to herself while she wrapped her other hand around my throat thereby blocking my air supply.

She moved slowly while still maintaining this position, pushing me toward the wall behind me. My back hit the wall sooner than I’d anticipated. She used all her strength to lift me so she can stare intensely at me.

“I’m the boss here; I. Fucking. Call. The. Damn. Shots. Here.” She rasped out.

“Sure.” I said with sarcasm dripping from my voice. She noticed this but was probably too tired of holding me above her so she dropped me. It was unexpected but Val has trained me very well to the extent that I can survive almost every danger Kirsten and Dylan would probably plan out for me with their absent nous. Yeah, almost because I don’t know what those jerks have mapped out for me and my daughter.

I glared at her as she stared me down although I could see she was tired. She bent slightly so her mouth would be close to my ear as she says whatever crap she wants to say. This is the kind of moment where I hate my height. Kirsten was let me say 3-4 inches taller so she can just pull the intimidation crap on me.

“If you are trying to intimidate me, newsflash I am not, and don’t get intimidated by weaklings,” I said before she could finish her intimidation series.

I smirk knowing that I’ve pissed her off. What I didn’t expect was for her to kneel me on my stomach. I fell down, hitting my head hard on the cold concrete floor. I spat out blood that has gathered in my mouth.

***********

What do you think of our antagonist Kirsten?