Forced Marriage

Chapter 2

I get home after my shift it's now 6am, I look around our very minimal living room I mean it's not like we don't have money for more it's just that this minimalist style is beautiful, the whites and the creams just make it beautiful. We have a white couch a hanging from the ceiling nuck with some white pillows and a blanket. A light wood center table with two tiny white and brown benches.

I hear my mother in the kitchen, take of my jacket living it in the couch with my bag and make my way there. My mother's name is Sabrina, she is a nice woman most of the time, so don't get on her nerves please, and she is a hard worker for this family. My father's name is Carlos, both him and my mom are factory workers. Unlike what most people would think I'm in no way ashamed of them, they are the reason I worked so hard to became a nurse, I even worked during University because I knew they couldn't afford it. They made me believe that no matter our status in society we could be happy with what we are, but recently I realized that that is simply not the reality, and that is why they arranged for the marriage, because it will not just benefit me but also them (their words not mine).

"Good morning mother" I say with a smile. "You woke up early today!"
"Good morning sweety! I did yes I couldn't sleep." She turned to me smiled and went back to the bacon she was cooking.
I look around the kitchen while I decide if I should talk with her about the marriage or not, sitting in one of the tall white benches I look around. The kitchen is just like the living room all whites and light coloured wood and in a 'u' shape where one of the side of the 'u' is the table with high benches where I'm sitting now. Taking a deep breath I decide to speak with her.
"Mother I would like to talk to you.." I say feeling nervous. She looks at me and nods so I continue. " Mom I don't want to marry Gabriel.. I barely know him and I would like to wait and find someone I truly love to get married." I finish and look up to see her shaking in anger.
" You will marry him! You are my daughter and do as I say! He will take us all out of this miserable life! So you will do this for us because we have made many sacrifices for you! How ungrateful can you be?" I look at her and feel the tears coming to my eyes but I only nod and excuse myself out of the kitchen, knowing that she is still looking at me in an angry manner and go into my room. I was feeling kinda hungry before but now it's just gone and the I feel sick. I can't believe that she is actually doing this for money. We aren't rich but we aren't poor either.. we work and have everything we need so why make me unhappy just to be rich.. do I mean so little to them? The tears just roll down my face and I fall asleep crying.

I woke up an hour ago, I have just been here pray and asking God what to do, just laying on my bed because I can't seem to find the strength to get up. I know my parents want the best for me but this is not what I want and I don't feel in my heart that that is what God wants. My heart is torn between doing what my parents want and what I want... What should I do?
My alarm goes off, it's 4:30pm, time to get up. So I take a deep breath, get out o bed and get ready.

I get to the kitchen and my mother is drinking her coffee.
"Good morning Mother" she looks up and gives me a big smile, which after our conversation yesterday I wasn't expecting.
"Good morning sweetheart. You do have Sunday off right?" I look at her not really understanding where this is going.
"Yes I do. Why? Do they need help in church? I had already told them I would help.." I make my way to the fridge to get my yogurt.
" I know that but after church we have lunch with Gabriel and his family.." Gabriel ... I had to know this was going somewhere there... Having dinner with my so called fiancé and his family ... And here I was thinking that I could just sleep after church... Dear God help me...
"But I need to rest mom.. You know I will still be doing my shift and ending at 6am... I will be extremely tired mom.." her smile falls completely.. I sit in front of her and wait.. cause something is coming and I know it won't be good.
"My beautiful daughter I know for sure that you will BE able to make that effort and have lunch with them, because if you can't I believe it would be better for you to resign from your work at the hospital. You won't need to work after you get married to him anyway. He wants a stay at home wife! It will be so good for you!" I stare at her for what feels like hours but it's just seconds. She can't be serious! Me stuck at home talking to the walls??!!
" Mother I love you and I might even get married to him, but I will not resign from my job at the hospital." Her face goes red. I'm in deep trouble right now. I need to leave and soon, or I will be late anyway. I stand up and start making my way to the kitchen door.
"Catalina Soares MIGHT get married?! YOU WILL MARRY HIM AND END OF DISCUSSION!!" I stop and look at her. Did she just seriously just yell at me over one word of all that I said?!
"We will have to talk later, I need to go or I will be late." I walk to the front door ignoring her calls, I never do this but today if she wanted my respect she should have respected me.

"Catalina!" I turn around to see my co-worker Jenny coming in my direction and smile at her.
"Good afternoon Jenny!"
"Hi! Look I know you are extremely busy but you had a patient yesterday with a trauma to the head, he came back in today and is having dizziness and headache. Do you remember him?"
"Yes the MMA fighter?!" She points at me nodding. " What do you need me for?"
" Well he won't let any of the other nurses get close to him because and I quote 'I am here to be treated not to be flirted with, if I wanted that I would be in a bar!' so I need your help. He had no complaints about you so can you help?!" I look at her in disbelief. I can't believe what she is saying, because or the other nurses are being extreme or he is very self entitled.
"What happened?" She sights.
"Well basically... When I got there he was already yelling and the nurse didn't even have her blue overall on... So I'm guessing he didn't ask her to take it off..." She just makes a gagging sound which makes me laugh. People are unbelievable, but I guess that if I didn't have God I could have ended up like them?! Nah.. but anyway not the point. I got to help or the hospital will have a major lawsuit to deal with.
"Ok.. what room is he in and do I need to prep him for CT scans and MRI?"
" Yes please and he is in room 337. Thank you!" She gives me a kiss in the cheek and here I go to room 337.

I knock but hear no response so I get in. He is laying in bed and looks furious gazing out the window, he is breathing fast by the movement in his chest, that's when i realize he has a real tight t-shirt and his muscles are for show but I try to focus. 
"Hello. Do you remember me from yesterday?" He looks at me stil froaning but seems to calm down a bit.
" For a moment I thought they would send me the same nurse or something worse than that... - I approach the bed - So you were right huh?!" I look at him confused.
"About what?" I start checking his vitals.
" Being a bad head injury" I look at him for a second before looking down at the board in my hands and write down the numbers.
"Well I never said you had it, just that it was a possibility.. did you fight since yesterday?" I look up at him when I don't hear an answer. He is looking down, but his jawline still very visible to me, it is tense. What happened to him? I wait and then he looks up at me.
"Do you need the details?" Humm not exactly the answer I was looking for...
"No, I just need a yes or no answer and if yes did you got hit in the head again?" I look him in the eyes, it's like there is a battle going inside his head... His beautiful green eyes look dim and disturbed. He claps his hands and takes a deep breath.
"Yes I did. But not I was not hit in the head.. It's not like the old man could do it." He looks back at his hands.
"You fought an elder man?!" The shock in my voice made him look at me wide eyed.
" No I fought my father BECAUSE HE WAS HITTING MY MOTHER! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR!?"
I stopped breathing for a moment I think, he is very scary when angry. And what's with people yelling at me today? I take a deep breath, let's try again. I know i'm shaking but I won't let that affect my job.
" No that is definitely not what I wanted to hear, but I couldn't not have known. So I'm sorry if I miss interpreted what you meant." I see him relax and open and close his mouth, but I don't wait for his response." Now I need you to take off your clothes put everything in this bag and any body piercing or metallic or magnetic thing that you have on you. All your belongings go in this bag ok?" He nods still looking at his hands again. "Do you need help changing or can you do it on your own?" He looks at me and smirks. I would prefer a smile but I take what I can get right now.
"Why wanna help me get out of my clothes too, like the other lady?" I know he is joking but I honestly don't like it.
" If I have to change someone it's because of my job. I'm too respectful of people and my God to do something like what was done to you before I got here." His eyebrows raise, surprise." I was asking because I was told you were feeling dizziness, but try and do it, if you can't just press that red button and I will come help you. After that just wait for the doctor, ok?!" He is looking at me with a serious face that I just can't understand, but nods and that's good enough for me. I turn around and head for the door, but stop at the sound of his voice.
" What will happen is the results don't comeback clean?! Will I have to stop fighting?" I am in shock by the vulnerability in his voice.