He was drunk, she knew it. She knew it the moment he opened the door and tripped over the edge, when he mumbled something incoherent in that heavy booze-laden voice, when he dropped his keys on the floor instead of hanging them on the key ring. Well, no. She knew when it got dark and he showed no signs of coming home early, when he didn't answer her calls. The situation didn't surprise her because it had been that way for the last four months, but even so, every time she saw him enter the door of their home swinging and smelling of alcohol, something in her died. Every day she gave him a chance, but he managed to let her down. Frida watched him from the sofa. She had spent the last few hours sitting with phone in hand, waiting for him to answer her calls or to come home. Now, at one in the morning he finally showed signs of life. She loved him, more than anything in the world, but he was hurting her, he was causing a crisis in their marriage, in their love. He tripped again, this time on the lace of his own shoe. She decided that was enough.
Frida got up from the sofa and adjusted her silk robe. It was a freezing November night, she should be sleeping warm in her bed, not in these conditions. She went over to her husband and took his arm to help him up, although it was a difficult task because he weighed more than her. "Come on, help me help you."
"Hey, my savior," Benny said with a distorted smile as he tried to keep his balance. He ran a hand down her back in an attempt to hug her. Frida closed her eyes and asked for patience. A hug, what would usually cause her tenderness right now seemed awful to her. "The floor is moving."
"No, it isn't," she replied between clenched teeth and held him tight. "Walk, please." They both advanced, at the step of Benny who was holding on to his wife with force, she believed that at any moment they would fall.
"Where are you taking me?" he asked drawling.
"To the bedroom, where else?" she winced and almost doubled over in pain when Benny accidentally stepped on her, he didn't notice.
"To the bedroom, huh. Do you want me to make love to you?" he reached her bottom and squeezed it. Frida felt that she would vomit right there in disgust. "We do not occupy the bedroom for that."
"Don't talk Benny, just walk. Let's go to sleep," she explained pushing him forward to walk. They finally arrived; the bedside lamp illuminated the large room. Frida led Benny to the bed and he sat, when she tried to let him go Benny took her by the hand and fell backwards, taking her with him.
"Come here, babe," he tried to grab her around the waist but she was quicker and stood up.
"Please stop, it's late," she reached down and unlaced his shoes, didn't take off his socks as it was cold. "Help me with your clothes."
Benny sat up and took off his jacket as best he could, threw it on the ground and then lay down again. He brought his bullfighting fingers to the buttons on his shirt and undid them; the first, the second... he stopped him in the third. He closed his eyes and waited. Frida watched him for a moment before realizing that he was falling asleep. "Benny!" she called him.
"Mmm, two more, miss," he said barely audible, still with eyes closed. Frida felt a great urge to cry. It would be impossible to fully wake him and he was still dressed. He wanted to stay like this? Good. She went to her bedside and crawled under the covers, turned off the lamp and closed her eyes. It was time for her to sleep too.
She could not. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Not even five minutes passed when Frida turned on the lamp again and got up, she wasn't going to leave him like that. She unbuttoned his shirt and as she could she took it off. The belt and pants. She got on the bed and as she could she dragged him so that he could sleep in his usual place, she wrapped him in the covers and got out of bed. With a sigh and a tired look, she analyzed the room: his clothes smelling of alcohol and cigarettes were scattered on the floor, the clock marked past two in the morning, her man lay in bed completely drunk and unconscious. It was a nightmare.
