The Flower That Survived 19 Years of Drought

Flirting With Death

Flirting With Death

Blazing at a fast speed to reach home, Dad approached a stop light. He jammed the brake and waited for the green light. The speakers in the car vibrated and roared passionate soul's music. He rolled down the window and diverted his head to the roadside on a woman of broad hips and thin waist. He lusted with greed until shortly an old friend hailed him.

"Hey Jack what's happening man, long time don't see? Come on man let's hang out at Sonny's Grill and sip some liquor with jerk chicken."

"Nah man, have to go home to my sweetheart. You know she's the definition of my life, everything that I have ever wanted in a woman. I just love her," Dad replied laughing. "Aye man, if you ever see her spinning on her head top like a gig you would be surprised. The ways in which she shakes and swirl her pelvis like a hila hoop have me desperately addicted. Her roller-coaster rides attract me like magnet. Go get yourself a woman like mine, you would be a new man again Pal."

"I hear you bad boy, seems like you love this one badly man, I've never seen you lately this happy and in such a good spirit. You're right man; the roller-coaster rides are actually doing wonders for you bad boy. Any way's rude boy, Veronica is taking you for a clown. I can see it. I smell the rat. She doesn't mean you any good. She is using you as a domestic husband. Go back to your wife before it's too late, you are

flirting with death," said his friend with a worried look on his face.

Dad got upset and sped off.

After a long day of strenuous hard work building houses, he came home tired and hungry. His hair was messy with wood dust and wood strips. In tattered clothes, he could barely jag his weary tired body inside the house.

"Can't wait to get inside to see what my sweetheart Veronica has made for dinner, gosh I'm starving," he said opening the door with bleary eyes and ragged face.

He now had four kids with Veronica. They were in the living room watching cartoons, but there was no sign of their mother inside the house.

"Good evening my beautiful kids. Daddy is home now," he said kissing each of them on their cheek. "Be right back, I have to get something to eat. I only got the chance to drink a cup of coffee from morning. By the way, where is your Mom?"

He didn't bother to wait for a response. He quickly dashed into the kitchen and started to lift up the pots on the stove to see what Veronica had cooked for dinner. His stomach cried out when he opened an empty pot. He quickly opened another one, which was empty as well. His stomach roared louder and louder as his eyes became dimmer. As usual, no dinner was left for him. The saying was true, "hungry man is an angry man." He frowned and folded his lips with anger when he realized that no dinner was left for him after a long day of hard work. He came out of the kitchen vexed with a frown on his face. He walked horridly into the bedroom to find Veronica, but she wasn't there. He looked everywhere but couldn't find her. He horridly went back in the living room.

"Ryan where is your mother? He demanded in anticipation. "She is nowhere to be found!"

"She left about an hour ago Dad," Ryan replied.

"With who," he asked as his eyes narrowed.

"She left with a man in car, she said that the man was her best friend from childhood," Ryan replied.

Jack became speechless for a few seconds until he yelled out. "What! A man friend, what is the man's name? By the way, how does he look?" he angrily asked.

"Dad, neither do I know his name nor was I observing the man," Ryan replied clueless of what Jack had asked.

"But I am a hardworking man. I am the breadwinner of this house for Christ's sake! She doesn't work. I work very hard every damn day to bring in money in this house," he yelled. "No evening I come home from work dinner is cooked. Imagine that. Man this is tough! You know what, I'll find out from her ass when she comes back, and I am just hoping she doesn't dare to allow another man to dig into my cookie jar."

He was so angry to cook dinner after a hard day's work. She didn't normally do anything for him except relied on him for a dollar. However, he loved her to death. His growing affection for her overshadowed her duty faults. Within no time, he prepared Brown Stewed Fish and Bammy for himself and the four kids. 10 minutes after he had finished eating. He went for a shower. After which, he went to watch TV in the living room with the kids. His bones were very tired and his eyes were almost shut down. He fell asleep in the couch with the TV remote in his hand. Later, a car rolled up at the gate and dropped off Veronica. She danced and daggled through the rain drunken. She stumbled as she tried to open the door. The door opened and made a squeaky sound.

Jack jumped up and looked to see who it was.

"Hey there Jack my sweetheart, I'm back," she said as if she was singing a song.

"Mommy you're back," said two of her daughters as they ran to hug her.

"Where were you from evening, I came home from about 7 o'clock and there was no sign of you. Look what time it is, almost 11 o'clock, where were you?" Jack asked raucously.

She refused to answer, covering her mouth with one hand and yarned. She laughed.

"What's for dinner? Go get me something to eat," she prompted

and dropped herself in the couch.

"Don't you dare play games with me now, look at me and know that I am serious. Don't let me have to repeat myself again," he warned.

"I went down the street with a friend. He is as cool as cucumber, no threat to you," she replied with a lit cigarette in her mouth.

"Friend huh, Ryan told me that you went out with a man in a car," Jack said folding his arm.

"Ryan actually told you that," she replied with a guilty look.

"Yes he did," Jack said.

"Well y-yeah, it is true, but he is nothing more than a friend, one day I'm going to allow you to meet him. Jack, he is adorable, he's a nice guy, you will get along just fine with him," she replied.

"I don't wish to meet anybody! Watch yourself, watch yourself! I actually dumped my wife for you so don't fool yourself," he shouted and walked off to his bedroom.

As he dozed off, he began seeing a man swaddled in black cloth. The man's face resembled a gloomy shadow, and he had a sharp silver sword in his left hand, and rode a pale horse. Nowhere to escape, Jack stared into his hollow gruesome eyes. Unexpectedly, he was slashed three times across his back with the sword and was dragged down an unlit tunnel. Suddenly, he jumped up with cold sweat pouring down his face while his hands trembled in trepidation.