FUCK!

4. MARTHA

"It really wasn't a place for a lady back then, but it made me as strong as steel."

"Nothing has changed."

"Oh, I know. But I don't regret it. Flying those planes was the best thing that ever happened to me. I saw the world from a different view. It was beautiful. What I regret is that my husband convinced me to settle down. The bloody bastard."

I chuckle, "Where's he now?" I ask circling Martha's wheelchair around the small fishpond at the back of the hospice.

"Dead. Died after our second child. So, I had to raise those two by myself and it wasn't easy. Broke my back pushing them out and raising them and what do they do?" she clicks her tongue, "They throw me into this hell hall and pay some stranger to wipe my ass and feed me. Pathetic."

"Hey!"

"Arg, you'll get over it."

I stop the wheelchair and circle around her, squatting in front of her and sighing. Her eyes are sunken into their sockets and you can tell she's in pain. Physically and emotionally. Since she came here about three months ago, her family has only ever visited her twice. I could agree with her, but it would not make any of us feel any better.

"My mom is in a place almost like this," I say placing my hands on her knees, "I visit her whenever I can. But just because I'm not there everyday taking care of her doesn't mean I don't care; it just means I have to split my time and take care of others as well."

"Taking care of us is your job, love," she sighs, "you think anyone would volunteer to wipe my ass every single day of their life?"

"Well I don't hate it," I pat her knees and stand up, "and I have to pay for food somehow. Wiping your ass doesn't seem that bad."

She chuckles and I start pushing the wheelchair around the pond again, "You're a funny one."

At this time of the day, the pub is quite full. Everyone has pushed themselves through another depressing week of hard work and pretentious smiles trying to make everyone else around them feel better. So they come to the pub and grab a Friday beer to cool off and finally drown all the sorrows and push them to the back of the head where we will pull them out again Monday morning once we get back to work.

"We could always make it a road trip," Marvin continues with his ridiculous conversation of taking a weekend road trip across the coast.

"Unlike you, some of us have jobs," I say, "and some of us don't just have money laying around."

"Just ask your dad," he replies taking a swing of his drink.

I look away from Marvin, needless to say, sometimes it hits closer to home.

"I'd have to make sure it's fine with my girlfriend," Jona says taking his phone out of his pocket.

Shar laughs and places her drink down, "See," she says, "even Jona here has to get permission from his baby mama."

I punch her lightly with a knowing look, just as Tim walks in, Theresa behind him. I don't miss the look Jona and Shar give me and I look away from them, putting a fake smile onto my face.

"Hey guys," he says approaching us and placing his hand on Theresa's back, "I thought I'd bring my lady with me today."

Rule number 1 broken: Never ever, infiltrate the friends' group with a romantic partner without an appointment.

Yes, it's a rule. A rule that was made after I dated both Jona and Tim. Without this rule, we don't get to talk shit about their partners and we also don't get to air out any dirty laundry because a certain someone will get angry and blame you for ruining their relationship, just because you told their significant other that they once had a threesome.

I hug Tim and do the same with his girlfriend, "Hey Delilah," she says with a smile, knowing well how much I hate my full name.

"Hey, Thereza," I pronounce her name the way she jokingly once told us she hates.

She hooks her hands with Tim and pulls him away, to the rest of the gang, leaving me alone.

"At least tell me you're thinking about it?" Marvin appears out of nowhere and his breath fans my neck as I step away from him.

"Think about what?"

"The road trip."

"Oh, I can't go. I have work and I can't just leave my mother for that long," I say looking for Shar who's disappeared into the crowded bar.

"Your mom will be fine. And if it's money you're worried about, just ask your dad."

I roll my eyes, "You can be a dick sometimes you do know that right?"

"I mean," he chuckles, "speaking of. Maybe then you and I could finally- "

"Not gonna happen, Marvin!"

"Oh come on, it's literally just me left!"

I grab my bad, following Shar who's already at the door, leaving a rather relentless Marvin.