The girls tear their hair out!

Roses are red

Diamonds are blue

You my darling are the fairest of them all.

Grrrrrrr…; Shonda call for you.

I’ll be right out Trish, thank you.

You guys shouldn’t finish the papaya before I get back continues Shonda! After all, you all like to project the classy babe image who do not visit the local farmers market.

Alright, alright we hear you chorused the trio of Patricia, Nicole and Courtney. Please just go and pick up that damned phone so the ringing noise stops shattering the peace of this atmosphere.

Shonda sticks out her tongue as she shuffled along.

Shonda - Hey love, how is it going over there? Missed you badly.

Nick - Oh babe, I miss you more than the word miss itself. I’m wanting my baby by my side so badly but yeah sure, we’re all doing fine only that the local hospital ran out of supplies since last week but we are doing our best to pull some in from the neighboring city. It’s just not coming as fast as we need them. Asides from this everything is okay though.

Shonda - Huh, love sorry to hear that but I can’t wait for you to be back home. Yea, I’m giddy with excitement. I mean, myself and the girls have shopped till we literally dropped. We’ve being shopping for all your favorite local foods they feed you with in that place huh!

Don’t worry, you won’t have to miss anyone of them. I’ve got more than enough to stuff you with before you head back to Namibia!And save your breath for this, I even hired a local private Namibian chef that I ran into in a Korean store over here. She whipped up various sample dishes from amongst the lot of the foodstuff for a taste party and all that. Guess what, myself and the girls rated her a 10 out of 10.

Silence on the other end of the line.

Nick, are you there? Are you there Nick?

Nick - Uhh, yeah babe, I’m right here. Just thinking about my trip back home!

Shonda - Yes, what about your trip back home?

Nick - Err, uhh, erm; so about that trip, I had to…I’m afraid I had to cancel it. Look babe, the town just ran out of essential medical supplies and myself and the other guys are trying to stock up as urgently as possible but you know these people, if I don’t provide an oversight over this project they might just leave it unattended to and I can’t afford that.

Love, I can’t just up and leave knowing that many of these folks in this community depend on these resources.

Please will you give me a little bit more time to sort this out and I promise, I’ll be on my way home to you again. I swear on my honor.

Shonda - No, Nick wait, so after 3 months of looking forward to your return by valentine, this is what you bring up!

Nick, is it that you do not care about me or you just delight in hurting me? For Christ’s sake, when last did we ever spend a decent valentine’s day together let alone any other celebration?

It’s always one excuse or the other! The children this, the children that! The hospital this, the hospital that. The community this, the community that! Tell me please, are you married to your charity work in the village or to me?

To imagine the amount of money and time I have wasted in preparing for this valentine’s day, even going as far as hiring an award winning chef just to celebrate this special occasion. You know what? I’m done! I’m done with this conversation Nick.

Nick - Calm down, just calm down. (Shonda cuts in) Listen, there’s nothing you can tell me or say that can make me calm. There is mo claiming me down, the only thing that can calm me down is me meeting you at the airport on the 13th of February as earlier planned and both of us returning to this house like anticipated.

Any other plans asides from this, just count me out and please don’t bother calling my number again for now. Enough is enough.

Shonda slams the phone in exasperation.

Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into? Is it a crime to be married? I mean, look at Tricia, Danni and Courtney, they are not into this marriage business and yet they are happy, their needs are met by guys who show them care but here am I everyday having to make sacrifices for this guy that damn well doesn’t care that I exist. All he cares about is putting on his charity pants and gallivanting round the world to try and solve the need of every poor community? I’m done! Just done! Shonda slams her hands on the glass table even as Courtney tells from the Kitchen, “girl are you joining us, this soup tastes so good, it will be all gone by the time you get here if you don’t hurry up.

Resignedly, Shonda walks towards the other girls with a sullen face and a rotten attitude. As if on cue, the three girls laughed and chorused “It’s Nick, he’s not returning home again, is he?”

It’s not even funny girls, what is all this? Girl meets boy, falls in love with him and they live happily ever after. All I have ever done is to love this guy since we got married but all he’s ever done is to disappear at every whim and caprice to one of those his godforsaken Countries where he carries out his benevolent acts. I just don’t get it. All I seek is happiness not for dust to be poured into my eyes at every given opportunity.

Arggghhh, I could break a door screams Shonda.

Come on Shon, it’s not that bad. Look at you

living in a multimillion dollar palatial mansion, driving the latest Porsche and Range and a Maybach. Shopping at the most upscale boutiques in the city and cavorting with other rich madams in all those exclusive leagues and clubs you belong to courtesy of your husband’s fortune; please stop whining.

Your reality is the dream of a billion people.

Allow the man do some good in a world filled with negative vibes and depressing circumstances everyday. Courtney added, It’s not everyday we find a rich multimillionaire championing the cause of the downtrodden.

Easy for you to say when you’re not married yourself and neither are you the one who burns everyday for a man that is not present. After all for you, men are just like a piece of kleenex to use and discard as it suits you. Please take your opinions out of my matter as you have nothing to say to me.

Shon, did you just insult me? Courtney demanded in anger? I don’t blame you. O wonder your man doesn’t stay home much. With your sharp acerbic tongue who will really want to stay around you. It’s not your fault, if not that I left my business in the middle of the day to come chill with you here, you won’t have the guts to open that mouth of yours to insult me.

Ladies, ladies…calm down chimes in Danne. This matter isn’t as bad as you’re taking it. Stop letting your emotions get the better of you. Come on, we are sister, not just friends. Let’s mind the words we speak to each other because once spoken, words cannot be retracted.

No leave her, let her open her mouth and spew out whatever nonsense comes out of them, after all, I left my business in the middle of the day to come moonlight at her house.

Courtney picks her bag as she heads for the Lim-batch glass double french doors. Emotions were rife and none of the ladies seemed to want to give peace a chance.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***