'Pussy cat eyes'

A nicknamed given to Jessica because of the color of her eyes. At first it was a mere joke, then one day while in a fight with her classmate, Jessica had wished her opponent would fall severely sick. She did it just to spite her opponent however, the tables turned when the next day her opponent contracted chicken pox.

Her peers who witnessed the fight concluded that she had cast a sleek on her opponent and that Jessica was a witch.

Like that wasn't enough, the following week Jesica fainted when a teacher flogged her. The reason being that her father rushed her to school to catch up to work, in the process she forgot to eat breakfast and ended up fainting when the first stroke got to her delicate palms.

But the students didn't care to know this, they simply said she was an ogbanje.

Everyday in school, more rumors spread about how she bewitched her other classmates. The teaching and non-teaching staff didn't also spare her, they too broadcasted rumors about her being a mami-water due to how her skin color didn't match that of her parents.

Some of Jessica's relatives who were also her schoolmates also believed the rumors and they
ended up avoiding her during family gatherings.

Her name was long forgotten and she became; that pussy cat girl.

She eventually became bitter, attempting suicide at 11 years. Her parents who had initially played down on the issue had no choice but to change her school, however even in her new school she just couldn't fit in, she stood out like giraffe in a gathering of elephants. Her paternal grandparents suggested that she be moved abroad, that she would blend perfectly with the white folks.

Jessica did blend in as her grandparents had said and slowly she began to love herself again.

So, it wasn't surprising why she almost plucked out the eyes of the fish merchant who called her 'pussy cat eyes' when she went to the market with Ozzy.

"...I will personally rip out that your pussy cat eye." Her mind replayed the words of ignorant Susanna once more.

And now Jessica was going to commit her first murder.

She raised her hands high in the air swinging it with whip-like speed towards Susanna. However, it connected with Gillis's face instead.

Her eyes grew wide and she clasped her mouth in shock as the sound of her slap echoed in the office. She wasn't expecting to hit her husband and she was about to apologize when she realized that Gillis was protecting her. Her shock was instantly replaced with rage.

"You're defending her?" She said as her arms dropped to her side, "You're defending your slot!" She raged on, as she sent another jaw breaking slap his way.

Gillis was pissed.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the office leaving Susanna and Evelyn behind.

"Rubbish," Susanna hissed rubbing her head, Jessica had pulled out a few strands of her hair when she flung her from the chair to the floor.

"Arrant—Ah!" She exclaimed as Evelyn unexpectedly slapped her on her right cheek and before she could blink Evelyn sent another hot slap to her left cheek. The impact was so strong it sent her crashing into the chair where she once sat.

Evelyn cracked her fingers and said, "Take a good look at my left hand darling, there's no ring," she smirked as she waltzed towards Susanna, "meaning there's no husband stopping me from whooping your rotten ass all day long."

***

Gillis drove himself and Jessica back home in Jessica's car, the drive was quiet but the car was tense. The both of them were seething but Gillis wasn't going to have an argument while driving and Jessica didn't want to stress her baby.

As soon as they arrived they both stomped in anger towards the house Gillis entered first and Jessica followed behind. They didn't utter a word to each other as they walked into the parlor nor when they moved up the staircase but on getting to their bedroom Jessica decided to break the silence.

"Who is she?" She asked quietly, she couldn't shout because of the baby but it didn't mean she wasn't furious.

Gillis simply ignored her and sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed and his arms folded across his thigh. He stared at the toilet door as he tapped his feet against the floor.

His silence enraged her, she flung the brown envelope in her hand at his face. "I'm talking to you goddammit!"

He looked up at her with narrowed eyes as the envelope dropped to the floor and he still said nothing.

"Is she your whore? Your booty call?" Her eyes watered and she bit down on her lower lip, "After everything we've been through is this how you repay me? Is this what you do? How could you? How dare you Gillis!" She yelled, "how dare you?" She whimpered.

"Where was she when you started, huh? Where was she when no one believed in you? I was the one who loved you, I believed in you—"

Gillis chuckled humorlessly, "Chai," he frowned and said in a firm voice, "Jessica don't piss me off."

Tears raced down Jessica's eyes at how unapologetic he was. She had watched movies and read on the internet about how cheating men weren't even slightly remorseful for their sins but she never knew her Gillis would be one of those men, she would never have imagined it.

"You cheat," she started while wiping her eyes, "you liar!"

That did it.

Gillis chuckled lowly as he rose to his feet, "Well, you're one to talk. Me? The liar and a cheat? No honey, there's only one liar and cheat and that is you!" He pointed his finger at her, "You're the cheat who paid for me to win the crafts contest and you're the liar who comes here feigning ignorance on how I became the winner. It's all you!"

"God I can't even believe you!" He exclaimed, "I went around telling everyone to be honest in their labor, I kept telling people I wasn't in it for the win but I just wanted to get the experience and exposure the convention offered. I didn't know you went behind my back sabotaging all I said, making me look like a hypocrite. Jessica is that how you believe in someone by cheating in their name? Ruining their integrity?"

"I did it for you," she retorted.

"Did I ask you?" He answered in a louder voice, "No Jessica please tell me, did I send you? What kind of dirty, selfish and stupid love is that?" He yelled back, "No tell me! Did you even consider all other people in the contest? I was to come eighth!"

"In fact, I'm so sick and tired of your nonsense Jessica. I'm fed up with your selfishness. You are so inconsiderate of how your actions affect those around you, you always want to do things your way, whenever she wants to and however you want to. Regardless of what I say or do, you just do whatever you feel like and you're saying 'you love me, you believe in me'. Oh please Jessica!"

"Men! We said we are in this together but it seems like it's all you. You never ever want to listen to me, it's like my opinion never ever counts before you and you call that love? You call you picking your dad or my mother or Evelyn's and even Ozzy's opinion over mine 'love'? How? My goodness Jessica, I'm burning out here! Can't you see? I'm burning out here because it feels like I'm all alone in this."

"I swear, Jessica... I just... I just can't," he added quietly.

The couple stood quietly in silence, Jesica rubbed her arms in silence while sobbing and Gillis stood at the other side of the room with one arm on his waist and the other pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're so fed that you thought the best way to avenge my action was to cheat on me?"

Gillis turned to face her squarely, "Eh?"

Jessica scowled, "You know I don't regret doing what I did, because it goes to show the real you. You were all loyal and faithful till you had your big break, I'm sitting back here like a loyal dog and you're all the way in Germany kissing your tramp! You even had the nerve to bring her back here with you! And you're calling me selfish, well, you're stupid and a cruel jerk."

Gillis squinted his eyes in confusion, like what was he hearing? what was she evenon about?

"It's clear that the pregnancy is making you delusional." He spat out, "What is wrong with you? What are you even saying?"

He groaned out in frustration, "In fact, it's clear that this conversation is heading nowhere," he scoffed as he walked down to his wardrobe, "I wonder what I was even expecting. Typical Jesica, she just never wants to listen to no one but herself."

He pulled out a box and angrily shoved some clothes into it.

"And what do you think you're doing?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm giving you space Jessica," he said, "I'm giving you and myself some space for the sake of our sanity," he added zipping up the box.

"I don't know where all this jargon you're saying is coming from but I'm not going to stand back and listen to it. I'm not going to listen you any longer," he lifted up the bags and dragged it by its hand, "Call me when you're ready for us to talk and when you're ready to listen to me as well."

He started out for the door angrily but stopped in his tracks when she said, "If you step out of that door then don't you ever step your foot back in here ever again."

Immediately, he recalled what Ozzy had said: One day, she's gonna rub it in your face that she owns this place and she's gonna ask you to leave.

It felt like someone threw a dagger, with the inscription; I TOLD YOU SO, into his chest.

He dropped his bag at the door then turned back to her walking up to her. He leaned closer to her and with a stoic face he said, "Well, it is your house after all."

She gasped.

He turned away with a snort, grabbed his bag and slammed the door behind him.

Jessica stood all alone in the room. She fought the urge to cry as she replayed all what he said to here out her being selfish and inconsiderate. It hurt, all he said hurt her so much.

"He's gonna come back begging," she told herself, "Just you wait and see. The Gillis I know will be back here to beg in minutes. In short, in thirty seconds tops."

1

2

3

4

5

Two hours later and 30 seconds turned to 18000 seconds and she was still standing and counting.

"Jessica!"

She spun around in hopes to see Gillis at the door, he had finally come back to his senses and came back begging but she was highly disappointed when she saw Evelyn at the doorpost.
Her heart sank in her chest.

"He's gone Jess." Evelyn said, it was meant to be a question but it came out as a statement.

A statement that broke Jessica's walls and just like the walls of Jericho she crumbled to the floor in tears.

Gillis was gone.

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Have you ever watched National Geographic Channel (a.k.a. NatGeo Wild) and wondered how lion/rabbit will taste inside your pot of soup?

Me too.

Dedicated to Kumphy FavourChilaka YusufShukurah

unmask_reader  I no know say you dey famous like this 😂😂😂 Abeg remember me in your paradise as you don blow.