THE HARD LIFE Part 1(a short story) by Adebayo Caleb

 The velocity of the slap that greeted her cheeks awakened her to the reality of the situation. She winced and tried to shield herself from any other disciples of the just received slap. She knew he would apologise tomorrow when the effect had left him. She was used to it.
Sitting on the chair in the verandah of their posh three- bedroom bungalow two weeks later,Doris reflected another incident that had happened yesterday.He had beat her beyond recognition.She now massaged her face.To imagine that he had come to apologise this morning.This thing was really taking control of him, but he's a nice guy normally, she thought.She had tried her utmost best to be good,to please him, but when he was under,he was a beast. He listened to no explanations and beat her for no tangible reason. She could stop him, she could go into his closet and seize all those hard drugs,but it would kill him, she thought, and she loved him. He would be a helpless morsel without those drugs.She had seen an addict needing a hit before. They seemed like asthmatic patients at such a time.He would die without it and when he realised what she had done, he'll kill her, meanwhile he'll have figured out some other way to take his hit.
He drove into the garage that very minute and Doris waited for him to come in.Respectable and good- looking,with his tuxedo slung over his left arm, and his suitcase on his hand, he walked towards her,his body shuddering,almost to a shiver, she noticed.There could be no other cause for that than that he needed a hit. He barely noticed her presence at the verandah, but rushed inside and into the bedroom where he spent about fifteen minutes.When he came out, he looked like a dog that had just been fed dog biscuits.It was then that he noticed Doris, his wife.
'Doris, where's my food?'
'I'll go heat it up now, hon' Doris answered as sweetly as possible.
While the food heated in the microwave, he asked
'What did you cook?'
'Your favorite; ofe nsala and starch'
'How many times, Doris',His voice rose'How many times have I told you that once it begins to get to ten pm,you change my dinner to light meal?'
Doris' expression changed 'I'm so sorry,hon.I...I really didn't know...'
'Get that food out of there' his voice bellowed
'But honey...'
He stood up and advanced towards her.The first attempt he made towards her face was tactfully dodged.The second one got her left cheek and burned it.She heard him say some words 'You always make me angry...'
Something went off inside her and she adjusted her frame and began throwing words back at him
'Enough of this, Dave,enough of this nonsense.I know this is not you.You are under the influence of those hard drugs and I can't take this nonsense from you anymore.You've got to stop!'
She said the words so fast, and good enough because those were the last words she said that day.
....TO BE CONTD