Chapter 2

On the other side of the city, back home from her life abroad, Sarai was trying her best to settle into her life at home, adjusting to living with her parents again and having a full house rather than a quiet apartment, a full-time boyfriend that was proving to be more of a hinderance in her life than her little haven of peace. Sarai thought of her life back in the Middle East and all her exciting adventures that she embarked on around the world in her glamourous life of a Pilot, but also how insecure her boyfriend had been of her long hours and that most of her co-pilots were males and even the crew she was surrounded by men; he always made her cry before and after her long haul flights, she had cancelled multiple plans on layovers with colleagues and friends just to prove her loyalty to him; what was she expecting from getting into a relationship with a man over social media and only meeting him once before leaving. Now that she was back home, she thought the relationship would actually work out, but that opinion changed fast.

It was five in the morning when Sarai’s phone began to ring; groggy from a deep rem sleep she answered the phone, it was her toxic boyfriend Bruce; four months ago his father had passed away and it was a rollercoaster of emotions, Sarai was supportive and caring; but her parents disapproval of the relationship did not allow for her to go against them and attend the funeral; but that only revealed an uglier side to their relationship, one that was starting to suffocate Sarai, Bruce had starting showing his true colours, every night he would promise Sarai that he would be a better boyfriend and that he loved her and card for her and would work hard to make their relationship work and then, like clockwork Bruce world call between five and five thirty in the morning start with emotionally blackmailing her about what a horrible girlfriend she was for not being at the funeral and for having family over for lunch instead, and so today was now was another day in paradise, Bruce’s voice came over drunk and slurry

“Bitch… you selfish bloody bitch”

“Bruce, are you drunk?”

“What the fuck do you care if I am drunk, or crying… as long as you are living your best life with your manipulative mother and sisters nothing else matters”.

“Bruce, I do not have energy for this today or any other day for that matter… Go and sleep, I will speak to you when you’re sober and thinking straight”

“I am thinking straight, and my father was right… You are just a gold digging bitch”

“Excuse me? I am not a gold digger and I am most definitely not tolerating this behaviour from you. Goodbye”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me slut, I will decide when this conversation is over”

“Go fuck yourself Bruce”

Sarai hung up, it was now six in the morning and already Sarai felt her energy drain, she could hear her mother and father discussing the conversation that they so conveniently woke up and heard. Sarai stared up at the ceiling, she could also hear her sisters talking about her sobbing at night and the fights that now start the morning, when the fuck did my life go to shit… I had it all! The glamourous life of a pilot, living life large as an expat in a foreign country, wining, and dining in a different country almost every day and not to mention a fat paycheck. I cannot do this anymore, I either need to move out to make this relationship work or end it. With a pounding headache and puffy eyes from crying the night before Sarai dragged herself out of bed, the conversation between her parents had went radio silent and her sisters were hushed in their room, day by day Sarai felt more like an outcast in her family and stifled in a relationship that she just so desperately wanted to work, she walked into the shower and stood under the steaming hot water, letting it run over her body as the thoughts swirled in her head.  

Sarai knew that she no longer loved Bruce, she actually had known this for the past year; she was just wanted her life to start, she was ready to commit to a relationship and move to the next phase of her life. She was ready to settle down and plan for a family, but Bruce was not the person she wanted to do life with. Sarai banged her fist against the wall; she could hear the words of the curse being uttered,

“Never will you be happy and loved, never will you prosper… No matter how rare a beauty, no matter how successful, you will end up alone and I keep it cast in stone”.

The words uttered by a wicked demoness, Sarai relived that night or nightmare in her head, it was a girls night out with some friends and family, drinking, dancing, dinner, and laughs… brewing beneath the surface was a cousin that envied Sarai’s lifestyle,

FLASHBACK STARTS

Sarai had noticed her cousin acting off and passing snarky comments at her lifestyle, failing relationship and bragging about how wonderful her life was with a new baby and still being a newly wed and moving into a big fancy house on the fancy golf estate. Sarai, had often brushed it off and was genuinely happy for all the women around her even though she knew her life was crumbling, and she could not do anything to stop it.

Sarai, noticed her cousin getting up often to use the bathroom or “take a call” and each time she left the table, Sarai had sharp abdomen pains, and was breaking out into rashes making her feel less confident and less attractive. Curiosity peeked Sarai and the next time her cousin got up, she waited a while, shot down her glass of champagne and followed her cousin to the bathroom, she entered quietly, she heard indistinct chanting the pains in her abdomen grew stronger that Sarai leaned against the wall clutching her body in pain, the rashes turned into little blistering hives, Sarai kicked open the bathroom stall door her cousin was startled, Sarai looked at the pins stuck in the arms and abdomen of a doll that looked like her,

“What the fuck are you doing Sarah!?”

“Sarai, its not what it looks like”

“Oh, then what the hell is it?”

“Uhmm…”

“Let me help you Sarah, it looks like voodoo!”

“Watch your tone Sarai, I am still your older cousin”.

“That means fuck all when you do this demonic bullshit… why? Why am I your target?”

“Because I envy your life you little bitch and I want to destroy you”.

“Get out and never come near me and my family again hypocrite”.

“Fine, but listen well to this, never will you be happy and loved, never will you prosper… No matter how rare a beauty, no matter how successful, you will end up alone and I keep it cast in stone”.

Sarah picked up a broken piece of tile that laid on the bathroom floor and carved the words into the cement wall, she threw it down on the floor and walked away; the hives slowly started to disappear and the abdomen cramps started settling.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Sarai was pulled out of her thoughts by her mothers knocking and calling out to her on the other side of the door,

“Sorry, I’m coming out now”

Sarai switched off the shower and walked out the bathroom, to find her mother waiting in her room, Sarai closed the door behind her and looked wearily at her mother

“yes mom”

“Sarai, we’re concerned about you and the way you have been living and this relationship is not good for you”

“I know, but I can’t just leave him”

“Why? Because his father passed away and he has made you feel guilty for not attending the funeral”

“Yes”

“Sarai, you have been on one date with this ass and you have not even met his family, how do I let you go to a funeral house; what will people ask, are you going to marry him?”

“I don’t know mom, I don’t! life is an absolute mess for me right now and I need time and space to figure out my life and next move”

“Sarai…”

“Mum, please.. I can’t not today”

Sarai’s mum threw up her hands and got off the bed, she opened the door and left, Sarai shut the door and locked it, still wrapped in her towel Sarai slid down to the floor and sobbed; there just is no way out of this, Sarai looked at the scissors that laid on her dressing table, contemplating slitting her wrists and just putting an end to this hell loop she was stuck in, and as if some kind of divine intervention, Sarai’s phone started buzzing, it was a call from work.

“Hello, yes this is Sarai Carter speaking”.