The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 10

Sequence 10

 

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Mattie was running late, she had woken up late and didn’t even have time to go for her usual morning run apparently her alarm clock didn’t go off that morning. After having a quick shower, she slipped on her clothes and applied some makeup. As she slipped her feet into a pair of sneakers, her phone began to ring.

 

She picked it up and answered it without looking at the dialer name. ‘Hello.’

 

‘Hello beautiful,’ it was Thomas speaking down the end of the line. ‘What do you want?’

 

He gave a laugh on the other end of the line,’ Blocking me won’t keep me away from you.’

 

‘Just leave me alone already Thomas please.’

 

‘I have planned a brilliant night for us I will pick you up at 8, dress appropriately.’ ‘Thomas! Don’t you dare come…….,’

 

Before she could say anymore, the dial tone cut her off.

 

‘Ahhhh!’ She screamed as anger and frustration coursed through her body. What game was Thomas playing at and why was he so bent on frustrating her.

 

She quickly dialed her mother’s number she had to put an end to this madness. ‘Hello,’ her mother answered

 

‘I don’t know what game you are playing but please let it end right now,’ she said angrily

 

‘What do you mean?’

 

‘Tell Thomas to leave me alone, I am not interested.’

 

‘Oh that?’

 

‘Yes that.’

 

‘Matilda this is a chance for you to redeem my name, there is a man willing to marry you and take the burden of raising your child and here you are raising your voice at me, can’t you be grateful, do you think you still have time to play around. You are 34, your biological clock is ticking can’t you see you are getting old?’ ‘Marriage is not everything mother,’ shouted Mattie

 

‘That’s where you are wrong, ‘Marriage is everything Mattie. Our society respects married women while single women are judged and scrutinized.’

 

‘Let them judge me I don’t care but I would rather die single than be forced into marriage.’

 

‘What are you saying?’

 

‘I am not marrying Thomas, call him and let him know that.’ ‘Mattie!’

 

 

‘Enough mother I have had enough of your nonsense, if you value marriage too much why don’t you get married yourself?’ she practically yelled into the phone. ‘You are crossing the line now, I am your mother don’t you talk to me like that.’ ‘Then act like my mother,’ she said before she hang up the phone

 

‘What a way to start my morning,’ she mumbled as she packed her stuff for work, her mother was beginning to get on Mattie’s last nerves when did marriage become mandatory, couldn’t a single woman enjoy her single life in peace, yes Mattie did want to get married some day but it will happen in God’s time, she wasn’t going to force it.

 

‘Mummy, we are running late for school,’ Trinny walked into her room. ‘No hey mummy, how are you today?’ She laughed, ‘Morning Ma.’

 

‘Morning sunshine, you look good.’

 

‘Thank you.’

 

She finished packing and they walked out of the bedroom into the living room.

 

‘Morning auntie.’

 

‘Morning Tess.’

 

‘You overslept today?’

 

‘Ya.’

 

‘Breakfast?’

 

‘Nah, I am meeting a client for breakfast.’ ‘Okay.’

 

‘See you later.’

 

‘Bye auntie,’ Trinny waved at her

 

‘Bye sweetheart, enjoy your day.’

 

They walked out of the house to where the car was parked they got in and started off. She got to Trinny’s school about thirty minutes later and dropped her off then she drove to her meeting.

 

Mattie parked her car in the lot and stepped out into the familiar parking lot of her favourite coffee shop, she walked through the front doors and scanned the whole place before she sat at the table in the far corner so she could watch people as they entered and ordered their breakfast.

 

As soon as she sat down, a waiter walked over to her table.

 

‘Welcome to Hideout, here’s your menu, I will be back to take your order in a minute.’

 

‘Thank you,’ she smiled

 

 

She was staring at the menu when someone cleared her throat next to her, she looked up.

 

‘Mattie!’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘I am Maya sorry for keeping you waiting,’ the woman smiled ‘It’s okay I haven’t been waiting for long.’ ‘Great.’

 

‘Please take a seat.’

 

‘Thank you.’ she said before sitting down

 

Just then the waiter walked right back to their table.

 

‘Ready to order?’

 

‘I’d like a cup of coffee and some muffins.’ ‘And you?’ She asked Maya

 

‘I will take some black coffee and a carrot cake to go with.’ ‘Great.’

 

‘So!’ they both said at the same time.

 

Mattie laughed, ‘You go first.’

 

‘So I saw some photos you took of my friend and I was impressed, you are really

 

talented.’

 

‘Thank you.’

 

‘So I want something a little different, I hope I can rely on you because it’s not a onetime thing.’

 

‘Sure, what do you have in mind?’

 

‘I…,’

 

‘Here’s your food please enjoy your meal,’ the waiter interrupted her. ‘Thank you.’

 

‘So I want to do a series of maternity photo shoots to showcase my pregnancy journey…,’

 

‘You are pregnant?’

 

‘Yes but I haven’t started showing,’ she smiled ‘Wow congratulations.’ ‘Thank you.’

 

‘Sorry for interrupting you, you can go on.’

 

‘Ya so a want to capture moments that capture what pregnancy is all about, the whole beautiful experience as well as the frustrating Messy struggle.’ ‘Huh.’

 

 

‘The shoots should be done in different places, at home when I just wake up, when I am sleeping, when I am shopping for baby clothes and decorating the nursery just a whole lot of creative shoots.’

 

‘This sounds interesting it’s not something I have done before.’ ‘So?’

 

‘It’s challenging I think we can work with that as long as you are okay with working with different photographers on this project.’

 

She sipped her tea and took a bite of her cake, ‘As long as they are as good as you are.’

 

‘The ladies I work with are good maybe even better than me.’ ‘That’s cool then.’

 

‘So are these photos just for your entertainment?’ ‘No, most of them are for a book.’ ‘Oh amazing.’

 

They spent the next forty or so minutes discussing the terms of the shoots till they reached an agreement.

 

‘Thank you so much Mattie.’

 

‘You are welcome, looking forward to working with you.’

 

‘I better get going I have some photos to work on at the office,’ Said Mattie as she counted some money to settle the bill.

 

‘I will settle the bill don’t worry,’

 

‘You are sure?’

 

‘Yes, I am not leaving now.’

 

‘Oh thank you,’ she stood up, ‘I will see you soon.’ ‘Bye.’

 

She walked out of the shop and as she was heading back to her car when she suddenly bumped into someone and his phone fell down from his hands. ‘What the fu.ck!’ he cursed under his breathe

 

Mattie looked up and came face to face with Chard.

 

‘You,’ he said

 

‘Sorry,’ she apologized

 

He shot her an impatient glare before he bent and picked up his phone.

 

‘I said I am sorry.’

 

‘You should be.’

 

‘Are you always a jerk?’

 

‘You know what forget it I have no time for someone like you.’ I shook my head.

 

He pushed me aside and walked past me without looking back.

 

****

 

‘Hey!’ Maya waved her hand in the air so Chard could see where she was sitting.

 

He walked towards her with a smirk on her face.

 

‘Sister! Sister!’ he exclaimed

 

‘Twin! Twin!’

 

‘How are you,’ he kissed her forehead

 

‘I am okay.’

 

‘Good.’

 

‘You seem excited.’

 

‘I am happy.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Nothing.’

 

‘So it’s about a girl.’

 

‘Can’t a guy just be happy?’

 

‘I am just happy.’

 

‘Okay let’s agree to disagree.

 

He laughed.

 

***

 

To be continued

 

 

 

 

 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

 

Ella❣

 

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