The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 7

Sequence 7

 

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A day went by. Two

 

Waking up to the ticking sound of her alarm clock, Mattie groaned. It was too early to be getting up considering that she had spent almost the whole night editing Charity’s wedding photos. She twisted her head sideways to look at the clock on the stand beside her it was 6 in the morning. Shutting her alarm clock off, she decided to get ready for the day.

 

She entered her bathroom, splashed some water on her face and brushed her teeth then she went back into her room and wore her running clothes, slipping her shoes on she grabbed her phone and headsets.

 

She took a quick glance at Trinny who was peacefully sleeping before quietly exiting the room. She made her way to the kitchen and drank some water before proceeding for her morning run.

 

The sun was just barely peeking over the sky welcoming the beginning of the new day. Plugging her ear phones into her eyes, Mattie started jogging, the morning air stung her face as she sped down the street Mattie always ran the same route every single day. The people in her area had now grown used to seeing her every morning.

 

After running for close to an hour, Mattie turned back and walked the rest of the way home.

 

Getting to her apartment, she pushed the door open and walked in.

 

‘Mama Bear! I’m home,’ she cheerfully called out

 

 

Trinny came rushing into the room she was still wearing her pajamas, ‘Mummy!’ she smiled

 

Mattie picked up her daughter and placed a kiss on her forehead, ‘Morning

 

sunshine,’ she said

 

‘Morning Mama.’

 

‘Slept okay?’

 

‘Uhm,’ she nodded her head.

 

‘You need to go and bath now Mama Bear, you are smelly.’ She giggled.

 

Mattie put her down and was ready to go to her room when she noticed someone sitting on one of her couches.

 

‘Thomas!’ she blurted out,

 

He had not aged a day since the last time she had seen him eight years ago, he still looked younger than thirty though he had gained a little. Thomas was a family friend and the only man she had dated before George, he was actually her first love, the man she had thought she would marry, though things didn’t work out as planned.

 

‘Hey Baby,’ he smiled

 

‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded

 

Before he could respond, Tess walked in and handed Mattie her glass of water. ‘Morning auntie.’

 

‘Hey Tess, please get Trinny and prepare her for school.’ ‘Sure.’

 

As soon as Tess and Trinny were out of sight, Mattie turned to Thomas and gave him a puzzled look.

 

‘Won’t you at least give me a hug, aren’t you happy to see me?’ ‘What do you want?’

 

‘Is it wrong for me to visit you after such a long time,’ he enquired ‘I don’t believe this is just a mare visit, so spare me that crap.’ ‘Fine.’

 

‘Spit it out,’ she said taking a prolonged sip of water before she sat down next to him.

 

‘Your mum asked me to pay you visit.’

 

‘She what?’

 

‘She called me about two days ago and asked me to visit you, she said you needed me.’

 

‘For what?’

 

‘Marriage.’

 

Mattie’s jaw dropped, she picked her glass of water and took another large sip. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked

 

She let out a shot sarcastic laugh,’ so basically you are here to ask for my hand in marriage?’

 

He smiled, ‘Yes.’

 

She stood up and started pacing back and forth for about five minutes.

 

‘You are single and I am single, we have a past together, I can take care of your needs, marry me.’

 

‘I should marry you?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘Thomas!’

 

‘Huh?’

 

‘Get out of my house.’

 

‘You are kicking me out?’

 

‘I said get out of my house,’ she yelled to the top of her lungs.

 

‘Okay,’ he stood up

 

‘You are sure this is……,’

 

‘Out,’ she screamed at him.

 

‘Fine,’ he turned and hurriedly walked out of the house closing the door shut behind his back.

 

Mattie couldn’t believe her mother would go this far to humiliate her she was torn-conflicted and seriously enraged at the same time. Why would her mother treat her like some old piece of land? She felt like crying and screaming.

 

Enraged, she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed her mother’s number, the phone rang twice before she picked.

 

‘Hello?’ Her mother answered on the other line.

 

‘How could you humiliate me like this, how could you?’

 

‘No good morning mother, how are you, you just called to yell at me?’

 

‘I have no time for pleasantries, why did you ask Thomas to come and see me?’ ‘Oh that, I was worried he wouldn’t come, did he propose marriage?’ ‘I don’t want to marry him and I won’t.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Do you think I want to be married off to just anyone?’

 

‘You and Thomas had something going you can easily revive it, please consider

 

his proposal.’

 

‘No mother.’

 

 

‘This is for your own good Mattie, that man is willing to marry you even when he knows you are a single mother.’

 

‘Stop interfering in my life, leave me the fuck alone, I won’t marry Thomas, I would rather die single.’

 

‘Mattie, how dare you curse…..,’

 

Mattie hung up the line, cutting her mother off before she could finish.

 

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before she headed for her room, she

 

had to quickly get ready for work she had an important shot with the CEO of

 

Aviva Multinational Insurance company, one of the biggest brands in the country.

 

People Magazine was actually doing an article on him and they had hired her to do

 

their cover photo.

 

***

 

He stared at his watch for the umpteenth time he hated to be kept waiting.

 

He looked at the Journalist who had just interviewed him, ‘Are you sure this

 

person is coming?’

 

‘Yes,’ Alice nodded.

 

He restlessly paced back and forth for a while then looked at his watch again. ‘You know what Alice; if the photographer doesn’t show up in the next five minutes I am going to have to cancel,’ he said ‘Five minutes, just five minutes,’ Alice pleaded

 

He shook his head this was the one thing he hated about Zambians they were so bad at keeping time always showing up an hour after the appointed time.

 

‘You know what, maybe we can do this some other time,’ he said

 

But before Alice could respond, the door swung open and Mattie walked in.

 

‘Mattie!’ Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

 

‘Hey Alice, sorry I am late something urgent came up in the morning.

 

He looked at her, ‘The photographer is a woman?’ The words rushed out of his mouth before he could stop them.

 

‘Yes,’ Alice responded

 

He clicked his tongue, ‘No wonder.’

 

Mattie was taken aback by his comment she shot him a death stare. Who did he think he was judging her because she was a female photographer?

 

‘No wonder what?’ she asked

 

‘No wonder you came late, most of you women are so incompetent.’

 

Sensing the tension in the air, Alice held Mattie’s hand, ‘Mattie darling let’s get started with the shot please.’

 

 

‘No,’ Mattie curtly said annoyance clear in her voice, ‘There won’t any shoot today.’

 

‘What the fuck!’ he exclaimed

 

‘There won’t be any shoot today until you apologize for calling me incompetent.’ ‘Mattie!’ Alice exclaimed

 

He looked at her and shook his head, ‘Out of my office.’ ‘Gladly,’ she turned to leave.

 

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TBC

 

 

 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

 

Ella ❣

 

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