Fatima woke up startled to knocks at her front door. She slowly sat up on the couch from the pain radiating on her side. She yelled as she slowly walked to the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Angela"!
Fatima hesitated opening the door because she knew once Angela saw the condition she was in, all hell was going to break loose. Angela started knocking on the door harder and calling Fatima's name louder.
"Fatimaaaa, open the door. I know that you are in there".
Fatima stood behind the door as she opened it to let her friend in.
"Girllll, I had to come overrrrr....OMG!!! What the hell happened to your face!!! Did that motherfucker hit you? Is this why you didn't come to work today?"
"Angela, calm down! Shit"! Fatima said as she walked and sat down slowly on the couch.
"And why are you walking like that"?
"Angela, what do you need and why are you here"?
"I came over to see what was going on with you because you didn't come into the office today. And..that's not like you to call in or work from home. But now I see why"!
"Angela, it's been a long night and morning. I don't have the energy right now".
"Then tell me what's going on Tima".
Fatima looked at Angela and tears started to form in her eyes. A couple of tears fell from her eyes when Angela moved and sat next to her.
"Tell me what's going on".
Fatima knew in her mind that she didn't want to go into too much detail telling Angela what happened because she knows how loose Angela's mouth can get. Fighting between more tears falling Fatima spoke.
"Ian and I got into an argument last night over a misunderstanding and I tried to prevent him from leaving out of the theatre room. He pushed me out of his way and I'm guessing I hit my side and face on the railing. When I woke up, I was lying on the stair on my side".
"That motherfucker just left you lying there and didn't try to see if you were ok. And then he left the house?!?! Have you talked to him"?
"I called and cussed him out and told him to not come back to this house or he was going to get arrested".
"But Tima, isn't his name on the lease? How are you going to tell him to not come back to his own house"?
Fatima thought and Angela was right. She had to pack up her stuff and leave. She didn't want to have anything else to do with Ian. He had hurt her for the last time.
"Is it ok if I can come stay with you until I can look for me a place. A month tops".
"Of course you can. You don't even have to ask. It will be good for us to have some girl time".
"Do you mind making me an ice pack and bring it upstairs"?
"I don't mind".
Angela noticed how slow Fatima was walking up the stairs and was getting concerned. She made the ice pack quickly and met Fatima upstairs. Fatima was on the floor getting her clothes out the drawers.
"Here you go Tima".
Angela watched as Fatima lifted her shirt and saw the bruise on her side.
"Oh my gosh Tima. That looks bad. I need to take you to the hospital to get that looked at".
"I'm fine Angela. I'm going to keep putting an ice pack on it. I'm going to switch between my side and my face".
"What you need me to do while you do that"?
"Can you finish taking my clothes and shoes out the closet? I'll finish taking my clothes out of these drawers".
"Ok. I'll fill up my car with as much as I can and then I will fill up your car. But you will have to make two trips with most of the stuff in here being yours".
"Ok. That sounds like a plan. But true that I will have to make another trip over here to get the rest of my stuff. Like tomorrow".
"You think he will come back tonight"?
"Nah, I think he going to let it blow over tonight since I said I was going to call the police on him. He will probably come back tomorrow night, but by then I need to have all of my shit out of here".
Fatima and Angela finally had both of their cars fully packed. Fatima was moving slow, but she did help as much as she could. Fatima and Angela put all of her small appliances close to the front door. Fatima had Angela put sticky notes on the big items that were hers so tomorrow will be quick and easy. Fatima did one last look around to make sure nothing was missed. She got her purse, keys, phone, and headed out the door.
They made it to Angela's house (see below)
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and started unpacking their cars. Fatima's pain was getting worse and she couldn't help any longer. Angela was going to need some help unpacking both cars and taking her things up the stairs. That's when she decided to call another friend. This friend didn't hold her tongue and she knew this friend was going to be no nonsense and no tolerance when she find out what happened. She needed to call her though and would just have to listen when she go off. So she called...
"Hello"!
"Hey my friend, this Fatima".
"Hey Tima, what's up? You calling late".
"I need your help with something. Can you come over to Angela's house"?
"Yeah, sure. Let me throw on some clothes and I'll head right on over".
"Ok. Thank you girl. See ya soon and be careful".
Fatima went outside and told Angela that she called for some help because she was hurting too bad to continue.
"You sure you don't want to go to the hospital Tima"?
"Nah. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. Can you get me another ice pack"?
"Sure, I got you".
Angela made Fatima an ice pack brought it to her. She told her to lay down on the couch and raise her shirt. Angela placed the ice pack on Fatima's side and Fatima winced from the pain and the coldness. Angela went upstairs and changed her clothes. She was on the way back down stairs when she heard a knock on the door. She looked over at Fatima who was now sleep on the couch. She went and opened the door and screamed when she saw who was on the other side.
