Red Butterfly Mondays

Chapter II "Down Memory Lane"

Tuesday

The blaring of an alarm clock drags me awake. My eyes cracks open and reality comes rushing back to my mind. Then I see ugly pink floral curtains...God! I am in my old room at my parents. I am back, never thought this would ever happen to me.

"Isabetha! Breakfast!" screamed Gloria Hernandez, my mother, a self righteous prune from South Beach, Miami, Florida

"Not coming, Mother," I answered

"Get out of bed, put yourself together and come downstairs, you have fifteen minutes" she replies.

This is what you get, when you put love ahead of logic. Dropping out of Miami University to get married to the first guy who says "I love you", the first guy you sleep with and now the first guy to leave you; the guy of all the firsts. Just so pathetic.

Falling out of bed. I hit the floor with a resounding thud. Pushing myself up and forward, I find myself staring at a stranger in the mirror. Dull chestnut eyes; a little too big for my liking gazed blankly back at me. Wavy waist-length black hair, hated it, grew it out for Stephen. All this shit for Stephen! Stephen! Stephen! Well not anymore!

"Where is it? Where the hell is it?!?" quickly opening and slamming cabinet doors.

"Yes!" I found it, a pair of scissors; grabbing a fistful of hair and went at it.

"Dear Lord! What did you do to your hair, Beth?" asked Emilio Hernandez, my daddy; a world renowned heart surgeon.

"Just a little change, daddy" kissing him on his cheek.

"Looks like you used a blunt hatchet...dear". Mother always thinks using the word "dear" after an insult makes it more polite. Such a politician.

"So...Stephen..left you for a man? I always told you to do your wifely duties. But, no, you needed to work, you wanted independence, look what that got you..."

"Gloria, please."

"Don't Gloria me! She ruined her life! No college degree because she couldn't live without HIM another second, had to get married! Living in that box of a house! No money because she married an artist! An artist! A con artist more likely! Paying all the bills, supporting that bastard while he finds himself! Well....he found himself!!" she rants, voice shrieking; scratching on my psyche.

"Mother, I do not need to relive yesterday or my life, okay?"

"Now you have no husband, lost you job and your house, living here again."

"Gloria..."

"When are you moving out?" she questioned me

What the HELL!! It has not been 24 hours since the bombs went off in my life.

"Really Mother!?!"

Tuesdays...a pain in my ass

My phone rings; it is a Mr. Blackburn of Hampton & Co; Stephen's divorce lawyer. He moved fast or perhaps he was planning this shit for some time now.

"I would like to deliver the divorce papers, for your signature Mrs. Hernandez-Steel"

"Sure am at my parents' residence." My mother raised an eyebrow, God I am going to get an earful when I ended this call

"Would you be contesting this divorce."

"Nope! Just send me the papers. Today"

"No..problem....Good day, and Thank you Mrs. Hernandez-Steel"

"Just Hernandez"

My phone went silent has Mr. Blackburn ended the call. And here it comes...

"Divorce! This family's ruined! People in The Hernandez family NEVER gets a divorce This is blasphemy! I could never show my face in my book club Oh God! The Country Club!" Mother was on her soapbox this morning and I completely went blank, as memories came flooding back.

Flashback - Monday June 10, 2013

"So, you are really doing through with this sham of a wedding? What about your dream of becoming an engineer?"

"Mama please, I love him, he makes me happy"

"If you do this...you are completely cut off! You will be disinherited, no money Isabetha, none!" she hissed at me, cold steel grey eyes, staring angrily at me.

Great, the happiest day of my life, being ruined by my mother. She is supposed to be on my side, happy for me. Right?

"Fine Mama, who needs money, when they got love" I sighed

"Love? You are such a child! Ungrateful and Stupid!"

Mama and Daddy didn't married for love. A marriage of convenience, that's what they call it. For financial gain, status, power. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why two people so opposite with so much dislike for each other would still choose to stay together. So many sordid affairs over their 35 year marriage. And still, there they were. The perfect couple. I still remember that faithful Monday afternoon, I came home early from piano rehearsal; stomach ache. I went rushing into my parents' bedroom and was stunned by the horrific view; naked bodies entwined, voices enraptured, lust thick in the air, there, in my parents' bed, my mother and my school principal! (That's why he was so kind to me, all the time)

I just stood there; the shock, the pain...until she screamed at me to get out.

I was nine

Not a word was spoken about that incident. I vowed on that day to never become my mother.

"You will regret your decision, mark my words." And, with not a blond hair out of place and a slight frown on her lips, she grabbed her coat and purse, whirling on her heels, calmly worked out of my dorm room and left me standing there.

"Fuck!" I screamed, throwing a lamp at the closed door

See why I hate Mondays

"Are you listening to me?" she asked

"Am going out and don't worry Mother, I WILL be leaving first thing in the morning."

I am a grown woman. I make my own decisions and by God I will live by them, but I will not be defined by them.

Hair by Pablo is my home away from home. As I walked in, Elsa ran up to greet me.

"Dear Baby Jesus, what happened to your hair?"

"Trying something different"

"This is different alright, horrible but different. Did you close your eyes and blindly swung a knife?" I shrugged. Elsa, girl, the last twenty-four hours has been a disaster. Titanic level

"What you want me to do with it?"

"Surprise me."

And boy! I was surprised; a deep side swoop wispy bob and the colour! Cotton-candy ombre

Bombshell!