chapter four of Malik
Chapter Four
Malik calls me in sick at Tootsie's and runs a bath for me before heading off to work.
"You'll be fine, just ice your legs and take some asprin. Take it easy okay, don't worry about the house" he says after setting me in the hot water and putting the phone and a towel within reach.
"If you need anything, anything, call me okay? Any exuse to get away from work is fine with me"
"okay" i say and he tugs one of my braids and leaves the bathroom. I listen to front door slam shut.
One of the cats, an orange tabby named Speaker jumps up on the edge of the tub to see whats going on. I don't have the strength to pet her but i do tell her what a pretty kitty she is and she seems pretty content with that. She hops back down and i adjust my legs so they are more the in warm water. It feels good on my swollen ankles and i sigh. I'm so tired but i feel good. My heart is content but my brain just wants to shut off.
It doesn't take long for me to fall asleep in the tub. I am awakened many hours later by Malik coming in the front door. The water is cold and stagnant and my legs are pounding with pain and still just as swollen.
"Aiko, what are you still doing in there?!" Malik says suprised to find me still in the bath he left me in.
"I fell asleep and you just woke me up"
"Oh Honey, you look terrible, let me get you up" he says sweetly and helps me out of the tub and on to the floor. He dries me off and helps me to the bedroom where he lays me on the bed. I can still barely walk because of my swollen ankles.
"Jeez, you don't look any better, i came home a few hours early, but still... Did you take asprin like a told you?"
"No i fell asleep right when you left" he laughs
"oh boy, alright, sit tight" he says and soon comes back with three pills and a glass of water, i take the pills. "Drink that whole cup" he says and i do, even though it makes my stomach hurt a little.
"How was work?" I ask as he sits on the bed next to me.
"Aright, my co-workers are complete idoits with no talent, they wouldn't even know Cyan from Azure"
"I dont think i'd know Cyan from Azure" I say laughing a little.
"Sure you would" he says and pets me head
"What should i make for dinner?" i say, now wondering what time it is.
"Oh, you can't make dinner, can't even stand up."
"I'll sit on a chair" i say, i need to make dinner, I'm very hungry and Malik can't cook.
"Don't be silly, we can order in, how does that sound?"
"Well, okay, I'm sorry I'm not any use to you" I say looking at the grapefruit lumps that are my ankles, there are still faint lines circling the grapefruits like a thin snake had tried to squeeze my feet off.
We order Chinese and i eat my chicken broccoli from my lap, my feel elevated. I think they are going down and im relived. At around 8:30 they are back to normal and i have time to clean up the house before showering and serving Malik tea.
Malik's favorite tea is white green tea. I make him a pot of it and set out some tea cookies, four hard little sugar cookies. I put a yellow nightie on and wait in the kneeling position next to the bed. I breath deeply, trying to meditate. I concentrate on my breathing and center my weight perfectly beineth me. I let all the air in the room flow through me and I am absolutely silent and still.
I lose track of time completely and in what seems like a blink Malik is petting my hair. I open my eyes and look up at him.
"You were snoring" he says amused and pulls me to my feet by my hair. It hurts but i don't care. He pulls my nightie off with one yank upwards and forces his tongue in my mouth. He tangles his fingers in my hair and pulls me to the bed, and sits on my chest.My foot hits the foot board of our bed and it hurts badly. It hurts like someone has just ripped my leg off. I scream in pain and without missing a beat Malik slaps me in the face, this quiets me quickly and permanantly.
"Why did you scream when i took you to the bed?" he says looking into my eyes, i meet his gaze.
"I am sorry" i say and he wraps his pulls my hair hard pushes my chest down into the bed to keep me from moving or breathing.
"I don't want you to be sorry, i want to you be quiet. You know i don't like loud noises, you know your never, ever supposed to scream. Why can't you understand that? Do you know what your screams sound like to me?" he says in a calm and severe tone. I am not afraid and i don't try to breath. Malik wouldn't let me suffocate, he wouldn't ever hurt me. I can't answer his questions and he smacks my face with the hand what was pulling my hair.
"It feels like that Aiko, it feels like getting smacked." He then pulls my hair again, harder than ever and i feel a few strands break off in his hand. He throws the broken hair in my face and lets me breathe but not move. "It feels like having my hair ripped out" he says and waits for the lesson to sink in. He takes his hands off me and rips open the night stand dresser. He takes a hard nylon rope out and squeezes my wrists together with his powerful hand. It hurts but i am breathing the pain out of my foot. He wrap the rope around my wrist with quick skill and attaches it to the head board. he pulls a hanker chief out of the night stand and sticks it in my mouth, quick, in one movement he pulls about 8 inches of red duct tape out and puts it over my mouth that stuffed with the clouth. I don't whimper or make any sound, i watch Malik patiently. There's nothing else i could do.
"I wouldn't move if i were you" he says and gets up off my chest and leave the room. I watch the ceiling for a while then i fall asleep comfortably, i am tired from spending the day in pain.
early in the morning Malik returns and unties my wrists as i sleep. He pulls me by the hair out of bed.
"Don't take the tape off, I don't want to hear a sound from you slut" he says not cruelly, but not nicely. "Make breakfast" he says and i walk quickly to the kitchen. "AIKO!" he calls after me and the hurls my nightie at me. "Put some fucking clothes on" he says and i slip in over my head and get started on scrambled eggs, sausage and toast with coffee.
Malik sits at the table after showering and dressing, he looks beautiful today. His hair gently frames his handsome face, he dark eyes servey my breakfast with approval and he kisses me through the tape.
"Shower and get ready for work, I will give you a ride today, it's a far walk and i don't want you to damage those pretty ankles" he says and i glow from his complement. I put on my uniform and a pair of simple pretty flats, my ankles are a little swollen again, but they don't hurt much. I put on a little make up and meet Malik in the kitchen. I quickly clean up his dishes and pour the leftover coffee into his thermos and follow him to the car.
"Are you feeling better" Ted says with a sly smile and i wonder what he knows, or what he thinks he knows about my 'not feeling well'. Ted has progressively gotten creepier as my job progresses but i can still handle it. You don't go through life as a woman and not meet your fair share of creepy men.
Work goes smoothly, i spend the day filling orders of fried cod or cheeseburgers and getting people assorted beverages. I come home with a large pocket of tips and i am proud to leave the potporri of 1s, 5s,10s and even a tenty on the table for Malik. I finish cleaning up the house and i start a dinner of chicken stir-fry.
My mind lingers on Ted from Tootsies, i can stand his suggestive comments, but they make me angry none-the-less. I should tell Malik i think, but this is only my second week of working, he might think im lying, or that im over sensitive. I decide I'll wait and if it gets worse, like if he touches me or something, I'll tell him to stop. The last resort will be to tell Malik, this is because if i do tell him he'll probably make me quit. I don't even know what would happen to Ted.
I hear Malik start up the stairs to the apartment and i quickly stuff the hankerchief in my mouth and cover my mouth with the red duct tape. He told me to only take it off for work. I stand next to the door and wait for him to come in.
"Hello Little love!" he says and kisses me through the tape and hugs me tight. He picks me up and kisses my face playfully. He nuzzles his face in my neck and my hair and i smile under the tape from his affection. He kisses my neck softly and nibbles before grabbing my ribs and tickling them. I laugh through my eyes and he laughs for me as i try to run away from his assalt. He chases me and i dont get very far he grabs me and picks me up and carries me into the living room and throws me onto the couch and jumps on me. He tickle me again and pulls up my shirt and rubs his face on my stomach, my most ticklish area and i buck my hips up and pummel him with my fists to stop. I am careful to not make any sound though, but he laughs happily for both of us. Finally he stops and wraps me in his arms and i catch my breath and lean into chest.
"Oh Aiko, i love you. Guess what! great news, we're moving to New York!" he says happily and i eyes widen in shock. He rips the tape off my mouth "You may speak, but no screaming" he says and i spit out the gag.
"New York!" i exlaim but not to loudly.
"Yes, I'm being transferred to the head office in new york, that means, better job, and more money! Lots more money Aiko! We can get a really nice apartment, or even a house in a suburb if you like," he says almost giddy and then he gets almost serious and quiet. "and now i could even support you and a little one." he says excitedly.
"This is wonderful news! i say and throw my arms around me, he hugs me hard and then attacks me with kisses again. He settles down some and look into my eyes with an almost pleading, vaunerable look in his eyes that i have never seen. I know he wants me complete approval and support, and if course i will give that to him. "New York, how exciting, when do we go?" i ask and he smiles and holds me close.
"Oh, not for a while, 6 months to a year, everything has to be made final and paper work mailed and faxed and such. But isn't wonderful honey? Aiko, isn't it great? They had told me i was a canidate a while ago, but i wanted it to be a suprise if i was accepted. Aiko, aren't you happy?"
"Yes sir" I say a little overwhelmed by his excitement. I don't know how i feel about leaving Wisconsin, i grew up here and i thought I'd always live here. I've never been to New York either, but it does sound exciting, and i know there would be people like me there. Maybe thousands...
"Maybe we could make some friends like us?" i say and he smiles even wider.
"That's the spirt Little Love, of corse we will. We'll go to play parties all the time and meet hundreds of people like us, we wont be alone in this hippy town" he says and hugs me again. I kiss him and he bites me lower lip. We kiss happily for a long time until i need to breathe and i pull away. Malik holds me close to his body and runs his hand down my curves.
"Will you have my child Aiko?" he whipers in my ear while he pets my abdomen with his warm hand. I look up at him, his eyes look so happy, so excited, so loving and his happiness fills my heart with more joy than i thought possible.
"Of course Malik, i would be honored" i say and he kisses me.
"Really Aiko, you will give me a child? You have given me everything, you heart, your mind, your soul, your very breath is mine, are you sure you will give me this?"
"Really Malik, i am sure" i say truthfully, if i was lying he would know.
"Oh thank you Aiko" he says and i see two little tears run from his eyes. I have never seen him cry, i know it is out of joy and i he pulls my body close to his and i hold him back.