A Good, Sour Day

"What took you so long?" Clara Noman asked Jane, as she struggled to fit into the car, even with her small frame. "The car is big enough Jane, you don't have to struggle." She said.

"Hellooo, I'm pregnant. Don't you see that?" Jane snapped.

"Well, I do. But you're barely in your sixth month. Your bump is not so big."

"Barely, barely, barely. That's your favorite word these days. Said Jane, as she successfully took a seat behind.

Clara nodded, trying so hard to keep shut. Besides, who in their right senses will want to argue with a pregnant woman that has the obvious signs of madness.

"But, what took you so long?" She found herself still asking, unable to keep shut.

"I had to pee, I had to pee twice! I was done the first time, then I went back again because I was still pressed, goddamnit. Do you think I just like being in the bathroom at the godforsaken Nova!" Jane snapped. She fanned her hand in front of her face. "Jesus, it's hot. It's too hot in here. Can't you turn on an air conditioner or something?"

Clara kept her mouth shut as she turned up the air-conditioning. As a nurse with a few years of practice, she knew that Jane was merely a victim of her own hormones, but there were times when Clara thought that the best thing for all concerned would be to lock Jane in a box and not open it until they heard a baby crying.

"That place is too full on weekends. Don't ever bring me here again please." Jane managed around a mouthful of sweet cream. "Goddamn, shouldn't all these people be home, resting up or even at the church! Today is still Sunday right? And it's not even noon yet."

"Yeah, right." Clara managed to say.

"This whole place is a mess. You told me Bramhills was a lovely place and all I've seen since we arrived here is filth and congestion. Look at how packed up the parking lot is." Jane said swooping her spoon in the air. "People just dump their trash here and don't even care about how it gets picked up. Do they expect an invisible waste collector to emerge from nowhere?"

Clara murmured some words of agreement, as Jane continued a roll of complaints about everyone inside the Nova, from the man who was walking around aimlessly, to the one on an endless call, and the fact that they had to stand in a queue to buy ice cream.

Tired of the endless bashing of her lovely city, Clara decided to speak up. "Well," she started. "In my defense, Bramhills is indeed a beautiful place. If we visit the capital which is not quite far from here anyway, you will definitely fall in love. I assure you Babe."

After a while Clara zoned out thinking about the issue she had at work. She was happy that most of the staff at her place of work took her side on the whole brouhaha. It wouldn't have been fair if they didn't. They all knew how dedicated she was at work.

Several years ago, she had taken on a part-time job at the local health center at Lyon city to help sort out the mortgage for their family home in Bramhills, and lately Clara's work at the health center was playing havoc with her schedule at the hospital she works. Normally her job at the hospital requires her to work approximately three to four times in a week, and she use the remaining days to work at the health center. But the later is now requiring more of her time as the facility started registering more patients.

Getting a few days off work just to spend some time with her best friend Jane, was one of the toughest things ever, but fortunately, she succeeded. And they drove all the way from Lyon city to Bramhills. Initially Jane was more than excited to visit, but spending just two days already, Clara knew that Jane was likely to wake up one morning and ask that they return back to Lyon city.

She turned to her friend and smiled. 'So fussy, yet cute.' She admired Jane's courage, her decision to keep her pregnancy despite being ditched by the unborn baby's father. She envied her friend a bit and wished she could have a baby of her own, but without carrying the pregnancy herself. She doubt she will be able to handle the fluctuating hormones and what they do to women. Maybe she will turn to a mad woman, just like her friend.

In that case, it was best to just keep treating children at the hospital. There was something restorative about treating children, and since she do not have a child of her own yet, at least there was something to hold on to. But only if the case of medical malpractice brewing against her at the hospital gets thrown out of the window. She was innocent, completely innocent, but the patient's testimony against her says otherwise.

"I don't know how they think that." Jane screeched, loud enough to get Clara's attention. "For god's sake I'm pregnant not stupid. I wonder why she would assume such without even knowing me."

Clara stared at her friend. "What?"

"You weren't listening, were you? Have you even heard a word of anything I've said?"

"Yes, of course I have." Clara tried to sound convincing.

Jane frowned. "You're thinking about that stupid fool Victor, aren't you?"

Clara was taken aback by the question. For once, her ex-boyfriend had been the last thing on her mind. "No."

"Clara, don't lie to me," Jane countered. "His neighbor, Gracia told me she saw everything. From the very beginning. She saw when she arrived and when you arrived afterwards. She gave me the full details and believe me, it didn't feel like I missed a thing. She captured the whole scene very well, she's a good storyteller my dear."

"It was the case of a friend, visiting another friend." Clara answered, feeling a warm flush come to her cheeks.

Jane gave her a disbelieving look. "Don't tell me you believed that nonsense. Anyway, I know you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have broken up with him. Do you believe this lame excuse of yours Clara?"

Clara did not answer. She could still remember the day she attempted surprising Victor on his birthday. She had visited without telling him and she met another lady, who introduced herself as the girlfriend.

Her mother and Jane were both amazed and irritated that she forgave Victor after that incident and they started dating again, while Clara for the most part shared their sentiments, she felt incapable of making a clean break. Logic eluded her where Victor was concerned, until the last cheating episode that broke her heart completely and left her feeling used.

"You'd better not go back to that fool because my vile attitude towards him will never ever change." Jane warned.

"I'm not an idiot, Janet."

"Sometimes you are."

"Well, you are an idiot too," Clara shot back, feeling foolish even before the words came out of her mouth. But for the sound from the air-conditioning, the car was quiet for a few seconds.

Before Jane started. "Yes, I'm an idiot too, honestly. Look at me Clara, I let an irresponsible Buffon dump my ass like this. Now, I'm battling with a pregnancy and no father figure present. I literally cast all my emotional burden on you, stressing the living hell out of you and making stupid demands that I shouldn't. I'm...." Her voice faltered, and the first sound of tears hit Clara's ears. "I'm pregnant and miserable. I'm stupid and I don't even know if I'll be a good mother."

Clara immediately regretted the words she said before. 'what happened to not arguing with a pregnant woman.' She mentally scolded herself. "No baby, no..no...no, you are not. You are an amazing human. What you're doing, not a lot of people can do it, and that alone, makes you a good mother. Trust me, even I cannot do what you're doing. I get jealous of you at times."

Jane chuckled happily. "It feels good to hear you say that." She barked a loud laugh that rattled in Clara's ears. "Well, I still hope you won't have anything with Victor. Because his kind neighbor told me that the last time, the slut refused to leave the house even when she saw you confronting Victor."

"Don't call her that."

Jane waved her spoon in the air again. "What do you want me to call her, pig?"

"Nothing," Clara told her, and meant it. "Don't call her anything."

"Oh, but I think she deserves a few choice words."

"Victor's the one who cheated. She just took advantage of a good opportunity." Said Clara.

"You know," Jane began. "I have taken advantage of a whole lot of good opportunities in my life, but I've never chased after someone's man."

Clara closed her eyes, willing her friend to stop. She did not want to have this conversation. There was another pressing issue on her mind.

She had a case that might be taken up by the Nursing council if the hospital fails to prove her innocence. She could loose her license of practice even. Victor was at the bottom of her worries right now. If only Jane knew, she would have been sorry for her as well. But Clara kept it to herself. Jane was better off not knowing.

Jane made a great show of scraping her plastic spoon around the cardboard cup as she wiped it clean. She sighed heavily, as if her day had just taken a turn for the worse. "Can I have yours. It doesn't seem like you want it, since you haven't even opened it."

"No." Clara replied, picking up her cup of ice cream and opening it.

"I'm pregnant, Clara" She squeaked.

"That's not my fault."

She went back to scraping her cup, but this time around, it was louder then the first. To add to the annoyance, she started humming a meaningless rhyme.

Clara knew she was trying so hard to guilt trip her, and it did work because the ice cream she shoved into her mouth, got stuck in her throat.

"Here, you take it." She finally gave in.

"Thank you," Jane squealed.

Clara nodded and started the car immediately and they began heading home, leaving the filth of Nova behind.

"Maybe we can get some more for later." Jane suggested. "And you will have to be the one to get it though. I don't want those people at the counter to think I'm a pig," she smiled sweetly, batting her eyelids "I think the lady at the counter is allergic to pregnant women."

"Your level of sarcasm needs to be studied." Clara chuckled. "Just say you pissed the lady off."

Jane blinked innocently. "Yeah, you know, some people are just sensitive."

Just as they were about taking a turn home, their car was flagged down by a young lady that looked rather terrified. Clara slowed down and wind down her window slightly. "What's the problem miss?" She asked the lady, who seem to be crying at this point.

"Do you have a phone Ma'am." She sobbed. "There is a body, I saw a body over there." She pointed at the clearing beside the road.

"What, is the person dead?"

"I don't know, I didn't touch the body. Please call the police." The girl sobbed.

Clara picked up her phone and called the first person that came to her mind, her mother's best friend, Ignas. A renowed police officer in Bramhills. She started getting down from the car, while Jane held her back.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" Jane yelled, visibly terrified.

"I want to see the body. Just wait here Jane. Don't leave car. Aunt Ignas is on the way."

She pulled the car door shut and looked over to the clearing in front. There was indeed a body lying there. She could see the legs from this side of the road. A sweat broke across her face, and she looked at the girl beside her who was now shaking in fear.

"It's okay dear, the police is on their way."