Francine Josephine

Franz.... Franz.... Francine.... Francine Josephine!!!

Why are you still in bed? Come down immediately!! If You are not here on the table eating your breakfast in 10 minutes I will just give this to the dogs!, You here me???

My mother, is worse than my alarm clock. 🕗 Hmp! okay, I'm getting up now,🚽🚿🍳🍞Mom!

I managed to shower, get dressed and eat my breakfast, without saying another word. I was too afraid my Mom is going to pull my hair out.

Fix that damn hair of yours before you go out. You always look like you never comb your hair, that's why Men are not looking at you, Oh my "Maybe I will die first before You get Married!!!" she shouted.

I immediately finished my food, i figured if she continued like this she will get to the part of making babies, and how it will definitely look like me, and worse it will be unlucky just like me, and so on and so forth. I escaped with a toast on my mouth and got out of the house with the sun already high up. 🔆

I got on the Metro Line🚆, as usual it is packed full of people. The crowds looking down on their phones 📲, some are calling their bosses stating how they will be late because of traffic. At the other side of the train I can hear a baby crying, two lovers fighting, and a father giving advice to his son, "Don't Let them bully you into doing something you don't want to do", He told him.

A very good advice I agree. Since nowadays work is just like waking up everyday, going in and being like a ghost, walking nonsensical around the office, getting lunch, taking calls, getting screamed at for being late.

The boss making advances and unnecessary comments about my dress.

Like me making a mistake of taking my job in the first place, and finally when I'm about to go home, a friend will ask if i could come with them, have a drink after work, all the while I know there will be couples there, and I will be by myself. Only an idiot, would try to go with them.

"Ah thanks for inviting me", but I have to go somewhere else later, maybe next time? I kindly rejected them.

It's weird, but have a specific list of all the replies I have to memorize, so it won't be so hard and nobody will kill me for not going.

Usually I tell them, " My mother is sick I can't today", sometimes I say "My dogs needs food I might get some from the store". My best one yet is, "My cramps, I can't drink tonight, I have a serious case of cramps when I drink a lot". The list goes on and on.

Those people they just happily goes on with their life even if I come or not. But their reaction gets even funnier and funnier when I don't. They gave me a striking look like, is she a saint or is she pregnant? What a loser!? "Whatever, You're missing out". "Kiss your dogs for us, because they'll be the only ones Frenching you tonight".

That's my day to day here at the biggest studio where I have to pretend like I'm the happiest person in the room.

I say "Oh, I like your dress", when I don't really care at all.

"You look real nice today Ericka", when she doesn't even look at me.

And there's this guy in the IT room Mike, he always calls me on the phone, and whispers when he speak.

I don't understand what he says most of the time. He always says, "Meat", "Do You mean to say Meet?, for Dinner?", I always ask. He didn't explain it, then sometimes he goes, "Red".

What the hell dude?, what do you want to say to me?. If I start to scream at him, he just goes away. Poor guy, maybe he has a stutter, I figured.

I was almost finished drafting another plan for my boss, when he, gives me a fat load of paper on my desk. Give me your input on these before you go.

"What? all of it?" But it might take me some time to finish.

I need it tomorrow morning so you better start tonight, I don't care if you have a date, or your dog is going to die, "You need to finish it".

My eyes is wincing, and my blood boiling, I held out a small shriek, and tried to speak.

What? so you don't have the capability to do it?, he asked again.

"No Sir I'll finish it tonight" I made a fake smile and bowed instead of punching his face.

This better give me a raise or else I will throw these papers on his face and quit. I started to quickly scan the documents, and hundreds of them are proposals of suppliers. I dropped my face and tried to bury my head with the papers. I think my eyes gave out by 11 pm, my cellphone is calling me.

"Mom" a name on the screen popped.

Oh No, she might tell me to buy something again. I better not answer. The phone kept buzzing and buzzing!, "Mom", "Mom", "Mom". I finally swiped right to answer her.

"Francine! Josephine Oreta!"

Where the heck are you? Are you not coming home at this hour?, Are you still working?, Who is your boss I'll call whoever he is keeping you so late in the evening!, Come on give me his number.

No Mom, do you want me to get fired?, I need this job. Plus I have been waiting for a raise for almost 8 Months, what do you want me to do?

It's almost 1 pm, when I left the office, and there were no more Metro running, so I called a taxi home.

My mother stayed up late so she can see me come home. Her eyes covered with an eye mask, and face full of cream, she began to murmur.

What time is it?

It's 2:30am Mom, why are you still up.

I hugged her, and she snorted like a little pig. I love You Mom! why do always have to scream at me?

She just snoozed off at the couch and I can still hear her snoring from the door of my bedroom.

"Good night Mother"

4am, my alarm started to buzz. Unknowingly I am in a middle of a dream again.

The face of a man kept appearing, his hands are holding mine, we are on the beach, side by side under an umbrella, his hands playing with mine, I giggled, I lean in to kiss him. Wanting him. Kissing him so hard.

Then my face, I felt was wet, and I opened and eye, my dogs slobbering me with their little tongues.🐶

Oh no, not again!!! I was kissing a cute guy😦