PAYBACK TIME

"Excuse me." 

A soft and angelic voice made me raise my head, but only to be startled at the beautiful apparition in front of me. With haste, I stood and straightened myself before shyly arranging my eyeglasses and crumpled shirt. 

"Angelou…" I murmured, stuttering her name. 

"Gabe, right?" I nodded to her, too shocked to even answer back. "I don't mean to spoil your day or whatsoever, but, could you please stop sending things to me? I know you are the one sending me those stuff. Frankly speaking, I don't like gifts, mostly flowers. What you are doing creates an enormous scandal to my name. Your mere presence is dragging me to humiliation and total shame. I am becoming my peer's laughing stock. They keep on bugging me and it's starting to get the good out of me. They constantly tease me, day after day, saying that the love of my life was a greasy and hideous total nerd freak and that we are match made in heaven. This really annoys me, it really does, for your information. So if you don't mind, because I do, stay the hell away from me. Don't show yourself at places I am at, or even be near me. Go scout someone else, someone of your level, you know. And besides, I don't want to burst your bubble but, you are not my type. You will never be. I mean, look at yourself and look at me. We are different in every aspect, way too different. You can dream all you want, I won't stop you from doing so but please, stay the fuck away from me. I hope you got my message loud and clear." 

And with that, she marched away, leaving me speechless and in utter shock as the crowd around me started to discreetly blabber and laugh endlessly. 

Right this very moment, I could still feel the utmost humiliation she did to me years ago. Only she had made me feel so low of myself to the extent of making me drop out of school because of severe shame and fear of getting bullied more. The wounds she caused inside my heart still ache until now. The laughter of the crowd and their sarcastic words still lingers in my mind like a broken record, so fresh and vivid, as if it just happened yesterday. 

I swore to myself that I will do everything and anything to improve, not only my appearance, but the way people will see me. That they would kiss the path I walked at and bow down before me. I swore at my mother's grave that the next time I see Angelou Stanford, it will be payback time. 

'And that time is now, Angelou. You had your time before, but now is my time. I will make sure you taste hell in my hands. I will triple the pain you've caused me years ago, triple the misery and shame I've experienced by slapping you with the reality of who I am now. I will not stop, not until I am satisfied in punishing you. You will regret everything, Angelou. Believe me, you will regret everything. It's payback time, Mrs. Angelou Levine.'

"Hurry up, will you! You walk like a pregnant turtle as if you were carrying heavy loads! I still have lots of things to take care of and you're consuming my precious time!"

"If you are so bothered with the way I walk, then go without me! I can manage going to the hotel all by myself! You can go ahead without me and be where you need to be!" 

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You're unbelievable, Angelou" I stop my pace before looking back at her with impatience. "Move that ass of yours and get in the car, worthless bitch!" 

"Watch your words! If you're just gonna be this impatient and this ruthless on me, then you should have simply left me in New York! I would be more than willing to spend days not seeing you!" Without words, I went back to her and hastily lifted her in my arms. She loudly struggled but I held on to her tightly then abruptly threw her at the back seat before settling in beside her. "You brute! How dare you throw me like a sack of hay! I hate you, Gabriel! I hate you so much!"

"Oh don't worry, woman, the feeling is mutual. Now zipper that annoying mouth of yours, or I'll zip it myself!" 

"Damn you! You think you can just make me do whatever it is that you want simply because we are married! Well fuck you to hell! I will never…" 

In a split second, I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me before dipping my mouth to hers to silence her. She was so surprised by my action that she didn't dare to move, which gave me the liberty to savor every corner of her lips. 

"Sweetly divine" I utter before licking my own lips afterwards. "I never thought you had sweet lips, my dear wife. Maybe I can get used to it. Can we try it again? You can respond this time, I wouldn't mind." 

"Huh! In your dreams perhaps!" 

"Now be a good wife and keep your mouth shut until you are asked to speak, or I will kiss you again until we reach our destination." 

'This is just the beginning, Angelou. You are not even at the half of it. You haven't seen anything yet. Brace yourself for the time of your life… In hell."