Pain Reel
Jude walked out of the tall building a happy man; it was his fifth interview in a short while, and he got the job. He couldn't wait to tell his girlfriend about it; he threw a fist into the air and shouted, "Yes!" Passersby watched him in awe as he danced outside the corporate firm. He picked out his phone and dialed his uncle's number. "Hello, you're now talking to the latest senior manager at JB Holdings," he said excitedly. His uncle chuckled on the other end and congratulated him, saying, "Well deserved, Jude." "Thank you so much!" He said it sincerely. "So, what next?" Jude looked up to the sky in gratitude and spilled the bean. "My engagement, I'm going to propose to Maureen," he beamed in satisfaction. "Oh, that's great; congratulations in advance," his uncle wished him well; "make sure you buy her an expensive one," he advised. "Definitely! "I've been saving for the ring; it's going to blow her mind away," he said, smiling broadly. "Sure son! "Do your thing!" His uncle encouraged him and ended the call. Jude threw his fist into the air again in joy and hauled down a taxi. "To the nearest jewelry store," he said excitedly.
Jude and Maureen have been together for seven years. Jude met her at the beach one time when he went surfing and was smitten by her beauty. He approached her and started a conversation with her; he loved everything he saw and was sure he wanted her at that moment. Weeks later, things worked out for them both, and they started dating. Jude was from an average family, having been raised by a single mom and his mom's younger brother, Uncle Paul. They gave their all to ensure he got the best, and he turned out well. He was well-mannered, intelligent, and cool, while Maureen was an orphan who moved in and out of foster care. With little to no hope of schooling, she managed to get a tidy sum from Jude and saw herself through college. They attended different colleges. After five years, they were both done with college, but Jude couldn't get a job on time like Maureen did. He loved Maureen very much and couldn't wait to tie the knot with her. He was happy he was finally employed and wouldn't have to worry about how to start up a family financially; his pay was fat and the possible incentives were enticing. He alighted from the cab and walked into the jewelry store with a smile. He walked around looking for a perfect ring, and when he found one, he was stunned at the radiance; it was a silver band with a sparkling crystal stone on top. "I'll have this," he said to the cashier. He brought out his wallet to get his card, but his eye spotted an old picture at the corner of his wallet; it was a picture of his mom, uncle, and himself when he was little. He described the picture as striking him with a pang of sadness; his mother's face brought back some hurtful memories, and he felt pity for her. She had died of cardiac arrest four years earlier. It was a traumatic year for him; she was all he knew; his father was never in the picture; and his mother never spoke much of him; he was only told he left and never came back. He sighed and forced a smile despite the painful memories, then handed the cashier his card.
On Friday, Taylor was at work. She was a medical lab scientist at a reputable hospital; she took pride in her job and was content with the life it afforded her. She took a break from the lab to get coffee at the cafeteria when she saw her brother, Josh, walking towards her. Josh was the youngest of her four brothers and looked the most like her late father. She knew what day it was and was resolute not to give in to whatever he would persuade her to do. She took a seat and dropped her coffee mug, waiting for him to get to her. "What's up, Tee?" He said it with a warm smile. Taylor responded dryly without looking up at him, "You should have called," she said flatly, still looking away. "Oh, you have a phone; last time I checked, you rarely take calls," Josh said derisively. Then silence fell upon them. Josh observed her sour countenance in pity; he was pained things turned out the way they did, but was more pained she was suffering alone. He knew she was aware he would come and, in fact, knew what the conversation would be, but he would do anything to make sure she wasn't completely cut from the family. The Taylor he knew was extroverted, highly spirited, and warm, but after their father's demise and his mom's outrageous attitude, she had been the opposite of herself. He knew it would take a lot to help her leave the dark room and come out as who she really was, but she was restraining everyone. "I have a few minutes left; don't you have something to say?" She asked while checking her watch. "You know what this is about; would you be coming?" He asked, hoping to get a positive response. Taylor scoffed and met his gaze for the first time that noon, "coming to a place I was utterly ridiculed and thrown out?" She asked with a frown. Josh sighed and leaned forward in his seat. "It's dad's third-year memorial, and I heard the lawyer would be coming to announce something; I think you should be there." Taylor bit her lower lips in anger, restraining her emotions. "Why are you the only one telling me this?" "Check your phone, Matt, Bob, and James called and sent you messages." The silence fell on them again for a few minutes, and Taylor stared at him expressionlessly. "I'm not coming!" She said firmly, "Whatever the lawyer has to say has nothing to do with me; I'm not a member of your family, remember?" So, tell your brothers who were indifferent about Jenna's actions from the start to remain so; I don't want to hear from them anymore. "I would mourn my father the way I want, where I want, and with whomever I please." "If you don't have anything to say, please excuse me," she said quickly, trying not to explode in front of Josh. Josh heaved a long sigh and leaned backward in his seat. He knew it would be difficult to persuade her and was specifically angry at his brothers, who did little to nothing when their mother treated her that way. They all grew up together under one roof; he knew his mother wasn't fond of her and wouldn't let any chance to disagree pass, but it was bearable for Taylor because their father was there. Although he found his brothers' response to the situation uncanny, he couldn't do much about it. He thought about Taylor and the beautiful memories they had for a few more minutes before standing up to leave.