Around seven thirty, the guests started to arrive. Some came almost casual, some dressed up. But most women were dressed up with fancy, some even
wearing evening gowns. They all had fur or cashmere or some kind of high end coats on! There was no PITA those days!
Helen would have preferred to dress down and casual specially for this night; but again, Steve picked up her outfit; something she had worn only once on their honey moon and New years eve's party in Galveston. It was a red chiffon dress, tee length, crepe fitted lining in nude color, and full double layers chiffon skirt over it. The bodice was all draped with halter neck and very open in back, almost open to her waist. Front neck was a V shape, open and revealing in her breast area. She could not even put bra on, since it would show. However she still had kept the firm breasts she had had before having children. The dress came with a long chiffon scarf which she wanted to wear it around her shoulder, but Steve took it away from her. She wanted to put her hair up in a French twist, but again he told her that she must wear her hair down, and even helped her to make her hair curly with a hot iron. He even picked up the jewelery she should wear- a custom made earnings, Chrystal with some red beads and long, almost about three inches long. He made her to wear many bracelets, all shiny, and no necklace, and heavy makeup!
She almost cried to put the dress on and wear all the jewelries specially in this particular night. Steve, himself put a brand new khaki trousers on with a brown shirt and a V neck plaid sweater to top it off!
"Come on Steve, look how casual you look! Why are you forcing me to wear something I feel awful in it, Why?"
He laughed loud. Then he lit up two cigarettes at the same time, and handed one to her!
"You're wearing something that suits you well! A woman who gets pregnant while her husband is fighting in war! This just suits you fine!!"
She began crying.
"Stop it now! all your make up are coming down your cheeks. Now you really look like a beaten whore!!"
"When are you going to forget about it? Why don't you divorce me instead of torturing me and having children with me?" Helen's voice was barely audible; her crying was preventing her of talking. She was shaking like the last leaf of a tree in late fall, which had resisted falling and finally was separated from its stem and falling down.
"No divorce, never!!'
He left the room. She looked at herself in the mirror and tears continued to flow even more and much harder!
From all days and nights of her life, this was one that she could run or act as normal as possible under the tremendous stress she was. If she ran, then what would happen to her children? Now they were perhaps getting ready for their bedtime stories. A young woman, who sometimes helped her with the children was with them.
She picked the second choice. If she had to run, it would not be this night. She cleaned up her face; and put on makeup again while trying hard not to cry. She tried to put a happy face and left the bedroom to face the destiny that was destined for her that night!!
Outside the bedroom door, her face suddenly assumed the somber immobility of a dead; and that expression did not change until the party was over!
She came face to face with Jacob. He was going to the bathroom. He was dressed so similar to Steve that it was almost scary! Of course he had been in this house many times. He blew a whistle seeing Helen with her red, decollete dress. She stared at him with agony and without greeting him, said:
"It's over between us!"
He went to the bathroom; she went to her guests!!
To Be Continued
