HER GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT

Chapter 9: Breaking the ice ceiling

Her last words had struck a nerve. Relating him to being wife beater was the lowest she could think about him. It was a clear indication she was seeing capability of harassment in him and that was not good even for Ben himself. He had promised himself never to lay his hands on her. Promising her could have made her disrespectful according to his drinking buddies. That's why he booked a hotel when their argument got heated up to avoid the temptation. The mother of her children was like his own mother.

"I don't know what's gotten into you either am so disappointed that you could even think of laying your hands on me. That's beyond you Ben!" She shouted breaking down into tears.

Their argument had attracted a small crowd outside their bedroom door. They could hear people speaking in low tones as if they were in a coterie. The second part of his promise was on tears. He had broken it by making her cry and the mistake needed to be fixed but first he had to take care of his aunties at the door.

"You should be ashamed of yourself go do something constructive I don't want to lose respect for you too" Ben said looking angry and embarrassed.

The audience left the theater room with their heads hanging in shame even before they were offered tickets. Ben was right. That was below their standards and they were setting a very bad example to their children including Ben's. Ruth was still sobbing her head between her legs with her bacon on the wall. Guilt consumed Ben his anger evaporated and it was replaced with compassion. She had stood by him in every choice he had ever made. Through thick and thin when they were still living in single bedroom and now they owned one of the most elegant houses in their area. Ruth was by his side when he had no rich friends only a bunch of broke fellas who wanted to feed from his pocket and now he was in a C_suite boys club with the richest men in their city. Many women he knew would have bragged about him being nothing without them. But not his Ruth. She had never reminded him of what they went through together to win an argument. And yet he used the punch line of getting her a job every time. Ben hated himself.

"Hey look am sorry", He said wiping her tears, "You have every right to be mad at me I deserve it. You know I didn't mean what I said. It's just that a lot has really changed since you were asked to fire your department and you quit your job. Cut me a slack it won't happen again", He begged massaging her head.

"Am not mad at you Ben am disappointed but you said sorry that's progress but you still have a long way to go", She said forcing a smile.

"Thank you. You keep forgiving me even when I don't deserve it", He said sadly. Both of them were seated with their backs on the wall.

"That's a package deal that comes with a relationship hunnie, forgiving each other is our full time job", she said playing with his beard.

"Guess what? You take a shower am going to take your place in the kitchen", He suggested.

"Really?" Ruth asked surprised.

"Yeah why not it's the 21st century baby yoo-hoo", Ben said happily getting on his feet.

"What about your dad? Am sure he won't agree to any part of this"

"Tss! don’t worry about me. He'll literally kill me but at least I will die for a noble course", He kissed her on the forehead and walked away.

The first thing he did was to send everyone out of the kitchen. He only kept his mum to offer a live words only cooking tutorial. His aunties were not happy with how things turned out. Certainty is the enemy of growth. They may have been not ready to go against the wind and keep conforming to the shackles of cultural and social beliefs but Ben was giving in. At least for that moment.

Ben just like James was a very good actor. His was the rational game theory. Simply explained as getting people closely attached to you until they can't do without you then when the time is right you manipulate the relationship to your advantage and leave them twisting in the wind. Gideon locked himself in his room the shame of what was going on under his roof almost gave him a stroke. A CEO of a thriving business organization was in the kitchen trying to make a woman happy. Whoever said love is blind had never met retired counselor Gideon chestnut because the old man couldn't sacrifice his male ego for what he called "getting into a community hole" old but vulgar like a mumble rap artist.

On her side, Veronica was happy to help his son. She had little education but a she believed in genetics and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. A father’s son did not necessarily have to be like the father. That morning breakfast was served by Ben. Delicious food softened the pharaoh hearts of those who were going with the wind and had adamantly refused to embrace change. After the meal Gideon called his son for a confidential talk. The wife looked at the mother in law they both knew what he was going to get. His self-esteem crushed but at least he had made the first step to becoming his own man by breaking the glass ceiling.

********

The secretary was the meanest woman she had ever met. Black slender in a black dress. High heeled shoes made her look taller than she really was. Barking orders around like she owned the place. But she was also beautiful perhaps one of the reasons she developed an unnecessary Narcissistic egocentric disorder. Anita had been twisting in the wind outside the reverends office for close to an hour. No one was going in or coming out but Catherine-as it was indicated on her name tag kept insisting that the reverend was in a meeting with the church elders. Anita did not want to call him. He had texted her to come for the community service and recovery program unexpectedly and yet it was his secretary's job. She was smelling a rat from the way he was treating her. Calling to check on her daily when they barely knew each other. Calling him could have just proven to him that she was interested in whatever he was planning. She was beautiful, she knew what she attracted and how men couldn’t keep their eyes off her.

She was just about to call a rain check on the meeting when he finally emerged from his office. Alone with no elders as Catherine had earlier indicated.

"Anita! How long have you been here?" The reverend asked shaking her arm.

Catherine was shaking behind her desk giving Anita the sympathy look. From how the reverend was handling her she was not just like anybody. She was something more. Special and she deserved special treatment. Her ego was going to cost her.

"A couple of minutes", Anita answered stating at Catherine.

"And you didn't tell me she was here!" the reverend shouted at Catherine, “I was just leaving what if I didn't see her??"

"Am sorry sir I was about to let you..."

"Nonsense this church exists to serve people they are our bosses both you and I if you Want to continue serving here you should learn to treat them right", He said.

"It's okay reverend she had a lot of work anyway so where is the rest of the team?" Anita asked changing the subject.

She pitied a fellow woman suffering in the hands of a man. She just hoped that Catherine had learnt her lesson and was willing to extend the same courtesy to someone else. That’s what they needed as women. To stick together serve a common interest instead of instigating their own and each other's downfall. And he did not blame Catherine for how she reacted. It might have been how she was brought up. Perhaps no one had done something nice to her or she had to fight and work hard single handedly to get to where she was.

"Follow me. She saved you this happens again I will have to send you away", Tom warned leading the way.

He took her to where other gender based violence victims were. To show his humility he joined them in doing some cleaning around the compound. The other women were surprised but didn't say a word. The novelty of the situation was alarming and talking about it was even more dangerous and detrimental. They took it as it was; their humble revered was leading by example. Following the example of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet by washing the benches and mopping the floor of the church. Breaking the ceiling of executives enjoying their life in offices while others toiled in the sun. He later joined them in the talk and listened to the sad stories of the women. Laughed at their jokes and put on a sad face when they narrated their sad experiences with the two legged beasts. He gave them hope and assured them everything was going to be fine and that God loved them so much that he send a man to die for their sins. They were to repay that favor by forgiving their men and praying to God to change them. His approach was on keeping the young families together since most victims were in their early and late twenties. For men in their midst he advised them not to fight back. Jesus never fought back even when he was being maimed and pierced in the frail gut. He cried to the lord for help. The men were to do the same in repaying the favor of the Virgin Mary who carried their role model for nine good months. Fed him and changed his nappies.

A woman who had to put up with Jesus teenage hormones and runaway behavior. After the session his next card was already in play. He wanted to show Anita his palace. The reverends wife was not around. She was taking care of expanding the church in other areas. Spreading the word of God in many of Abraham’s nations and just like any man the reverend was horny. He had already mustarbeted twice that week and slept with his secretary thrice. As a cover up, the whole team was invited for lunch at the reverends own resident. His mansion lay on a fifteen acre piece of land with its own forest, ranch, a lake and a golf course where he played golf with his C_suite friends. That afternoon his driver came to pick him up with his latest toy. A brand new black Range rover v8. He delayed Anita so that the church van was filled and she had nowhere to seat. And to raise little tension he asked one of his female staff to join them. The man of God was smart.

*******

"You remember that day you woke up thinking it's a school day", James said laughing.

"Yeah it was on Saturday and ten year old me was in school uniform", Linda replied.

"I wish I could have just told you it's a school day"

"You couldn't. You used to love me those days"

She was treating James as if he were unhitched and yet banal James was still in the dark. Growing up Linda's parents were not around that much. She grew up with a housekeeper who kept disappearing every morning to go see her boyfriend. Linda realized she wasn't disappearing in the morning instead she snuck out at night and left Linda alone in their massive house. She spend most of her time at James's place. They were friends at a young age because she was friends with his sisters. James was the first guy she had a crush on. His pictures were in her diary and on her phone. She stared at his pictures before going to sleep and waking up but James continued to treat her like one of his sisters. Linda saw teenage James munch through girls like a wildfire in summer. She waited patiently for her time.