FOREVER AGAIN

Richard Briggs stepped out of the aircraft and moved to the parking lot. His hazel eyes were dim and there were streaks of worried brows on his face. He pulled off his white jacket and held it by the collar. Just today, he had flown over six countries in Europe. He groaned as he felt an ache in his shoulder. What he needed now was a delicious meal and a good sleep. "Hey Ryan" He greeted one of his crew members and pushed open the gauze door which separated the tarmac from the main grounds. He peered at his wristwatch, it was almost six and he needed to be at home. He walked to his Lincoln Navigator, clicked the remote on his waist train and the car flashed in response. He opened the door and relaxed on the seat, he rested his head on the steering wheel for a while before sliding the key into ignition. He swerved the car out of the parking lot and hit the road. The street of Washington was dark except for the bright illumination of the street lights. He kept humming to the music playing in his head and navigated the vehicle into his estate. Minutes later, he drove into the garage and parked in between his two luxurious cars. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car. He walked to the door and unlocked it. He lived in a duplex which was in the middle of the estate. The sitting room was dark, he groped his way through the dark and his fingers located the switch. He flicked it on and his mouth widened in horror. There were three bottles of rum on the table and a tray containing a white substance. He rolled his eyes in frustration, "Damn, what a lady". He moved into the kitchen, he couldn't pick up the scent of any food. He knew his lazy wife was at it again. He opened the freezer and pulled out a bottle of water. He gulped the entire content in one breath and sat on a kitchen stool. He flung the bottle into a trash can and headed up the stairs to his room. He tried pushing the door but it was locked. " Elena" He roared, he clenched his fist and banged on the door. "Elena, get up and open the door". He kept knocking until he was tired. He knew she was probably on the bed sleeping away the effects of the drugs. He knocked again and heard her mutter some inaudible words loudly with a snorty chuckle. He turned to the next room and pushed it open. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he kept thinking about his marriage. He had thought Elena was clean three years ago after he spent money on rehab. He was shocked at the beginning of the year to see that she had gone back to her old habit. He threw his clothes to one corner of the room and stepped into the bathroom. As the cold water settled on his skin, he craved a soft massage. But he knew that wouldn't be happening. It's been months since he had s*x with his wife. There were times he came back stressed and had to hit the bed. Right now, he would do anything for a woman's touch. He stepped out of the bathroom and jumped on the bed. He stared at the huge chandelier hanging on the ceiling as his stomach rumbled violently. He was hungry and was tired of feeding on junk. His eyelids closed and he surrendered himself to a deep sleep. • He blinked his eyes as his phone beeped, he swung his foot off the bed and stretched his hands to block the ray of light that was emanating from the window. He picked up his phone from the stool, he had an eight O' clock flight to Los Angeles. It was 6:50 and he needed to be at the airport. He pushed the door open and headed to his room, the door was wide open. He stepped in and his face was contorted as the smell of alcohol hit him. " Elena, what's wrong with you?" He glared at her. The chubby lady ignored him and kept bursting acne on her face. Richard fought the urge to grab the pocket mirror from her hand and burst her face with it. "Elena, I'm talking to you". She chuckled, " As you can see, I'm not in the mood to talk". Richard pointed at her, "You are pushing me beyond my limits". " Richard, get into the bathroom, have your bath and go to work. That's all what you do". "And what's that supposed to mean?" Richard stepped further. She stared at him, "For three years, all you do is leave home early and come back late". He smiled, "You are trying to gaslight me here?" She got up from the bed, shoved him aside and walked into the bathroom. Richard stared at the bed, it was unkempt. He heard the shower drizzle and then it stopped. She walked out of the bathroom with a towel-clad from her chest to her knee level. "This is how it is right? This is how you wanna live?" He asked. "I've found a companion, so let me be" She replied. "I thought that you were clean. Our marriage is just three years, it is too young to go through all of this. I have money and not peace of mind. Your acts are driving me nuts". She chuckled, " So, you are going to cast the blame on me? Is that what you want to do? You never allowed me to work. You're not always around for me, it's all boring in this big house". "Elena, I make millions monthly. I give you a huge allowance weekly, shop, go sightseeing. But then, you just choose to be miserable". She shook her head, " You are the miserable one". "I'm not having this conversation with you this morning. I have a plane to fly and I need a clear head". " You should have gotten married to one of your planes" She snapped back at him. "Make sure you clear up my sitting room. I don't want it smelling like a liquor store" He screamed at her before stepping into the bathroom. ** Richard placed his legs on the speed flaps and the airplane raced towards the landing spot. He placed his leg on the speed brake and reduced the thrust. The plane hummed and finally came to a halt. He checked his wristwatch, it was some minutes to noon. The members of the cabin saluted him as he walked out of the plane. He took a deep breath and decided to do some paperwork before heading to one of his hotels to rest. He stepped into the administration block where people stood to register for their private flights. As he kept walking, Ryan signalled to him and he paused. Ryan was an aircraft engineer and a member of his crew. "Boss, we have another flight by 1. This is going to Chicago" Ryan handed him the flight template. Richard shook his head in a negative, "I'm not in the right frame of mind to fly a plane. Pass it onto the next available pilot". Ryan nodded and stared at him, " Is everything alright?" Richard managed a smile, "I am fine, thanks" He walked to the large admin building and stepped into the elevator. The elevator arrived on the third floor and he walked out of it and headed to his office. He sunk into the chair and relaxed on it. There were a lot of files for him to work on. He picked one of them and stared at it, it was a report from the last aircraft engine service. He signed a few documents and placed the files back into the folder. His phone beeped and he pulled it out from his pocket. A smile appeared on his face, it was his best friend calling. He swiped the green icon and placed the phone to his ears. "Hey Nath". " Yo Richard, I've been trying to reach you since morning. I guess you were on flight". Richard nodded, "Yeah, I was". " Today is Friday, I was wondering if we could visit a club and...". Richard rolled his eyes, "I don't know if I can make it". " No, you have to. Your homeboy Michael Bolton would be performing live and you got to watch him". Richard took a deep breath, "Nath, I am going through a lot now. I don't think I'll be able to do this". " Is this about Elena, just take your mind off it. You know what?" Richard chuckled, he knew what he was going to say next. "Jerome and I will be coming over to your place to take you out. We can talk about your woman on the way. Just cheer up, we can't also hook you up with a lady of your choice". " You play too much" The call ended and Richard placed the phone on the table. He leaned back on the chair and smiled. It was his two best friends and his work that has kept him sane in the past three years. He wrapped up the paperwork and stepped out of the office. His assistant would take care of the rest of the day. He stepped into his blue sedan and drove out. He arrived at an eatery and bought some pizza. He ate it in the car before driving home.