She stood in the hallway unable to move. Samira knew her husband was a trustworthy man. She knew it couldnt be another woman he was talking to. Although everything she heard coming out of the room sounded like he was planning on a trip to see another. Samira hated to eavesdrop on him like this. “Why cant i just trust him?”, she would often ask herself. “Why do I have to stand here like a child at the door?”. Samira stood there scolding herself as she listened, what she didnt expect was for John to open the door so soon. “Oh hi honey I was just coming to see if you were ready for dinner”, she said. He looked at her with a straight face, his eyes set on hers. “Oh really, so the floorboards I heard creaking as I was on the phone was the cat was it?” Samira could do nothing but stare at the floor. She hated to be caught in a lie. She was already in a lor trouble from an incident earlier that day.
Samira was never the type of person who liked working. Although she had a wonderful job of working with elderly in a day care center, she much rathered sitting around on her computer all day, and for that matter all night as well. Today was no different than any other day. She awoke at her normal 6 a.m. to the sound of John’s voice telling her for the third time to get up before she was late. She had spent most of the night before on the computer chatting with her friends, and playing games online. It was always a good idea to stay up all night until she had to wake up in the morning. John had discussed setting a bedtime with her if she hadnt improved on her sleeping habits. She tossed and turned in her bed and replied “Just five more minutes honey”. John walked into the room and pulled back her comforter and leaned in very close to her and whispered “I suggest you get out of that bed young lady or I will give you something to get out for!” She stirred some more and finally crawled out of the bed making a little face at him. John just stood shaking his head. “I have to leave for work early this morning I have something important to take care of, you are not to get back in that bed do you understand me? You will only fall asleep again and miss work, and you have already done that more than once!” Samira nodded and replied with a quiet and sleepy “Yes Sir” and watched as he turned and left. After a quick cup of coffee Samira was still so tired. “Five more minutes won’t hurt anything” she thought, and went to lay back down for a short nap.
She awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. She rolled over and answered it with a sleepy “Hello.” The voice on the other end wasnt a happy one. “Did I, or did I not tell you not to lay back down?” Samira quickly jumped out of bed and looked at the clock. She was already a half hour late for work and had not even showered yet. She cursed herself for going back to sleep when she knew she should have just struggled through the day. John would not be pleased with her. The last time she had done this, he had tanned her bottom good. He didnt like her to be so irresponsible and she knew it.
“Young lady I suggest you get that little behind out of that bed and off to work. You can tell them exactly why you are late as well. Perhaps their dissapointment combined with mine may get through to you this time. And as for going shopping later on, you can forget it. I want you home right after work and in your room. Do not move from that room until I get home. Do you understand me”, he said with his voice slightly raised. “Yes Sir”, she replied, almost in tears. She hated to hear him like this. She felt so terrible when he was dissapointed in her. She always tried her hardest to make him happy, to make him proud of her. Letting him down was the last thing she wished to do. Samira knew she was in for a not so comfortable night.
John sat at his desk after hanging up the phone and put his head in his hands. He loved his wife so much but knew sometimes she needed pointing in the right direction. He knew he shouldn’t have left until she was in the shower. He knew she would lay back down.
He sat there for awhile thinking about the situation, how she spends so much time on the internet, and what he could do to better her, how he would show her that he punished her because he cared. He didn’t want to give her a bedtime, yet he had already given her a chance to prove she could do it on her own. She had failed once again. It was time for John to take matters into his own hands. He thought about her punishement all day, and decided to stay late at work to see if she had listened and stayed in the bedroom as he asked.
