A burden. Lately, Mia have gotten acquainted with that feeling when your body keeps reminding you how you are. She wishes she can escape it but it is difficult. Mia was stupefied when she learned from her doctor on one of her schedules with him that she has a brain tumor and that it will completely alter her health it was then clearer to her why the constant headaches, dizziness and loss of appetite. As weeks were passing, she realized that she is now becoming slim, she looks hideous sometimes when she stares at her reflection in the mirror. Her lips are always parched, she'd rub them with lip gloss a few times and still, they were getting darker. Her cheeks which were chubby were now flat and her eyes always seemed sombre. Strands of her hair would roll off her head dropping like grains of sand on her shoulders.

Jansen, her husband nowadays do not wait to have breakfast with her, he'd always leave to his office before she wakes up and when he arrives home at night, he arrives late at the time when she is already fast asleep. Mia noticed that he feels irritated looking at her face unless she's wearing a make over and is in a dazzling wig.

Two months ago, on a hot and radiant Thursday afternoon. Mia was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, her legs were stretched to the edge. She looked at Jansen striding across the room in a luminous blue suit, and he was wearing a pair of flashy black shoes. He was offered an invitation from his Boss to attend a ball at his resort.

Jansen grabbed his car keys seated on the table and he swerved to her "I gotta go hon." He approached her and pecked her on her forehead and she touched his arm, "I wanna....I wanna go with you. It's been quite a long time I came with you to an event."

She noticed his eye brows furrowing, "no need for you to come."

"But, why? Other husbands' wives are going to be there with them."

"It'd be better you stayed home and rest." He swerved from her and he was almost walking away she grasped his arm and he hung back.

"But I wanna come with you." She insisted. She really wanted to be besides him at the party. Thinking of the moments that they've danced, shared glasses of drinks and chatted at the numerous events they've gone to, she felt so elated to experience such feeling again even if the event is going to last for a few hours.

Jansen sighed and he was almost fuming, "no, you can't go. Take a look at yourself in the mirror, you look so pale and fragile. And, your cute dresses no longer fits you anymore. Other men's wives are gonna be looking exquisite, I don't want you embarrassing me looking like a maid. What if you get stressed and collapse?"

She tried to fight back the tears building in her eyes, "I am just ill I am not ugly. I just wanna be beside my husband and you do not spend much time with me." She fired back.

"Taking you with me to the ball's just gonna make you a burden to me. I can't keep an eye on you each minute."

"So you're embarrassed and ashamed of me?" She gulped down her tears.

Jansen's eyes drooped feeling awful seeing her disconsolate, he grazed her cheek and looked into her eyes, he was feeling irritated staring into them and he wore a fake smile, "no I'm not hon. I can't take you out with me just yet not today. Moreover you seem fagged you will feel stressed."

"It's what you tell me all the time, " Mia yelled, "not yet, not today anytime I ask you to take me out. I am your wife and you're already feeling bored of me? I feel disappointed cause anytime I keep hoping and waiting for you to ask me to go out with you, you do not hesitate not to. I wish I do not anticipate at all but is it wrong of me to anticipate? Is it wrong of me to wish to dine with you or dance with you at an event? I have that right right? Since I'm your wife but you keep making me feel I am wrong." She kneaded her jowls and sniffed.

"I love you Mia and I'm considerate about your health and that's why I want you to stay at home and just rest. Gotta go. Bye!"

Mia glanced at him approaching the doors and exiting the room. She closed her eyes and sniffed and she kneaded her wet jowls.

Most of Mia's friends are always occupied with their business and family, she is usually alone home. Her sister, Juliet stays in Brazil and she has been staying in Brazil for almost a decade. Mia had to be seperated from Juliet when they were just teenagers as Juliet was offered a scholarship to continue her studies in Brazil and ever since Juliet left to Brazil, Mia and her have not met with each other but they try to chat on Skype. Juliet could not make it to Mia's wedding as there was a heavy storm ongoing in Brazil and airplane flights were cancelled.

Juliet arrived New York city a week back and Mia has been excited to meet her but she hasn't been feeling well to go pay her a visit. Although she did not have her friends and Juliet to keep her company, her four-year-old daughter Isabella would hang with her and will play her toys with her and Mia would try to prepare her some snacks.

****

It was 8:05 in the night, the wind was howling and it was blustery. A gush of rain spewed from the sky in intense speed. The thunder roared angrily and the lightning was flickering. Mia just finished having her bath, she walked past the bathroom door feeling harsh hotness inside her feet, her feet was trembling as if freezing by ice. She felt her breath getting hot and her tongue drying up. She sighed.

She glanced at a glass of water standing on a table besides the window and attempted to walk towards it, she suddenly felt her bones cringing and as if dizziness has paralyzed her, she halted. Her vision started getting blurry, almost all the objects she glanced at appeared triple. Her knees quivered and she dropped to the ground as if pushed by a car she threw her hands on the floor, her legs both curved. Her eyes unhurriedly closed and she conk out.

It was 10:15. Jansen crouched on a wedged chair in the middle of the room at a bar grasping a glass of liquor. He drove to the bar soon as he left his office. The bar was spacious, glowingly red bulbs rotating in the gleaming ceiling was illuminating the room, the rug on the floor was crimson red. Bottles of liquor were being tossed on the floor, champagne glasses and packets of cigarettes as many youths were hopping energetically, twisting and coiling their bodies like an uncoiling rope. The crowd became bigger as many youths barged in through the doors scampered to the stage slipped into the crowd. They were dancing to the fast beats of the music streaming from the studio and screaming as if from a mountain top audibly.