The Extraction Plan

Arabelle

Prudence enters into her master bedroom. Her sixty four year old husband Donald has laid out his business attire for the week ahead. On a Walnut chest of drawers for each day is a neatly rolled tie, cufflinks, tie bar, socks and spare ties. In a Wardrobe are suits for each day along with shoes. His brief case open also has spare cuff links, two ties and a tie bar.

At five foot seven he wasn't much taller than Prudence he smiled as she entered. She smiles back, he is immaculately attired in a tan trousers, light blue shirt and tan neck tie with thin white vertical lines. His narrow face showing some deep furrows at his cheek-line and along his brow. On his roman nose sat a pair of rectangular black plastic framed glasses. His grey hair neatly cropped and conservative in feature.

Prudence inspects his diary for the week and his attire selection. As she always does she replaces one tie with another, one shirt with another, one suit with another. "That's better Darling", she rests her palms on his breasts "We'll all be wearing brown suits on Friday for the Delbarton School catering contract. Rosamund said I didn't need to come along but as major shareholder in that business important that I do".

Donald soft lips cushioned a kiss on her brow, she still felt a tingle everytime he did, just like the first time that he did "Great to have you there, though all wearing the same, I still think it's a little over the top".

Prudence sighs "Uniform, uniform is important to schools and show that its important to us too, I've already had this argument with Rosamund, Arabelle too"

They catch each others eyes behind their thick lenses, despite this their eyes still light up as they connected, Donald smiles again "No doubt you won"

"Prudence adjusted her glasses on her nose "Of course, Rosamund should know better, given our background in hospitality, uniform is one of the key components of success, I better go down and say hello to Lady Arabelle, I haven't seen her all day".

Laboriously Prudence swayed with each step down the stairs. Whatever about going down the stairs she hated going up, it felt like Everest to her, she kept promising herself to exercise but business dominated her life. Her problematic thyroid didn't help either and gave up many many years ago with yo yo weight diets.

She exited the stairwell and enters a large living room with a large L shaped black Italian leather sofa, that was seven foot in each direction and two accompanying recliner sofa chairs. Sitting on the sofa is her eighteen year old daughter Arabelle, a business major in Harvard. Arabelle mixed her time between both businesses to get exposure to both. she is resting on the sofa in a pair of red tartan pajama bottoms and a pink 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt. She is eating a bowl of microwave popcorn and watching an episode of 'The Umbrella Academy'

"Hello Lady Arabelle" gasps Prudence as she gingerly sits down on a recliner and sets it for her feet up. She adjusts her glasses on her nose and extends her palms out"

"Hi" responds Arabelle barely acknowledging her presence.

Prudence rests her hands on her tummy "Your in your PJ's, your grandparents would be furious, they always told me pajamas are for bed, you should always be dressed for your day"

Arabelle "flings some popcorn in her mouth" and takes a gulp of water "It's comfortable"

Prudence smiles "If your grandparents were here they would tell you they are comfortable for bed".

Arabelle sighs in annoyance "Well they aren't here, get with the times, just because you wear a stuffy suit twenty four seven doesn't mean the rest of us have too!!".

Prudence extends out her hands and laughs "We're businesswomen and proper attire is as important as good tyres on cars, so get used to stuffy suits Lady Arabelle."

Arabelle stares across at her "You really do need to get out"

Prudence adjusts her glasses again " Speaking of getting out, how was your hike, you didn't come up to me to say hi when you got back!" her tone hurt.

"It was great, Zachs parents came with us, we done ten miles. His dad bought us all dinner!!".

The words pinched Prudence in the heart, any little free time she had she was finding it more and more difficult for Arabelle to engage with her.

Prudence adjusts her glasses again "That was nice" her tone deflated".

Aabelle scoops a mouthful of popcorn into her mouth "It was, really enjoyed it, had vegan burger and sweet potato fries"

Prudence bit her lower lip "It would have been nice if you joined me at the golf club this morning for breakfast, I had to sit alone and work while the ladies competition finished to hand our sponsor prizes to the winners".

Arabelle's attention drawn to her phone "Where was Dad"

Prudence closed her eyes in dismay and rubbed her forehead "Dad was on course two playing some executives from the New York Hotel group. Your not evening listening to me Arabelle" her tone frustrated and annoyed.

Arabelle glanced across at her mother, her facial expression both hurt and annoyed. She felt bad. She loved her mother, she worried a lot about her. She felt she was a prisoner to the businesses, and her business suits were her prison uniform. Her life dictated by business, the financial services business demanded between eighty to ninety hours a week, she had no time for herself, even on vacation, most of her time would be taken up on her laptop at business.

When she looked at her mother she feared she would be looking at herself in thirty years time. She hated herself for thinking that way, she prayed she won't inherit her mothers troublesome thyroid and her poor metabolic system. Her mother struggled with keeping her weight down, she tried so many yoyo diets and with demand on business she eventually gave up, "What is the point" she would say, "I always end up putting on more".

Arabelle kept very active, she ran, she swam, she played soccer, she went to the gym, she would argue with her mother on her physical condition, tell her it's not natural to be huffing and puffing after walking a few yards or out of breath climbing a flight of stairs. Her mother would always go back to her failed diets and was tired trying or her thyroid or that she will try next quarter but next quarter would come and go and nothing. Arabelle saw her mothers obesity as another mark the business put on her, it weighed her down, it kept her at her desk made her suffer everytime she walked away from her desk, it made her suffer without let up. Every time she looked in the mirror the business was there showing her that it owned her, it could do anything to her, it gave her , her blood pressure and rosy cheeks, it gave the double chin that Arabelle worried she would inherit, she often wondered if Zach would love her with one of those. Arabelle was studying Business in Harvard, she didn't mind being a businesswoman, she was getting great experience working in both businesses but she worried, she worried that she would be the woman that her mother was and she didn't want that.

Arabelle turned off the television and stood up and removes the remaining piece of popcorn from within her mothers jacket. She smiles "You really are as blind as a bat, how could you not see where it landed, come on, I'll do your nails for your big tv appearance".