Dinner

I set the table and leave the TV on. Everyone sits down and engages in some casual chat, about my husband's work, college, even politics. Mathias is a brilliant man, but my eyes are all for that mature boy who speaks with charm in front of me. I realize that even my daughter hangs on his every word, as it is normal. My husband and I get up to clear the table between the first and second courses, when I notice that they're showing an action movie on TV. When we sit down again, I see that the attention of my daughter and her boyfriend got captured by the screen. Apparently, in the movie there was a sixteen- or seventeen year old girl confronting an abusive father. She is dressed in a sort of school uniform, made up of a short skirt and ankle boots, while the man was in a tank top and obviously much bigger than her. The discussion was heated. Suddenly, the man raises his hand to punch her, but the youngster lifts her leg and blocks his arm with her foot, resting the boot against his bicep. A kick to the man's face follows, and he gets knocked out immediately. Jonathan bursts out laughing "...these movies are all science fiction! Just silly!". "Why do you say that?", Mathias asks. "Obviously...these things are impossible. Women against men and those ridiculous moves...". My husband chuckles. "You don't know who we have at the table then... my dear, do you want to explain why intergender fights are natural and now rather the rule than the exception?". "He already knows everything..." I try to summarize."We've already talked about it". My husband is amazed by my weak response. "Is that all?" he asks me. "Yes! What do you want me to tell you? Maybe the boy is right, he does combat sports too, you know that?". Mathias is incredulous, and I avoid his gaze. What does he think I should do? Maybe looking Jonathan in the eyes and contradicting him? Just the idea makes me sick. I know how nasty he can turn, and I don't want to put myself in a dangerous or worse embarrassing situation in front of my whole family. It is my daughter Anna who saves the situation once again. "Well, in this house, we always talk about sports or careers... but if we talked more about cooking, the meat would be more tender," she grumbles. We all laugh.

Two hours later

"I am confused. You act like this guy was special... I never saw you showing so much respect for a man in your whole life...". We are in our bedroom and my husband is reproaching me. He is standing before our bed with that shirt half open and the hairy chest in full display. I don't know if he looks more pathetic or comical. "Oh please, can you let me go to bed? Don't be silly, you cannot be jealous of a guy half our age!". I am ready to sleep, wearing nothing but my slip. In a different situation, my husband would have been enchanted by my naked breast, but not right now. "I'm not jealous!", Mathias almost screams, enraged. I get up, heading towards the door to close it completely, afraid that my daughter or her boyfriend in the other room could hear us. But the man stops me half the way. "We are still talking...", he says. "Mathias you're driving me mad, and you know what happens in these circumstances. Now, please, get out of my way!". The reaction of my husband surprises me; he really tries to react physically, raising his hands to grab or push me in response to my words! I can't allow that of course. It takes me just a second to focus on a target and then chop the vagus nerve on his neck. My husband's eyes roll and he draws back. Mistakenly, that move, known as a "brachial stunt", is believed to be a finisher to drop your opponent onto his knees, but in fact the nerve s just a pressure point that can stun a person for a few seconds; not good in long fights but excellent to teach a quick lesson.

"Don't dare to hit me Mathias!", I say, hoping that that warning was enough. But it wasn't. The man struggles to find a balance and looks at me harshly once more. I've lost my patience. I seize his arm and turn around until my waist reaches his middle section and then twist my feet. He gets thrown over me and lands on the moquette quite unkindly. Mathias shrieks in pain. I expect him to reopen his eyes and then energetically stomp his bare chest with my naked foot. The man, hissing in pain and afraid, seeks shelter by turning upside-down and bringing his large belly to the ground. He is making a lot of noise and I need to stop it. I sit on the back of his head, entangling my feet across his neck to regulate the sound of what comes out of it. "Are you making a scene, Matty? Don't be pathetic!", I say, crossing my ankles over the man's windpipe. But as soon as I finish speaking these words, I notice someone hiding in the darkness of the corridor and spying on us through the door slot. The height matches the stats of the boy who has caused all this trouble. My first instinct is to hide somewhere, given that I'm in the nude and on my husband's head even more, but after a moment, different thoughts crowd into my mind. I chose to stay, not embarrassed in the least, silently challenging the hidden look behind the door. Mathias is too busy breathing to understand what is going on. I put all my weight down on my husband's head, putting my shoulders back and my naked chest out. The shadowed figure finally disappears, leaving me electrified.