‘Rap, tap-a-rap-tap’, it might have been the nth time she drummed her nails on the coffee table. Untamed strands of her silken hair began to creep out of the grip of her hair clip. She pushed them behind her ear, uneasily. The air conditioner had frozen her exposed toes to numbness. Glancing up again, all around, at the door, at the other tables, all in one look and she turned her attention to the dripping glass of water that sat untouched, at her table.
‘I shouldn’t have worn white. It makes me look so fat! Oh! Why did I wear white?!’, she cursed herself.
He was five minutes late. She had been fifteen minutes early. The air was cold and heavy, with bitter coffee. The music was slow. She swayed in a daze, to “Gone with the Sin”. ‘What an odd selection!’ she thought to herself.
He peered through the tinted glass, like a curious child, at table 16. His spectacles nearly dropped out of his sweaty hands. The anxiety and the excitement was making his head spin.
“OK, she’s pretty cute”. He breathed out.
“How can you say that? You haven’t even seen her face yet!” His friend nearly pushed him in.
“No way, dude!” He struggled back, “I don’t want to meet her. Once she sees me, she won’t ever talk to me again”.
“This is stupid.” His friend grunted. “If she was as ugly as a rhino, I could understand, but she looks all right. What will it take to get you to speak to her?!” The argument continued.
She wrestled with her watch. ‘06:20pm already’, she gasped. Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he had seen her, and walked away, like all the others. The thought crushed her. She didn’t dare call him. Would it be easier to face rejection over the phone, or in person?
“Come on man! Just this once, I swear! You know how many times I’ve bailed you out of deeper s***”, he pleaded with his friend, “You owe me this, I won’t ask for anything, ever again.”
“What if she asks me questions? What if she talks about the things you wrote, the things she wrote?! And what happens when she finds out that, I’m not you?”, his friend raised his eyebrow.
“She’s here for one day. Her flight leaves in another seven to eight hours.” She turned. He dragged his friend to a darker corner. “You do all the talking. She’s shy, she’ll barely squeak!”
“You know what! I’m leaving”, his friend got out of his grip. “You cannot do this to her. Don’t do this to her today. Go out, show yourself. She already loves you..”
He slumped in a chair, pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his sweat studded forehead. His friend pulled him back on his feet, “You will do just fine.”
He smiled, took in a deep breath and walked through the door. He looked at table 16 and stopped dead in his tracks. She wasn’t there.
In utter disbelief, he dragged his feet to the chair, where she sat in anticipation for thirty agonizing minutes.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she got into the taxi. Her sister back at home, had been calling her frantically, for the past 10 minutes. Reluctantly, she answered, “Well? How are things so far?” She tried to suppress her tears, but she choked. Her sister understood. ‘He hid, he saw me and hid,” she sobbed into the phone.
“Are you sure it was him?”, her sister prayed that she was mistaken.
“Oh come on! Maroon t-shirt, Lee-Cooper jeans – that’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”, she blurted out.
“Its all right baby, come home. He’s just another jerk.”, her sister consoled her.
By this time tomorrow, she would be back at home, preparing for her engagement.
Happy Anniversary Darling...
Susan and Clyde had been married for ten years now. Today, on their 10th Wedding Anniversary, he gifted her, a gorgeous deep red gown. They had just finished drinking coffee, when he handed her a letter. It was a pretty letter, decorated with glitter and little red hearts.
Susan unfolded it, and began to read…
“My lovely Susan,
Its been wonderful being married to you for so long. You haven’t changed one bit. You’ve given me the perfect married life I always dreamed of. Every morning, I love to wake up to your beautiful face. You look like such an angel when you are asleep, and such a goddess with those strands of wet hair dancing across your face.
I’ve wished that I could make every moment spent with you, last an eternity. Joe and Merlyn must be a real handful, but you’ve never complained. I wish I could celebrate this day, and you, everyday of my life. You deserve so much more than I’ve managed to give you, or than I ever will. I know I should be giving you so much more time, but being assistant managing director really takes its toll.
That reminds me, I’ve been promoted to Managing Director now. I wanted to tell you this earlier, but I never got the chance. Do you know when I got the promotion? It was a month ago, when I had gone on the business tour to Japan. I returned a day early, around eleven in the night. The lights had been switched off, so I assumed you’ll were asleep. I unlocked the door and decided to give you a surprise, but when I reached our room, I saw you and Richard in each other’s arms – giggling, laughing away, with that special bottle of champagne your “Aunt Celine” gifted us, while I was away on business.
Believe me, I was devastated, but I decided not to create a scene at that moment. I wouldn’t want the kids to see you and Richard like that. What would we tell them? They adore you Susan, it would really crush them. So I left and spent the night in the hotel down the street. I kept trying to deny the truth that was staring me right in the eye, but I couldn’t. I’ve spent many sleepless nights thereafter. But seeing you and Richard together explained a lot – like why you used to wear that special expensive perfume to Richard’s grocery store, or why you took ages to open the front door when I came home early from work.
I dedicated ten years of my life to you. I know the smartest thing to do would be file for a divorce, but that would tell horribly on the kids. And I couldn’t let that happen.
So I called Richard over while you were away, and thought I could sort things out. I tried not to lose my mind, but it’s a little difficult after someone you love stabs you in the back, and the person she stabbed you for, is sitting right across the table. So I broke his head with the golf club, the one you gifted me last summer. Ironic isn’t it?! His body is lying in the basement, and I’ll figure something out about it later. Don’t worry darling, he didn’t suffer, and neither shall you. By the way, I poisoned your coffee. I’m sorry, but you’re too beautiful to bludgeon to death.
I love you,
Happy Anniversary Darling…”
The letter fell out of Susan’s hand. The room began to spin around her. She began to shiver. Blood trickled out her nose as she hit the floor.
Clyde got up and slipped a suicide note into her hand. He burned the letter on the gas stove. The clock stuck four. He left to pick up the kids from school.
Susan unfolded it, and began to read…
“My lovely Susan,
Its been wonderful being married to you for so long. You haven’t changed one bit. You’ve given me the perfect married life I always dreamed of. Every morning, I love to wake up to your beautiful face. You look like such an angel when you are asleep, and such a goddess with those strands of wet hair dancing across your face.
I’ve wished that I could make every moment spent with you, last an eternity. Joe and Merlyn must be a real handful, but you’ve never complained. I wish I could celebrate this day, and you, everyday of my life. You deserve so much more than I’ve managed to give you, or than I ever will. I know I should be giving you so much more time, but being assistant managing director really takes its toll.
That reminds me, I’ve been promoted to Managing Director now. I wanted to tell you this earlier, but I never got the chance. Do you know when I got the promotion? It was a month ago, when I had gone on the business tour to Japan. I returned a day early, around eleven in the night. The lights had been switched off, so I assumed you’ll were asleep. I unlocked the door and decided to give you a surprise, but when I reached our room, I saw you and Richard in each other’s arms – giggling, laughing away, with that special bottle of champagne your “Aunt Celine” gifted us, while I was away on business.
Believe me, I was devastated, but I decided not to create a scene at that moment. I wouldn’t want the kids to see you and Richard like that. What would we tell them? They adore you Susan, it would really crush them. So I left and spent the night in the hotel down the street. I kept trying to deny the truth that was staring me right in the eye, but I couldn’t. I’ve spent many sleepless nights thereafter. But seeing you and Richard together explained a lot – like why you used to wear that special expensive perfume to Richard’s grocery store, or why you took ages to open the front door when I came home early from work.
I dedicated ten years of my life to you. I know the smartest thing to do would be file for a divorce, but that would tell horribly on the kids. And I couldn’t let that happen.
So I called Richard over while you were away, and thought I could sort things out. I tried not to lose my mind, but it’s a little difficult after someone you love stabs you in the back, and the person she stabbed you for, is sitting right across the table. So I broke his head with the golf club, the one you gifted me last summer. Ironic isn’t it?! His body is lying in the basement, and I’ll figure something out about it later. Don’t worry darling, he didn’t suffer, and neither shall you. By the way, I poisoned your coffee. I’m sorry, but you’re too beautiful to bludgeon to death.
I love you,
Happy Anniversary Darling…”
The letter fell out of Susan’s hand. The room began to spin around her. She began to shiver. Blood trickled out her nose as she hit the floor.
Clyde got up and slipped a suicide note into her hand. He burned the letter on the gas stove. The clock stuck four. He left to pick up the kids from school.
Four Hundred and Seventeen Rose Petals…
Introduction
She looked at him. He looked handsome as ever. He always looked handsome. Her mind began to wander, back in time, to the first time she met him.
She looked at him. He looked handsome as ever. He always looked handsome. Her mind began to wander, back in time, to the first time she met him.
Chapter One
Simon ran up to her after the competition, “Congrats! You were great!”, he said, trying to catch his breath. After weeks of practice, his friends – Alfred, Joel, Carl and Fredrick – managed to convince Simon that Gina wouldn’t sever his head, if he spoke to her.
“I’m sure I was, that’s why I didn’t even manage to win a consolation prize,” she sighed. She didn’t realize that they had started walking down the corridor, together. Suddenly, she spun around and said, “Do I know you?”. He just stood there and stared at her for a second, “How foolish of me!,” he stretched out his right hand, “Simon Russo”. She shook his hand back, rather reluctantly, “Gina Marina”. He was cute, in a very ‘boy next door’ way, a simple cuteness most girls would have easily overlooked. They started walking again, “So you’re Italian”, she said. “Yeah, and you’re”, he seemed to search every corner of his brain to figure out where she came from, but her surname didn’t ring any bells, “very smart”, he said instead. She burst out laughing. He stuck his hands in his pocket and gave her a sheepish embarrassed smiled. He walked her home that day and they chatted all the way. They reached her doorstep. She wished the walk had lasted longer, and by the look on his face, she knew he wished the same.
“I’m sure I was, that’s why I didn’t even manage to win a consolation prize,” she sighed. She didn’t realize that they had started walking down the corridor, together. Suddenly, she spun around and said, “Do I know you?”. He just stood there and stared at her for a second, “How foolish of me!,” he stretched out his right hand, “Simon Russo”. She shook his hand back, rather reluctantly, “Gina Marina”. He was cute, in a very ‘boy next door’ way, a simple cuteness most girls would have easily overlooked. They started walking again, “So you’re Italian”, she said. “Yeah, and you’re”, he seemed to search every corner of his brain to figure out where she came from, but her surname didn’t ring any bells, “very smart”, he said instead. She burst out laughing. He stuck his hands in his pocket and gave her a sheepish embarrassed smiled. He walked her home that day and they chatted all the way. They reached her doorstep. She wished the walk had lasted longer, and by the look on his face, she knew he wished the same.
Chapter Two
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around then”, he said. “I guess you will”, she said and smiled, because she couldn’t think of anything smarter to do at that moment. He began to walk off the porch. She reached out for the doorbell. “You know,” he came running back up, “I’d really like you to have this”, saying so, he pulled out a little white rose. Gina was pleasantly surprised. “I’m sorry,” she looked the other way, to avoid looking into his eyes, “I don’t accept flowers”. Simon raised his eyebrows, “But this is a sad white rose… and if I take it back home, it will shrivel up and die on the way… so maybe you could give it a glass of water.. or something…”, he said and shrugged.
Simon knew he was blabbering rubbish, but the expression on her face encouraged him to continue, “...and it doesn’t bite..”. Gina could tell that he was praying with all his heart, that she accept his innocent little gift. She took it, but didn’t thank him. He waved her goodbye, and stepped back. He missed a step, and nearly rolled off the porch. “Are you alright?” Gina asked, more amused, than concerned. “Never been better”, he said, and danced off. Gina unlocked the door and walked in. “Now what do I do with you?” she asked the rose and walked towards the kitchen, giggling away.
Gina snapped back to reality, when Carl tapped her on her shoulder, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”. She just nodded. She didn’t want to speak. She didn’t want to break the silence. The church was so quiet, with such pretty roses; “just the way Simon wanted it…” she thought to herself.
Simon knew he was blabbering rubbish, but the expression on her face encouraged him to continue, “...and it doesn’t bite..”. Gina could tell that he was praying with all his heart, that she accept his innocent little gift. She took it, but didn’t thank him. He waved her goodbye, and stepped back. He missed a step, and nearly rolled off the porch. “Are you alright?” Gina asked, more amused, than concerned. “Never been better”, he said, and danced off. Gina unlocked the door and walked in. “Now what do I do with you?” she asked the rose and walked towards the kitchen, giggling away.
Gina snapped back to reality, when Carl tapped her on her shoulder, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”. She just nodded. She didn’t want to speak. She didn’t want to break the silence. The church was so quiet, with such pretty roses; “just the way Simon wanted it…” she thought to herself.
Chapter Three
Her palms were sweaty. The book she held began to slip. She looked at it. It was such a pretty book. The hard cardboard covered in velvet. The words ‘my love’ written artistically in gold. She had bought it just for him; for them. She remembered her 24th birthday party.
It was a private affair, unlike those disastrous college bashes kids throw these days. It was just close friends and family. Simon came over with a huge pink cake. She thought it was pretty gaudy, but she loved the pink roses on it. She poked him in the stomach playfully, with the cake knife, “And where’s my special rose?”, she was pretty sure he had forgotten. “Oh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry,” he said, and pulled out a lovely red rose. She gave him a tight warm hug. It had been 5 months since he had asked her out. They were terribly in love. Everyday he met her, he’d give her a rose. And everyday, she would keep one petal between the pages of the red velvet book. She wanted to remember every moment she spent with him, forever…
It was a private affair, unlike those disastrous college bashes kids throw these days. It was just close friends and family. Simon came over with a huge pink cake. She thought it was pretty gaudy, but she loved the pink roses on it. She poked him in the stomach playfully, with the cake knife, “And where’s my special rose?”, she was pretty sure he had forgotten. “Oh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry,” he said, and pulled out a lovely red rose. She gave him a tight warm hug. It had been 5 months since he had asked her out. They were terribly in love. Everyday he met her, he’d give her a rose. And everyday, she would keep one petal between the pages of the red velvet book. She wanted to remember every moment she spent with him, forever…