Jill couldn’t cope with the idea of her husband arriving home so late. “Sweetheart, an aspirin. How long did it take to buy one?” she said shaking.
“The chemists was full up to outside. Never mind. Now I can get rid of this awful headache. I guess you were missing me a lot in that half an hour.” He laughed. “In front of me there were cases of bronchitis, chronic bronchitis and diabetes since the first aid was full of people. Anyway, I’m here now.” Araon started coughing. He was just pretending, of course.
Jill was not naturally to be deceived but she tried to forget that matter. She also pretended to have forgotten the chestnuts in the oven and directed Araon to the kitchen to have a look. It was a mystery to know where she could have found such a treat in that season. Araon got the joke and suggested that they should toast for freedom. It was the slogan of the day. Araon was a free spirit as Jill was. They chased each other around the table before going to pick one of those dainties. They liked to play games like small children just to stop their adrenalin pervading them. After that, Araon opted for a long and meek lunch. Jill knew how to win over Araon. The day was sunny and majestic. The two adored to stay in front of the window from where they could have a glance at the throng of people during the peak hour. The snowflakes that covered the window were now a recollection of the past. The sunny day had a strong influence on the mood of the couple who were pervaded by happiness, dopamine and endorphins. They were so ecstatic that Araon forgot to switch on the TV to listen at the news. They were harsh times for the government and that was clearly understood by Araon and Jill in advance. They used to be informed little by little of anything happening in Amsterdam, Holland and abroad. Finally arrived the moment of the dessert. There was a very tasty pudding that left room for nothing else in the stomach of the two.
“Now I will enjoy myself with washing dishes,” said Araon in an exuberant way.
“You know, it is my duty. But if you insist…” said Jill and they both laughed vigorously as besotted as they were.
It was the ideal day to stay at home and to devote their time for each other. All of a sudden, they started coughing. It was the flu. “It was not a bad idea to go to the chemist’s as you can see Jill,” said Araon.
Jill looked hard at the ceiling just to try to find an answer to the big issue. The problem was not her health, Araon’s. Simply Araon thought that it was time to care about her. The desires expressed early in the morning were softening slowly. “I don’t want to disappoint you. What about if we have a big rest before we carry out our daily duties?”
Araon made her focus her attention on him. “It was a simple cough. We have not to worry too much and to alarm ourselves more than due. Now let’s go and finish washing the dishes. Anyway, you can go and wait for me in bed.
The following morning the smell of toast invaded all the house. Jill had got up at seven o’ clock as usual so that a good breakfast wouldn’t be missing for Araon.
“I’m looking for my sleepers,” Araon shouted from the bedroom.
“They are in the same place you left them yesterday. So, don’t be silly. Come here and enjoy your meal.”
Araon saw the kitchen in a different vibe than usual. In fact, kisses followed kisses among the smell of the toast. “What is the agenda for today? I mean, after work,” said Araon suddenly irritated.
“I haven’t any specific plans for today. I forgot something important. We have an appointment with the man to check the tiled roof. It’s a long time that water has being leaking from above. I have no idea of how much it will cost us., but it will be worth it, I’m sure. Last night I couldn’t sleep properly because of the annoyance coming from the roof.”
“Well,” answered Araon, “this is part of our duty. But what after that? I have an unusual sweet proposal for you. Why don’t you go to the chemist’s and buy the tool for a pregnancy test?”
“I’m living these moments in the throes of death,” she said.
“I don’t want to be manipulative. I’ll dress up in a couple of minutes and we are then ready to go out.”
Araon and Jill rarely enjoyed moments of euphoria like those ones. They were certain that a baby would arrive soon. Araon expected a scolding from Jill since he thought that that moment had not to infringe his right to hold a secret. They went out crossing from one side of the street to another of, which made them fall to the pavement. It was a funny accident, after all. The streets were incredibly dirty that day as if they were in another city. They had never seen Amsterdam as dirty as that. But all that didn’t stop them walking hand in hand as two young lovers. They passed a launderette unusually full of people. It was the best reminder for good cleaning maybe. Jill felt heavy and dumb and she nearly fainted. Araon, who was at her side, lifted her with both arms and did his best to make her recover. It was just a moment of weakness that Jill attributed to the fact that she hadn’t had a healthy breakfast that morning. Araon suggested that she should breathe deeply and have a rest on the first bench they could see. “You know sweetheart? I have thought a lot of our situation and I have realized we are the happiest couple under the sun. Even now that I should be at work, I consider spending time next to you is the best thing that can happen to me. I see you look better now. Our marriage bond is stronger than ever. I love you as I did, the first time I saw you. You have never disappointed me even though I haven’t been the best husband in the world all the time. Now we hope we will have an heir soon. What will be his name if he is a boy?” said Araon trying to comfort Jill.
“Ans I think is the proper name for the son of crazy people like us. If it is a girl, I will call her Denise. But now we are stretching our imagination too much. I haven’t made the pregnancy test yet. By the way, now I am fine. We can carry on walking again,” said Jill.
“I’m sure you are fine, but I’m still concerned with your health,” said Araon.
A strong rumble interrupted the chatting of the couple. It was a plane that was flying very low. It was a moment of panic, since it reminded them of the terrorist attacks in New York on eleventh September. Hopefully that plane landed safely at the airport with nobody injured inside. Sometimes I live in the clouds,” said Araon. “You know I am a daydreamer who takes life as an aficionado. And the only words I am to pronounce on this sunny day is that I love you too much,” said Araon
“I love you too,” answered Jill” But now why don’t we go to work and check if the guys are doing well? said Jill
“That is a good idea. We have the rest of the day for ourselves later on,” said Araon.
That was a cosy moment for the young couple. They thought they were short of personnel so they decided to leave an advertisement on the gates of their work place. They patrolled the area and felt proud of their guys who were working very well. They left the place quickly and Araon felt to have been bitten by a fly. Everything was fine for the rest of the day. It was so hot that they decided to go back to the previous park to spend some nice time in the sun. Children playing soccer were a lovely sight to the eyes of Araon and Jill. A small child went close to the lake to try to take a small duck. He was alone and this was a good lesson for his obsessive parents who went immediately to rescue him. Araon and Jill were planning to do the apprentice of the job of being parents. They didn’t know how would they react if they were the parents of that scolder. Jill asked Araon to divert their attention to another direction since the parents of that child were angry enough. Araon, who was suffocating because of that blistering hot, started to think of his own investigation. The meek climate and the gentle atmosphere accompanied him through the most horrible thoughts. And now the image of the horseshoes came to his mind again. He had gone to the cellar twice to check if they had been deposited properly. It was his instinct that drove him to give all that importance to such a stupid tool. Images of a different kind crossed his mind very quickly. Doctor Van der Baast was on top of his thoughts. He would have liked to contact him very shortly.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong with you?” J
ill interrupted his mind soliloquy.
“Nothing wrong darling. I was just melting under the sun.”
Jill was not satisfied with that answer but she didn’t want to spoil the beauty of those moments.” It’s four o’clock. It’s time to go home,” she cried.
“I agree with you. We have great plans for the day,” answered Araon.
Araon was surrounded by a stack of books in his bedroom where he started dreaming, eyes wide open. He imagined his small kid playing on the floor of their flat. He was now close to a pit watching children playing soccer. “It’s as tiny as a biscuit,” said the little child concerning the squirrel that had recently passed by.
“Concentrate on our game,” said his dad. “We are training ourselves to win. Is that clear?”
“Yes dad,” answered the little kid frightened by his dad tone of voice.
“Can you see that goal? We have to fill it at least ten times today. The goalkeeper is extremely good but we will win in the end,” said Araon.
The little kid tried to do his best to please his father, panting and gasping. He was miniature but fast. He liked to have started a game of solidarity with his own dad. They kicked the ball different times before they could reach the goal.
“And come here,” shouted the dad. “Can you see what you have done? You have allowed our antagonists to get possession of the ball. I know you are sweating, but I’ll let you drink something at the end of the training. Now watch me and concentrate on what I’m asking you to do. Can you see the orange number ten? He is our man. We have to pass him the ball so that he will get a goal. You cannot believe, I’m proud of you. I see you as an expert and very talented soccer player in the near future,” the man said.
The kid was so tired that he didn’t know how to follow the advice of his father. There was not time to think. He had to act and to do it as soon as possible. When the referee announced the end of the training game, Ans begun to mutter something to his father. He was thirsty, but he also wanted to buy chocolate as a treat as well. Araon was a good dad and he knew very well how to make his kid happy and to get anything he was asking for.
Now Araon saw Ans sitting at the desk of his school classroom. Pen and pencil in his right hand he was ready to write and draw whatever the teacher was asking for. It was a lesson on Africa. The children were asked to draw their favourite African animals and to write the main characteristic of them. Ans depicted a lion. He loved this animal so much that he asked his daddy to take him to Africa for a safari among the wild animals. Ans was by far the most intelligent pupil in the classroom. Sure enough, he found any lesson boring, not to talk of the tasks and the essay that the teacher wanted them to do. Eventually there was a meeting between teacher and parents of the kids. Araon arrive arm in arm with Ans. Without paraphrasing the teacher make a eulogy of Ans regarding his terrific skills and commitment during the lesson. The teacher suggested to Araon that he should make Ans take piano lessons or, maybe, some acting. He was a very talented boy and it was a pity to waste his gifts. Ans got the point. He took the occasion to ask his dad to make him have some piano lessons exhilaratingly. He was successful with his request so that he started soon to learn to play the piano. The piano teacher was impressed by the intelligence of the boy and predicted for him a glorious future as a pianist. And Araon conceived it as a dream to become reality very soon.
He was still daydreaming. This time he was with Jill busy with their parenting. of a child who was considered a small genius. But what about Denise, a little doll with snow-white skin and very dark hair? She was surrounded by dolls and by a lot of other relevant toys. Her delicate nature didn’t allow her to make plans for her life. Araon imagined her as a five-year-old girl taking dancing lessons. There were no rules that Araon would abolish for his little girl. Jill, in her turn, was more focused on her skills. Araon was dreaming and dreaming of those two little rascals. Maybe for the first years of their lives they would need a babysitter. But the commitment to raise them with their values was always a must for him and Jill. Denise was very sweet. She liked candies and whatever connected to the world of fashion. A good thing for a tiny little girl. Araon and Jill had two small creatures to love and to make them committed to honesty towards society. They would raise their two kids in the Protestant faith, leaving them free to choose whatever religion once they became adults. They wanted for them excellent schools and other extra activities as strong and healthy they were. Araon envisioned Denise in the shade of a tree on a tropical island. Her mum was with her relaxing and sunbathing after a year of exhausting work. Little Denise liked to swim but she was scared by the tales of sharks present in that water. So she went playing ping pong with her older brother. Araon was lying in the sun watching his lovely family. To rest under the sun he got all the energy enfeebled during a year of hard work. The beautiful family remained in the beach until late when a bell call summoned up all the guests of the hotel on the shore. It was nearly dinner time and all the hotel guests were invited to take their place. Ans and Denise were already thinking of the movie they would watch after dinner. They seated at their table and their parents followed suit. Araon gave the two kids the usual lesson, which was to pray for the blessing of the food. And Ans and Denise weren’t ashamed to do it into a crowded place. But a pile of books that dropped on his head woke him from his dreams, eyes wide open.
Albert and Sylvanus. were stuck at the post office all day. A queue of people from every walk of life were present for their little daily matter. Albert and Sylvanus turned their eyes to the left after a woman cried, “What’s the deal, my husband?” But it was a question of a few seconds. They had to send ham and cheese to their friends in Italy. There were sixty-three people before them in the queue. Albert waited his turn with patience but biting his nails while Sylvanus had a steady composure. A French guy next to them asked for some information in a very tight dialect. It was difficult for everybody to help him. He tried to express himself, gesticulating so that people finally found out that he wanted to know where was the counter of the recorded delivery packages. Albert became suddenly red and visibly agitated at the normal request of the foreigner. He was one of those kinds of guys who loses his temper very easily at the most stupid reason. Now there was no need not to stay calm. Sylvanus underlined immediately the bad conduct of his friend and prompted him to apologize.
“Fifty-three,” announced the speaker. There were only ten people to finish their matter before Albert and Sylvanus. The two friends would spend the whole day at the post office as anticipated. Though it was not the proper period to buy ham they decided to send that little present to their friends for the weirdest of reasons. They were frightened that their friendship would face a direct crisis. After all, in Amsterdam they had only two genuine friends: Araon and Jill. Sylvanus was frightened that his mate would lose his temper again. Another half an hour passed and ten people left the post office. The two friends had looked for a chair to sit in the long queue, unsuccessfully. They had been embarrassed by an old lady sitting next to them. She looked quite pale and weak.
“My name is Heck,” she had introduced herself. “I arrived in this office one hour before you and I’m still here. Hopefully, what I have to do is not so important. So I can give you my number and I’ll go. Take it, please. I’m more than happy to help you.”
“You are very kind,” answered Sylvanus. “So, now we are number fifty-five. Nearly time to go. We will always be grateful to you. We wish you a nice day and to meet you again,” added Sylvanus. They were now close to their goal of sending their parcel to Italy. It had never been a routine for them to send small presents to friends but this time they were dominated by a strong will to do good.
When their time finally arrived, the clerk weighed the parcel and asked one hundred euros for that tiny thing. There had been always something fishy about Albert and Sylvanus, but that time they beat the peak. They almost refused to pay but their common sense made them back away from that decision. They had a big argument that sto
pped the queue’s claim to go ahead. The two guys left the post office with great agitation.
The Red Box Page 15
