The Red Box

by Laura Sgarella

  The old lady had carefully listened to Jill’s speech and made up her mind. “You are an enchanting woman, Jill. But you have to give me the chance to believe there is a hint of truth in what my niece has told me recently. You are very harsh in judging her but I don’t blame you for this. I’ll try to follow your advice and I’ll tell you what happens. Now I have to go away. I wish you good luck in your life and thank you for everything. I hope to meet you again in the future and to tell you stunning things. about my niece’s life-style. Bye for now.”

  “I will come with you to the door. Please, think twice about what I have told you. Bye for now.”

  Jill left the woman with a feeling of disappointment. She didn’t know what to say and did her best to show dignity. She went back to her own room waiting for Araon to come. She drunk some coffee and for the first time in her life she desired a cigarette. Was there after that desire something she was waiting for so deeply?

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  During the day Araon was always troubled by disrupting feelings. But when he woke up, he liked to watch his companion sleeping next to him. How many memories challenged his mind during those precious moments! He loved to make a summary of the ups and downs of their love story. Now they had arrived at the turning point. Nothing could overwhelm and spoil all those images of their time spent together. Even the thought of the big adventure he embarked on without the blessing from Jill couldn’t annoy him. Now more than ever since Jill was likely to be pregnant. He liked to write on a piece of paper all the steps of his ladder to the main point of his investigation. He saw the most difficult of all as the golden ones. He didn’t know when the matter would come to an end. He underlined on his paper the most trivial scenes between Jill and him. All that when she was still sleeping. Araon was subdued by the thought of going out and making a trial of the reality, embittered by his own ideas. He took his shoes, he dressed himself quickly, he looked at himself in the mirror and he was ready to go out. He had even forgotten to kiss his wife in the forehead as he always did. He hurried to the end of the street and he was ready to enter a new phase of his adventure. To inform or not to inform Jill about it all, was not a must. He had a flair with words, that was why his conscience wasn’t telling him to make a step back. He simply started counting all the obstacles he had bumped into during his journey. He was in a brilliant situation.

  The mystery of the Van Gogh Museum murder and Jill obsessed him a great deal. He knew that his wife coveted a more significant bond between herself and him but there was nothing he could do to placate all those oceans of doubt. It was half past eight and he had just left St. Luciensteeg street. He was steadily attached to the anchor of his well doing. He had never thought of himself as a do-gooder, leave alone a saviour. That seemed to him an act of defiance. He was thrilled, amazed, frustrated. He had a very puzzled mind which he was unable to placate. And here they came, Nostradamus prophecies as his first though after that turmoil of anxieties. Nostradamus, what a tough guy! Araon liked to imagine himself as the head of the outcome of those prophecies in those moments. He was in an outstanding torpor. The arrows of the masculine gestures Araon was subject to happened to wake his dirty desires of love for his wife. Time passed quickly and he had no clear mind target yet. He didn’t want to step back from what he had done up to then. As a sort of magic, the prophetic man came to sort out Araon’s difficulties. He was pushed to imagine himself tied to a knot of impositions. What he was doing was written in the stars. He lifted his glance to the sky and was struck in observing the candor of the birds’ flight. Now it was time to put into practice the final countdown. And only now Araon’s brand-new day started. He went, in first place, to have a look at his employees’ work. They were terrific. He could easily leave them to work undisturbed without surveillance. Surely this was an advantage for Araon who needed a lot of spare time to solve his enigma about the murder.

  That day he noticed something unusual in his yard. One of the workers was sporting dirty, long pyjamas without shame. Jam was the name of that labourer. He just wanted to be a bit facetious. He apologised saying that he didn’t expect his boss on site that day. After all, he was a good worker. Araon tried to conceal his anger with a sonorous laugh addressed to Jam. He shared an opinion about that accident with the rest of the flock that betrayed a lot of lack of self-esteem. Definitely he wouldn’t need to go to have a glance at the workers for the next few days. He had started with a bang and now he could see the results. Jill would have found the situation unbearable, so he didn’t repent to have left home without waking her up that morning. He probably would contact her later on to pursue the joy of a balanced and well-established love relationship. “Jill is mine for keeps,” he thought and he was right. That made him ready to call her on the phone and explain to her the reason for his behaviour. “Hi Jill,. How are you? I left home early this morning when you were still fast asleep. I hadn’t the courage to wake you up. You looked the little sleeping beauty. I’m calling you to say I love you and that you are always in my mind. I am engaged with my usual matter. I have just been at work to check if everything is proceeding properly. What about you? What are you doing right now?” Araon said aware that Jill would be a bit annoyed by all that fuss.

  “I wondered why you hadn’t woken me up. Anyway, what is done is done. I’m busy with my housekeeping, I was thinking of you and the cell rung right now. Thank God you are alive. I’m just joking, of course. Tell me if I have to have your lunch ready at twelve am. I hope you won’t skip the meal. At least, grab a sandwich if you are still away,” said Jill, trying to hide her anger.

  “Don’t worry for me. I’ll have a big dinner tonight. Now I’m wandering through Amsterdam to devise something to do. I left the herd without spoiling their attention and now I’m free to do whatever I want. I’m happy to be in touch with you right now. My heart beast steadily at every single breath of you. I send you a kiss and…see you later this evening.” Araon was shocked by the bleakness he was surrounded by but he didn’t want to pass on his feelings to Jill.

  Now he had found the solution to the situation that gave him the creeps. He decided to go to the nearest library to read something about Nostradamus. He was skeptical about what he had foreseen but he liked to think of it. He was considering how to make it useful for his search for the murdered corpse disappeared from the Van Gogh Museum. The image of a scarified lamb overwhelmed him suddenly. He thought it over with a sense of guilt. He turned his face down and walked away. The route he had meticulously followed drove him to an intersection. He liked to think of himself as a nowhere man. When he dared close his eyes he felt just the smell of smog. He wasn’t able to devise a method of building a theory about the mystery of the murder at the feet of the Van Gogh Sunflowers. Jill, his wife and best friend knew nothing about it. His sense of guilt overwhelmed him. He found solace in the researches on Nostradamus. Nostradamus was an important example of craftsmanship in disentangling big enigmas. Beliefs of this kind were not an issue. From the prophetic, Araon learnt the ability never to abandon himself to silly questions. He stood in disbelief at reading about the prophecies of the destruction of Paris and London in a probable World War 3. But there was the chance that the two metropolises would be spared by the destruction with the intervention of men. That prophecy was a sort of bond between past and present, myth and reality, truth and lies. He knew that the machinery of evil would never occur to destroy London and Paris. Araon read also that something would happen to Amsterdam. It was one of the cities which had never been mentioned by Nostradamus. That enigma was a rush against time. Araon had limited choices of action. His sense of curiosity for small things never abandoned him. He strongly believed that the truth could be found not just by big ideas but from small symptoms. He was obsessed by that clue.

  Once out of the library, strolling along the street he had the wish to contact Van der Baast. They had not been in touch for a long time. Araon had been informed about the usage of stem cells at his friend’s hospital. It w
as a form of escapism for him. In fact, the doctor wouldn’t be able to help him right now. He was deeply discontented about all that. He pictured in his mind Jill giving advice to him about the proceedings. He had found difficulties in understanding why he had left his wife over his investigation over the case of murder. She was a woman of genius and she probably would have sorted out the puzzle immediately. But Araon didn’t want to fail to be loyal to his secret. His home was the street now. Nostradamus had entered his mind masked by comfort. He had no clue. What did his detective trial have in common with those blasphemous prophecies? He had the necessary intelligence to perceive he was in the wrong direction. Nostradamus seemed to be just a whim, no more. He wanted to start from scratch. He had clearly in mind the picture of the blood in a handkerchief next to the Sunflower painting at the Van Gogh Museum. He never stopped to think how cunning the murderer must be. At that point it would be useful to find traces of the dead in the handkerchief but it wouldn’t be enough to solve the big mystery. Somebody very skillful must have driven the corpse who knew where in a couple of minutes. Araon was eccentric by nature and he was confident to have the ability to work out the case. The closure of the museum undermined his confidence. He was all alone with all his doubts and mental confusion. “What a fuss!” he thought, yawning. He had missed some sleep that night and the first result of that now arrived. He was on the threshold of consciousness. Thinking and thinking it over he chose his way home. Once arrived he rang the bell but he received no answer. From inside could be heard the noise of the vacuum cleaner. He knew that he wouldn’t stop nagging about that precious tool once inside, which made him want to take a big breath to relax and calm down his nerves. It took quite a while before Jill stopped her daily cleaning. It was the news of a vice racket at the breaking news that made Jill move so fast. The visit and telling of the fat old lady about her prostitute nephew were enough. Araon rung the bell again and, finally, Jill opened the door. Araon noticed immediately that she was more hilarious than ever. He felt she had eaten butterflies. He hoped that that joy was due to the big news they were waiting for with patience. Araon was silent. He waited for Jill to talk first. That day he was not particularly genial because of all his troubled vicissitudes. He almost concealed the desire to kiss and embrace his wife.

  “Hi darling,” said Jill, “It’s early in the afternoon and I am still busy with my housekeeping. I simply wanted to make you find the house splendid and tidy. I hope you have followed my advice to eat a sandwich at lunch time. If you wait a few minutes I will be with you,” said Jill speaking with a low voice.

  “Well, I was not particularly hungry. My day was all a mess. I have been to the library looking for stories about Nostradamus. His prophecies are a key to sorting out any kind of mystery. I hope you had a nice day instead,” said Araon.

  “I had a nice day indeed. I’m constantly making pregnancy tests but the big news has not arrived yet. I hope there is nothing wrong with me. And, apart from this, I was concerned with your lonely strolls along the streets of Amsterdam. Dinner is already in the oven for you. I know it’s quite early but you need to eat. So, let me know: what you have been doing all that time?” said Jill.

  “I was just walking full of thoughts around Amsterdam. Your remoteness upset me a bit. Apart from my splendiferous presence in the library there is nothing else I can tell you. Nostradamus is such an issue. I hope my enthusiasm for this is not infectious,” said Araon.

  “On the contrary, I hope that this bug for Nostradamus stories will affect our relationship somehow. You are a man with big ideas but you can be stubborn if you want to. I believe that our discussion is a sort of foolish thing. It won’t finish here. I am in a hurry now. Let’s go to watch a documentary on volcanos. I have always been nosey about this subject. I hope you will enjoy it too in the end. I prepared some tea for you and after a nibble of your dinner we can have a sit on the sofa,” said Jill.

  Joy and happiness fell upon the young couple and it restored the feelings for each other. After thinking it over, Araon felt he was a man of a nervous make-up. This didn’t infringe his relationship with Jill but it was not enough to make him feel at ease with strangers. He needed to breath fresh air. Probably he wouldn’t have turned down his wife’s invitation to watch a documentary about volcanos if he wasn’t sure they were a solid love relationship. He decided to spend the rest of the day devoting himself to a hobby. Then he talked to Jill about his wish for the following day. He asked Jill if it was OK For her to go to a riding school and enjoy horse riding for a day. Jill was reluctant at first but in the end, she decided to back her husband’s desire.

  Early in the morning they were ready with all the jokey equipment and went their own way to the most renowned riding-school in Amsterdam. It was a very big wooden place with several sand dunes all around. There were at least fifty horses in a field of maples which was their destined place for being ridden. And all those who were going there were of an age from six to sixty years old.

  “At least we are not so old,” said Araon trying to involve Jill with his excitement.

  Jill pretended not to hear him. An unusual anger and overwhelming feelings affected Jill’s reaction to her husband incentives. There was something queer about her. When she went to talk to the instructor, she realized she had made a mistake. Horse riding was not for her, though she carried on in her adventure. Jill was given a horse for novices, while Araon had one for more experienced jockeys. The beginning of their training was not exciting at all. Jill nearly fell down twice and Araon was not able to respect the speed requested. After several attempts to stay in tune with the ambiance of the place Jill gave up her mask and started to shout aloud words of deprecation. Araon was astonished by his wife’s behaviour and did his best to placate all the present people’s fears. He realized he had made a big mistake to bring his wife there. They had a break, went to pick a teaser and then immediately went to have a chat with the instructor. He was Mark the homeless. He was very pleased to be involved in a conversation with the young couple. He loved his job very much.

  “My name is Jill,” Jill started to break the ice forgetting her previous burst of anger. The only thing she wished for now was that the instructor hadn’t heard her screaming.

  “My name is Araon,” her husband introduced himself afterwards.

  “I am Mark and I am here to help all of you. I noticed you have an innate capacity to deal with horses. There are not so many people with this inborn ability. I’ve been working here since last month and I have to tell that it is the first time I met two young people horse riding with such self-assurance. At their very first lesson. I have a story about myself to tell you. I have stopped living on the street three months ago. I have been lucky enough to have met some personnel of a hospital who offered me their accommodation as a place to stay. There was enough for me to eat and a lovely place to sleep. But luck arrived last month: they told me that they had found a job for me and now I’m here as you can see. You cannot imagine the joy. My life changed vigorously in such a short time. I wonder how many people would be in my situation. But now I would like to know more about you. I noticed you immediately when I saw you arriving this morning. You are the most beautiful couple I have ever seen. You sprinkle fondness and respect for one another in front of everybody as few people are able to do. If you don’t mind, I noticed you my lady very nervous at one certain point. This is not unusual. Horses can be frightening sometimes.” Mark said with a hint of humbleness.

  We are here just for today,” said Araon. “There are a lot of things happening in our life right now. and we had a try to have a break from our everyday life by coming here today. We have a personal secret I wish to reveal to you. We are planning to start a family and everyday Jill undergoes a pregnancy test. We are looking forward to the arrival of the big day. Jill is not pregnant yet but we rely so much on our patience,” said Araon very enthusiastically.

  “Actually, my husband talks a lot, I am not happy that people know every sin
gle detail of our life. But I hope not to have offended you with my assertion,” said Jill with a bit of arrogance.

  “Not at all,” answered Mark to diminish Jill’s tension. “Now let me offer you something to drink and to eat. You must be very tired”. He picked some tea and some biscuits and offered them to the couple. “Now I have to go. There are so many people I have to look after. Carry on your enjoyment like before,” Mark said politely departing from Araon and Jill.

  When the two finished the training they still had plenty of time to spend on their own. Araon would have liked to go to the library. He had noticed a smart necklace with a cross hanging from Mark’s neck. there was incised something which looked an acrostic. L. A. U. R. A. He didn’t know what that acrostic was reminding him of. He was simply aware that Mark would be holding a secret as well as the words. The letters of the acrostic were red as if they were meant to be the symbol of blood. Sep by step he changed activity. The library was a shelter for him. He was also embarrassed to be there with Jill. Of course his wife was nosey about the interest in that pile of books he had picked from the shelf, but she decided to be silent and watch. Every now and then she had a glance at her wristwatch as if she was bored to be there. Araon secretly remitted that sin of her and, on her own relief, he decided to go back home with her. His researches in those books were not appropriate. He was, yes, interested in Nostradamus but he was also looking for ideas to sort out the disentanglement of Mark’s acrostic.