The dinner was finally ready. “Have a nice meal. Tomorrow is another day,” they said together in the gloom of the atmosphere.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jill was happy. She was watching the package of their trip to Miami due within two weeks. ‘Luxury Hotel by the sea, newspaper delivered daily, breakfast in the room, bathroom with hydro massage and a lot of sun’. I’m looking forward to being there with Rokin growing into my womb. I can touch him, my sweet Araon. You have thought well. This holiday will be the celebration of our happiness. But Araon where are you now?” Jill was thinking loudly. She hadn’t strength enough to go out that morning. After all she was in awe in front of those flight tickets and holiday package. She had just the small wish to get a book from the shelves of the dining room.
The Mud and the Hen impressed her deeply. It was always in her mind. But it was just in the production procedure. She didn’t know when it would be available in the bookshops The title was intriguing which made it appear bankable. “Araon, what happened? Why are you here so early?”
“The problem is that I have high blood pressure. I was at the doctor who advised me to have a rest. No medicines at the moment.”
“Poor Araon, have a sit. What’s this?”
“It’s a chicken. I went to Albert and Sylvanus’ shop to let them know that we will be in Miami within two weeks and they presented me with this chicken. It will be our lunch, I suppose.”
“Actually I have already prepared some salad with boiled eggs. We can have the chicken for our dinner.”
“OK. What were you doing during my absence?”
“Something very special: I was staring at the flight tickets and holiday package. I was also going to pick a book as a form of escapism but I forgot that The Mud and the Hen is not still available in the bookshops. I have in mind a few lines already. Guess what? The story is likely to be intriguing because it can be similar to our life. A really gripping plot. The writer is still unknown but it’s likely that the book will be an immediate success. The author’s uncle is already doing a good job of promotion. He was at Albert and Sylvanus’ party. He dropped his presentation card while leaving and I picked it up. The name of the person was deleted but the telephone number was very clear. I have never dialled it. I do not want to make false move mean; I don’t think the presence of the card on the floor was accidental. It was a way to attract people’s attention.”
“And you get stung. There are other books that might arouse your interest The last one I read was about youth nowadays. A good choice for a dad-to-be. I was caught by the passage on fornication. Teens nowadays have sexual experiences very early when they are not able to face the world. When I was young, virginity had a value. Now boys leave their girlfriends if they don’t want to get laid before marriage. What a disappointment for those girls! Anyway we are a happy couple and we must not waste time upon those trivial issues. Think of ourselves: we have had only a few arguments during our marriage. Do you think it is normal?”
“I think it is the result of our wellbeing.”
A sudden noise struck the couple’s attention. “What’s this?” said Araon.
“Don’t be fidgety. The upstairs tenants are testing a new alarm system. It is a worthless effort for them. We have other worries. For example next to the plane tickets there was a not to let the Spanish go away. With my jealousy, of course, I thought it was a former lover. Just joking, of course. It’s the universal key. Do you want to change the lock of our door during our absence?”
“Sure. Sorry if I haven’t informed you on time. Not that in our flat there are a lot of things which may attract thieves, but I am very jealous of any single items inside here. I meet up sleazy faces every day during my strolls and today was no exception.”
“I see. You know now I feel I want to listen at some music. We are only two of those privileged who still have vinyl. Our CD player is hidden who knows where. Here you are: Too Much Heaven by the Bee Gees. It’s from the Spirits Having Flown album. Poor guys. They all died but the oldest one. Now he is alone and he looks really forlorn.”
“If this pleases you just listen to it. Sorry I am still holding this bag with the chicken in my hand. I’ll go put it in the fridge. Oh, there is the salad. It looks good.”
“Darling, do you mind if we do some cleaning? I will dust the room, clean the toilet and you will clean the kitchen floor.”
“That’s a good idea. Let me wear the housekeeping apron and in a while the kitchen will be perfectly clean. Where is the floor cleaner? Oh, here it is. I will go ahead.”
“I see you look awkward. You are not used to it, are you? I will be quicker than you. I was considering hiring a housekeeper once a week to help me with the cleaning. I’m starting to feel a bit tired and I cannot manage to do it all by myself any more.”
“Do you have any idea who to ask? At your knitting course there are a lot of women who might be able to give you this piece of information. I am not talking of the old fat lady. She is concerned only with the gossip about her niece. Next time she will tell you that her adorable girl is married to a rich businessman. Now stop joking. Of course I know how to deal with this situation. You have just to keep faith on buzz.”
“Now if you are tired, stop working. We don’t need to have a perfectly clean flat. How can I help you? You look as if you were fainting.”
“It’s my depression. Now my mood is changing again. Go and have a look at the toilet. I got rid of all the placebo medicines. I’m also less concerned with the epidural. I’m a mature woman now.”
“Go and lay on the bed. I will wake you up at lunch time. The doctor suggested that you shouldn’t take medicines for your depression. Go, close the shutter and have a sleep.”
“Thank you darling. We will have a walk outside in the evening.”
”Definitely we will.”
Darkness finally went down into the room. While Jill was sleeping, Araon thought to go to the cellar. Sure Jill wouldn’t go there. She is so frightened by the cat that she would never dare make a step close to that reality. He went to check the bottle of acid and unguent. He had bought it to clean the handkerchief as he had devised in first place. But later on he changed his mind and he decided not to scrub the handkerchief and to undertake on his own the journey of his investigation. He wondered if Van der Baast could find out more information about the disappeared twin sister of Olga Itch. But he felt it was the time of holidays even for the doctor. It was not the case to disturb him. He had a glance at the place and proudly noticed that everywhere it was nice and tidy. He picked up a nail and a hammer and went upstairs to fix the rocking chair. It was the dune of love for Jill and him. He was annoyed by the rays of light from the window so he went to let down the shutter. And there it came, the truth: Jill was frightened by any kind of insects. Sure enough he found dozens of dead ants in the window. There must have been some insecticide hidden somewhere but he was not able to see it. Never mind. He had to be careful about the flies as well He made a few steps to watch Jill sleeping. He seemed so absorbed in that bedside. He so went to the toilet to find the razor but in its place he found some sunbathing creams. He also saw a picture of him and Jill when they were very young at the first time of their engagement. They had not changed so much since then. He could boast proudly of having the same clothes size he had when he was twenty-four years old. He also realized he was not able to lie. He hadn’t hidden that picture purposely to attract the attention of Jill. She was a cosy wife and to some extent it was the right thing to do. Araon knew that Jill wouldn’t contact Van der Baast in order to have antidepressant pills. He had a glance at his wristwatch and he realized it was already time to have lunch.
He was eager to share with Jill intimate moments during their meal. There was something tasty to eat but that was not the issue. There was still the chicken salad in the fridge which was a gift from Albert and Sylvanus. It was a piece of memory of the visit he made to his friends’ shop the previous day. He was happy to have learnt tha
t Albert and Ravina had stop arguing and that they were ready to go and live on their own. He was sorry for Sylvanus who was now haunted by threats of loneliness having nobody to share his flat with. He was permeated by a sense of deep joy at the thought that he would repeat the same experience as Albert. A new engagement could be announced soon.
Araon could hear Jill snoring from the bedroom. So he decided to have a look at the eleven am news. He could read the subtitles without disturbing Jill. A thirteen-year-old girl was stoned to death in front of one thousand people because she had been raped in Algeria. The unemployment rate in Holland had descended to its lowest since the eighties. Manchester United boss quit after allegations of deceit. Araon was so overwhelmed that he immediately switched off the TV. He went to pick some books from the shelves of the dining room and he noticed the note: The Hen and the Mud. Jill had confessed that at Albert and Sylvanus’ party that uncle of the writer dropped on the floor something while going away. It was a library card. There was his name half deleted and his phone number. She had tried to contact him on the phone but a voice from the answer machine said that that number was unknown. Of course she would have hung up as soon as somebody went to answer. It was such a weird story. Probably that man wanted simply try to find a job for his nephew. Araon was very cautious in dealing with that piece of paper. Jill was very fond of it.
The bell rung. He went to open the door and he was so discomforted to see the usual Jehovah’s Witnesses there. They wanted to have a chat with him concerning their doctrine. Araon was reluctant to listen to them because he had already his own faith. He pointed out that the things they were saying were not written in the Bible. They were saying that Hell does not exist because our father loves us so much not to condemn us to the eternal torture of the fire. He remembered very well the pages of the Bible which talked about Hell. But his interlocutors were very stubborn. “You are very rude,” concluded Araon. “I hope I won’t to see you here any more.” And he closed the door with anger. He hoped not to have waken Jill up. Anyway it was twelve am, nearly time for lunch. And his sweetheart appeared in the sitting room with bare feet.”
“What’s the matter darling? Why were you screaming?” she said. “The usual stalkers: The Jehovah’s Witnesses,” he replied.
“Just leave them alone. Now my depression is disappearing. My brain is starting to produce dopamine and endorphin again. Shall we go to have our lunch?”
“Yes, darling. Just let me set the table.”
“Good. Here are our boiled eggs and our salad. But at the end we will enjoy strawberries with orange juice. I know you are used to better food but today I was so tired that I didn’t go shopping.”
“Don’t worry, Jill. I’ll take you out for dinner tonight.”
“I wish we go to have a walk at half past four like every afternoon. We will decide along the way what to do. I’m afraid I’ll go to have a rest even after lunch till our time to go out. Now have a nice meal.”
“The same to you. Consider this a prayer.”
Araon and Jill’s intimacy did not last long. They were silently waiting for the moment to go out to arrive. Jill slept more than due. It was four pm when she woke up. She had a strong desire to go to the Van Gogh Museum to see the Sunflowers. Araon was aghast and silent for a while. “We will go,” he whispered in Jill’s ear. “But we will use our cabriolet. I don’t think it’s a good idea to take you under the strain of travelling by train.”
“You are so kind. Give me a few minutes and I am ready to go.”
“OK. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Araon started the engine of the car when he saw Jill arriving and he went to the museum at high speed. He parked the car near the museum and he and Jill plunged into their awaited visual adventure. But there was a surprise; Mark Ward was there looking very shabby. “Hi Jill. Hi Araon,” he shouted when he saw them arriving.
“Hi Mark. What a pleasure to see you here. Why don’t you get in?” said Araon.
“Well there is a weird misunderstanding between me and Rose. Yesterday I found her menses blood in the toilet. I was horrified because this is the effect of blood upon me. She left the flat screaming telling me that I had to apologize. I just wanted her to flush the toilet and clean it with some bleach. It’s nearly five pm, time for her second break. I do not want to go inside now. But, please, tell her that I will wait for her here until half past seven when she finishes working,” Mark said.
“We will do it for you. Is there other news concerning your life?” asked Araon.
“Well. Now I know what anger is. The police are investigating the death of my bay horses and they insist I should be the guilty one. They asked a lot of questions to suspected jockeys but they have no clue. I told the police that I haven’t received other clandestine letters for the moment. They warned me that if I lie, I won’t work any more. I am not worried. I know I am not the guilty one and that the truth will come out sooner or later. I will be very patient. The police told me that revengeful killers don’t use poison but they kill in a more cruel way. This is not a way to provoke me, of course. I am clean and they will appreciate it. What about you. Is there any news about your little... Little Rokin....”
“Oh yes. He or she is growing in my womb which causes me fits of depression. I am up and down every day. I am happy I have a man who stands by me as much as he can. The big news is that we are going to Miami within two weeks. It will be a holiday with the beauty of the sun and the sand under our feet. Now it’s five pm. We enter the museum and, as you have asked us, we will talk to Rose,” said Jill.
“Thank you very much. I hope you’ll enjoy yourselves a lot during your holidays,” said Mark.
The couple entered the museum by the foyer and they noticed immediately Rose hiccupping and sipping some tea at a desk.” How are you?” said Araon gently.
“Not too well, honestly. Come on, sit here. I have a fifteen minute break.”
“We saw Mark outside and he asked us to tell you that he will pick you up at half past seven as every day. He is very sorry about what happened,” said Araon.
“I am very sorry as well. But there is only a dark side of this issue. I know I am not pregnant. I have been working here for six months and I haven’t the maternity leave yet. And I am happy to see you here. I consider you true friends. What drove you to this museum?” said Rose visibly sad.
“Jill wants to see The Sunflowers and then I want to have a look at other artists of the nineteenth century,” said Araon.
“I’m afraid The Sunflowers won’t be displayed today. That part of the museum is closed to the public. because the alarm system is not working properly. The boss here is enjoying himself with silly jokes. He gave an alarm of fire and asked us to leave the place immediately. When all the personnel gathered outside he came to apologize for the fake incident. It was a way to test our IQ. What a weird situation. We were supposed to find the extinguishers and we realized they were those sort of radiators. Later on the boss thanked us for our patience. Oh! What an idiot! I haven’t asked if you want something to drink.”
“No, thank you,” answered Jill. “We will have another occasion for toasting for our victories. Now I am attracted by these geniuses who left us all these masterpieces. It’s a pity that schizophrenia made Van Gogh end his life as a suicide. But I do not want to burden you any more. I guess you have to go to your desk check again,” said Jill.
“Yes indeed. I hope to see you soon again,” said Rose.
The couple had a brief tour of the museum. Jill was disappointed for not being able to see her favourite masterpiece. At the exit, they met a civil servant who asked them if they wanted to give some help with money to make the restoration of so many works of art. They were risking to lose their original colours and immediate intervention was needed in order to prevent that, and other damage. Of course Jill and Araon obliged.
They left the place looking forward to having a tasty dinner somewhere romantic in the city. “You have to forget the calories,
my dear. I want to see you enjoying a steak and French fries. And, why not, a pint of beer,” said Araon.
“I will do it. But please, let’s go to a restaurant close to our flat. I need to go back home soon,” said Jill.
“Obliged,” he replied and went with Jill to the cabriolet.
Jill was the first to wake up the following morning. Araon was enjoying his sleep like an angel. She was busy handling coarse paper where to write things to do and things not to do in order to overcome her fits of depression. She was smoking a cigarette even if she was doing it with disgust. Araon was overfilled with the bad smell coming from the sitting room and went straight to have a look what was happening. “Jill, sweetheart, are you smoking? You have never done it in your life and now you are doing it during your pregnancy. Do you know that this might harm your baby besides yourself?” he said.
“You are right but I am too nervous. I’ll stop doing it immediately. Anyway it’s so disgusting. I’m sure I won’t do it any more,” she answered.
“Give me the packet of cigarettes.”
“I have already thrown it away. I am simply trying to figure out expedients to overcome my fits of depression. I’ll go to the hairdresser’s. To the corner at the end of the street. It’s nearly time to open. I don’t need an appointment. And you can go out minding your own businesses. We will meet each other at the usual time. Bye Araon. See you later.”
“Bye Jill.”
She put on the first pair of trousers and top she found in the wardrobe and hurried up to the hairdresser’s. The lady was just opening. “Hi, you are my first customer today. I guess we have never met each other in the past.”
”Actually it’s the first time I’ve come here.”
“Come in. Today it’s a special day. I give a twenty euros voucher to the first customer who arrives at the shop. You have wonderful black hair which matches well with your alabastrine skin. I guess you need just a hairdo which costs fifteen euros. The remaining five euros will be enough to give you a shampoo.”
The Red Box Page 43
