“Yes Phil, I want it.”
Phil started touching her legs and buttocks and Samantha stopped him. But they kissed with passion over and over. “It will be in a Scottish castle. Do you agree with me?” Phil interrupted the romance signs.
“It’s up to you darling,” answered Samantha with the excitement of somebody who had eaten butterflies.
“OK. Now, I am afraid, the idyll is over. It’s time to go to the Dorchester where some friends are waiting for us. One thing I recommend you: don’t be afraid of the dark environment. The place will be full of celebrities and the law protects their privacy. Actually, I think it’s a trick from the forty something. You know those women already need Botox and expedience to hide their flaws to the world,” said Phil proud of Samantha’s beauty.
They entered the hotel and were accompanied to their table by a hostess. There were another five men sitting next to them. They were the men of Elton John’s management. They quickly introduced each other. Phil felt a bit awkward but he asked them the name of the leader of Queen who died from aids.
“Freddie Mercury,” they said.
“How a stupid I am. Sorry I didn’t know how to break the ice.
“Are you ready for love?” said one of the guys in tune with the theme of the day.
“We are ready,” said Phil remembering the lyrics of Elton John’s song. “I know Elton will bring here a ten-year-old boy who contracted aids because of a blood transfusion. He had forgiven the staff of the hospital who did the mistake and got the dismissal, of course. The guy has struck a chord and this is enough. Oh, here he is. He is entering,” said Phil quietly.
They all started eating while Elton John did the speech of the theme of the day. The speech was articulate and moving. Elton in person thanked the people there present for having spent five thousand pounds to benefit the Elton Joh Aids Foundation. He pointed out the presence of his neigbhour, Phil Morris, and of his fiancée. Glamour and compassion interlaced during the dinner. Samantha and mystique were Phil’s concern. She was touched to the heart by the reason of the day. She felt to be a queen among the queens. Definitely she wanted to marry Phil. Gallantry and charm were Phil’s most eloquent virtues that won Samantha’s heart. Sure, she didn’t need that dinner to understand her feelings.
Unfortunately, the magic didn’t last long. It was already time to get back home. Samantha laid in Phil arms in the limousine on the journey to their shelter, sweet shelter of love.
Phil and Samantha started their day in the green oasis room at the top of the house There were trees of many kinds: palms, oaks, junipers, eucalyptus. It was a green appealing garden “I feel so tired. I feel the victim of a hangover,” she said.
“How crazy. You simply sipped a bit of champagne in the limousine You must be tired because the gala finished too late All that brought a migraine. Do you fancy breakfast right now? I’ll call Jane.”
“Yes darling. The usual: a cup of coffee with milk, two sweeteners and a croissant.”
“They will be here in two minutes. I will take the same.” He rang the bell to ask Jane to come upstairs with the breakfast. “You see? Organization is the key to manage the housekeeping and the like from Jane’s side. Hopefully today I have a free day. I will start working again next week. I will involve you as well if this pleases you. I have an appointment with Agusta, the man of the helicopters. I have to sell him spare parts for his robots. It’s not a big deal but it fits us. You have just to be my beautiful shadow. But now let’s talk about something else: marriage. What is the best place for me to pop the question? And, above all, do you like the setting of a Scottish castle?”
“I would adore it. Why don’t we choose Skybo Castle where Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married.?”
“Fantastic. But we have to be luckier than them. You have to be the most beautiful bride in the world. There are a lot of choices for the wedding gown: Armani, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino, whoever pleases you.”
“Yes, but the wedding dress must be a secret.”
“Of course, darling. You have just to choose the dress and charge the shop assistant with my credit card. I will give it to you later on. But let me dream a bit. There will be flowers everywhere, candles, the choir, hundreds of guests. The ceremony will be held in the castle by the priest. Do you agree?”
“Certainly, Phil. It’s simply fantastic.”
“What about the guests? I have a list of hundreds of people to invite, most of whom are business friends,” said Phil.
“As far as I’m concerned, I have nobody to invite. I have broken with the past. Lucia, that I considered my best friend, revealed to me that she is envious of me, from which certain advices were born. Not to talk about my family. They are very disruptive, reason for which I do not want to see them on the most beautiful day in my life. I have had more than enough,” said Samantha.
“This won’t cause a problem. You are free to choose. Oh, here is the coffee. Jane why did it take you so long?”
“I beg your pardon. The fitted kitchen didn’t work and I had to provide with somebody to fix it. There was nothing wrong. I was so absent-minded that I didn’t realize that I had pushed the wrong button. I hope you will enjoy your breakfast now.”
“Thank you, Jane. If you want you can have a free day today. Just mop and wash the floor. Dust the furniture, clean the bathrooms, prepare the lunch and you are free to go out. If you want, you can choose the shower of the swimming pool room. It will be so soothing. Bye for now. Have a nice day,” said Phil.
“Darling I have some nausea. Do you think there is something I have to be worried about?” said Samantha.
“Not at all. You are in the mental state of having a baby. During marriages I want to fill you up with kids. A lot of babies, five of them. All of them gorgeous, intelligent and good-natured like you,” said Phil.
“You dream too much. I think I can raise at the very most three children,” said Samantha.
“But there will be nannies everywhere. You will be as fit as you are now since I will make you undergo a nutritional diet,” said Phil.
“You are so crazy. I’m sure you will win again at the end.”
“This is what I want to hear from you. We are planning our marriage. You know most of the guests are vegans. We will provide a menu that suits all the people invited. I hope the day will arrive as soon as possible. You are the queen of the house now. Lay down on the carpet and enjoy the rays of the sun. Now the hydrants will water the trees. Don’t be frightened about their power. This oasis has been planned to give us oxygen in the morning and to expel outside carbon dioxide in the night. I want you to breath oxygen all day long,” said Phil.
“Do you remember the smack on the right cheek? And the other one? I have to apologize. You are simply protective. I felt just raped by my past life. I don’t know how the girl I left behind can get by their private life now. One of them has defaced the wall of a pub to expose in public the shame of the ruined man’s wife. Sure, I think they are clever enough to protect themselves. And then there is Van der Baast. Whoever goes to Amsterdam to face their dirty games has to deal with Van der Baast first. He is a sleazy man. Hopefully you have sorted everything out,” said Samantha.
“Don’t think of that. You are safe now. I want you as close to me as like being in a fanny pack. It’s a yoga position. Hold me, kiss me, cuddle me. I need it,” said Phil.
“I am your love slave,” answered Samantha.
There were just the two of them in the house. Nobody would break that sweet silence. A Buddha. Yes, a Buddha, that was all what was needed. It would help them to love each other with yoga positions. A yoga teacher would come to teach them the discipline. He was a relative of Kabir Bedi the actor. Ecstasy was the state of mind of the two. A tingling sensation annoyed Samantha. It was the position she was in that made her feel drawn. Hopefully nothing would spoil those moments. That little slice of paradise strengthened Phil and Samantha emotions as if they were in an unreal world. A kiss after a ki
ss. Another one. They were romantic, yes, and there were no words enough to depict and express their elated state of mind. It was all there. After all, they would get married soon.
Mark Ward had to go to work at ten am that Wednesday. He left the flat with Rose still sleeping and he went on his own for a walk. He had no better place to visit than the pub with the defaced wall. He was still fascinated by the mystery of the acrostic: L. A. U. R. A. Now the police had started investigating on the matter and Mark lost his sense of privilege that his position in that story gave to him. It was probably the story of a man annihilated by his own debauchery and who used his wife jewels to pay his lovers… The person who had chosen to declare to the world the whole affair was also a sleazy one. It was a hindrance to the researches a few clever guys had been doing since the beginning of the fuss. And even the police found it difficult to disentangle the puzzle. Mark entered the pub and the owner welcomed him with a genial smile “Hi dude. It’s a long time since I have seen you. How’s life going on?”
“Well, it’s terrifying. Just kidding, of course. Since two of my horses have been killed, I am not the same any more. And there is even more. The proceeding of the prosecution was not good. Both of the criminals who did that horrendous gesture have escaped from prison. They have allies outside, I’m afraid. But I try not to think too much about that. A pint of beer, please,” said Mark.
“Sure.” Mark drunk the beer at a gulp. “Another pint, please.”
“Here it is. But be careful: it’s too early to drink so much. I suppose your stomach is empty as well.”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Mark answered.
“I’ll ask the bar owner to bring you a toasted sandwich.”
“Yes, thank you.” Mark didn’t wait long to snatch the delight the pub owner brought to him.
“Be careful eat all of it.”
“You are so nice. I am neglecting myself a bit lately,” said Mark.
“I guess you have skipped breakfast this morning to come here because you are in the police shoes. You didn’t realize it, but I saw you coming here after having observed the defaced wall very thoroughly. Be careful with your probes. There are a lot of sleazy and cunning guys who know what they want. Do you think they would have defaced the wall of my pub if they were not aware of their dexterity? I don’t follow the track of somebody who wants to declare to the world the bad things fate brought into his life because of his wrong doings. It’s not a time of confessions. They will hang to a clue very soon, I’m sure,” said the pub owner.
“I confess I am a bit nosey. But I will mind my own business as it is safe to do,” said Mark.
“Look. Is there anything else which troubles you?” said the pub owner.
“You are a prophetic. I’m constantly thinking of my bride-to-be. We have to marry by the end of August. I prefer not to tell you the reason why I am marrying so early. It’s a long story. I just tell you that I’m frightened by marriage. The success of our marriage is down to us only. She is so sweet. She currently works at a desk check of the Van Gogh Museum. She would like to change job but I advise her not to do it. After all, the job she is doing now is not so distressful. Hopefully I am not one of those sort of selfish guys who want their women at home with their children.”
“Let me express myself. I have heard of your story somewhere else. Somebody told me that you are going to marry so early because your fiancée’s mother is going to die from cancer soon. A terminal cancer I know. I’m sure that you will never forget that imminent tragedy but you will fight to recover serenity and peace soon. I make you the best wishes for your marriage. I suggest that you should go to a church and say some prayers for the dying. Death is part of our life and we have to be strong in front of it. God gave us life and He takes it back as well. Good luck my dear. Look at this holy picture: it’s the Divine Mercy prayer. If you say it in front of a dying person God will act not as honest judge but as a Saviour. It doesn’t’ come from the Books of Judges but from a Polish nun who saw Jesus and told her to pray like that because of a lot of bad sinners in the world. I have said this prayer when my wife was dying. I miss her a lot. I bring a rose to her grave every day. I don’t think I’ll replace her with somebody else. She died of lung cancer. She had never been a chain smoker so I don’t know what to blame for her illness. Cancer is going to be curable someday. There are certain rules to follow. For example, priests who are found smoking will be averted from church. The law will also intervene by banning smoke from crowed places like restaurants, pubs, bars, discos, but… Sorry I am saturating you with melancholy,” said the pub owner.
“Why do I feel so awkward? Why so forlorn?” said Mark
“You are a lucky guy, let me tell you. Listen to me: don’t spoil your privilege,” said the pub owner.
“Oh, here the Niger is coming. He is a whimsical guy who constantly comes here and speaks loudly about himself. He always tells stories of racism. Just listen to him now,” he carried on.
“Hi everybody. Today is a special day for us. A traffic policeman stopped a car in order to make me cross the zebra crossing first. It’s the first time I have not been hit by racial prejudices. I want to toast for it. Besides this I have nothing else to say. I just leave you alone. Please, a pint of beer,” he said.
“Here you are,” said the barman giving the black guy the beer. He then came back to Mark. “What did I tell you? He always wants to be the number one in any situation. Hopefully today he is quite quiet. There is something that rouses my curiosity now. How is your business going?”
“Very well, thank you. That’s why I am in such a hurry. I have to be at work by ten am today. I am very proud of my jockeys. Maybe one day you can come and mount one of my horses under my surveillance. Sorry, now I have to go. It takes me half an hour to get there. Here is the money for the beer and the toasted sandwich,” he said.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s for free.”
“Thank you very much.”
Going out from the pub, Mark was appealed by a gorgeous woman with a sexy body and the voice of a man. She must be a transgender. She had some chalk dust on her top. The same chalk that had been used to deface the pub walls. Mark tried to remember where he had seen that woman in the past. She had some blood in her left ear. Were there clues with the mystery of the acrostic? Mark had a good memory. He was sure that woman would reveal the mystery of it all. She was haphazardly holding a dog and, after a quarrel with another woman, she disappeared from Mark’s sight. Mark was perplexed. With the instinct of a brave man he got out of his car and ran towards his riding school before the local bus would bring all the jockeys over. An intriguing day was in sight. Mark knew very well the reason for that.
For Jill and Sylvanus it was a busy Wednesday. “Welcome to my brand-new flat. I’m sure I can never do enough to express my gratitude for what you have done to help me,” said Sylvanus kissing Jill’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure for me,” said Jill. “Now let’s start cleaning. Oh, this dining room is so tiny even compared to mine,” she carried on.
“I take what you said with the pinch of the salt. Guess how much it costs me?”
“Maybe five hundred euros a month.”
“No, roughly four hundred. Good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s a good deal. Now when you wash the bathroom, I’ll start cleaning up the ceiling from the spider webs, dusting the living room furniture and tidying up the book shelves.”
Sylvanus went in the bathroom for his own joy. Jill saw a diary falling from the shelf. The page opened, it read: She is so sweet, so gentle, so beautiful. March. The Ides of March. She was so embarrassed when Sylvanus came in.
“What are you doing?” he said. “You are reading my private notes, aren’t you Jill? Let me see. This is a poem. There have never been women in my life. You should mind your own business Jill. Sorry if I am so rude. I didn’t want to… It was only an accident. Forget it. By the way, try to be calm and quiet. I don’t want you to face a distress. You have be
en so kind to come here to help me. Do you know what? When Albert went to spy on my notes, I got cantankerous. I am a shy, lonely man. Albert is now going on his own way. I’m going to miss him a lot. All our arguments, all our discussions, but this is life, I hope he’ll start a brand-new happy life with Ravina. I’m sure he is going to marry her very soon,” said Sylvanus.
“I notice happily that you talk a lot. You keep me company. Sorry for what happened. I’m not a nosey person. I simply followed my instinct. As you can see my belly is growing a bit. I’m approaching my third month of pregnancy and I’m starting to show a beautiful rounded belly. Araon is so proud of it. The other day he placed a pink ribbon on the door of our flat. He is so confident we’ll have a baby girl. Not that he will be disappointed by the fact we will have a baby boy. Sorry I’m talking too much and I made a spot on your shirt with my spray. I’m going to clean it right now.”
“I see. Dear Jill, you must blame me for not having asked you if you need something to eat.”
“Some biscuits will do. I haven’t skipped my breakfast this morning but I’m still hungry.”
“Here you are,” said Sylvanus.
“I was looking at the painting on the wall over there. It is a perfect imitation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Why don’t you dedicate yourself to painting? You can make an exhibition and earn a lot of money. You are a free talented spirit. I’d call you the very talented Mr. Sylvanus. But don’t let me talk about national revenue. It’s a bad issue,” said Jill.
“I paint and this is a hobby for me. It helps me to win my loneliness in my new life. I was used to seeing Albert everywhere. The other day we were struck by the big breaking news of the moment. Apparently, a corpse has been found in a well. It was the body of a girl who disappeared from home two months earlier. There are dozens of serious cases like this. And all of them have something in common: the families of the sweet desaparecidos don’t report the disappearance of their intimates to the police in due time. I feel I have to start crying. Sorry Jill I’m so moved…”
The Red Box Page 53
