by Grant Hunter
‘Ouch,’ I heard myself saying and when someone leant over me. An older woman. She asked me something, but it sounded blurry and far away. My heartbeat sounded so loudly in my head that I couldn’t hear anything else. I screwed up my eyes when the waves of pain ran over me.
‘Don’t move,’ I heard her say now. ‘You had a nasty fall.’
I moaned.
‘Stay still, sweetie. Maybe you’ve broken something.’
This time I heard her clearly. Then a second face hung over me.
‘Christ, Naomi. Are you OK?’ I heard a friendly voice. Calm and strong.
‘Gabe?’
‘Don’t move. This lady is right. It was an ugly fall.’
‘I’m going to be OK. I feel fine.’ I pulled myself up and when I stood I staggered at the pain to my knee. Gabriel supported me.
‘Stubborn.’
I laughed like a hyena. The old woman shook her head, muttered something about recklessness and then walked away.
My legs felt like rubber and I shivered from head to toe. It was just as well that Gabriel held me up.
‘It doesn’t look good.’
I looked at my knees. Blood drops crawled out from the skin but it wasn’t as bad than I had imagined.
‘Can you walk?’
I took a step. My body trembled so fiercely that I almost went down on my knees.
‘You haven’t broken anything. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to stand,’ Gabe said calmly as he let me go. ‘I’ll help you get home.’
‘Thank you.’
Gabe grabbed the bike from the ground and leant it against a tree. Then he pointed to a car. ‘There is my old heap.’
He supported me, while I was moving, more hobbling than walking, to the car. When I finally sat down I could think again. Gabe started the car and smiled at me when he drove away.
‘You were lucky that I had to make a delivery to the restaurant you visited.’
‘Oh, No. You saw everything that happened?’
‘I waved at you, but you were grumbling or something. You looked very sour. Even worse than now. So I didn’t say anything.’
He passed the roundabout and drove back in the direction of the Van Burgh Park.
‘Shouldn’t you be at work then?’
‘Yes, but I don’t mind to make an extra detour. Besides, I have to protect the money I loaned you! Are you sure you are OK? I can drive you to the hospital if you like.’
‘I’m OK, I only have some scratches.’
He shrugged his shoulders.
‘You understand that we cannot continue to see each other, just like this, eh? It is time to really date, after all these failed attempts…’
‘Like friends, you mean?’
‘I don’t care. As long as you do what you do with all your friends!’
I poked him in his ribs.
He returned a smile, parked the car and helped me to go inside the house. I was relieved to see the living room empty. Gabe even helped me to climb up the stairs.
‘You want to come in?’ I asked as I opened my door.
‘Sorry, I need to go. Work.’
I plopped on my bed and Gabe stared at me, worried. ‘You know, you have to clean those scratches right away?’
‘Later.’
He shook his head, stepped over the threshold and closed the door.
‘No, you won’t.’ He walked to the sink, let water flow over a towel and soaped it. Then he sat down and laid the towel over my knees.
‘Thank you, Gabe. For everything.’
His eyes twinkled as he leaned over to me. ‘Naomi, I start to think you like me.’
‘Who knows?’
‘After all the effort...’
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his hot mouth. Then I let him go and looked at him defiantly.
‘Ah, yes. You like me.’
‘Please stay.’
‘My boss...’ Before he could finish his sentence I drew him to me and kissed him more ardently. He slipped his tongue between my lips, his hands roamed over me. It was a greedy kiss, very different from what I had imagined.
My window was still open. Noise came from downstairs, out of the garden. Joy who screamed something and then a man’s voice, soothing. I pulled the sheets over us while Gabriel’s hands disappeared under my dress.
14
The shouting from below had died down. I threw another glance outside, but the garden was empty. I closed the window.
‘You’re doing everything wrong,’ Gabe laughed.
‘That’s my life.’
‘Stay there. There by the window. Just turn around a bit.’
My nakedness felt uncomfortable when he picked up his mobile phone to take a picture. Before I had time to move back under the sheet, I heard a click.
‘Don’t do that.’
‘I want to capture this moment.’
‘It’s here...’ I pressed my hand against his chest, on the spot about where his heart was.
‘I want to have a visual memory.’ He kept the handset above me and clicked.
‘Don’t do that.’
‘Do you feel exposed?’
‘Yes.’
He grinned at me. ‘Strange.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we have just had sex and then you were a lot more naked than now with that sheet over you.’
I dropped the sheet a bit. ‘So?’
‘Much more naked.’
As I shook my head disapprovingly, he took a picture of my breasts.
‘You must go. Your boss, remember?’ And I pulled the sheet over me again, as a sign.
‘Are you angry?’
I shrugged.
He jumped up, climbed into his jeans and pulled his T-shirt over his head.
‘Can I see you again?’
It almost sounded like a plea. I just had doubts when he started to take pictures.
‘Of course,’ I said anyway.
He came close to me and kissed me in my neck, but I immediately pushed him off me.
‘Sorry, Gabe. It is, err, those pictures. I just don’t like that.’
‘Is that all?’
I nodded.
‘For you to feel bad about me is the last thing I want, Naomi. Here, look...’ He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed on the screen.
‘Gone.’
‘Fine, thank you.’
‘I only wanted to keep this as a souvenir. That’s all. I would never hurt you.’ He stepped closer and kissed me. I put my arms around him. Kissed his rough cheek. He smiled and let me go. As he walked away, he shouted that he would come along with pizza tonight. Even before I could respond he was gone.
‘Great,’ I mumbled to myself.
My body felt sore. The sore spots were now burning more intensely than they did earlier. I walked with the sheet around me to the mirror and dropped it. My knees had purple spots and dried up blood stuck on them. I looked at my sleek hair, which was wildly all wild around my head. Over my elbows ran nasty streaks. I put on my bathrobe, and walked to the bathroom.
‘Bloody hell. What happened to you?’
Jen stood at the door of the bathroom. Had she waited for me? I wrapped the towel into a turban around my wet hair.
‘A small accident.’
She shook her head disapprovingly and stared unabashedly at my purple knees.
‘That stupid bike again? Why are you so stubborn. I warned you.’
‘Yes, and you’re right.’
We both stopped talking, as we heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Justin came up to us and his eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw me standing in my bathrobe.
‘H-hello Naomi. Jen.’
I said nothing back, but gave him my deadliest look.
‘Hi, Justin,’ said Jen.
‘Bye.’
When he had gone Jenny turned to me.
‘What’s going on with you anyway?’
‘What do you mean?’
�
�You are so, so cold...’
‘It’s not my day. Or rather, it’s not my week. I’ve had lots of weird nightmares and I – I...’
‘Calm down, Naomi. Come along, to my room. Then we can have tea, OK?’
‘I’ll get dressed first, I’m coming.’
‘No, wait a moment. I wanted to show you something,’ Jen grabbed my hand and took me to her room.
Obviously she already planned to make tea, because everything was set.
‘Sorry. I knew you were there. I err, heard you with Gabe. The walls are rather thin, eh?’
I swallowed. I hadn’t realised that Jen was already at home.
‘Oh.’
‘No problem, Naomi. Don’t be embarrassed.’
She ran to her closet and pulled out a dress. ‘Look. I wanted to show you this yesterday.’
‘It’s very nice.’ I was sitting on the pillow and took a sip from the hot little cup.
Jen handed me the dress. ‘It’s yours.’
‘What?’
‘You have to look great. Tomorrow. And… well, err, your taste is quite... casual. But now we just find something for those weird purple- green knees of yours.’
She looked into her closet and then held a pair of black pantyhose under my nose. ‘Put these on.’
‘Now?’
‘Are you shy?’ She smiled widely.
‘No.’ I jumped up and grabbed the dress from her. Jen sat down.
‘You know, I’m happy for you. Gabe is cool. Very sweet. He looked after you when he didn’t know you at all. Very different from that freak. Our neighbour from above. I heard you had broken into his room.’
She took a sip of her tea and nodded approvingly when I put on the dress. ‘Fabulous. It really suits you.’
I walked to the door on which Jen had stuck lots of mirrors, turned around and smiled satisfied. Jen had an expensive taste.
‘He had made notes about me. Weird stalker.’
‘If that jerk ever bothers you again, you must tell me, Naomi. Josh will sort it out for you. That creep must stay out of your life.’
‘Thank you for that. But that won’t be necessary.’
‘How was he anyway. Your new boyfriend?’
I frowned and raised my eyebrows.
‘Come on. How was it?’
I felt uncomfortable, so I sat down in the dress and drank my lukewarm tea in a gulp.
‘How big?’ She continued.
Did I turn red? Jen looked at me bent double.
‘When you go so red I know enough! Bloody hell, I think you enjoyed it a lot, you crazy Dutch girl.’
‘Well ...’
‘I’m happy for you. Josh and I found it so weird, what you did with Robin and Joy.’
‘Are you talking to him about me? Damn it!’
‘Of course! It was Joshes idea to go to the party. That you would have the opportunity meet other people. We were worried about you. Such a wonderful girl, who continuously attracts the wrong people.’
‘Seriously? The wrong people? And what makes you an expert?’
‘Don’t get angry. I just want to help you. But you can’t deny it, Naomi. You owe money to everybody. People are in debt because of your actions and you are abusing friendships. Josh and I are just trying to help you.’
‘You are right. You’ve helped me, so right I will stop with everything.’
I got up and pulled my robe more tightly around me.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You said it yourself, Jenny. Because I have debts with other people and I do things I don’t want to do. I’ll stop here. I’m going to repay everyone.’
She giggled. ‘Good of you.’
‘I’m going to call someone. Then look for a job, if necessary as a dishwasher.’
‘Are you going to call off Gabriel?’
I nodded and left her room.
There was disappointment in his voice. But despite the uncomfortable silence, which I always struggled with, I kept my tone in control.
‘No. It has nothing to do with the pictures,’ I said to Gabe on the phone.
‘What is it then?’
‘It’s going too fast.’
‘Too fast? We only ate pizza, what can we do about that too quickly?’
‘That’s not all that happened.’
‘I can behave myself. Come on, don’t shut me out.’
‘I really like you, Gabe. That’s why I am saying it to you.’
‘So you don’t want to see me as long as you owe me money?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Then consider it a gift.’
‘No. I’ll feel guilty and obliged. I don’t want to.’
‘You don’t have to feel guilty. I give it to you without any obligations.’
I shook my head. ‘If you give me the money I shall feel like a prostitute.’
‘And what’s wrong with that?’
‘Seriously?’
He chuckled. ‘I’m just teasing you.’
‘I’m not kidding. That’s why I’ll make sure you get the money.’
‘Why? Just take it. Then we can have pizza tonight.’
‘I will pay you back soon, because I have a job,’ I lied.
‘Have it your way.’
‘I’ll call you soon, when I have everything back on track, OK?’
‘Your bike is in front of the house by the way.’
‘Really? How sweet, thank you, Gabe. I’ll call you back in a bit, promise!’
I hung up before he could give me second thoughts. Right now I had only to go back to the restaurant, to make sure I got that job.
15
Yesterday was different than I had imagined. The owner of the restaurant immediately fired me when I told him that I really couldn’t work the day later, because I had an important party. He said that I did not get my priorities right. Disappointed I cycled back home. Furious at myself that I had gone along right away instead of waiting a day. I had barely slept. For hours I lay with a book on my bed and struggled with it, unable to concentrate.
I stared at my ceiling and wondered when I had last felt really safe. A homesickness attack took me back to my father. A successful Dutch businessman who never had time for me. To my mother. Perhaps her failed writing career was the reason she had married to my wealthy father. I had never told her that I found her only book absolutely dreadful. Perhaps that was my urge to achieve something. To be more successful than my mother. Because she used me as an excuse for her failure. But as with everything in my life it worked out differently, from what I imagined. I had a predisposition to ruin everything. Just as my mother. Maybe it was hereditary.
Someone banging on the door made my mind come back to reality. I jumped up and pulled my pyjamas straight as I opened my door.
Justin looked at me confused. ‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were still asleep.’
‘What do you want?’
‘I, err...’
‘Yes?’
‘I err, wanted to ask if you would like to go along to The Underground Sound. I have tickets.’
He pulled them out of his pocket and held them under my nose.
‘No, thank you.’
‘But you are a fan aren’t you?’
‘How do you know?’
He shrugged. Did I read disappointment on his face? Good! What did he think? That I was so easy to lure with my favourite London band?
‘B-but I want to tell you something...’
I felt my right eye twitching. I bit my lip and tried to keep my thoughts to myself.
‘It’s really very important,’ he added.
‘There’s nothing I want from you,’ I said brusquely. ‘Nothing at all!’
He stared at his shoes. ‘OK sorry. Then I will ask someone else.’
‘Good,’ and I slammed the door closed.
That felt good. With a grin, I walked back to my bed and just when I was relaxed, my mobile phone went off. I picked the thing up from my bedside table and saw that it was an unk
nown number. Curious I answered.
‘Hello, this is Naomi.’
Silence. No, not totally. Someone breathed heavily in the background. Oh God, not again... suppressed memories came back to me.
‘H-hello?’
‘I know where to find you, Naomi.’
I held my breath. I didn’t recognize this deep voice. It was a different voice than the one I had heard so many times at home in the Netherlands. This one sounded distorted, extra-terrestrial even. There was nothing I dared do but end the conversation by hanging up, but almost immediately the thing went off again. I rejected the call and put the handset aside. Again a sound, this from a message. My hands shook when I opened it and read it.
If you ignore me again, you will pay for it.
Who was this idiot that wanted to scare me? I thought. Justin? Or maybe a joke by Robin. I could imagine him doing that. I had given him my number that night in the club. Yet he had never called me.
‘Forget it. First find something nice to wear,’ I whispered myself, but the laundry basket in the bathroom was so full of dirty clothes that I was forced to use my last clean set. A light blue pair of denims with a sleeveless blouse. As I brushed my teeth my phone went off again. I threw the toothbrush in the sink and picked up the unit.
‘Bastard, what do you think you are doing?’
Again that silence. This time I heard machines, or motorcycles on the background. Also something in the distance that sounded like music.
‘Robin, get lost with your jokes!’
I wanted to record the conversation when I heard the heavy voice again.
‘This is your worst nightmare - if you do it again...’ But before he could finish his threat, I broke the connection.
With the ‘phone still in my hand I ran down the stairs.
‘Joy?’ I cried as I walked into the garden.
‘She is not there.’
Robin put his newspaper down. He sat in the sun with a cup of coffee. I quickly scanned the table, but I didn’t see a cell phone anywhere.
‘Maybe I can help you? You look like you’ve been hit by a car.’
‘There is actually something I wanted to talk about.’
As I said it, I realised that Robin had been here all this time and that there were no machines, cars or music to be heard in the background.
