Enigma Black

by Sara Furlong-Burr

  “Okay. I’ve thought about it and I’m in.”

  “That was quick.”

  “I’ve heard that before.”

  “I’m not taking you anywhere tonight. Not until you’ve actually put some thought into everything I told you. You’re expected to give up your life, you know.”

  He laughed. “That’s just it. I have no life to give up, so in essence I’m giving up nothing to gain everything I’ve ever wanted. My family wants nothing to do with me. I can’t seem to maintain any kind of lasting, meaningful relationship with a girl. I’m stuck in a dead end job with no benefits because I can’t do any better, living off free food from the bar, sneaking booze when Harold isn’t looking, only to stumble back to my pit of an apartment at night and waking up to awkwardly face my horrible decisions the next day.”

  “You’re right. You’re life really does suck.” I laughed.

  “I wouldn’t be talking if I were you. Yours must not have been too great either if you’re here with me right now.”

  Actually, it wasn’t great…it was perfect, I thought to myself, but kept it in to avoid a barrage of questions that would surely follow if I were to make it audible.

  We came to the glass doorway of Ian’s apartment building. He took his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, holding it open for me as we entered. Immediately to my right was a flight of stairs, which Ian started to ascend. Once upstairs, I followed him down the hall until he stopped at the second door on the left, unlocked it, and motioned for me to enter.

  It was the definition of bachelor pad. Dishes piled high in the sink, clothes strewn about the floor in various piles. But it wasn’t so much the appearance of the apartment that was as off-putting as the smell that wafted through the air: stale food and body odor. How he was as popular with the ladies as he appeared to be was befuddling to me. I surmised that he either went back to their places or it was purely the work of liquor.

  “Sorry about the mess. I usually try to pick up a bit when I know I’m going to have company.”

  “Well, I can certainly see why you want to get out of here so badly. I’d rather pick up and leave than even attempt to try and clean this cesspool.”

  I walked through the foyer into the small kitchen, where I had to tip toe around beer cans like a giant trying to navigate a mini maze. The floor plan of the apartment opened up from the kitchen into the living room, where there were even more clothes in random piles on the floor and health and fitness magazines intermingled between socks, sweatshirts and damp towels. Aside from his obvious disdain for cleaning, there were signs he did, at some point in time, attempt to make his tiny space a home with the photographs that adorned the wall. Photographs featuring friends, family, scenery and random objects in colors, blacks and whites and sepias hung in nearly every square inch of free space in his living room. It was quite evident photography was an enjoyable hobby for him; one of which he was rather talented at. My feet paved a path through the clutter as I walked around the apartment to admire his work, coming upon a space in the wall showcasing an obvious theme. Displayed there were still more photographs, however, unlike the others, these photographs were amateurish and obviously more dated. Featured in them was the same young boy throughout various stages of his life along with an older man. There were images of them fishing, camping, and bonding on various family excursions.

  “You were close to your father, weren’t you?”

  “He was more like a brother to me than a father.” Ian emerged from his room carrying a small duffel bag, a stoic look etched upon his face. “I was with him the day he died. My mother and I were sleeping in our hotel room while we were on vacation in Atlantic City. Dad wasn’t much of the gambler, but mom wanted to be at the casino, so to the casino we went. He was a horrible insomniac, my dad. That’s why he was still awake and roaming the casino floors at three in the morning when the blast hit. He didn’t die immediately…but he should have. When my mom and I saw him at the hospital a couple of hours after the blast, he was barely recognizable.” He took a deep breath in an attempt to counteract the emotional toll recounting the event of his father’s death was taking on him. “The…the burns. They were horrible. They were so bad that they even haunt my dreams to this day. He was burned over seventy percent of his body. Skin was literally dripping off him as though he were melting away. His agony was horrendous. When we arrived, he was barely clinging to life. The doctors prepared us for the worse, knowing that it could come at any second. My mom sat on one side of his bed and I on the other, but never once did he look at my mother or acknowledge her presence. He only looked at me and, with his last breath, he told me he loved me. Then he was gone. I think that’s the real reason why my mother hates me. She’ll deny it, but after that night, she never looked at me the same way again.”

  “I’m sorry.” I attempted to console him while gazing upon his memories. “My parents and my brother died in a horrific way, too. Although I would give my own life to get them back, I’m relieved with the thought that it was quick and I didn’t have to see them die.”

  He nodded. “Now you know why I have nothing to think about.”

  “So, does that mean you want to get on the road tonight?”

  “You bet your ass I do.”

  “How do you know that I’m not some psychotic whack job who’s just making this whole thing up just so I can take you out to some wooded area, rob you blind and then off you?”

  “Well, first of all, everything you see in here is everything I own. Whatever you want, you can have. Secondly, if I die tonight, I honestly wouldn’t care.” He walked over to me, standing within inches from my face. “But, most importantly, when I look into your eyes, I don’t see someone who is capable of any misdeeds. I see a soul that’s kind…caring…almost perfectly so.”

  “Okay, Rico Suave, let’s go.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The Commendation

  Chase Matthews was a hero, and today he would be honored by his colleagues because of it. He stood in front of the mirror in the City Hall bathroom adjusting his tie. Already, the auditorium had filled to capacity with people wanting to hear good news for a change. Normally, he wasn’t a nervous person, but the prospect of thousands of eyes on him made him feel like heading for the hills. The fact that he was getting rewarded for saving a few lives was ironic to him. After all, wasn’t that what he did every day? He wondered why it was such a big deal now.

  Paul, thankfully, had survived after spending a few days in the intensive care unit at Grace University, recovering from severe smoke inhalation, or so he’d been informed by the staff there. He’d been told that Paul was expected to attend today’s ceremony, which made the formality worth it, for the burly man had made an indelible impression on him. Hope Memorial was under heavy construction with its most critical patients having been transported to Grace University, and the less critical to various hospitals slightly further away. It would take a couple of months, but Hope Memorial would be back up and running as if the explosion had never happened.

  His parents and sister were here, beaming with pride at their son and brother. They would be joining him on the stage, which was a big deal for them. Still, he didn’t like the fuss. If the city felt the need, they could have just called him. Yes, a phone call would have sufficed instead of an over-the-top ceremony, newspaper articles, and interviews with the local media outlets. Taking a deep breath, he splashed some water on his face, knowing he couldn’t stall any longer. “Okay,” he muttered, “let’s get this over with.” Adjusting his tie one last time, he walked out of the restroom and into the hallway.

  “There you are!” MaKayla exclaimed. “We were beginning to think you ran away.”

  “I came pretty close.”

  “You’re such a dork.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what’s so horrible about being called a hero and being worshipped by a bazillion people for a day?”

  “The bazillion part.”

  “It will all be over before
you know it.”

  “So are executions.”

  He followed MaKayla down the hallway toward the backstage of the auditorium, where he was immediately spotted by the Mayor’s over-stressed assistant, who would be introducing him tonight.

  “Oh, thank goodness,” she gasped in relief. “The natives are getting restless. Not to mention, Mayor Wilson has to be out of here in twenty-five minutes.” She took him by the hand and led him toward the stage.

  At least I know this will all be over in twenty-five minutes, Chase thought.

  The Matthews family walked onto the stage, taking their seats in their respective chairs. From the audience, he could hear a few claps when he appeared on stage, but he didn’t look into the crowd until he was firmly seated in the chair next to his father. For some reason, being seated in a chair as opposed to standing up seemed to calm his nerves, soothing his stage fright somewhat.

  He looked through the audience, where he spotted Trey in the front row. Trey gave him a wink, and he wasn’t quite certain whether it was directed toward him or in response to the attractive mini-skirt-sporting woman seated next to him. He smiled at Trey as he continued to scope out the audience. In the row behind Trey, he saw a couple of individuals whom he aided in escaping Hope Memorial. One of them, a young woman, mouthed “thank you” to him from her seat. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Toward the back of the auditorium, near the middle, he found the very person he hoped he would see. Paul, donning a white, button-down dress shirt with a blue and red Hawaiian print tie, sat talking to an older man seated in front of him, his thunderous laughter reaching the far corners of the auditorium. It amused Chase to see that Paul appeared nearly as uncomfortable with this gathering as he was, and he wondered whether that was why he chose to sit in the back row near the exits. Smart man, Chase mused.

  As he attempted to return his focus to the stage, a sight he wasn’t expecting caught his eye. Seated next to Paul was a woman who was noticeably staring at him. She was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Her long blonde hair fell in ringlets halfway down her arm in a golden cascade, complimenting her peaches-and-cream complexion. Noticing that he now noticed her, the woman smiled at him, a perfect pearly white smile; the kind of smile that wiped a man‘s mind of his thoughts, causing time to stand still. He shook his head to regain his bearings.

  “Are you all right?” his father asked him.

  “I think so.”

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “No, not a ghost. An angel maybe, but definitely not a ghost.”

  Jim looked at him with a confused glance, but before he could ask any more questions, Mayor Wilson took the stage, eliciting a round of applause from the audience. The Matthews family stood up from their seats and joined in the applause with the audience. Taking it in for a couple of seconds, the mayor motioned for everyone to sit down, silencing the room.

  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “We are here today to honor a very special member of our community. A man who not only saves lives as a part of his vocation, but who also saves them as a part of his love for his fellow man and respect for his civic duty…”

  The mayor went into detail about the events of the day, including Chase’s plan that had ended up saving several lives, as well as the emergency tracheostomy that had saved Paul‘s. Chase sat listening, ultimately hearing none of what was said, but remained fixated on the woman who was still eyeing him intently from the audience. Dating hadn’t crossed his mind since Celaine left. The thought of it repulsed him, actually. Still, it was unthinkable for him not to at least attempt to be happy again.

  He smoothed out a wrinkle in his khaki pants, trying his best to divert his attention away from the blonde beauty. As if sensing a change in her son, Carrie put her arm around the back of Chase’s chair, rubbing his shoulder.

  “And now allow me to introduce the hero himself, Dr. Chase Matthews.”

  Applause erupted throughout the auditorium, adding to the tension that encased him. How he made it to the podium, he didn’t know, for he didn’t remember his feet touching the ground. It was as if some invisible force had picked him up and carried him. Standing at the podium, he wished the applause to go on forever, as its death would signal him to begin talking. The raucous quickly died down He’d prepared no speech, preferring to wing it. Still, it took him a few speechless seconds, coupled with a blank stare at the back of the auditorium and MaKayla clearing her throat to jump start him into action.

  “I want to thank you all for coming out tonight. I see many familiar faces here, which means a lot to me as well as to my family. I’d like to first start out by saying that, although I’m truly honored and humbled by this recognition, I’m no hero. I only did what any selfless human being would and should do.” He looked around the audience as a thought occurred to him. “Would all the doctors in the room oblige me by please standing up?”

  Confused, the doctors in the audience collectively began to look around at each other, not wanting to be the first to their feet.

  “Come on. I’m standing up here for all of you to see. I know you don’t want to make me feel stupid up here.” One by one, they began to stand up, until close to a third of the auditorium was on its feet. “Now, I want everyone still seated to take a look around at all of those who are now standing. Take a good look because these are the real heroes in the room. Collectively, these individuals have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives through their careers. Yet, they aren’t the ones being honored tonight. What I did was nothing more admirable than what these individuals before you do on a daily basis. If I’m to be honored with a commendation tonight, then so should they. Please, everyone, give a round of applause to show them the honor they deserve.”

  Those still seated clapped loudly in response; a round of applause that lasted several minutes, only dissipating when it was announced that dinner was being served in the ballroom.

  ****

  “I’m so proud of you.” Carrie hugged Chase tightly backstage, a tear rolling down her cheek.

  “If I hadn’t already known it, I would swear that we raised one heck of an amazing son,” Jim said, shaking his hand.

  “Good show, Bro. Good show.” MaKayla put her arm around her brother as they walked toward the ballroom.

  As they approached the entrance, Chase felt a pair of arms surround him, lifting him up in a bear hug. He whirled around once he was back on his feet again, recognizing Paul’s wide-toothed grin.

  “Paul!” he exclaimed. “I hoped I would see you here.”

  “Are you kidding me, Doc? How could I not show up to thank the man who saved my life?”

  “Just doing my job.”

  “No. What you did was special. I saw a bunch of those other doctors high-tailing it out of there once the bomb threat was announced. You are truly one of a kind. I don’t know what a pediatrician was doing up at the intensive care unit, but my guess is that God put you there for a reason.”

  Chase’s face reddened with the knowledge of the real reason for him having been in the intensive care unit, knowing that it had nothing to do with divine intervention and more to do with his own selfish desires.

  “I’m not a hero. I wanted to get out of that hospital the same as everyone else. Don’t forget, my life depended on it, too.”

  “You are far too modest, Doc. You’ll always be a hero in my book, no matter what you say.”

  Carrie tapped Chase on the shoulder to motion their entrance into the ballroom. He nodded, turning back to Paul.

  “It was good seeing you again…”

  “Oh…before you go, Doc. There’s somebody I’d like you to meet.” Paul turned to reveal the stunning blonde who had caught his eye in the audience. Inexplicably, he felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him at the sight of her. “This is my daughter, Paige.”

  Chase looked from Paige to Paul and then back again. It was inconceivable to him tha
t the petite vision before him had been created by such a burley, yeti-like man such as Paul. She obviously either took solely after her mother or she was biologically the product of someone else’s genes.

  “I want to thank you for what you did for my father.” Her voice was melodic, complementing her appearance. She teared up, her sing-song voice cracking as she uttered, “I don’t know what I would have done had he not made it.”

  And before he knew what had hit him, she flung her arms around him in an embrace that was much stronger than he ever would have anticipated from a girl of her stature. Not sure of what to do, he cautiously put his arms around her torso, reciprocating the embrace.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she let go. “I just get so emotional when it comes to the big guy here.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  “Can I take you out for coffee sometime? You know…as a proper ‘thank you’?”

  “Uh…uh….sure. I’d like that.” He was immediately terrified at the prospect.

  It’s just coffee, he told himself. It’s not as if it’s a date.

  “Great! It’s a date,” Paul announced, causing a shade of crimson to overcome Paige’s horrified face.

  “Dad…” she warned through gritted teeth.

  “Oh…sorry. I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “I’m sorry about him. He’s a little overbearing at times, but he means well.”

  “I couldn’t tell.”

  She laughed, opening her purse to take out a pen and envelope, carefully ripping a chunk off the envelope to write on.

  “Here’s my number.” She handed the torn piece of envelope to him. “Please use it.”

  “I will.” He tucked the number in his pocket. “It was nice meeting you, Paige.”

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Matthews.”

  With that, she disappeared into the ballroom to join her father. Even though he knew it was impossible to do, he still felt as though, through this exchange, he’d somehow cheated on Celaine. No, it’s worse than that, he thought, I just cheated on my heart. He walked into the ballroom, spotting his parents at a table in the far corner of the room.