PARTTHREE
THESTEP-MOTHER
WhenMr.ClaytonfoundoutthatBonniewasgoingtobethefuturewifeofhissonStuart,the firstthinghedidinfrontofthenewlyengagedcouplewaslaugh.Bothofthem,confused,asked himwhatwassofunny.
“Come on, Stuart... Have you seen the woman standing next to you? You’re worth much more than that.” He said hurtfully, looking at the skinny executive vice president of his company with her large dark eyes, her extremely large nose and her crooked and yellowed teeth,withdisdain.
Michaelwasclearandtothepoint.Hewasnotunderthewitch’sspell.Mr.Claytonsaw herforwhatshewasandhissuperficialityandgoodtasteinwomencausedhimtotellhisson thecrueltruthwithouttakingintoaccountthatBonniecouldbeoffendedbythosewords,asif shehadbeenstabbeddirectlyintheheart.
“Dad,whatareyoutalkingabout?Haveyougonemad?”ForStuart,Bonniewasthemost beautifulwomanontheentireplanet.
“Notatall.IstillrememberLucille...Lucillewasawomanwhowasworthyourtime.To yourstandards.Wellson,goodluckwiththisuglyonewho,ontheotherhand,Ihavetothank thewonderfulideashehadforthecompany.”Hefinished,winkingathisemployee.
Mr.Claytonwalkedawaylaughingtohimselfandshakinghishead,completelyunawareof therepercussionshisattackofsincerityweregoingtohaveonhim.Bonnie,feelingoutraged andnotcaringatallabouttheconsequencesheractionscouldhave,builtuphercourageand walkedovertoMichael,stoppinghimbysimplystaringathisback.
“Whatdoyouwant?”Michaelasked,confused.
Bonnieclosedhereyestightlyand,inawhisperthatStuartcouldnothearfromwherehe was standing, she began to chant the words of her spell that would put a drastic end to Mr.
Clayton’slife.
“BonnieLarsoninvokesyou.BonnieLarsonordersyou.BonnieLarsonsendsyoutothegrave.Aboltwillfalluponyourheart.
Youwillraiseyourhandtoyourchestanddie.BonnieLarsoninvokesyou.BonnieLarsonordersyou.BonnieLarsonsends youtothegrave”.
Mr.Claytonraisedhishandtohischest,justlikeBonniehadsaidinhercurse.Onhisface, she could see the pain of the terrible suffering he was going through, knowing that in a few seconds,hisheartwouldbesplitintwoandwouldstopbeatingforever.Michaelfelldownto thefloorandBonniemadegooduseofheractingskills.
“Stuart!Stuart!”Shecried.Stuartranovertohisfather,kneelingdownnexttohimwithout beingabletodoanythingtosavehislife.
“It can’t be... It can’t be...” He repeated over and over again, covering his face with his hands.“Dad...dad...dad!”
ButMr.Claytonwouldnotrespondtothepleasandcriesofhisson.Hediedinstantlydue to a terrible heart attack, on the cold floor of the company that had turned him into a rich, powerful,andproudman.Bonnielaughedsilentlytoherself,butsheknewhowtohideitby cryingdesperately,somethingthatStuartbelieved.
“Ithappenedsoquickly...IwastellinghimhowsorryIwasthathethoughtthatofmeand thenhesuddenlyfellonthefloorand...”Bonniesobbed.Stuart,feelingbadforthewomanwho wassoontobehisbride,huggedhernexttohisfather’slifelessbodythatwassoonsurrounded byallofthosewhohadwalkedovertoseewhathadhappened.
Michael Clayton was buried just like he always wanted, next to his wife’s grave. The only womanhehadevertrulyloved.Thefuneralwasverylargeandostentatious,justlikethelife hehadlivedhadbeen.Politicians,importantandinfluentialbusinessmen,Hollywoodactors, televisionpresentersandprestigiouswriters,werethemaingueststowhatwasconsideredas oneofthesaddesteventsoftheyear.WiththedeathofMr.Clayton,Stuartdirectlybecameto thebossofthecompany,althoughhedidnotfeelpreparedtotakeonsuchadifficulttask.In frontofhim,anew,unknownpathopenedupthatscaredhimbut,atthesametime,hewanted totakewithenthusiasm,effortandhope,eventhoughhewasverydifferenttohisfather.His bankaccountsandpropertiesgrewovernightthankstothelargeinheritancehisfatherhadleft him, while Bonnie only had one worry in mind. Would Michael’s death set back her much awaitedwedding?
Little John met the woman who was going to be his step-mother on the same day as his grandfather’sfuneral.Helookedatherwiththeinnocenceofashysixyearoldboyandwhen shebentdowntokisshim,thelittleboygrabbedholdofhisfather’shandandturnedhisface away from her. Bonnie understood him. When she had been little, she had hated it when the witchcousinsofhermotherhadtriedtokissherallthetime.Afterthefuneral,Bonniewent home with Stuart for the first time along with little John. While the child played with his scalextric, Stuart and Bonnie sat down on the sofa, exhausted from such a long and difficult day.
“Idon’tknowwhatI’mgoingtodowithouthim...Hewasstrong,I’mnot.”Stuartadmitted hisheadlow.
“Ofcourseyou’restrong,Stuart.Lookatyou,youcansucceedinanything.”Bonniesaid.
“Justtrustyourself.Believeinyourself.Therestwillcomenaturally.”
Stuart was grateful for Bonnie’s words, making him love her even more. He gave her a sweetkissand,whentheirfaceswereonlyinchesawayfromeachother,hesaidthewordsthat Bonniehadbeenhopingtohearwithallofherheart.
“Wewillgetmarriedsoon.LifeisshortandIdon’twanttowasteamoment,Idon’twant towastetime...Iloveyouandwantyoutobemywife.”
Bonnie smiled. One week, it had only taken her one week for the life she had always wantedtohavetofinallybecomeareality,herdreamhadcometrue.
LIVINGISANART
ThedayswentpastcalmlyinKutztown.TheunmistakablesignthatmyrelationshipwithMark wasgoingperfectlywellwaswhen,onemorningwhenIwokeup,Isawhistoothbrushinmy bathroom.Weweren’tlivingtogetheryet,butneitherofuswantedtosleepalong...wewanted each other’s mutual company, our bodies linked together as if it were one long, cold winter night.Thatwaswhathappinesswas...thoselittlemoments,thatcomplicity.Markwashappy writingandIwashappypainting,althoughduringthelastdaysofNovember,Idedicatedmost ofmytimetolookingaftermymom.Shewasn’tdoingverywellandspentmorehoursinthe bathroomvomitingthaninanyotherpartofthehouse.ShehadstoppedreadingDanielleSteel andsheshunnedawayfromthetelevisionprogramsshehadoncewatched.Theflowersinthe gardenwiltedawaywithher,asiftheycouldfeelthatthehandsthathadcaredforthemwere notgoingtoexistformuchlonger.Sheabusedthemedicationthedoctorhadprescribedforher because it was the only thing that eased her terrible suffering a bit... terrible intestinal pains that made her twist on the floor in agony. Sweating, pale, with dark bags under her eyes...
wishingtoputanendtothetormentandreturntomyfather.Iunderstoodher,butatthesame timeIfeltselfishbythinkingthatIwantedhertostaywithme.Keepingherinthathellcalled cancer,insteadoflettinghergoandrestinpeaceforever.
There were also good days. Days in which she even wanted to chat. We planned the Christmasholidayshappily...momhadalwayslikedChristmasandsheknewthatthiswould bethelastyearshewasgoingtobeabletocelebrateit.Wewouldputupalargetreefullof lightsandastaronthetop,likewehadwhenIwaslittle...likeIdidwithMatt,whoIthought abouteverysecondofmynewlife.Imissedhimsomuch...Wewoulddecoratethewindows withChristmasfigureswithwhitesprayandwewouldplacecolorfullightbulbsaroundallof thewindowsofthehouse.Wewouldsingcarolswiththechildrenwhocametoourdoorand we would cook a delicious turkey in the oven. I had so many plans with her... and so little time...
“Doyou
thinkthereissomethingafterdeath,Nora?”Sheaskedmeoneafternoonwhenshe cametogivemecompanyintheworkshop.
“Idon’tknow,mom.Whatdoyouthink?”
“Ididn’tbelieveinanythingbefore.ButIhavebeendreamingaboutyourfatherlately...he smilesatmeandtellsmeeverythingisgoingtobeokay.Thatwewillseeeachothersoonand thathewillguideme.HealsosaysthattheplaceIamgoingtoiswonderfulandthatIwilllike itthere.”
“That’slovely,mom.”Isaid,sittingdownnexttoherandleavingthepaintingIhadbeen concentratedonalldaytooneside.
“Idon’tknowifthereisaheavenandahell,sweetheart...butjustlikeIoncetoldyou,I willlookafteryou.Asmuchasyouhavelookedafterme.”
“Mom,pleasedon’tsaythat...it’shardenough...I...”Ichockedonmywords.Alargeknot formedinmythroatand,onceagain,Iwantedtocrylikealittlegirl.
“I’mnotsayingittomakeyoucry.I’llbecloseby...nobodyeverreallyleaves,wesimply changeplace.Andoneday,manyyearsfromnow,manyyears...wewillseeeachotheragain.
Weareonlyheretemporarily,darling.”
“Iknow,butitstillhurts.”
“Time heals everything. Absences hurt, but you learn to live with them. As if they were ghosts...thereisnootherway,Nora.”
Effectively, there was no other way. Mom’s vital organs were deteriorating quickly and wouldsoonwiltanddielikeaflowerthathasnotbeenwatered.
The month of December arrived without many changes. Life in the town was calm and monotonous,butIlikedit.However,onthemorningofSaturdaythefirstofDecember,Ialmost faintedwhenIsawonthefrontpageofanewspaperthatthehandsomeex-modelandcurrent owner of the pharmaceutical company that I had worked for in that other life that I had not forgotten;StuartClayton,wasgoingtomarrytheexecutivevicepresident,BonnieLarson.By whatthenewspapersaid,oldMr.Claytonhaddiedafewdaysbeforefromaheartattackand theywerealreadyposingforthecameraswiththeirbestsmilestotelltheworldhowhappy they were by communicating their union forever. At that moment, I wanted to scream... That littleboyIhadseenwasnotmyson,buthewasidenticaltoMatt...anditenragedmetoknow thathewasgoingtolivewithawitchlikeBonnie.Ievensuspectedthatthedeathofmyold father-in-lawhadbeencausedbythathag.Ispenttheentiredayangryandobsessedwiththe ideaofBonnietakingmyplace...WhatcouldIdoaboutit?Ifeltcompletelyuselessand,onthe otherhand,IhadMarkandmom...disappearingfromthelifeIwascurrentlylivingwouldhurt as much as not seeing Matt. Nearly a month had passed since the spell already. A month in which I had cried, suffered, laughed... A month in which I had learned that a human being is capableofadjustingtoanycircumstance,asstrangeasthatmaybe.
ChristineandIenthusiasticallypreparedtheupcomingexhibitionsinNewYorkinJanuary.
Theywouldbeverypowerfulandexpectationswereveryhigh.ThankstothetwoexhibitionsI had held in Kutztown, several media channels had spoken of my talent and promoted it non-stop. A little bit of publicity was always a good thing and we had received calls from importantpeoplewhowishedtohavea“Stewart”intheirhomes.Therewasstillalotofwork lefttodoand,eventhoughinothercircumstancesIwouldhavebeenoverwhelmed,Ipreferred tostaycalmandputallofmyenthusiasmintoeachpieceIpainted.Theseweremypaintings, notsimplecanvasesthatwerealreadytherewhenIarrived.Theyweremine...Iremembered doing them. As I had decided from the beginning, dark colors stood out in each one of the paintings. Each blank canvas was a new opportunity for me to show my feelings, even my soul...happyononeside,sadbecauseofMatt’sabsenceandmom’sillness.
Iwillneverforgettheworstafternoonofmylife.ItwasFriday,thefourteenthofDecember.
MarkcamerunningintomyworkshopwhereIwasworkingand,whenIsawhisface,Iknew that something bad had happened. Frank also knew as soon as he saw him, while he was wateringthefieldsanddecidedtocometothehospitalwithuswhere,anhourbefore,Mark hadtakenmom.Icouldseeherhookedtotubesthroughthewindow,thedoctorsweredoingall theycouldtokeepheralivebutthereisafinelinebetweenlifeanddeath,andmomwasvery closetocrossingit.Atmyside,MarkandFranktriedtocomfortmebyplacingtheirhandson myshoulders.Therewasnocomfort...nothingtheycouldhavesaidordonewouldhavemade my pain go away. As I watched how my mom fought for her life, I remembered my eighteen yearsofabsence...eighteenyearsinwhichIhadthoughtIhadtheworstmotherintheworld.
Eighteenyearsthat,forher,inthisworld,hadbeenhappy,withme.Thatwastheonlycomfort Ifound...forher,Ihadalwaysbeenthere,rightathersidesincemyfatherhaddied.Minutes later,thedoctorwalkedoutoftheroom,lookingatthefloor.
“Nora, Nicole is dying. Her organs are failing... it’s a matter of hours, days... we cannot knowforsurewhenhertimewillcome.”Heshookhisheadsadly.“Inallhonesty,ithasall happenedveryfast,atfirst,wethoughtshewouldhaveanothertwoorthreemonths,butshe has suffered too much... this much pain is not worth it when there is no solution.” He said sincerely.
Inodded,understandingeachandeverywordandIwalkedintotheroomthatIwouldnot leave again for eleven days. We missed the Christmas carols, and decorating our Christmas tree, and the house would not be lit up by the colorful light bulbs we had planned to hang aroundtheWindowsthatyear.Markwaswithmeatalltimesandevencookedusadelicious roast turkey which we ate in the sad little hospital room on Christmas Eve. I spent the days readingDanielleSteelandtellingherthetruthaboutwhathappenedtome.Bonnie’sspell,the existence of parallel worlds according to the decisions we made... and I asked her for forgivenessforalloftheyearsthatIhadnotbeenthere,withoutherthinkingthatherdaughter had gone crazy. I spoke to her about Matt, my little boy was in each and every one of the conversationsIheldwithher.Istrokedherhandandkissedherforehead.And,attimes,Icould evenseeasingletearfalldownthesideofhercheek.
Momwokeuponthetwenty-fifthofDecember,thesamedaythatshedied.Shelookedat me with small, shining eyes and smiled at me. She managed to pull away the tube that was preventingherfromspeakingclearlyand,holdingmyhand,Iwouldrememberherlastwords fortherestofmylife.
“Inthisworldorinanyother...Ihavealwaysbeenyourmother.Ihavealwayslovedyou morethanmyownlifeandnowyoumustbehappy.YouwillgobacktoMatt...Mattisright here.”Shesaid,pointingatmyheart.“Yourdadiswaitingforme...”Shewhispered,lookingin frontofherasifmyfather’spresencereallywaswaitingtheretotakeher.
Ifeltcold,alotofcold.Momclosedhereyes,letgoofmyhand,and,withasmile,she left.Thenoisymachinesbegantobeeptoinformthattheirmissionhadended.Seconds’later, Markarrivedandhuggedme,accompanyingmeinmypain.Apainthatwouldnothealfora very long time. I have always heard that, when you are about to die, your whole life flashes beforeyoureyes.Butwhatyouarenevertoldisthat,whenyouwatchsomeoneyoulovedie,it isdoublypainful,becausewhatflashesbeforeyoureyesisnotonelife,buttwolivesthathave walkedpartoftheroadtogether.
THENEWMRS.CLAYTON
ThenightbeforeBonnieandStuart’swedding,whowerenowlivingtogetherunderthesame roofwithlittleJohn,thewitchwokeupsweatingfromanightmareinwhich,onceagain,her dead mother had come to visit her from the depths of hell. She went to the bathroom and compulsivelywashedherface.Themirrorshowedherreflectionforonlyafewseconds,given that the evil Elisabeth Larson wanted to make a sh
ow during the most important time of her daughter’slife.
“Goaway!Leavemealone!”Bonniecried.!
“Well,well...youshouldbehappier.Areyoufeelingremorse?Youkilledaman...Iwould feelremorseful...Youknowwhat?Iwouldbescared.”
“I’mnotafraid.”Bonniesaid,loweringhereyes.
“Really?Areyousure?Youshouldbevery...veryafraid.”
“But...but...why?”
“Becauseyou’llsoonbeherewithme.”
Once again, Elisabeth’s image disappeared among the flames, accompanied by a bone-chilling laugh. Bonnie, once more, started to cry, fearing that her mother was right. Yes, she deservedtogotohellbecauseshehadevilhiddenwithinherfragilebody,despitehavingtried tohideandavoiditforsomanyyears.
Still feeling scared, Bonnie went back to bed with Stuart. They had a long day ahead of them,thehappiestandmostunforgettabledayoftheirlives.
Theywereupatsixo’clockinthemorning.StuartandBonniesaidgoodbyetoeachother atsevenandwouldnotseeeachotheragainuntilmidday,thetimewhenBonniewouldwalk downthelongaisleofSaintPatricks’Cathedral,wheretheywouldpromiseeternallovetoone anotherinfrontofoverfivehundredguests.Stuart,onhispart,wenttoahotelroomalongwith his best men and son, while Bonnie stayed in the apartment with her bridesmaids, who she didn’t know personally. Bonnie had explained to Stuart that she had no family and, as an excuseoftheabsenceoffriendsonsuchaspecialday,sheexplainedtohimthatshehadlost contactwithherfriendssinceshehadstartedworkingatthecompanythattookupmostofher time and absorbed her twenty-four hours a day. Stuart understood that and asked no further questions that could make the woman who was going to be his new wife in just a few hours feeluncomfortable.LittleJohn,however,didnottrusthisnewmother.Theword“step-mother”
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