The Vaticinator

by Namita Singh

calm the situation, don’t you think? Anyways, he was pretty inquisitive about Neal.”

  I clench my fists, “You shouldn’t have entertained him after I left.”

  “Hey, I was trying to diffuse the tension, okay?” Aakir snaps, “And I told him nothing….” He suddenly shrugs, “There isn’t anything to tell in the first place. I did assure him that Neal is hundred percent human.”

  “That’s not a point of debate!” I yell.

  “I told him the same.” Aakir gives me a ‘duh’ look.

  “Is he going to return soon?” I ask, so I am prepared to not shower Ethan in my anger. I should refrain till father returns in the evening.

  “He said he is going to join Vincent. He must return in evening, like always.”

  I retire inside soon. Aakir tries to engage me in some or the other activity or even some vague conversation. I ignore him. I instead think of sending text messages to Neal and my father, to apologize to the former and inform of the incident to the latter. I don’t know how Neal will take my apology and I am thoroughly embarrassed as it is, so I procrastinate. As for father, I send a message, explaining in gist the situation, ‘Ethan visited my school, misbehaved with my partner. Please return home soon.’

  My father doesn’t behave ignorantly in response to my text message. He immediately calls me and asks me what happened. I explain to him in detail what happened, reluctantly telling him that Ethan’s reaction was due to my partner’s aura. Father demands what do I mean by that and I hesitatively just say that my partner’s aura is stronger than the usual human’s. Father doesn’t comment on it much and promises to be home early.

  By the time it’s early evening, I have severely calmed down. I understand Ethan’s surprise upon my partner’s aura but I don’t understand his reaction. Conclusion is that I still think he is wrong. I hear Aakir talking on phone in his room and it suddenly strikes me that Aakir hasn’t gone to meet Silvia as he had planned. Thinking of Neal and I’s banter in the afternoon, I can’t help but see the irony that Aakir is literally babysitting me. I feel guilty for being a hindrance in his plans. I get up, to walk to his room and apologize. But my phone ringing stops my steps. Cursing, I walk to my bed side table and pick up my phone. My mouth goes slightly agape as I see that it’s Neal. I hastily pick it up.

  “Hello?” I say.

  “Ah, hey,” Neal says, his voice coming as harsh whisper, “say, your friend is quite fascinated with me.” Even his low voice manages to convey the sarcasm he intends.

  “What?” I frown. Is he talking of Aakir?

  “He is bloody sitting in my living room, talking to me like he owns me or something.”

  “What are you talking about?” I say, now severely confused. Aakir is surely not that fascinated to talk dominantly. Plus, Aakir is right in the house, in his room.

  “Your uncle.” Neal drawls, still whispering. My eyeswiden in realization, “He has been-”

  “Neal, stop talking!” I yell, interrupting him.

  Neal sighsand continues in his whispery tone, “I don’t know what his deal is. He is asking me weird questions, being creepy as shi-”

  “Neal, shut the fuck up!” I squall. “Don’t talk, okay?”

  “Uh, okay.” Neal replies, sounding wary of my reaction. Aakir comes to my room as he hears my shouting.

  “Okay.” I say on phone, quickly thinking, “Is he, perchance, more than twenty-thirty feet away from you? Just say yes or no.”

  “No.”

  “Okay. Neal, don’t talk about him, okay. He can hear you.” I say, my mind going into panic mode. What the hell is Ethan doing, going to my partner’s place?

  Neal lets out a throaty laugh, “Dude, he is too far-”

  The line cuts off. I draw the phone away from my ear and look at it as if it’s a foreign object. I spend five seconds by motionlessly processing what has just happened. Then soon enough my horror-stricken panic gives way to alarming anxiety. Frantically, I open my call logs and call back Neal. I am greeted by only beep sounds on the other end; not even his voicemail.

  “Fuck.” The word escapes from my mouth, without conscious effort.

  “What is it?” I hear Aakir behind me.

  “Ethan is at Neal’s place.” My voice comes out horribly stricken. I give one panicky look to Aakir, who manages to look shocked too. I return to my phone, trying Neal’s number again. I start moving outside my room simultaneously. The other line still greets me with nothing, making my stomach clench uncomfortably.

  “We should go to his house.” I say, my voice coming out slightly shaky. I keep trying Neal’s number again. “Fuck.” I whisper. “What the fuck is Ethan doing?”

  “How the hell does he know where Neal stays?” Aakir asks.

  “He must have followed him home.” I say angrily. “We need to go to Neal’s place.”

  “Do you know where Neal lives?” Aakir asks, once he is over his stupor.

  “Hell if I know.” I snap, frenziedly continuing to assault my phone as if I expect Neal’s phone to start ringing anytime.

  “You should know.” Aakir snaps back, “He is your freaking partner.”

  “Sue me for not knowing.” I yell at him and start descending the stairs.

  “Did Neal say anything? What is Ethan doing?” Aakir asks, following me.

  I shake my head, “He just said…he said that Ethan’s asking weird questions. What the hell is he doing at Neal’s house in the first place? What the fuck Neal’s thinking, letting him get in the house? Shouldn’t he first contact me or-”

  “Okay, quit bitching.” Aakir snaps, glaring at me. We awkwardly dangle at our feet, uncertain of what we should do.

  “I don’t trust Ethan.” I say, my voice shaking. “I am quite sure he crushed Neal’s cellphone or something.”

  Aakir raises his hand, asking me to shut up. He takes out his phone from his pocket and starts furiously typing into it.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I ask him.

  Aakir gives me a pointed look, warning me to remain shut. I scowl at him but then I return to my phone too, trying Neal’s number again. In vain, of course. I feel my heart in my throat as images of the worst possible scenario greet my mind. Through the haphazard phase, I vaguely hear Aakir talking to someone from our friend circle at school. I prepare myself to quetch him but then I hear him inquiring about Ananya. I let Aakir be on his quest.

  I instead end up scrolling for number that I am sure would be able to do something. After pressing the call button, I wait for my father to pick up on the other end. As soon as he says hello, I am blasting him with the news of Ethan being at Neal’s house and Neal’s phone coming unreachable. My fidgety state makes me keep spilling worried thoughts in frenzy, clearly stating that I believe Ethan must have broken Neal’s phone. My father is alert by the news of Ethan being at my partner’s place alone. He asks for my partner’s address, to which I awkwardly reveal my lack of knowledge. Father says he will call on Ethan’s cellphone. As he disconnects, I don’t feel very hopeful. I turn to Aakir who is scribbling on the notepad on the nearest wall.

  “Yeah,” he is saying on phone, “Yes, I understand. I know that curve. And there’s nothing to worry, don’t fret. Thanks, Ananya.”

  A relieved breath escapes me in a whoosh as I take step towards him. “You got the address.” I state.

  “Yup. Text it to Nik uncle and ask him to be there. I’ll call Rufina aunt.”

  I am already memorizing the words and walking towards the exit of our house.

  Aakir and I decide to take the spare car in our garage which we never use. I am partly thankful that we at least keep cars even if we don’t use them. Searching for a wilder route to my partner’s house just so we can turn into a faster animal wouldn’t be exactly convenient considering the shortage of time. Aakir is behind the wheel soon. Within two minutes of our engine revving, I get a call from father. As expected, Ethan did not respond to his calls. Father tells me that he is leaving for Neal’s place immediately
. I again breathe in relief, owing to the fact that my father’s office is nearer to Neal’s place. Sometimes I really despise the secluded place in the jungle that we have made our home.

  I am fidgety the whole ride, not even keeping track of where exactly we are going. I suppose Aakir is clear about the directions. I find myself again dialing Neal’s phone number and again being greeted by the plain beep sounds. I look at Aakir sideways, who is driving quite fast, despite us not being fast enough as per the situation. He looks calm.

  I on the other hand start envisaging the worst that could be happening. Ethan, even if he is amicably conversing with my partner, will surely not face a day more in my house, that’s for sure.My attention comes to our way. We are now driving through a lone road towards the beach end. The area looks completely barren, making me wonder where the hell Neal exactly lives. I don’t think I have ever been to this part of the city. I briefly wonder if we are even leading in the right direction. It doesn’t seem like anybody lives in this direction, as the road leads to the sea. I open my mouth to object to Aakir but the narrow road soon gives way to an open dirt field, a huge house…a bungalow in fact, visible in the distance, right next to the white sand of the sea. It’s a beach house.

  With a sigh of relief I notice my father’s moderate Chevrolet standing a little away from the commencing steps of the house. But then I wonder how long exactly Aakir and I have taken to reach here? It didn’t seem like a long ride. Father’s office