Love Conquers All
Page 68
Chapter 59
Apart from a few details that she did not disclose, Talia reported to ditty what had transpired between her and Micah. “He’s in your hands, now, Ditty. Don’t rush back to him. Write a new contract in which you will set down the rules that are good for you,” she concluded, satisfied. She had no doubt that her friend would know how to benefit from the new state of affairs.
To her surprise, Ditty reacted to the news with great agitation.
Without saying a word, she began to pack her suitcase. Talia was taken aback but tried to push aside those hurt feelings. Had Ditty been waiting all these weeks for the moment she could go back to her abusive husband?
Were all the long talks they had of no consequence? And what about Ditty, herself? Did she not have a will of her own? Talia wanted very much to believe Micah’s promises, but she had grave doubts. She knew Micah’s promises were no more stable and dependable than the leaves that were falling off the trees in her yard.
But she did not want to impose her opinions on Ditty, who with shining eyes and flushed cheeks, continued to pack her belongings. The bottle of Versace perfume that Talia had brought her from New York was thrown to the floor and broke into smithereens, its heavy fragrance filling the room. “You must understand, he needs me,” Ditty said, bending down to pick up the pieces of broken glass. “Deep down, Micah is a good man, but he has a short fuse. After every episode of violence, he’s remorseful and cries. You should see how he crawls back to me, on all fours! Bringing me flowers and gifts and wine to bed!”
“That’s what you should do, humiliate him in return, make him see how low he’s sunk! But are you willing to overlook the abuse just for the sweet drama of reconciliation, living in fear of the next attack?” She finally let her abhorrence speak. She was mad at Micah, but she couldn’t accept Ditty’s attitude, either; it infuriated and horrified her no less than Micah’s behavior. She kept asking herself how her intelligent, assertive friend could sink to such depths.
“Do you remember the beginning of my friendship with Jonathan? You were disappointed in me because I accepted the rules that Jonathan imposed on our relationship. You objected, for example, to his going abroad by himself, leaving me alone. ‘I have high expectations of you,’ you told me then, ‘that you should insist on a proper, egalitarian, open relationship. There should not be anything standing between you.’ And what about you? I also have high expectations of you. I’d never put up with a man treating me like that. I’d rather live alone for the rest of my life than be humiliated and abused- both physically and mentally.”
“I know, Talia. You had some difficult times, but you always knew when to put an end to them. I have a different personality. These last few weeks I’ve spent with you, I’ve come to the conclusion that I mustn’t break up the family. Eden is so attached to her father. For her sake, we’ve been going to family therapy. The psychologist encourages me to believe that by the time Eden is grown up, all the problems will be behind us.”
A car pulled up by the house and the driver honked the horn three times. “It’s daddy!” Eden burst into the room excitedly. “Mommy, it’s dad, he’s come to take us home!” Her face was bright red. She stood by her mother impatiently. “Mommy, can I go out to him now?”
“Yes, Eden, take your backpack and your little bag. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Ditty picked up her bag with one hand, rising on her tiptoes. She put her other arm around Talia’s neck and kissed her.
“Talia, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. You’re my best friend. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be all right.”
Epilogue
The secretary of the Tender Commission, who called Gali the next day to inform her that her bid had been accepted, marveled at Talia’s equanimity. Talia had, of course, been certain Micah would do everything in his power to assure her success. News of her acceptance was sweet, but lack of suspense made it a slightly less delicious victory.
From that point forward, her life changed dramatically; she was swept into an exciting and fascinating world. She hired a new office manager, accountant, production technician and coordinator, thus creating a skillful efficient team that could be expanded or reduced according to the needs of the projects she produced. Her old ties to the film industry put her in good stead for her new career; she was a professional who understood the language of producers, directors and actors. New ideas for co-productions and series piled on her desk, and she examined each new idea from an economic, social and artistic point of view, and sometimes formulated ideas of her own which she developed and carried out.
At the same time, she did not neglect the other companies she possessed; she was present at board meetings where her comments and suggestions were highly valued. Her success at mediation—say between colleagues fighting over money, prior to legal action—earned her a reputation as a tough-minded yet fair and astute arbitrator, a true leader in the business community.
But Talia wasn’t content with money and power. She felt a need to broaden her scope, to widen her social circle, to contribute to environmental causes, and not just financially. She sponsored a popular women’s monthly, “Progressive Woman,” through which she created a foci of influence and support. Much of her time was dedicated to meeting women all over the country with whom she discussed economic independence and enterprise. Ditty joined her in these ventures. Women from all walks of life flocked to the meetings with Talia and Ditty, inspired to assertiveness in their own lives, as well as strength and emotional independence. This in turn bolstered Ditty’s own self-confidence, after years of secret humiliation.
Talia enjoyed watching her friend on those occasions. Her small body seemed to have grown taller. After she and Micah patched things up between them and rehabilitated their marriage, she was eager to share her experience and the lessons she had learned with other women, never trying to conceal the scars she bore, neither the emotional ones nor the physical ones hidden under clothes. The large scar on her forehead, however, could not be disguised. Even with heavy make-up it stood out, reddish-blue against her white complexion.
The success of the women’s magazine whetted Talia’s appetite for more business ventures. Having struggled for years, she discovered business offered pleasure and a playfulness behind the staid facade. the business world that once seemed to her a raging, shark-infested river, now was a sea of opportunity she couldn’t wait to dive into. She felt she could stand precariously at the edge of a cliff, walk a tightrope, gamble, even, yet all in good measure, with realistic expectations and an ability to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong.
She was addicted, obsessed; she needed the unrelenting suspense of the business world’s “give and take.” Her ventures weren’t always profitable, but they provided bases of power and influence. It wasn’t long before she’s mastered the business lingo, and when she purchased shares in holding companies that showed potential for success and prosperity, she monitored them closely, encouraging their growth and development. Her particular favorites were the hi-tech companies that, indeed, proved to be a wise investment. Stocks she’d acquired for pennies, appreciated and multiplied many fold with time.
Having never lacked for money, she knew it wasn’t financial gain that most motivated her. She had belonged to the “haves” of the world and had traveled widely both alone and with her children. Though the fashions abroad were enticing, she didn’t pay much attention to her clothing. She exchanged the tailored, dark suits for simple, comfortable sports clothes, and felt at ease in jeans and tee shirts. From time to time she gave an inner thank you to her parents, who’d passed on the genes for her smooth, young complexion and shiny, auburn hair.
It was necessary now and then to remind both herself and those around her that she’d had to fight tooth and nail for what was hers, had to hang on and really work to increase it. The independent life always puts one memories lurked in every comer of the big house. No, she didn’t want to forget or leave those memor
ies behind, but her heart told her that a change would make things easier and would be" good for her.
After much deliberation, she decided to build herself a new house outside of town. And indeed, she found tranquility and happiness there in the company of her beloved children. The children thrived and blossomed, as was clear in the looks and smiles hat passed between them. She had finally atoned for the sins of her early motherhood. She had attained equilibrium.
Have I really attained equilibrium? Talia wondered. She was lying on the green velvet couch downstairs. The children were asleep in their rooms, and the house was enveloped in darkness; her heart was like a silent stone, and yet it was full of vague yearnings. Her longing carried her mind to the black tombstone that marked Jonathan’s grave and from there, brought out Jonathan, himself. So strong were the powers of her imagination that she could actually see him—she saw a real figure sitting on the armchair, his face turned away from the light. Her heart expanded in yearning and pain. It was a wonderful feeling. Her fear had been baseless; he had not lost his grip on her soul, “come, come,” she whispered to him, “I have something to tell you.”
“I’m here, Talin. You know that I’ve never left. I’m inside you.”
“Not so, you left. You abandoned me.”
“I died for you. Only after my death were you able to bring forth all the resources, all the powers that were inside of you.”
“I would gladly give up everything, if you would only come back to me, Yoni. Just to give you a cup of tea, the way you like it, just to hear the rat-tat-tat on the door when you come home.”
“You’re lying, Talin. You like what you have made of yourself. You want to be what you are, to act, to love. There is no turning back, you can only march forward.”
The vision disappeared. The words died. A sharp pain oppressed her chest. The longing for love and the impulse to act, to create, those two, strong powers that impelled her and motivated her—was there no way to unite them? Jonathan was right. You make progress only when you go out into the world. You have made a career for yourself, you have succeeded in the world, you’ve paid a price for everything you have and you have reached your goal. But you haven’t got the one thing that really matters. Now it’s time to love, because you have the capacity to love, and if you don’t love and are loved, what is the point of living?
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you for downloading my book, I Hope You Will Enjoy Reading it.
Your opinion is highly important to me, please review this book and tell me what you think.
Remember that love will Conquers All.
Sincerely yours,
Galia Albin
www.loveconquersall.ws
galia@loveconquersall.ws