“What happened, Mom?”
“He’s here! He’s here!” she replied, staring straight ahead.
“Who’s here?” Steve pressed.
She looked at him and uttered softly, “Dad. He’s here.”
Steve couldn’t believe his ears. “Granddad is not here, Mom. He can’t be…he’s dead. We talked about this yesterday!”
“You’re wrong,” she answered. “I saw him with my own two eyes. He called out to me again and asked when I’m coming to see him. I saw his silhouette right over there near the dresser.” She pointed. “He told me I’m going to die. He insisted on it and started describing how gruesome it’s going to be. I was so scared!”
Steve had an idea. He went and looked inside the closet, then knelt down and peered under the bed. “Wait right here, Mom. Don’t move!” he said.
He left the room, deciding to thoroughly check the apartment to ensure there was no intruder his mother had mistaken for her dad. But first, he hurried to his room and grabbed the baseball bat from the side of his bed. Steve checked everywhere he could think of as well as each of the main doors. When he returned to his mother’s room minutes later, she was still in bed.
“Did you see him?’ she asked, hopefully.
He shook his head. “There’s no one here.”
He was convinced that whatever his mother claimed to have seen and heard were all inside of her head. He sat down next to her.
“Mom, what would it take for you to believe that Granddad is dead—which means that he cannot be here in this house with us?”
She shook her head with tears in her eyes. “You don’t understand. I should’ve gone and seen him. Now, he’s upset with me because…like a bad child…I abandoned him. I abandoned my own father!”
Steve held her as she wept. “It’s okay, Mom. Granddad would never hold that against you and he’d never tell you the horrible things you said you heard. You know that.”
“He’s upset, Steve. Believe me—he’s really upset! I have to make it right, and maybe the only way to do that now is to…die.”
He looked at her intently. “That’s nonsense! Do you hear what you’re saying?”
She quickly nodded. “Yes, I do! You haven’t seen what I have nor heard what I’ve heard. I have to make this right!”
At that point, Steve seriously feared for his mother’s safety—not at the hands of someone else—but her own.
8
_________________
The following morning -- 6:45 A.M.
John was already dressed with his briefcase in hand when he entered the kitchen. Pam was still in her nightgown making a cup of tea.
Squeezing the teabag, she asked, “Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you leave, John?”
“No, thanks.” He snatched a bagel from her plate. “Gotta run. Big day!”
“Okay. Do well.”
He dashed out of the house and shortly thereafter, Pam heard tires skid out of the yard. She sat down near the window overlooking the flower garden and sipped her tea. Visually taking in the beauty which stood before her, she thought of how her life paled in comparison and she wondered what on earth her purpose was. She and John had been married for so long, yet, were more like roommates, instead of lovers with no children to call their own. He’d found pleasure in his work and accomplishments, but what did she have to show—other than a closet full of clothes and shoes, and every Loius Vuitton bag she couldn’t bear to resist? She’d given up her teaching job because John thought it didn’t quite fit their social status. It was clear that the only person who ever got his way in their marriage was John; a man who seemed to cringe at the very thought of even touching her. It was not that way in the beginning and no amount of questioning over the years produced a satisfactory answer for her. Giving up and becoming numb after a while seemed the best solution for her sanity. However, as her birthday was fast approaching, a mere two months away, she wasn’t so sure that existing instead of living was acceptable anymore.
* * * *
During his morning commute, John felt like he was on top of the world. In his mind, he’d already counted and invested the huge bonus he was about to receive once Trudant’s top client, Lee, accepted the deal that he’d managed to make very attractive.
He’d donned his favorite royal blue silk coat suit, same colored socks to match and a pair of shiny dress shoes he’d worn only once before. John neither expected nor required any assistance from his wife getting dressed for work that day or any other, for that matter. He’d kept up to date with the latest fashions for professional men and also for women—since it was vital that Pam always looked fabulous whenever she’d ventured outside of their home. After all, she was representing him.
He pulled into the parking space which bore his name, then retrieved his briefcase from the passenger seat before exiting his cherished, black Mercedes Benz. Trudant’s Consulting Services, a peach trimmed white five-storey edifice stood in the center of downtown Mizpah. John had always felt a great sense of pride whenever he arrived at work since Trudant’s employees on average were among the best paid in the country. The company had awarded him financial security and various perks he’d become accustomed to.
“Good morning, Mister Reed!” Cathy Baker, John’s secretary, entered his office moments after he’d walked in.
He’d rested his briefcase on the desk and was about to retrieve some files. “Good morning, Cathy. The meeting starts in a half hour. Did you get my email with the latest file for the presentation?”
“Yes, sir. I confirmed receipt of it last night and everything is ready for you in the conference room.”
“Perfect!” John sat down and started reviewing his documents for the meeting.
“Coffee, sir?” Cathy offered.
“Yes, thanks.”
Trudant’s managing director, Allen Nolan, and four senior partners: Tony Farnham, Gregory Tomlinson, Cedric Larrimore and Grant Turnquest who were all present for the preliminary meeting, entered the conference room together. John and Cathy were already there ready to begin. Stanley Lee walked in at exactly eight o’clock, accompanied by his young Asian assistant, Chang Wu. Everyone stood when they both walked in and the men all greeted one another.
“It’s great seeing you again, Mr. Lee.” John shook his hand.
“Likewise, Mister Reed. My hope is that we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement today.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sure we will.” John couldn’t resist a smile.
The conference room was large and exquisitely designed, and everyone took their seats in comfortable, leather chairs at the oval, mahogany desk in the center of the room. Cathy had provided coffee and light refreshments for each person, then took her seat next to the television and CD player. She’d downloaded the file from the email John had sent the night before and saved it on a CD. She now awaited John’s cue.
John stood at the front of the room, a few feet away from Cathy. His documents were on the desk before him, positioned in key spots for easy reference. Allen Nolan had expressed his pleasure in what John had shown them the day before and was eager to get the deal signed. Stanley Lee and his assistant, for the most part, were quiet and their faces void of expression. It was undoubtedly clear to all present that the men meant business.
After a brief introduction, John took his seat and gave Cathy the nod. She then reached over and pressed PLAY on the CD and the visual presentation began. At the beginning, John did not face the TV screen, but rather kept his focus on the men around the table. He was good at reading expressions, which often gave him a heads up on how effective his strategy was before officially learning of the end result.
What he saw on the faces of Stanley Lee, Chang Wu, Allen Nolan and others in the room was one of shock and he heard Cathy gasp. Turning in her direction, he saw the horror in her eyes, then caught wind of what they were all viewing on the television screen. It was him and another man locked in a romantic embrace. Everyone could tell that they were in
a bedroom, whether inside of a house or that of a hotel. The unfolding scene spoke a thousand words.
“Shut that off!” John told Cathy who was clearly stunned.
She immediately sprang into action, ejecting the CD from the player.
John could barely manage to face the men in the room again, but knew he had no other option. “I…I don’t know how that got in there,” he said. Then, he looked at Cathy. “Cathy, what happened to the correct file?”
“This is what you sent in your email to me last night, sir, marked as the latest presentation,” she answered.
“Didn’t you check it before we got here?”
“I just downloaded the file onto the CD. I didn’t think I needed to check it. I’d never been told to check any of your other presentations, sir.”
John could see the embarrassment on everyone’s faces for him. Allen Nolan appeared to show a mixture of embarrassment and disgust.
“I’m sorry, gentlemen. If you’ll be a bit more patient with me, I’ll retrieve the correct file for viewing. It’ll just take a few minutes,” he said.
“No need.” Stanley Lee rose to his feet; his assistant followed his lead. “Perhaps, some other time.”
Lee nodded. “Gentleman…”, then headed for the door.
Allen stood up at the same time. “Please allow me to walk with you,” he said to Lee, who did not object.
One by one, the others got up and left the room, looking down at John as he sat there feeling deflated.
Holding the CD, Cathy said. “I’m very sorry, sir. I had no idea that was on the attachment you sent. I wish I would’ve checked.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I really don’t know how that happened, though. I knew I’d attached the correct file.” He looked up at her. “I know how bad this looks, particularly since I’m married, but I don’t know where that recording came from, so how could I have sent it to you?”
She was flabbergasted and tried not to appear as if she was judging him.
He pulled his laptop closer and started searching his emails.
“Here it is!” he exclaimed, moments later. He clicked on the file in his Sent box. “This is what I sent you at 9:07 PM. See—the attachment shows the correct file.”
Cathy leaned in. “Yes…I see. But that’s not the last one you sent, sir. The last email I got from you was after eleven o’clock. I can show you if you’d allow me to log on.”
“Go ahead, but I didn’t send you any other email, Cathy. Either that or I’m going out of my mind!”
She logged on to her email address and clicked her Sent Box. “See!” she said. “This is what you sent at 11:01.” He pulled the laptop closer, viewed his name and address as the sender and clicked on the attachment. The same file they’d mistakenly shown in the meeting was attached.
“I didn’t send this though!” John insisted.
“Your name is on it, sir, and that’s your same email address. Perhaps, you didn’t realize…” Cathy started.
“I said I didn’t send it, dammit!” He slammed his hand on the desk.
Cathy stepped back.
“I’m…I’m sorry, Cathy. It’s obviously not your fault.
“John, can I see you for a minute?” Allen Nolan appeared in the doorway.
“Sure,” John answered, getting up immediately.
The look on Cathy’s face was one of worry.
“We’ll talk about this later.” John sighed.
“Okay, sir.”
Allen was waiting for him outside the door.
“Sir, I’m really sorry about all that…” John immediately sought to apologize to his boss. “Someone must’ve hacked my email or something…”
“I understand, John.” He cleared his throat. “Perhaps, you should take the rest of the week off. You’ve been working really hard for weeks and could use a break—paid, of course.”
“Thank you, sir, but I’m fine. I’ll give Mr. Lee a call and set up another meeting at his convenience.”
“No need. Lee’s not interested at this point. He will let us know if he’d like to proceed at a later date.”
“But I can convince him. Allow me to try,” John said.
Allen sighed heavily. “John—Stanley Lee is old school; he doesn’t understand these things. You know—certain types of relationships outside of the scope of a man and a woman—and he’s quite shocked at what he viewed on that disc. He just needs some time to digest it and hopefully, we’ll be back on the roll with the proposal, okay? Pushing him would only cause him to back off permanently. So, let’s just leave that alone for now. I insist that you take the remainder of the week off. Use the time to relax, so you’d be refreshed next week.”
John nodded, reluctantly. “As you wish, sir.”
Allen walked off down the corridor toward his office.
The drive from work that morning was a stark difference for John compared to what it had been on his way there less than two hours before. He felt like the world had crushed him and everything he’d tried to achieve was yanked from under him. His exposed rendezvous was with a guy he’d met at a bar some months ago, whose name he didn’t even bother to get. John had been in the closet for years and had every intention of remaining there. However, his secret was now out in the office and he knew it was just a matter of time before it got even further.
“I can’t believe this!” he yelled at himself. “This can’t be happening!”
When he arrived home, he noticed the front door was widely ajar. Strange, he thought. Pam would’ve never intentionally left it open as she was home alone.
He dashed into the house and called out to her.
She was heading downstairs with two suitcases.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“As far away from you as I can get!” she barked.
“Why? What’s going on?” He approached her at the landing.
She dropped both suitcases at her feet. “All of these years, I couldn’t figure out why you treated me so coldly— like you didn’t want to have anything to do with me. And now, I have my answers,” she said with a sternness across her face. “You deceived me, John! If you’re gay, you could’ve told me. I would’ve let you live your life and I would’ve moved on a long time ago. Instead, you left me here, day after day, while you went out enjoying your life, making me feel like I was lower than the dirt you walk on. And God knows what you might’ve exposed me to!”
“I’m not gay!” he countered. “I love women; that’s why I married you.”
“If you love any woman, John, it’s surely not me. I’ve had enough years to prove that! I saw the recording, John—of you and that man. When was the last time you ever held me that way, huh? When was the last time you whispered sweet nothings into my ear?”
He stood there for a moment without rendering a response.
“Exactly! I’m filing for divorce, John, and I’m taking everything I can get for the years of misery you inflicted on me while I was here trying to be a good wife. I hate you and I hope you rot in Hell!”
She picked up her suitcases, put them in the trunk of her Jaguar and pulled off.
John stood in the doorway and quietly watched her leave.
Two hours later…
“You’re gonna be all right!” Steve told his Mom as ambulance officials were taking her from the apartment to be admitted to the local psychiatric hospital.
“Don’t let them take me, Steve! I’m not crazy,” Rachelle cried.
“I know you’re not crazy, Mom, but you need help. I don’t want you to hurt yourself anymore.”
Her wrists had been bandaged where the blood escaped her veins and trailed down onto her pants leg. Steve shuddered to think what he would’ve found if he hadn’t trusted his instinct to stay home from work that day to watch his mom since her behavior from the night before had worsened. She’d managed to cut both wrists in the tub when she went to have a bath. Fortunately, Steve went and checked on her after she was taking a little long
er than usual in the bathroom.
Belinda was on the scene, but said and did very little to comfort her sister, and Steve wondered why he’d even bothered to call her.
“You’ll be notified by the hospital when she’s settled in,” an officer in white told Steve. “She’ll be well taken care of.”
“That’s all I want—for her to get better.” Steve had tears in his eyes.
Something prompted Belinda to go over and rest her hand on his shoulder as the ambulance rolled away. “You did the right thing,” she said. “Rachelle needs help.”
He nodded. “I didn’t wanna come home after work one day and find her dead. It could’ve happened today.”
“You’re right.”
“She kept talking about seeing Granddad and that he wants her to die. I don’t understand what’s happened to her,” he said.
“Me neither. We all know the dead can’t talk.”
John had told Belinda about his disastrous presentation and how his boss had subsequently given him the remainder of the week off. He also told her that Pam, on a whim, had upped and left him, which Belinda deemed wasn’t a bad thing since she never liked her in the first place. John, however, didn’t share the details of the meeting that morning with her, neither the reason for Pam leaving him.
“So much is going wrong in this family,” Belinda said to Steve. “In the past few days, it’s been one crazy thing right after the other. I suddenly feel like we’re cursed or something.”
Steve shook his head, unsure of how to respond.
“I guess Toby needs to know what happened to Rachelle, so I’ll give him a call,” she said.
Headstone: The Curse Page 5