by Sarah Kleck
Either he was so seriously injured he had to be treated at the hospital or he had heeded Jared’s warning to keep away from me. I truly hoped the latter was the case and I would never again have to look at that pig.
As soon as my lecture was over, I took my cell phone out of my bag and called Sally. “Hi, Evelyn,” she moaned into the receiver.
“Sally, how are you?” I asked, concerned.
“Awful—I puked all night,” she answered, repulsed. “But how are you?” Her voice sounded incredibly strained. “Colin was here last night. He told me what happened. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I said. “Nothing . . . happened to me. Don’t worry about me.”
“And Felix? Are you going to the police?”
“I haven’t thought about that yet, to be honest.”
“But you should. That psychopath should be locked up!”
“You know he put something in your coffee, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Sally’s voice sounded bitter. “The doctor thought the symptoms suggested a poisonous herb. Probably digitalis.”
“A poisonous herb?”
“Hmm.”
“What?” I erupted. So far I had assumed Felix had given her a simple emetic—a few hours of nausea and that would be it. But I shuddered at the thought of him outright poisoning Sally. And digitalis, to boot—even a few grams could be lethal, or at least, that’s what I thought I remembered from biology class.
“And what happens next? Are you being treated? You’ll be healthy again soon, right?”
“I have to take pills with activated charcoal and the doctor says I’ll need lots of rest.”
“Yes, please rest. Can I visit you tomorrow?”
“I’d think so.”
“Sally, I told you to stay off the phone. You need to get some rest.” Sally’s mother was scolding her in the background.
“Okay, till tomorrow,” I said. It was best if she listened to her mother and got some rest.
“Yup, till then.”
“Get well . . .” I wanted to wish her well but Sally had already hung up.
I endured the next two lectures without really participating. Fortunately, I didn’t run into Felix. So I decided to banish this horrible memory I would always associate with him into that little locked box of my subconscious where I carefully kept all the other dark moments of my life so they would not rob me of my senses. When the time came, I would open that box and survey its contents. One after the other. And try to process everything. Somehow.
My thoughts should have been put at ease—if that other matter weren’t there. As much as I tried not to, I watched for Jared the entire morning. There was nothing I longed for more than to see him. To talk to him. To . . . feel him. I returned again and again to the previous night. His intoxicating scent—leather, sweet cedar wood, and something that reminded me of suntan lotion. How he had wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, pressed me against his chest—so close I had felt his heartbeat. And then that kiss—that kiss . . .
My breathing turned heavy when the longing threatened to overwhelm me. If I hadn’t held on to the stair railing, my knees would have probably given way.
Since I didn’t have lectures on Friday afternoon and I was only going to visit Sally the following day, I wondered how I’d spend the rest of the day—without going crazy with longing. Since I didn’t know where, how, or when to reach Jared, the best thing would be to concentrate on something else. I somehow needed to find a distraction. Now. Fast. But what would I do? I didn’t feel like going for a stroll in town. And if I went to the library to pass the time, I would only think about Jared and possibly look for more information on the Calmburry crest. Precisely what I wanted to avoid. And working on my assignments—I lacked the patience for that. So what would I do?
I already knew the answer: Water! I needed water. Even when nothing else worked, water always helped revitalize my strength and made me feel better. I didn’t want the experience in the shower to keep me from that.
No—nobody would take the joy of swimming from me. Especially not Madison. In any case, I hadn’t seen her since then. Maybe I was lucky and she had moved or was studying at another college that would fit more appropriately with her social status.
I went home on a whim, packed my swimming gear, and walked to the sports facility. Since most people were probably eating lunch at that time or had already started their weekend, I was the only one in the pool, which I was happy about. Without losing much time, I jumped into the water and swam lap after lap. I had no idea how long I swam, and I only got out after my arms and legs had gradually become heavy from exertion. I had achieved exactly what I wanted. I felt well and, more importantly, I’d fully released my energy. After showering—not without looking around several times—I slipped into my clothes and started home. It was dusk, and the cold drizzle was turning the remains of the snow into slush and chilled me a little. So I hurried home and went to bed without even looking at the time.
I awoke late the next morning and stretched my limbs in all directions because they were stiff from not moving all night. Madness! I must have slept for more than twelve hours. I couldn’t remember when I’d last been so tired. I rose yawning and went to brush my teeth and comb the knots out of my hair. Fortunately, all that water had caused the injury on my forehead to heal and the wound at the back of my head to narrow to a small scabby scratch. The absorbable sutures would see to the rest.
When I was done with my hair, I took my wallet, cell phone, and key, put them into my small purse, and left for Sally’s. I stopped at a small florist’s on my way to buy a get-well bouquet. It was pouring out.
“Hello, Evelyn, nice to see you,” Sally’s mother greeted me at the door after I’d climbed the six steps to the narrow town house and pressed the bell with the label “Pamela & Sally Flynt.”
“Come on in. She’s upstairs in her room.” Although I’d never had much opportunity to talk with Pamela because she was mostly running off to work when I visited, I really liked her and thought their relationship was wonderful. It was so loving.
“Hello, Pamela, how is she?”
“Much better than yesterday,” she said and you could really see how relieved she was.
“You brought flowers?” she asked, touched, when she noticed the bouquet wrapped in colorful paper. “She’ll be delighted. Go upstairs. I just have to get a little shopping done. You’re staying a while, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“Okay, then we’ll see each other later,” Pamela said while putting on her raincoat. “Till then.”
“Yes, see ya.”
After she’d shut the door behind her, I took my boots off, hung my coat on the overfilled coatrack, and went upstairs. I gently knocked on the door.
“Yes?” Sally said, straining.
“Hi, it’s me.” I spoke with a lowered voice even though she was awake. It seemed more appropriate. “How are y—?” Sally’s appearance stopped me. Propped up by two pillows, she lay in bed half seated and was holding an oversized teacup in her hands. She had two dark, almost black shadows beneath her eyes while the remainder of her drawn face appeared as pale and translucent as her bed sheet. Her normally intricately styled hair stood out in all directions, and the outlines of her body under the cover suggested she’d lost weight. I also noticed that even her gums were colorless. She looked dreadful. It was difficult to imagine what she’d been through the last few days!
“Hi, Evelyn—you look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” she joked.
“Well,” I answered, trying to smile, “I couldn’t be much paler than you.”
I sat down on the bed beside her, next to the dozing black-and-white cat curled up at the foot of her bed.
“I brought you some flowers,” I said because I didn’t know what to say in light of the disturbing sight of Sally looking like death warmed
over.
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you.”
I held the bouquet out to her, but she didn’t seem strong enough to hold it. So I put the flowers on the nightstand. I’d ask Pamela for a vase when she got back from shopping.
“Did you go to classes yesterday?” Sally asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Did you see Felix?”
“No,” I answered coldly. “And I hope I never see him again!” What he’d done to me was one thing but that he’d almost killed Sally just to be with me . . . That shithead would have walked over bodies—literally.
“Maybe you’re in luck,” she said. “I could imagine Colin doing away with him. Or Jared.” Sally smiled about her comment, but I couldn’t entirely get rid of the feeling that it could be true. And to be honest, there was a small part of me that wished it was.
“Has Colin been with you?” I asked to distract myself.
Sally nodded. “He didn’t leave my side.” A hint of a smile showed around her colorless lips. “Until Mom sent him away.”
“I can imagine that,” I said and smiled.
“And do you know who else was here?” she asked after a pause.
“Who?”
Sally smiled. “Jared.”
“Jared was here?” I said.
“Yes, last night. Colin had already been here most of the day. I fell asleep some because I was so exhausted, but when I woke up, Jared was sitting next to Colin.” She closed her eyes and hesitated as if she were searching for the right words. “While I was waking up,” she started, “if I’m not altogether mistaken . . . I saw something remarkable.” She frowned, focusing. “There was a sort of . . . light. A golden light.” She shook her head. “I know this sounds crazy but when I saw this light and felt its warmth, I felt better, just like that. Much better. I haven’t thrown up since, and my blurry vision was suddenly gone, and my heart started beating more regularly.”
“And you think Jared had something to do with it?” I asked.
“Well, this light . . . did somehow . . . come from him.” She searched my face. “I talked with Colin about it later. He said Jared had a kind of . . . gift.”
“A gift as a healer? Are you serious?”
She shrugged. “All I know is that I’ve felt better since he was here. I wasn’t saying anything else.”
“Don’t you think that’s because of the medicine the doctor gave you?” The thought that Jared was responsible for Sally’s recovery seemed a little far-fetched to me.
“The doctor said the symptoms would probably last for days and only gradually recede. But I felt better all of a sudden after Jared’s visit.” She shrugged again. “No idea what’s behind it—I’m just telling it like it is.”
I looked at Sally, perplexed. How was that possible? Did Jared really have a gift?
I heard the house door shut.
“I’m back,” Pamela called up the stairs.
“I’ll go ask your mom for a vase,” I said and nodded toward the bouquet. Still confused, I walked down the stairs.
When I caught up with Pamela in the kitchen, she was putting the groceries away.
“May I help you?” I offered.
“Yes, please put the apples in the fruit bowl, will you?” She laughed. “By the way, you’ve got a nice boyfriend.” She winked and disappeared into the small pantry next to the kitchen to put away some pasta and a few cans.
“What boyfriend?” I said while reaching into her shopping bag and taking out the apples.
“Well, this Jason,” she said with a strained voice. She sounded as if she was trying to reach the uppermost shelf on her tiptoes.
“Jared?” I asked.
“Oh yes, Jared, I think.”
“What makes you think he’s my boyfriend?” I asked as I put the apples in the fruit bowl.
“He isn’t?”
“No.” My answer sounded like a question.
“Does he know that? He seems to be pretty crazy about you.” Back in the kitchen, she put fresh vegetables away in the fridge. “When Sally was asleep, Jared and Colin talked about you outside the door.”
“About me?” I hesitated. “What did he say?”
“That he can’t stop thinking about you, that it’s almost driving him crazy, and so on. The usual stuff when you’ve got a total crush on someone.”
I clung to the table because my knees were giving out. He couldn’t stop thinking about me? Was this a dream? “What else did he say?” I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.
“When they noticed I was in the next room, the conversation stopped pretty quickly. But if you ask me, what I heard was pretty unmistakable.” Pamela winked again. That longing flared up inside me, and suddenly I felt the urge to be alone and think in peace and quiet about everything.
“Do you have a vase for the flowers I brought Sally?”
“Of course.” She took a slim vase from one of the kitchen cupboards, filled it halfway with water, and handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said and went upstairs again.
My thoughts were racing. Jared couldn’t stop thinking of me? Now I really couldn’t understand why he always avoided me. What was that about? Didn’t he want to be with me? Didn’t he have feelings for me? Or had I misunderstood something? Was there possibly another reason he couldn’t stop thinking of me?
“Is Colin still coming today?” I asked Sally while taking the flowers from their wrapping and putting them in the vase.
“He said he’d try,” she said, somewhat downcast. “Things are crazy at his place.” She sighed.
“Did he say why?”
“No,” she said. “But I think it has something to do with Jared.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He indicated that Jared’s in a little trouble and that he has to support him.”
“Trouble?”
“That’s what Colin said. I didn’t get what he meant by that, either.”
The unbridled longing arose once more. I could think of nothing but seeing Jared, talking to him, asking him all the questions that ached inside me, questions only he had the answers to.
Sally’s mother was suddenly standing at the door. “How are you, my little angel?” she asked, sat down on the other side of the bed, and placed her hand on Sally’s forehead to check her temperature.
“Good,” Sally said. “I’m even a little hungry.”
“That’s a good sign,” Pamela said and laughed. “What would you like?”
“Pancakes,” Sally said after a brief moment of reflection, which caused Pamela and me to laugh.
“Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll head downstairs again and make the best pancakes you’ve ever had.” Pamela tenderly brushed the hair out of Sally’s face. “Are you staying for lunch, Evelyn?” she asked me, smiling.
“No. Unfortunately, I have to go.” Apart from the fact that I wasn’t hungry, I couldn’t stand just hanging around. I had to do something. I had to . . . find Jared. “Get well,” I said to Sally and hugged her good-bye. “Bye, Pamela, till next time,” I said and hugged her before going down the stairs, slipping my shoes on, throwing on my jacket, and hurrying outside.
Fortunately, the rain had stopped—at least for the moment. My plan was as good as futile even with the best conditions. Especially since Colin, whose number I’d gotten from Sally, couldn’t be reached and I was left to my own devices. There was only one thing left to do: start searching!
I intended to seek out all the places I’d seen Jared. Since Sally’s place wasn’t far from the old city, I decided to start my search there.
And so I stood outside the little Asian restaurant a few minutes later, when I was suddenly overcome by the thought of Felix. It sent a shiver down my spine. I had only been with him here a few days ago. I shook my head and attempted to
chase the thought away. A look inside the restaurant made me sigh. Jared wasn’t there. I roamed through the narrow streets in which I had encountered him and Aiden by chance, hoping to spot Jared, but I was unsuccessful. When I tried to reach Colin again after an hour, a friendly female voice answered and said the person I was calling was unavailable at the moment and that I should try again later. Colin had probably turned off his phone.
Finally, I had to admit it: it was useless. I’d never find Jared this way. Also, it had started to rain again, so I decided to stop my search for the time being. I went home to dry my things and reward myself with a warm shower.
I got into bed with wet hair and tried to sleep a little. But when not even that succeeded, all that was left for me was to dully stare at the ceiling and dwell on my dreary thoughts. I felt incredibly lonely.
Jared was—in every way—unreachable, Sally was out of action, and Felix . . . Felix was definitely not an option anymore.
Suddenly, my eyes wandered over my scattered papers and abruptly stopped on a crumpled piece of paper. I got out of bed, picked it up, and smoothed it out. Then I called the number from the paper. After the third ring, I heard a woman’s voice that seemed familiar in an odd way.
“Hayman, good evening.”
“Good evening . . .” I started hesitantly. “Am I speaking to Ruth?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“This is Evelyn Lakewood . . . You picked me up at the train station several weeks ago.”
“Oh, hello, Evelyn, I’d hoped you’d call me. How are you? Do you like the college?” she asked cheerfully. She remembered me—I felt relieved.
“Oh yes, it’s very . . . beautiful here.”
“Have you had supper?” she asked and saved me from spelling out how lonely I felt.
“No, not yet,” I answered hopefully.
“You know, since my Hanna is no longer here, I have to eat alone all the time. I’d enjoy a little company. Would you like to drop by?”
“I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” I said but was secretly really grateful for Ruth’s invitation.
“I’d be delighted if you could visit me, Evelyn,” she said. “Can you be here at seven?”