Walking the fifteen blocks gave her time to reflect on their marriage, as well as what life would be like if she chose Kevin instead. Looking back to when she and Jack first began dating, she remembered having the same irresistible feelings for Jack as she had for Kevin right now. From the very beginning, Jack was her life, her world. Then, things changed.
Sometime after learning of their infertility, they started to drift apart. She had accepted that it was nobody’s fault, but her desire to have children had remained strong. Adoption was brought up numerous times, but nothing ever came of it. It was all just talk. She knew, or she felt she knew, that Jack was scared. Scared of the adoption process and what it might mean to his bottom line. Meaning the exorbitant expense of raising a child who inherently wasn’t their own was emotionally problematic.
Cyndi pushed the thoughts from her mind as she passed through the double entry doors into the Redevelopment Foundation’s headquarters. As she passed the various donation tables set up, her eyes scanned the room for familiar faces, one face in particular. When she found no sign of Kevin, she dropped her purse and sweater off in the locker room before returning to the donation center.
“Oh, good morning, Cyndi,” Stan, the center’s administrator said. “It’s very good of you to come in today.”
“It’s my pleasure, Stan. Where would you like me today?”
“Why don’t you help Beth out at the children’s table. Wednesdays are usually busy with infant clothing donations, and Beth is the only one at that station,” he said.
“Sounds good,” Cyndi said. Before she headed to her assignment though, she asked, “But doesn’t Kevin usually help Beth?”
“Yes, but he’s running an errand for me right now. As soon as he returns, I’ll decide whether to put him in a different station or move you somewhere else.”
Cyndi wasn’t sure if she should be elated or disappointed that Kevin wasn’t there. She had rehearsed in her mind how she would approach him about ending their relationship. Was this really a relationship, she wondered.
***
After thirty minutes of accepting various children’s items, Cyndi couldn’t wait for Kevin to return, if only to relieve her from this particular station. With each piece of infant clothing that passed through her hands, she was constantly reminded that she might never hold her own child. And with each creak of the entry door, Cyndi’s eyes darted up to see if Kevin was coming in to release her from her misery. As the absolution never came, she tried to focus on something else. With a lull in donation activity, Cyndi closed the lid of a filled box and told Beth that she would take it to the back. Beth nodded and continued to sort through the remaining garments on the table.
The box wasn’t particularly heavy, but with her injured shoulder, any abnormal weight caused discomfort. As she headed into the back room, moving slowly so as not to trip, she lifted the box above her head and slid it to the top of the processing pile.
As she dropped her arms back to her side, she could feel and hear her shoulder pop.
“Oww,” she moaned.
“You know, you should have asked for help with that,” a voice boomed from behind her.
Cyndi turned and smiled at Kevin’s presence. Gently massaging her shoulder, she said, “It’s okay, I can manage.”
“Still hurt?”
“Yeah. A little.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“He said not to lift boxes over my head,” Cyndi giggled.
Kevin smiled, but concern tightened his brow. “Seriously though, are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, Jack is picking up a refill for my medication. I think another week of those pills should fix me up.”
“Speaking of Jack, has he—”
“No, he still thinks I fell at the park. He has no idea.”
“For what it’s worth, Cyndi, I never meant to hurt you. That Kama Sutra book really puts our bodies into perilous positions. But I have to say, that was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
Chapter 7
I pulled the coin from Cyndi’s hand. Shocked and overwhelmed at what I just witnessed, I stepped away from her bedside.
“Are you serious?” I asked loudly. “Your injury came from having sex with Kevin?”
Cyndi’s unconscious soul did not reply.
As I paced next to her unresponsive body, I finally noticed the nurse attending to the tubes and wires connected to Cyndi’s body.
“I wouldn’t bother, nurse. This woman is a cheating whore, and I’m here to collect her soul,” I said, standing right next to her.
The nurse didn’t react to my voice. She just continued cleaning and adjusting Cyndi’s life support. Moments later, another person walked in and approached the bedside.
“Any status change?” he asked.
“No, Doctor. The patient remains unconscious.”
The doctor flipped open Cyndi’s medical chart and reviewed several pages, starting from the last page forward. “Next of kin?”
“Not that I’m aware of, Doctor. According to the sergeant on duty, her husband can’t be found.”
The doctor nodded as he jotted some notes in her chart.
“What’s the prognosis, Doctor? Do you think she’ll make it?” asked the nurse.
The doctor paused momentarily. I moved closer to be sure I heard every word.
“Unfortunately her fall was quite severe. Aside from the multiple fractures to both of her legs and her right arm, it’s the damage to her brain that will most likely take her life. But there’s no way of knowing at this point. She needs to fight.”
“How far was the fall?” asked the nurse.
The doctor flipped through the chart looking for the information, but it wasn’t present. “I’m not exactly sure, but from what I understand she lived on the twenty-fifth floor and her body was found at the base of the stairwell on the first floor.”
“My God, how could she even survive that kind of fall?”
“Perhaps her guardian angel was looking out for her. Unfortunately that angel can only do so much. The damage is just too severe,” the doctor said making his final notes. “Nurse, see if you can track down any other relatives that can be notified. It would be such a shame if she passed without any family present.”
“Will do, Doctor,” said the nurse before they both walked out of the room.
With the medical staff gone, I stood and stared at Cyndi’s lifeless body. This emotional roller coaster was killing me. I returned to the chair next to her bed, once again taking her hand in mine.
“Well, klutz. It looks like you really fucked things up this time,” I said caressing her skin. “I really should be several levels beyond pissed right now, but for some reason I only have pity for you. Pity for us.”
I wished the dreadful ordeal were over, but I knew it wouldn’t be until I finished what I had come here to do. I slipped the coin back into her hand, clenching my teeth at what I might experience next.
Chapter 7.5
The elevator doors closed, and Cyndi pressed the button for 25.
“Listen, Kevin, I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’ve been a rock for me for so long, especially when I needed someone the most.”
“But—”
“I think that what we’ve had has been wonderful, but I think it needs to end.”
Before Kevin could reply, the elevator dinged and the doors parted, revealing the twenty-fifth floor corridor. Cyndi stepped out and led the way to her apartment door.
“Then why’d you invite me to your apartment?” Kevin asked.
“Because I wanted to talk to you about this in private. Sure, I could’ve just blown you off at the donation station, but I felt I owed you more than that,” Cyndi said. “Besides, I figured we could have lunch together one last time.”
“So you want to cut everything out, not just the sex?”
“Don’t you think it would be better that way? If we go on being friends, our own animalistic desires might take
over.”
“You really are an animal sometimes,” Kevin joked.
Cyndi snickered. “Would you be serious, please?”
“I am. Cyndi, you are the most wonderful woman that I’ve ever been with.”
Cyndi blushed. “That’ll be enough of that, Mister. Do you want a sandwich?”
“Yeah, sure. What do you have?”
Cyndi opened the refrigerator door. “Well, we have turkey. We have roast beef, or we have peanut butter and jelly.”
“What kind of jelly?” Kevin asked, imitating a little boy’s face.
“It’s raspberry, you goof.”
“If that’s the case, then I’ll take the roast beef, please.”
As Cyndi made them both sandwiches, Kevin moved about the living room, looking at the various family pictures of Cyndi and Jack.
“Tell me, why are you really breaking things off with me?” he asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it.”
Cyndi slipped off her heels on the kitchen floor before carrying their lunch plates to the table.
“Thank you. This looks delicious.”
Cyndi nodded. “I’ve always imagined having a big family. I thought that family would consist of myself, Jack, and two or three kids. After we found out that we couldn’t have children, I tried my best to reenvision our future together. It was difficult. We’ve talked about other alternatives, but . . . Then I met you.”
Kevin glanced up at her sorrowful face, winked, and then took another bite of his sandwich.
“You see, you were a distraction.”
“Ouch.”
“A wonderful distraction.” Cyndi smiled. “But recently I’ve discovered that I still love Jack. I do, with all my heart. And I know he loves me. Regardless of the fruitless curveball that has been thrown at us, we’re gonna make it through this.”
Kevin finished his sandwich and placed his plate in the sink.
“And you’re sure?” he asked
“Yes, I’m sure. Despite Jack’s flaws, I truly believe he’s my soul mate,” Cyndi said, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Well, I’m thankful to have been your distraction, even if just for a little while. You are beautiful woman, and all I can say is, it was fun while it lasted.”
Cyndi’s appetite was lost, and she emptied her plate in the garbage.
“Thank you, Kevin. You have no idea how difficult this has been,” she said, her tears flowing rapidly.
“Hey, hey. Come here,” Kevin said pulling her into his arms. “It’ll be all right.”
Cyndi sobbed into Kevin’s shoulder, her body shaking in his arms.
Kevin stroked the back of her hair as her emotions flowed freely. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
Cyndi lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
“What do you say? One more romp for old times’ sake?” Kevin asked before kissing her gently on her lips.
Silently, Cyndi led Kevin into the bedroom.
Chapter 8
“Oh, hell no,” I said, pulling the coin from her hand. “I’ve already witnessed that once, I’m not going to relive it again.”
I leaned back and thought about what I’d just witnessed. Part of me wanted to hug and kiss Cyndi for all the love that she had for me, while the other part wanted to sob like a baby at her betrayal. Right after punching Kevin in the face, obviously.
Wondering how exactly I could fast-forward past that unforgettable scene, I fumbled with the coin between my fingers.
“Why me, Wilson? Why was I selected to collect her soul?”
I sensed movement behind me, but when I stood and turned, there was nobody there. I walked to the door and pulled the curtain open. There were two nurses behind the station, but nobody else was around. Figuring I was imagining things, I returned to Cyndi’s bedside and slipped the coin into her hand.
Chapter 8.5
I appeared in the hallway of my apartment building, but I was alone. This should be Cyndi’s personal reflection and not my own. As I stood there trying to figure out what I did differently, I saw a shadowy figure walk out of my apartment door directly toward me. As the shadowy figure got closer, I realized that it was me walking toward … me. I could not make out any discernible characteristics, but I knew it was me. It was as if a camera lens was unfocused on the man walking toward me.
I’d expected the apparition to walk around me, but he stepped through me. My chest tightened and I caught my breath. A sudden chill shot through my body, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I turned and watched my blurry apparition press the elevator call button and wait.
As my shadowed self stepped into the elevator, Cyndi’s scream echoed through the hallway. I turned in the direction of my apartment door just as Cyndi blasted through me, giving me the same sensation of chills I had experienced seconds before . . .
“Oh God!” Cyndi screamed, standing in front of the apartment door. Then she ran as fast as she could to catch the elevator door from closing. Unfortunately she was only seconds shy from stopping Jack long enough to explain what he’d just seen. Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched the elevator readout count backward: 24 . . . 23 . . . 22 . . .
Just then Kevin walked into the hallway, barefoot and only wearing his trousers.
“Hey, are you okay? You didn’t say anything when you ran out of the apartment,” Kevin said.
“Get out! Just leave. You’ve made of mess of everything,” yelled Cyndi.
Without waiting for another word from Kevin, Cyndi ran around the corner and burst into the stairwell. She hoped that the elevator would stop at least a few floors on its way down, that she might be able to get downstairs before Jack.
The stairwell was brightly illuminated, light reflecting off the stark white walls. The stairs were hard concrete with a worn steel guardrail at the center. Cyndi leaned over and could see all the way down to the first level. She was relieved to see that nobody else was in the stairwell to impede her race to the bottom.
She took the steps two at a time, moving slowly at first, establishing a rhythm in her stride. After passing the twentieth floor, she felt confident enough to increase her speed to three steps at a time. The breeze formed by her speed began to tug at the tails of her bathrobe. She ignored the fluttering, and remained focused on getting to the bottom before Jack.
At the eighteenth floor, she grabbed the railing tight and swung her body around, throwing herself farther down the stairs. But her robe caught on the end of the handrail, launching her over the edge of the metal guardrail.
The echoes of Cyndi’s scream went unheard as she fell through the center of the stairwell. She lashed out multiple times to catch a handhold along the way down, but as her plummeting body picked up speed, each grasp of her hand launched her in the opposite direction, knocking her legs and body against the numerous guardrails all the way down.
Around the fifth floor, her calf slapped hard against the guardrail, slowing her speed down greatly, but snapping her leg bone at the same time. She screamed in pain. Moments later, her naked body slammed onto the floor at the base of the stairwell, the edge of her jaw driving into the bottom stair tread.
Chapter 9
Breathless, I opened my eyes, which were blurry with tears. I was back in the hospital room, Cyndi at my side. I tried to keep my emotions in check, but I sobbed softly as I held Cyndi’s hand, wishing for the pain to be over. Wishing for it all to be over.
I wiped the tears away and suddenly felt Cyndi squeeze my hand. I blinked my vision clear and gazed into her eyes. She was staring back at me, blinking through tears of her own. She tried to speak, but her jaw would not move.
“Hold on a minute, baby. This might hurt,” I said as I leaned close to her.
I gently parted her lips and looked inside her left cheek. I found where the wires were twisted together, then slowly unfastened them, partially freeing her lower jaw.
“Shh. Don’t try to speak yet. I have to
do the other side.”
Tears streaked down the side of her face as she nodded.
Repeating the procedure on her right cheek, I tossed the bloody wire to the side, allowing her jaw to move freely. As I sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes squinted tightly, most likely fighting back the pain.
Cyndi moaned as she opened her mouth as far as she could.
“You don’t have to speak, baby. You don’t have to say anything,” I said, wishing her pain away.
She opened her wet eyes, her stare piercing into mine. “M’m. Sus ssorrry.”
“Cyn, I’ve thought about what you did to me, and I am upset. But I . . .” I dropped my head down and rested my forehead on the edge of her bed. “I just wish you would have said something. I could have changed. Whatever it was, I would have moved mountains for you. Cyn, I love you, and I . . . I forgive you.”
Tears flowed freely from my eyes. I was surprised with myself at how quickly I was able to forgive … for something that I had only witnessed just yesterday. I wiped my eyes on the bed linens, then looked into her hopeless gaze. Her eyes were as wet as mine, and I knew the time was imminent.
Moments later, the strength of her stare faded as she stared off into the distance. Her clutch on my hand went flaccid, and her head lolled back into her pillow. A wisp of smoke began to slip past her bruised and battered face.
Wishing I had more time to share some last minute words with her, but I was caught off guard. I quickly pulled her box out of my pocket and opened it in the palm of my hand.
The Borrowed Souls: A Novel Page 7