Shackles: The truth will set you free

by Dianne J Wilson

  Jason patted him on the back. “Hang in there, Buck. It will all be worth it.”

  Tim slumped onto the nearest desk and glared at him.

  Mrs. Carter swept into the room and announced, “I’m going to get us some lunch boys. You can take a break.” She winked broadly and would have nudged Jason in the ribs with her elbow, had she been closer to him.

  Mrs. Carter had always been a very pertinacious person when it came to her client’s confidentiality. However, the closing of the agency and the boy’s sheer helpfulness had softened her resolve to the point of looking the other way while they found what they needed.

  Jason grinned at the old lady, “That sounds great. Thank you!”

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  Four hours and hamburgers and chips later, they had three ‘Rebecca’ files in hand. Sitting in reverential silence, Jason spread them on the ground. The files were a hideous shade of green with the name of the person written in fat black letters on the front. Opening the first one, Jason was surprised to see a wallet size photograph of the potential employee glued onto the introduction page. Rebecca Harvett had stringy blonde hair that hung limply either side of a wrinkled face. Checking the date of birth, Jason tossed the file aside. “Too old, not our girl!”

  The next photo was another blonde Rebecca, though this time sporting a frizzy perm. Rebecca Hurst. Eyes of the deepest brown stared coolly into the camera. The birth date was the same year they were looking for, the month and day all wrong. “Same year, wrong eye & hair color though. I don’t think so.”

  “Haven’t you heard of highlights and contact lenses? She could be our Rebecca.”

  “I will recognize this girl when I see her, trust me.”

  Tim held his hands up as if conceding defeat. “I won’t argue with you. I just hope this last one is it.”

  “You and me both.” Reaching for the file marked Rebecca Jones, Jason reminded himself to breathe. Slowly opening the cover, his heart hoping against hope, Jason felt the wind leave his sails as the file fell open. There was no photograph.

  “Check the birth date.”

  “Let’s see… here it is. 15 May 1979. Spot on. This could be our girl.”

  “Where was she placed? Is there an address?”

  Jason paged through the file, “No address that I can see. Uh… Here’s a contact name and cell phone number, no landline. Take this down: Maxine Rochester, 0837596590. Our business here is done.” The relief on Tim’s face was enough to make Jason smile.

  He did a final flip through the file and stopped dead. The hairs on his neck stood on end and he felt blood rush to his head causing blinding spots in his vision. He’d found the photo of Rebecca. There was no mistaking those pale eyes.

  “Tim, look at this.” He spoke in the same hushed tone that people use at funerals. He held out the photo with a trembling hand..

  Tim took it from him, “She’s beautiful.” He seemed vaguely impressed, not half as shaken as Jason felt.

  Jason walloped him on the shoulder, “That’s the understatement of the century.” Looking around to make sure no one saw, he tucked the photo in his pocket. “No way am I leaving this here. Come, let’s go.”

  Mrs. Carter patted their cheeks fondly and seemed sad to see them go. Jason generously offered to come in the next day, bringing a wild-eyed stare from Tim. Much to his relief, Mr. Carter was due back the next day, saving them from another bout of backbreaking labor.

  On the way back to the B&B, Tim was like a kid on school break. “Hey, maybe we can go to Gold Reef City tomorrow. Or what abo—”

  Jason interrupted, “What I really want to do is phone Maxine and see if we’re onto the right Rebecca.”

  Tim was crestfallen. “Lighten up Jason. What is with you?”

  Jason fished his precious find out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Tim’s nose. “This, my friend. Need I say any more?”

  “You, my friend, are smitten. Completely and utterly smitten with a girl you’ve never met. And you call me a sad case.” Tim chuckled.

  “I am not. I’m just – dedicated.”

  “Yes, Jason. Dedicated.”

  “When did you get to be so sarcastic? You sound worse than me.”

  “What can I say? I learnt from the master.” Tim made an elaborate gesture toward Jason with his right hand, but Jason didn’t notice. He was walking along staring at the photo in his palm.

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  Maxine was resting when the call came through. Sally decided to take the call on Maxine’s cell phone, rather than wake her sister, because Maxine needed all the rest she could get.

  “No, Maxine is resting. You’re speaking to her sister. Can I help you?” A protective tone crept into her voice without her realizing it. Maxine came through from the room all sleep tousled — Sally hadn’t got to the phone quickly enough and the ringing had woken her. Sally caught Maxine’s eye, and motioned for her not to take the phone.

  “Yes, we’re home now.” She listened with her eyebrows creeping toward her hairline. “Sure. 53 Swallow View, Benoni.” She showed Maxine a ‘thumbs-up’ and continued. “No, we will be in all afternoon… Yes. That’s great. Thank you!” She hung up and looked across at Maxine in amazement. “You’ve just won a free pizza! How about that?!”

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  Rebecca bid Shane goodnight, shut the door and slowly turned to take in her surroundings. The room had a distinct masculine feel to it, with a rich shade of royal blue being the predominant color. The books on the bookshelf were mostly non-fiction with several weighty historical reference works thrown in. A brilliantly photographed tome on Egypt dominated the top shelf.

  There were no photos of Jason, leaving Rebecca’s natural curiosity completely unsatisfied. In fact, the only photo in the room was a tiny, framed picture of a blonde girl, who couldn’t have been a day older than twenty.

  “Pretty girlfriend, Jason. Looks a bit young.” Rebecca spoke out loud without realizing what she was doing. She picked up the photo to examine the woman more closely. The photographer had captured her essence in a moment. She simply sparkled with dazzling natural radiance that had everything to do with a passion for life.

  Setting the portrait down, Rebecca took in the rest of the room. The feel of the room was that of uncontrived minimalism. Not so much a carefully planned absence of clutter, but the undecorated feel of one passing through.

  Feeling lost and uncomfortable, Rebecca perched on the edge of the bed. She closed her eyes as the events of the last two days came crashing down on her with a vengeance. It was all too much. Climbing into a stranger’s bed, she pulled the foreign duvet around herself, and gave in to tears.

  Unable to contain the flood, Rebecca wept and wept. She wept for the Mom that she barely remembered. Tears flowed for the hole inside her left by not belonging anywhere. She cried for not having a home to go back to. Her life had as much meaning as a piece of driftwood lost at sea – nobody to care, no one who would miss her if she weren’t there.

  Choking out the words, she prayed, “Oh God, You shouldn’t have wasted Your time making me.” Hearing the bitterness in her soul’s conclusion out loud sobered her, abating her tears.

  She hadn’t heard the knock on the door and was surprised to look up into Shane’s worried face. He stood looking down on her, a box of tissues in hand, at a complete loss for words.

  Sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed, Shane took a tissue out the box and offered it to her. “Is there anything I can help with?”

  Rebecca took the tissue. His kindness melted her composure completely and she buried her face in the tissue and sobbed.

  Shane had been through enough relationships with the opposite sex to know that sometimes it helped just to be there. You didn’t have to say anything, or fix anything; you just had to be there. And so he sat.

  After a while, Rebecca drew a ragged breath and peeped at him over the soggy tissue.
“Sorry.” Tears shone like diamonds on her wet lashes. “Life has thrown me some curve balls.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Shane proudly wielded another lady’s favorite.

  Rebecca managed a weak smile, and flopped sideways onto the pillow. “Thank you, but no. I just want to sleep.”

  Shane shrugged, “Okay, but the offer stands. If you need anything, I’m just next door.” But he got no answer. Worn out from her weeping, Rebecca was already fast asleep.

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  Driving through to Benoni proved to be trickier than Jason had imagined. They had to stop and ask for directions twice and had spent the last half hour in the right suburb, looking for Swallow View. The pizza had been piping hot when they bought it. It had been slowly cooling, congealing to the consistency of warm rubber. At this rate, Jason was wondering if it would have started growing mould by the time they found the house.

  Tim was counting out loud. “Number 49, number 51—ah, here it is on my side. Number 53. Looks quite small. Sure doesn’t look big enough to warrant having a full-time cook.”

  Jason shrugged, looking puzzled. “I agree. Let’s go see.”

  The miniature front garden was beautifully tended with winter-loving Camellia’s in full bloom all along the front of the tiny house. The lawn was neatly clipped and the crisp air carried the scent of fresh creosote from the wooden fence.

  There was no doorbell, so Jason knocked loudly and they waited. The woman who opened the door looked weary to the bone. Dark shadows framed her eyes, matching the dark shackles around her wrists. Jason put on his brightest smile, “Hi. My name is Jason. I’m looking for Maxine Rochester.”

  “I’m Maxine. How can I help?” It was an effort for her to say those six words. Maxine was probably in her mid-forties, but had stiffness about her that was reminiscent of a seventy-year-old; a very unsettling combination.

  Jason held out the cold pizza box. “This is for you. Do you mind if we come in for a moment? We need to ask you a few things.”

  Too tired to argue, the woman took the pizza and showed them inside. Dumping the box on the counter of the open plan kitchen, she gestured for them to settle in the lounge. “Thank you for the pizza. I don’t remember the competition. How did I win?”

  Jason took a deep breath, “The pizza was just an excuse to come and see you.”

  Maxine’s whole face said ‘OH?’ without her even opening her mouth.

  “I’m looking for a young lady by the name of Rebecca Jones. I believe she was placed in your employment about three years ago?”

  Maxine’s skin was so thin you could see the blue vein pulsing in her temple. She did not look healthy. At the mention of Rebecca, she sighed heavily.

  “I’m afraid you won’t find her here.” Her words were carefully articulated. Every syllable precisely spoken.

  “Does she no longer work for you?”

  “The last time I saw her was three years ago, shortly after I employed her. If she’s still there, you’ll find her on the Sun-kissed Farm, halfway between Jamestown and Queenstown. If she’s no longer there—” her voice trailed off, and she shrugged. Maxine was breathing heavily from the effort of talking.

  “I’m not sure I understand. Wasn’t she employed to work here?”

  “No. It’s a long story; I don’t care to share it. Try the farm.” The meeting was taking its toll; she looked more tired than when they’d arrived.

  Not wanting to burden her more than necessary, Jason stood to take his leave, “Thank you so much Maxine. I appreciate your help more than you know—” The rest of his sentence trailed off into silence as he stared at her and beyond her. Tim half stood, but seeing Jason mesmerized, quickly sat back down.

  Behind the couch she was sitting on, stood the apparition of a distinguished silver-haired gentleman who was smiling down on her lovingly. The image was translucent and hazy as if Jason were looking through a heat wave. On either side of Maxine on the couch, sat two young men. One, with brown wavy hair, had his arm around her shoulders, and the other lay with his head on her lap. The one reclining on her lap had straight blonde hair and torment twisted his features. The two were as nebulous as the old man.

  Jason was shocked to hear his own voice speaking, “You are far away from your family because you are afraid that being near to them would be dangerous for them. But they need you.” Staring at the image, he knew in his heart that their futures balanced on a knife-edge, and she was the key. Speaking with conviction, Jason continued, “You need to strongly consider going back to them.” Pausing to swallow, he repeated, more forcefully, “They need you.”

  As the words left his mouth, the images faded and he was left staring at Maxine who was sitting alone on the couch. Her mouth hung open and she sat dead still, staring at Jason. “How do you know this?”

  Feeling the strength leave his legs, Jason dropped onto the couch at a complete loss for words. He batted the ball back into her court. “Is any of what I said true?”

  Maxine frowned, weighing her words. “Three years ago, I was diagnosed HIV positive.” She glanced sideways at Jason to gauge his reaction. When he didn’t flinch, she continued, “I was involved in a minor accident seven years before that and needed a few pints of blood. HIV was still relatively unheard of, and the blood banks weren’t as careful as they are now.” She shrugged, “We only discovered it three years ago. My husband and I instantly panicked. I was so scared of infecting him, or one of the boys. We decided that the only thing I could do was to leave. We chose not to tell the boys why. We were worried that they wouldn’t understand that I couldn’t live with the family any longer. I had a very efficient housekeeper, so we hired Rebecca to help with the cooking and I left.” She stated the facts so simply, with the wooden expression of a seasoned news anchor. Speaking so much had exhausted her and she sank back into the couch.

  Jason stared at Maxine. Listening to her story, all he could think about was his little sister, and how precious the last few months of her life had been for him. He imagined being denied that time with her and tears stung his eyes.

  Moving to the very edge of the chair, closer to Maxine, he reached out and took her hand in his. The cuff around her wrist looked dark and menacing in comparison to her pale skin. She offered no resistance, merely observed, looking drained and listless.

  “Please listen to me. I had a little sister.” He was struggling to speak past the lump in his throat. “Her name was Nicole. She was only seventeen when she died of Leukemia. Before she got sick, she was so full of life. Yet within eight months of being diagnosed, she was no longer with us.” Jason wiped a tear off the tip of his nose with his sleeve.

  Eyes boring into hers, he spoke quietly, but with a passion that blazed through every soft syllable, “Maxine, if someone had denied me those last few months with Nics, I don’t think I would still be sane now.” He swallowed hard before adding, “As it is, I’m only just coping.” He left the ‘sometimes’ unsaid. He let go of her hand, and reached for his hanky. “Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

  “I agree with Jason, Max.” Sally had arrived at some point during the conversation and had stayed in the background, listening quietly. Now she sat herself down next to Maxine and put arm around her shoulders.

  Maxine seemed torn, “It’s not safe. I’m dangerous for those around me. As it is, I’m terrified that something will happen to you. How much worse my husband and sons?” She sank into Sally’s arms, anguish written all over her face.

  Jason spoke again, “The University that I lecture at sent us on an HIV awareness program. I learnt a lot about the disease. The most important thing I came away with was the fact that there is no reason you cannot live with your family quite safely. Things have changed drastically since the early days of AIDS. You would need to be aware of certain situations in which you’d have to take extra care, but there’s absolutely no need for you to live as an outcast.” Jason pointed to Sally, “How long has Max be
en living here?”

  The sisters conferred, “Three years.”

  “Right. Point in case. Has she — what’s your name? Sally? Okay. Has Sally been infected with HIV?”

  A faint smile touched Maxine’s lips, “No, she hasn’t. I make her test regularly and she’s fine.”

  Jason grinned at them, “So if you can live here safely, you could live with your family safely too.”

  Sally was nodding vigorously, “Couldn’t agree more. Not that I don’t love having you here,” she hugged her sister close and kissed her on the top of her head, “but I’m tired of seeing you pine away for your family. Sometimes I think that’s making you more ill than the virus.”

  A faint flush of color infused Maxine’s cheeks, and her eyes had a sparkle that had not been there when Jason arrived. “You’re very convincing. I just don’t know that my husband will agree. He was adamant that I couldn’t stay there.”

  Again, Jason felt the urge in his gut. Ignoring his instincts to wash his hands and be on his way, he followed the urge. “Time can change anything. I can speak to him for you, if you want me to. I’m going there anyway.”

  Maxine said nothing, but nodded slowly at first, then more briskly with conviction. Finally, she added, “Please.” She reached out to clasp his hands in gratitude. Jason couldn’t help noticing that the cuffs had gone from her wrists. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

  Tim had sat quietly throughout the conversation with both hands on his skin-and-bones belly to silence the rumblings. Grabbing his only chance to get a word in edge-ways he blurted out, “How about some pizza?”

  The room erupted in laughter.

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