“Hello, Mrs. Carlson, it’s Merly,” she said answering the phone.
“Oh, hello, Merly, are you doing well?” Mrs. Carlson spoke very softly.
Merly saw that Natalie was gesturing her something and mouthed a few words indicating that she wanted her to ask Mrs. Carlson something, but she ignored it and tried to concentrate on what was said to her. “Mrs. Carlson, you never called me before,” Merly said.
“I know that I never got the opportunity to speak with you, but this is important because it’s about Nora,” Mrs. Carlson said.
“About Nora?” Merly questioned back. In her mind, she raced back and forth with the thought of what it could possibly be about Nora that Mrs. Carlson wanted to ask her. Merly couldn’t tell her the truth and what would she lie about? She wanted to deny knowing anything, but then she remembered that Mrs. Carlson hadn’t even said a thing to her.
“Merly, are you still there?” Mrs. Carlson was unsure if Merly was still there as she had fell silent. Merly promptly replied back upon hearing the question.
“Yes, Mrs. Carlson, I am here. What is it about Nora that you wanted to ask?” Merly asked and thought that if she had to, she will tell the truth.
“I never said that I wanted to ask you anything about Nora, I want to inform you on something about her. Do you have the time?” she asked.
Merly’s calculations were wrong, and she couldn’t guess what was it that Mrs. Carlson wanted to tell her. “What is it, Mrs. Carlson?”
“Nora won’t be attending college for a few days. She is not well, more like she is injured and is unfit to walk,” Mrs. Carlson said. Silence ensued, and Merly repeated the words in her head.
“Nora is at home?” Merly managed to ask a few seconds later.
Mrs. Carlson said, “Where else is she supposed to be? Of course, she is at home. Nora had a little accident the other day that injured her left leg. She cannot go back to college right now, and she asked me to give this news to you.”
“Can I speak to her?” was all Merly could manage to say.
“No, she is sleeping and I am afraid she requires rest. She was worried about you and asked me tell you that you don’t need to worry about her and she will meet you soon.” Mrs. Carlson waited for Merly to answer back.
However, what Merly couldn’t understand was why Mrs. Carlson didn’t want to give the call to Nora, but she accepted it, thanked Mrs. Carlson for giving her the message, and placed the receiver down.
Natalie was observing her the whole time and right after the call ended, she jumped in. “What happened? Nora is at home?”
Merly sighed. She told Natalie the conversation she had with Mrs. Carlson and how Nora had injured herself.
“Now what? You said that one of your sources saw her leaving for Elmhurst…” Merly asked.
“What? I thought so too, but how would I know? This doesn’t make any sense.” Natalie was confused herself but managed not to show it beyond what she had already expressed.
“But Mrs. Carlson didn’t give the call to Nora. Do you think Nora didn’t want to speak to you?” Natalie asked, but Merly thought she was deliberately planting the seed of doubt in her head. Merly didn’t say anything back, but all the way to her room that was the only thing that navigated through her head. What she didn’t know and what Mrs. Carlson didn’t tell her was that it was indeed Nora who refused to speak to her.
******
Nora had told her mother to inform Merly that she wouldn’t be heading back to college anytime soon, and when Mrs. Carlson urged her to make the call herself, Nora sharply refused. Mrs. Carlson didn’t understand the reason behind it. She tried asking several times, but Nora sighted fatigue and that she wasn’t in the mood. However, it was something else. Nora wouldn’t wait to give the news to Merly, but knew that the moment she did, Merly would be left bare and without a friend. She would have to face the situation alone and she would be able to do nothing. So Nora thought the best option was to get better and deliver the information herself. She regretted and pitied herself for being in the situation, but then it was the best thing she could do.
******
Natalie didn’t leave Merly alone and went on asking her about the conversation she had with Nora’s mother. Merly was upset, and Natalie’s constant nagging irritated her more, but since she had gotten a lot of help from Natalie, Merly decided not to show her displeasure.
“I think I’ll just go to bed, I had enough for today,” Merly spoke loudly and started walking towards her bedroom. It was meant for Natalie to hear, but she disregarded it. Natalie went on speaking as if she didn’t hear the words spoken by Merly.
When the strong hint didn’t work, Merly stopped Natalie midway towards her room. “I think you should go back to your room,” she said to Natalie.
“Merly aren’t you being too reluctant and casual about the whole situation? Right now, you were told that Nora went home and got injured, but didn’t it occur to you if she headed home in the first place, why wouldn’t she tell you?” Natalie wasn’t backing off. Merly couldn’t ignore what Natalie was saying anymore.
“This has got me thinking, Natalie, because this is unlikely. Nora has never set off without telling me, and if she was at her house, then why wouldn’t she want to speak to me?” What got Merly even more concerned was the message that she received the other day. It clearly indicated that Nora was someplace else. She must have gone to her home from there, and Merly kept wondering if Mrs. Carlson was deliberately hiding something from her. She, however, didn’t confide her doubts to Natalie.
“What are you thinking about?” Natalie asked Merly when they were almost near the door.
“Nothing, just that all of this seems so unbelievable. What I don’t understand is what about the information that she was on the bus to Elmhurst?” Merly asked for the second time.
“It is true Merly, she was on the bus believe it or not,” Natalie confirmed.
The equation didn’t tally for Merly, and she was distraught since most of the evidence proved that Nora was not visiting her home in the first place and was only there on her way to return. Merly slouched on the couch, Natalie had no intention of leaving her until all her questions were answered.
“Some pieces are missing and I cannot make out which ones.” Natalie paced the room up and down ignoring Merly. She uttered those words not considering if she was heard, but when Merly didn’t say a thing, Natalie walked up to her and then shook her “Are you listening to what I am saying?”
“I am for you are not particularly silent all the while,” Merly said sarcastically.
“So … what do you think?” Natalie asked.
“Someone is lying,” Merly uttered, but her words were inaudible. It was as if Merly was in conflict with herself.
Natalie sat near Merly’s feet and said “What are you suggesting?”
“Take a look at this.” Merly handed her mobile phone to Natalie.
Natalie took it from Merly’s hand and said, “What do you want me to do with this?”
“Just check the in-box. Nora messaged me.” For a split second, Merly felt guilty for not telling Natalie about it earlier.
It took Natalie a few moments to go through her in-box. “Where is the message that you want me to see?”
“It is from an unknown number. It’s there,” Merly said.
“Ah, yes, here it is.” Nora read it and then her tone sounded offended, “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“I was skeptical and the message sounded like it was secretive and that I was not supposed to say this to anyone. I am sure that you would have done the same thing if you were in my place,” Nora said in a dejected manner. she could only defend herself in the situation.
“Merly, I can’t help you if you keep hiding things from me. I have been going out of my way trying to help you, and do you even realize the situation you are in? You don’t trust me, and even then, I agreed to help you, but it has been long process. Here I am trying to piece the pu
zzle and babbling on my own, and you can’t even tell me the fact that it is true that Nora was on her way to somewhere and I was correct about it. So tell me, how long have you planned to keep it from me?” Natalie waited for minute then turned around to walk out of the room, but before she left, she said, “Well, don’t bother to answer me. I guess you can solve the rest of the puzzle yourself.” Natalie slammed the door and left.
Merly was left hanging not knowing particularly what she should do. She couldn’t contact Nora and realized Natalie wouldn’t speak to her, and Zoë and Kelly weren’t much help either. Angrily, she threw her phone down on the table, but then picked it up again to dial Natalie’s number. Merly knew that she would require Natalie’s help to get out of the situation, so not speaking with her was not an option for her. Natalie didn’t pick up the phone, and Merly didn’t doubt the reason why, but she didn’t give up so after three more failed attempts, Merly left a message expressing her mistake and asked if they could go back to where they were speaking to each other again. Merly never got a reply.
In college, news spreads like wildfire. By the time Merly was in her class, half of them knew that Nora was absent from her classes due to an accident. Some of them came up to Merly to ask her about Nora’s present condition, others were curious as to why Nora didn’t speak to Merly herself. “You spoke to her mother?” Clint asked her with a voice full of surprise when Nancy asked from the side, “Why didn’t you ask for her? She left without telling you anything.”
Merly was offended by the array of questions that were thrown at her. She didn’t know whom to blame or how to answer each of them. She couldn’t even tell them the graveness of the situation. There was a possibility that her friend was in danger, or where she was the entire time while not being at home got wiped from her mind. Merly had been thinking about it the whole night long, but now sitting in her classroom and bombarded by questions, all she could think of was how the word got around. Her initial suspicion fell on Natalie. She was the only one who was aware of the conversation she had with Nora’s mother the previous night. Merly was disappointed with herself for involving Natalie in all this, but what else could she do? “I don’t know,” “She never told me,” “She will be back,” and “I don’t know when.” Merly tried to ease her way out of the questions and wished hard for one of the teachers to arrive when someone came in, they informed the class that the teachers were having a meeting and classes were suspended for an hour. It was Merly’s breaking point and she couldn’t handle the questions anymore. Much to everyone’s surprise she got up and walked out of the classroom.
Jeremy was the only one who didn’t bother Merly with any questions, but this time, he called her name out loud. “Wait,” Merly heard him say, but didn’t turn back to answer him. Instead, she decided to go and interrogate Natalie. Merly went near the cafeteria when Natalie was found most of the time, but today she wasn’t around. There were a few known and unknown faces going about their business. Merly walked away from the scene and went towards the balcony where she had met Natalie for the first time, but she absent from there as well.
Merly stood in the balcony not knowing where to find Natalie, and then remembering that she might be in her class. Merly went there to look for her. Natalie’s classmates informed Merly that Natalie was not present that day. “Do you know why she is absent?” Merly asked one of Natalie’s classmates.
“No, we cannot reach her by phone,” Daphne answered.
“Hey, wait. You two seem to be close friends, hanging out together and everything, so she didn’t tell you the reason for not coming to classes today?” Kitty said from the side.
Merly noticed that most of students were now looking at her and they were aware of her and Natalie’s growing friendship. “Yes, we are … but I don’t know. She didn’t tell me anything about it,” she replied vaguely.
“What are you guys looking for?” Daphne stopped her from going out.
“What do you mean?” Merly squeezed her eyebrows and questioned Daphne back.
“We have never seen Natalie so secretive and that is what got us thinking,” she said.
Whitney joined in the conversation and added, “…and when we tried questioning her about it, she refused to say a thing. Well, she always finds answer for things she asks, but she never answered our questions.”
“…and we are obviously curious; it is unlike her,” someone said whose name Merly didn’t know.
The students crowded her like a pack of hungry wolves after their prey and the situation reminded Merly of the one she had just faced in her own class, the one she had barely managed to escape. Merly tried to get away from there, but Daphne pulled her back by her arms.
“What is so important that you want to tell her? We can give her the message,” she said in a slimy voice.
Merly was sure she heard a chuckle or two from around the class, but didn’t pay attention to them.
“I don’t have to deal with you all. I came here for Natalie and I am capable of giving her the message myself. Now let go of my hand.” Merly’s voice was firm and authoritative.
“Who is stopping you then? Good luck finding her.” Daphne let go of Merly’s hand and she was out of there.
Merly shook herself, and she wasn’t angry at Natalie much then and told herself that. “It is not her fault; she must not be the one to tattle about the phone call yesterday night. She is not even here.” Her steps slowed down and she scrutinized the situation again.
“Merly, hey, wait!” Merly saw Jeremy coming towards her and calling out her name, although she was not in the mood to talk yet, she stopped.“What is it?” she asked Jeremy.
“Are you avoiding me?”
“Why would I do that?” Merly attempted to stay calm and did not want to give away the fact that she was feeling anxious and was in fact avoiding him and the impending questions.
“Hey, I asked you something,” Jeremy said again.
“I am sorry, I was not paying attention, but if you want to ask me about Nora, then I won’t be able to answer anything, because there is nothing that I know,” Merly said.
“I didn’t come here to ask about Nora. I wanted to tell you something.”
“You don’t wish to know about Nora?” Merly was clearly taken aback.
“You might be wondering how the word got spread regarding the phone call you had with Nora’s mother yesterday,” Jeremy said.
“Yes, I am. There was only Natalie present there when I took the call from Mrs. Clarence, so word couldn’t have gotten out. Now here I am today and everyone is talking about it.” Merly expressed her annoyance at the intervention of her classmates.
“Are you sure about that?” Jeremy asked again.
“Of course, we were called down and informed about the call, and I took the call, so yes, I am sure there was no one else there.”
“Someone else was there and…” Jeremy didn’t complete his words as she saw a few of their classmates coming their way.
“…I think it would be best if we went and talked about this elsewhere. How about the library?” Jeremy asked.
“I think that is a good idea, let’s go then,” Merly said.
Jeremy and Merly walked into the library together, and Mr. Stevenson greeted them both with a little hello. A few faces looked up and others were buried into the deep realm of the books, notes and copies that lay in front of them. Both of them moved near the criminology section, picked two books from the racks and pretended to read them. Jeremy was the first one to speak.
“Everything is not all right, is it?” Then Merly fully comprehended the fact that no matter how much she tried to hide her emotions, she was not being successful. Her actions, her words and her behavior gave them away. She kept her head down and then in a toneless voice said, “I am not doing a good job … am I?”
Jeremy nodded his head in sympathy. He knew exactly what Merly meant. “Apparently not, our classmates are talking about you saying you have been acting strange lately, that you
don’t speak about Nora these days, and when they ask you about her, you just seem to pass on the question. Merly, you are my friend, too. I can help you,” he assured.
Merly looked up in a dejected manner and said very quietly, “Jeremy, I understand that you mean good, but there is nothing you can do at this moment.”
“You might not want to tell me, but you are not being very successful in keeping it a secret either,” Jeremy said again.
“Who was there while I was on the phone yesterday?” Merly asked.
“Someone from our class. I can’t tell who it was, word was out by the time I reached class, and I heard your name being mentioned along with Nora. I got curious and wanted to know what was going on and it was then that I heard that you spoke with Mrs. Clarence.” Jeremy paused, then said “You know, it’s just that you don’t tell us anything, but Natalie is there with you all the time, and this person even saw you walking off with Natalie talking about Nora’s trip to elsewhere.”
Merly looked up and felt concern, she also felt exposed and vulnerable. What is Jeremy saying? she said to herself, but remembered the conversation she had with Natalie while walking back to their room through the corridor. Who was it who heard us speaking last night, Merly asked herself the question several times, and then she worked her memory hard trying to remember any face that she might have seen back then, but nothing came to her mind. Moreover, she was not very sure regarding Jeremy, Is he trying to get the information out of me? I can’t trust him, Merly thought.
“I don’t care what anyone thinks about me, I am in the dark as much as everyone else. Nora injured her leg and her mother simply informed me that she will be joining back late. That is all I have to say in this matter.”
“Nora was not on her way home, was she?” Jeremy was not letting it go and it added to Merly’s discomfort.
“I thought you said that you wanted to tell me something and not ask questions instead, but that is not happening.” Merly’s voice lifted to a higher tone.
“Talk quietly, I am asking this only to confirm, because now I know for certain that she never intended to go home in the first place.”
Books of the Dead Page 16