Inseparable Strangers

by Jill Patten

  “As you can imagine, things spiraled further down the hole, and it got to the point where I could no longer afford my rent. That’s when I ended up in a homeless shelter, eating my meals from a soup kitchen.” He looked away ashamedly, as if I was judging him. I stopped judging his lifestyle when I realized I was developing feelings for him.

  “The reason I looked so rugged when I changed your tire for you was because when I died, I was living on the streets. I hadn’t bathed in weeks; I dug through dumpsters looking for food because I was worried someone would see me at the soup kitchen. It was bad. I’d hit rock bottom with nowhere to go.”

  He stepped away from the counter, and paced from the outside door to the opening in the living room. After going back and forth several times, he came back to the counter and settled back to his original spot. He scrubbed his hands over his face, then rubbed his hands vigorously through his hair. His actions led me to believe he was troubled by something. Maybe there was more to his story. His experience was horrible, and I couldn’t imagine it getting worse.

  He took in a deep breath, which I found odd since he didn’t actually breathe. With a loud exhale, he blurted out words I would never forget — “I saw your dad kill your mother. And before you get upset with me for not telling you before now, I didn’t know. It wasn’t until Sharon started to remember that I remembered, too. I wanted to tell you right away, but you were so hurt by her disappearing, I couldn’t put any more pain on you.”

  “You’re lying again. I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to hurt me now.” My voice shook with anger.

  “I have no reason to hurt you. I’m trying to be honest with you here. You need to know the truth.”

  “What if I don’t want to know the truth? Shouldn’t it be my decision? It’s like you’re determined to repeatedly hurt me.” I couldn’t walk by him because I knew he would try to stop me, so I turned around and ran toward the garage. If I could get to my car quick enough, maybe I could get out of here before he could torture me anymore.

  I snatched my keys off the wooden side table and opened the door. My heart stopped for a mere second. Aaron’s robust green eyes stared at me. His eyelids sagged, pleading for me not to go. “Please, don’t. I have more to tell you.”

  “I can’t hear anymore, Aaron,” I said covering my ears.

  “Your father was behind my death. I was a witness to your mother’s death, and he came after me a week later.

  Shaking my head, I began to cry. “No. No. No. No. No!” I screamed, beating my fists against his chest. “Stop. Just stop,” I begged, as I continued hitting him until I no longer had the energy to move. “You’re lying,” I screamed. “Over and over I asked you what happened and you always said you couldn’t remember. Suddenly your memory came back and my father is the one who arranged your death? I don’t believe you.”

  Aaron grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me to him. “I know. I know,” he said with a harsh voice, but sorrow was carved around his eyes and mouth. “I had to tell you that, Lennox, and I’m so sorry I lied.” He sighed. “Please forgive me.”

  “You’ve severed my trust and it sucks. You betrayed me and it hurts. It hurts so bad,” I told him with my hand over my heart. “You caused this!” I screamed. “Make it go away, Aaron.” I buried my face into his chest and sobbed. “Please, just make it go away.” My body shook as the agony poured out of me. Aaron wrapped his arms around me and held me snug against him. His hand rubbed my back as the other cradled my head.

  “Shh…let it out,” he whispered, placing tender kisses along my temple.

  “Why is all of this happening to me?” I asked, looking up at him; expecting him to have all the answers. Was I admitting to myself that he was telling the truth?

  “I don’t know, baby. Please know I would never intentionally hurt you. I love you too much.” He stared at me with worried eyes, and his eyebrows were pulled down in concentration. “I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t. I just don’t know what to say.” He pulled me in closer than I thought possible, and rested his cheek against my head. “I’m here. I won’t leave you. I promise,” he said softly.

  Aaron held me as I cried, raged, then cried some more. While I had my meltdown, not once did he act indifferent. He only showed me the utmost love and support.

  After the tears could no longer flow, I told him I wanted to lie down. I was too drained, emotionally and physically, to even keep my eyes open. He carried me with ease up to my bedroom and laid me down on my bed. He pulled a quilt from the hall closet, curled up on the bed beside me, and covered us both up.

  As mad as I’d been at him, I was too hurt to focus on my anger. My chest was so heavy with sorrow. Every time I learned something new, it was like another blow to my heart. I wasn’t sure how much more my open wound could take.

  Before falling asleep, the last thing I’d thought about was if Aaron would try to visit me in my dreams.

  When I awoke, I knew he’d left me alone.

  “Hi,” he said smiling.

  I wanted to smile back but I would be lying to Aaron if I did. My father had betrayed me my whole life. The one person who I always considered to be the rock to my foundation had abandoned me.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said, interrupting me from my thoughts. He was listening in again, and I was too weak to care. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”

  My anger toward him was forgotten as soon as my eyes met his. I knew I couldn’t remain angry with him, but the hurt was still there on the surface. It wasn’t completely gone, and in time, it would hopefully become a thing of the past. The phrase ‘action speaks louder than words’ kept coming to mind. When he told me about what he’d done to me in the beginning, I was crushed. It wasn’t so much because of what he did, it was because I was falling in love with him, and I thought he shared the same feelings too. He could’ve kept that information to himself, but he took a chance and told me anyway. For me, that spoke volumes. And now, after how mad I was at him and wanted him to leave, he didn’t. He stayed and he had fought for me and my love. Again, that said something. It told me he really did love me. He cared enough for me to lay in bed, never sleeping, with his arms around me until he knew I was okay.

  Leaning over an inch, I kissed him gently on the lips. “I’m falling madly in love with you. I’m still upset over what you’ve done, but I’m willing to forgive you,” I said, giving him a crooked grin. “Please just give me time.”

  “Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes. His eyelashes fluttered, and a single tear fell from the corner of his eye. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, or ever want to love.”

  The adoration was so strong, my eyes welled up with water. When I didn’t think it was possible to cry anymore, I did. This time, though, it was tears of joy.

  “Aaron, you’re crying. How is this possible?” I asked through my own tears.

  He smiled sadly at me. “I told you, you’re changing me. The harder I fall for you, the stronger my feelings grow. Reading your thoughts, entering your dreams, vanishing…all those things are becoming more difficult for me. It’s as if I’m going through a transition period.”

  “Has that ever happened before?”

  “I—I don’t know. I’ve never heard of it happening to anyone.”

  “Hold on.” I hopped off the bed, turned my laptop on and waited for it come alive so I could research on Google.

  “What are you doing?” He sat up on the bed and rested back against the headboard. The sheets gathered around at his waist, and I stopped what I was doing long enough to drink in his bare chest. Forcing the carnal thoughts from my mind, I focused back on the task at hand.

  “I’m googling to see if there is such a thing,” I answered, scanning each topic listed.

  “Well…are you having any luck?”

  “I don’t know, I’m going down the list. So far, all I see are scenes from different shows and movies. Nothing realistic.”

  Aaron climbed out o
f the bed and came over to sit with me. He lifted me up effortlessly, sat down in the chair, and settled me on his lap. It was the best feeling in the world.

  We sat in front of the laptop for hours before I finally gave up hope. I tried wording my search every different way possible, but I came up empty-handed every time. “I’m sorry, Aaron. I really wanted to give you answers.”

  He rubbed his palms up and down my arms then wrapped them around me. Pulling me back against him, he spoke softly in my ear. “Thank you for caring enough to try.”

  I leaned my head back against his neck and kissed his cheek.

  “Lennox, I know you don’t want to hear this, but we still need to discuss your father. You need closure, and the only way you’re going to get it is by confronting him.”

  As much as I didn’t want to do it, he was right. But he couldn’t expect me to do it alone. “I’ll do it, but first, please find my mom. We still have a lot to discuss plus, I need her there with me. I need you both with me.”

  Chapter 21

  It didn’t take Aaron long to find my mom. Before the night ended he was back home safe in my arms. It took Aaron and I a little while to convince Mom to show herself to me. She was so ashamed because of the way she left me the night before, she was afraid I would never forgive her.

  “Hello, baby girl,” I heard a familiar voice say behind me. Quickly, I spun around and started to lunge toward her for a hug. Before I reached her, I remembered she wasn’t as well-trained on keeping her human form. I dropped my arms by my side, and cried at the beauty of her in front of me again.

  My bottom lip quivered as I tried to smile while holding back my tears. “I thought I would never see you again,” I said, choking between my words.

  “Oh honey, I never left you. I’ve been here all this time. Just because you can’t see me, it doesn’t mean I’m not here. You’re stuck with me.” She took a couple of steps toward me and hugged me with all her might. “I love you, Lennox. I will never leave you again,” she said softly.

  “Thank you, Mom. As long as I have you and Aaron with me, all will be right in the world.” For just a few moments, I allowed myself to go back to a time when I was a child and I needed my mother to hold me and tell me everything would be alright. Knowing I would always have her for now and forever brought a veil of peace over me.

  “Yes, it is, but from my understanding, we have some unfinished business regarding your father. If we all want to move forward, then you’re going to have to listen to what Aaron has to say.” Nodding, I agreed to listen.

  “You both may want to have a seat,” Aaron encouraged, waving his hand over to the couch, indicating for us to sit there. We both obliged, and I cuddled up next to mom with my legs curled up underneath me.

  Aaron sat down on the ottoman across from us and rested his forearms on his thighs. He leaned over slightly with his hands clasped together. He pulled his lips in between his teeth, creating a thin line, and then began to tell his story. “I was out alone heading for the alley to find something to eat behind some of the restaurants. When I saw Sharon arguing with your father, I didn’t pay too much attention to their little spat. When you live on the streets, you learn to mind your own business, so that’s what I did. What caught my attention though, was I saw a scuffle from the corner of my eye. I didn’t want to look, but I have a hard time watching men abuse women, and in this case, I thought that’s what your father was doing. I debated on whether or not to intervene, and right when I decided to walk away and not make it my business, I saw Sharon fall. From the moment she lost her balance, I knew it wasn’t going to end well. Her head made contact before any other part of her body did.” His body cringed and his face was drawn up tight as if he were experiencing the pain himself.

  “Not wanting to be caught as a witness, I took off running between buildings. Your mother falling wasn’t purposely done by your father, but what he did afterwards was enough to charge him for murder.” He inhaled deeply, then blew and exasperated breath through pursed lips.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned, scared. “I don’t know if I can hear any more of this.”

  He held his hand up to stop me from whatever thoughts I was having. “Please, don’t. Just hear me out.”

  “Hidden behind a dumpster, I watched your father pick your mother up, run down the steps, and carry her to his car. I wasn’t sure if she was alive, so I followed him. What I saw from that point on was appalling. When he placed her in the trunk of his car, there was no doubt in my mind, I knew she was dead.”

  He stood up and walked over by the fireplace. “The sight of him putting her body in the trunk in a hurry made me sick to my stomach. When I turned around to run as far away as I could, I was met with a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair. She was dressed in a party dress somewhat like your mom’s, but her perfectly faux face had murder written all over it. If I stayed, I felt like I had a slight better chance since I didn’t see your father carrying any type of weapon. Not leaving ended up being the biggest mistake of my life.” Aaron sat down on the brick hearth of the fireplace and rested his elbows on his knees.

  “Your father never spoke a word to me, but he watched me cautiously while he got into his car and drove off. I was so frightened, the thought to look at his license plates never occurred to me. I guess your father thought differently because he hired a few drug dealing thugs from the streets to kill me. I was in the park one day, enjoying the warm sunshine, and hoping to catch a few scraps as families left after a day of picnics. I knew the guys who’d jumped me, they were well known in the homeless community; worked for the biggest drug dealer in town. When they jumped me and beat me to death, I heard them as they mentioned your father’s name. At that time I didn’t put a face to the name, but days after I’d died, I was on a mission to find out who Martin Collins was. I haunted him. It was my duty to make his life miserable, just as he’d done mine and your mother’s. After weeks of lurking around his house and scaring the life out of him, I eventually got bored and moved on.” He smiled to himself, and chuckled lightly. “The funny thing about it all… he knew. He knew he was being haunted. He just couldn’t ever figure out if it was me or your mother.” He came back over and sat down back on the ottoman. “And that’s pretty much it.”

  My mouth hung open in shock. There was no way my father was capable of committing a crime as inhumane as the one Aaron just told me. He took care of people for God’s sake. Pam on the other hand would’ve been more believable, and I was enraged to know she was there during my mom’s demise. To know she’d known what happened all these years was like sticking a knife to my gut then slowly twisting it.

  I looked to mom and then him. “So, what did my father do with your body?” I asked, darting my eyes to both of them.

  “Your father dumped me in the Beckford River,” mom answered.

  “Your father must be fond of that river because that’s where my body was dumped as well,” he chimed in, shaking his head with revulsion.

  “So, how did he cover his tracks? How was he able to explain your disappearance?”

  Aaron spoke up first. “My disappearance didn’t need to be explained. In the homeless community, people come and go, but my parents did put a search out for me when they found out I hadn’t been working for the company for months. It became so painful to watch them suffer, I eventually stopped following them.”

  “I’m so sorry, Aaron. You don’t deserve this.” My heart broke after I’d learned the life he’d lived before dying, and now caught between worlds after.

  “What about you, Mom?”

  “Your father claimed to have not seen me after I unexpectedly left the night of the party. He told the police he wasn’t even aware I’d left until an hour after the time he’d last spoke with me. You can google all the articles in the paper. It was a mess shortly after. The police spent months investigating my death, but they never found anything. They never really had anything to go on.”

  I was stunned. In total shock. The fat
her I knew, the father who’d raised me, loved me, spoiled me, and stood in as a mother when I needed one was a murderer. The story he’d told me about my mother’s death was all lies. It was unbelievable for me to comprehend he’d covered up the murder of two people. He was a monster. He wasn’t my father at all. I jumped from the couch and made a bee-line to the garage. “I have to confront him. He has to know his secret isn’t so much a secret anymore.”

  Aaron stood in the doorway, blocking me from the garage. “No, you don’t. Lennox, listen, you need to think this through before you take action. Going to your dad’s the way you are now will only make things worse.” He hooked his hand around my waist and guided me back toward the living room.

  “He can’t get away with this, Aaron. No matter how hard you might try, you can’t stop me from talking to him about this.”

  He stopped and turned me to face him. “I’m not asking you to. I just don’t want you going over there while all the open wounds are so fresh. He’s still your father, and you still love him. Nothing will ever change that.”

  Nodding, I agreed. “Okay.”

  Mom was sitting on the couch where I had left her moments ago. “Why didn’t you ever show yourself to me?” This had been weighing on my mind for a while, and now was better time than any to finally ask her.

  “I didn’t know how. The only places I ever visited was your father’s house to here and the river. The spirits frightened me. Many of them aren’t friendly, so I kept to myself. When I first crossed over I was confused. I didn’t realize immediately that I was dead. I tried talking to your father, but he was oblivious I was even there. After a few days of being unable to have any human contact with anyone, I knew I was dead.” She smiled nervously. She was worried. “Are you angry with me?”

  I waltzed over to her and hugged her. “No, Mom. Of course not. You’ve never done anything to cause me to be mad.”