by Jai T J
“Yay, I got it” Eva came running, carrying a glass bowl full of pink and blue rolled papers. She kept it on the round table in front of them. “Are you ready?” She said with a big smile.
Yuleika looked at her then at him. She sat back on her chair. “What do I do?”
“The rule jar jimple. You pick a pink roll, and he will take a blue one. You have to do what ij written on that”
“Sounds simple”
“Oh, It’s not” He said smiling inwardly. “I don’t think you will do even one after looking at what is written in it”
Eva’s face transformed from a bright smile to disappointing frown.
“I gave my word. I know how to keep it” She said cheering Eva. “You go first” She pushed the bowl toward Devin.
He put his hand inside the bowl and scrattled the rolls of paper until finally grabbing a blue one. He unrolled the piece of paper and read. “Oh, god. I can’t do this. I just got a job. I can’t lose it. I’m sorry Eva”
“What is it?”
“Put on a big tattoo on the right side of your face and go to your office”
“You jed you like tattoo?”
“I’m sorry. This office has so many rules. I can’t do this”
“Will you do ip pretty pie agreej to do?”
“You know what? Yes, I will do today itself if she agrees” He said with a smirk.
She pulled the bowl and grabbed the first pink roll came between her fingers. She kept her stark eyes on him as she handed the paper over to Eva.
Eva unrolled and began reading word by word. “Go to Jhopping in a mall wearing a brid... bridal gown”
Eva just read the Yuleika’s worst nightmare – gathering people’s attention and going to the place with huge crowd. She wanted to get out of the place. She felt something happening to her by just listening to Eva’s voice, but she hid it from showing outside.
Her phone began to vibrate on her lap. She picked it up and excused from the table. She began talking on the phone as she walked toward the backdoor. She wandered in the patio and looked at the house as she conversed over the phone.
She came back to the table. “I can’t stay longer. I’m going”
“Why” Eva asked.
“I got work”
“You are going to do an operation?” She asked with enthusiasm.
Devin looked in shock at Eva. How does she know this?
“Yes, I have to operate a fetus today”
“What ij that?” Eva leaned forward.
“It’s a baby. Just-born baby”
“You are going to operate the baby?” She asked with a surprising expression.
“You want to see?”
“Oh, can I?”
“NO” He yelled at Eva and looked at Yuleika. “Please leave”
Eva's face went back to disappointment.
“Goodbye, Devin” Yuleika said “And Eva, I will keep my word. I’ll agree to do that and you see if he keeps his”
Devin did not expect this turn of event. He sat there regretting his words as she walked away.
Chapter 19
YOU KNOW ME
Mara’s eyes were filled with tears. She was laughing so hard and couldn’t stop herself. “Why did you do this?” She said coughing and continued her laughter as she wiped the coffee which she spit-took on the table.
Devin was sitting on the dining table opposite to her. A sleek, black, burning flame was reaching toward his eyes from the side of his face. The tribal design tattoo was covering from his right temple to the edge of his eye.
“You look like that guy from the hangover movie” She said drinking the coffee.
“Come on, It’s not that bad”
“You could have drawn yourself at least. You didn’t have to get a permanent one”
“It’s OK. I always wanted to get one. This will be the time”
“You trust her too much. What if she gets out of this game?”
“I don’t know anything about her. She is very unpredictable but you listened what she said to Eva”
“I did. I kinda half-way agree with her”
“You are going mad now? She was talking about autopsying a child to your child. Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”
“Yes, for a normal child. But Eva was really interested on that yesterday. She was asking too many questions about operations to me”
“You are the one spoiling her. Next time, you call your daughter back when she comes again”
“You are being paranoid. She might be strange to you but I liked the way she spoke to Eva. She sounded so powerful. Believe me, if I’m feeling something like this, she is not just an ordinary woman”
“I already have an extraordinary woman in my life. I’m just worried about her” He said keeping the spoon on his plate.
“Which one you are talking about? There are three in your life”
“My life is getting crowded with women. I should find some male alpha packs”
“How about that hunky handsome dropped you the other day?”
“Oh, he is the worst. Let’s not talk about him”
“He looked like a nice person”
“You would say that, wouldn’t you?” He rose from his chair, carrying his plate he went for the sink.
“Oh my god, today’s your first day, right?” She asked
“Yes, I don’t know why he gave me this job, but he is gonna regret it today. That’s for sure”
“I’m ready” Eva came in her school uniform, dragging the backpack.
“Yes, let's go” He wiped his hand on the towel and left the kitchen. He took the key from the holder as he walked out of her house.
He parked the car in the side of the building and went toward the entrance. When he entered through the gate, the security guard gawked at him like suspecting an armed robber. A couple of mid-aged ladies moved away when they saw his face.
“Hello, excuse me. Today is my joining date. Where should I report?”
The lady in the reception studied his tattoo before answering his question. “Go straight through that way and wait on the last room on your right”
“Thank you” He gave a polite smile which did nothing to her.
He went to the room she mentioned. Along with him, four more were there. He sat on the corner seat and waited for further instructions. The girl on his right was staring at him from the moment he entered. When he looked at her, she didn’t try to flinch or divert her look. It was him who had to look somewhere else.
After twenty minutes of waiting, the same guy who interviewed Devin entered the room along with a thin assistant. “You all, go with him and submit the documents” He paused looking at Devin. “Quick, quick” He said clapping.
Devin picked up his bag and began walking toward him. He blocked his way with his bulge arms. “What is this?” He asked with raised eyebrows.
“I’m sorry?”
“This” He waved his hand, pointing the ink on his face. “You remember, I told you this is a traditional place. What is this?” He folded his arms and rolled his tongue holding it to his side expressing his supremacy.
“The way I look is not the justification for the work I will be doing. I won’t let you down sir”
“Let me down? You think I’m here because of the guys like you holding me. You think I am here because of some cheap jocks like you” His cheeks jiggled as he shook his head. “Where are you crazy fellows coming from? The spoilers of the culture. You need to learn to respect people older than you”
“Learn some discipline first. Your attitude is going to bring you down. Good luck finding a job with that in your face” He showed his exit.
“WHAT? Are you serious?” Mara appalled as Devin explained what happened. “Did you at least punch him in the face?”
“No, I thanked him”
“Why?” She asked folding her legs together on the couch.
“That is the most depressing office I’ve ever been to. I would have committed suicide ev
en if I manage to stay over a week”
“Then enjoy the last days of your life”
“Like the way you are doing it?”
“What’s wrong in my way?”
“You know what, How about we both die on the same day? You can include my house also in your will”
“Do not talk about that. It’s my will and it will be according to my will. You just focus on the work I’ve given for you” Her voice turned serious and laughter vanished.
“I’m still on that but I’m afraid I might fail you too”
“You better not. You are my last card”
“I will find a way. Are you going to tell Eva that you won’t be there forever?” He asked quietly looking at her hand on the table.
“I don’t know”
“She is going to lose her mom. Don’t you think she deserves to know? She is matured for her age. I think she will handle the news strongly”
“Better than you for sure”
“Yes, better than me. Have you ever thought that this might be a mistake?”
“Didn’t we discuss already this?”
“You love your child more than yourself. I get it. I know you want her to have a happy life but how do you think she will be happy when her world turns upside down”
“I’m not a good mother. I can never be”
“All I’m saying is –”
“I don’t care what you say. I’m going to take a nap. Since you are jobless, you can be my male maid and prepare my lunch. What do you say?”
“Sure, that will put the oil on the burning gossip around your neighbors”
“Seriously, I need sleep. Could you make lunch for me?”
“Since when did we become this old married couple?”
“No, we are more of a living together couple. That’s what I heard”
Devin rose from the couch and walked toward the door. “I’ll wake you in two hours”
It’s been four days since he added a mark to his face and the neighbors haven’t tried to stop staring at him. Finally, Devin relaxed as he traveled a long way from his house. His white t-shirt acted as a reflector pane on the hot sun. It was almost 5 but the city looked brighter than its usual tone.
Eva was holding his hand as they both entered the mall. She walked along with him in matching dark, blue denim but a yellow t-shirt. The whole place was already filled with rush and murmurs. They heard music coming from the floor below. Eva ran toward the glass balcony railing and saw a band of mid-30s, playing in their business suit below.
“Come, Eva” He brought her and got onto the escalator. He made her sit on the moving rail as they both arrived to the second floor. She ran straight to the toy store on her right. Rather than getting distracted by the colorful world around her, she was focused at the other kids on that shop. Devin took out his phone and checked the time. He followed her quietly like a personal bodyguard.
Somewhere on the parking lot of the same mall, Yuleika unstrapped her seat belt. She was in full white, elegant bridal dress. She bent forward from her seat and grabbed the extra cloth around her legs.
“Are you sure?” Mia asked turning off the engine.
She shook her head slowly.
“There is no concept of late here. If you say we can turn around”
She shook her head again and pulled down her white net veil. She opened the door and looked outside. Not a single movement was observed in the vast place. She got down and began walking toward the elevator door holding the clutched gown in her hand. She entered and pressed the ground floor button on the panel and noticed Mia wasn’t with her.
“You go” she mouthed at Yuleika standing near her car. “I will wait” She pointed her fingers down, indicating ‘here’
The door began to slide close. She kept her eyes on Mia as the gap between the doors reduced. Finally, she was alone and lift jolted upwards along with her anxiety.
She began to hyperventilate. She tried to distract herself. She listened to the fan whirring above her in buzzing sound and watched the changing green LED floor numbers and the streak of light passing through the slit of the closed door. The lift came to a halt and the rush of sound invaded her confined place.
She couldn’t move her legs. She stood there frozen. She felt her world collapsing around her. She remembered her training and tried to control her breathing. She inhaled and held her breath before letting it out. No one outside noticed her as she tried to calm herself. Her methods failed her. She wanted to press the button and make everything disappear. The door began to close slowly, giving her a mixed feeling of courage and guilt.
This is what you wanted. This is your suicide. You deserve this. Her own reply to her father played inside. She opened the door, slowly stepped out and mingled among the crowd. Slowly eyes in the crowd began to trail toward her. She let the gown down and walked toward the fountain at the center of the mall. Her half transparent veil gave a pseudo confidence in moving among the people.
Now almost everyone from every direction was looking at her. She tried to distract herself and searched for a less crowded store. All she could see was a hundred or more pairs of eyes on her. She reached the digital map board on the side and searched for anything that could help. She finally found a lingerie shop on the first floor, with an unpronounceable brand name.
The escalator got her to the next floor with her long gown almost covering half the stairs behind her. She searched for the store as she walked along the corridor. She felt like she was on the wrong lane. People were coming from the opposite side and it appeared that she was the only person on the whole corridor to walk against them. She couldn’t control her breath. She managed to break out of the crowd and went near the chairs at the interconnecting bridge. She studied the various direction boards placed at different angles.
On the same mall, Devin came back from the ice cream store with a cone. “Here” He gave it to Eva.
“Look, Ij pretty pie” She said tapping the glass rail in front of her.
He saw Yuleika wandering on the floor below them. She was walking toward their side. Devin grabbed Eva and brought her to the opposite side corridor. They both watched her from above, making her way through the myriad of staring eyes.
“I can’t believe she agreed to do this” He laughed inside at the ridiculous action that was going on in front of him.
On the floor below, the hyperventilation has returned and this time her heart rate and breathing also escalated. Her legs began to stumble as she held the rail for support. It’s been two years. Are you sure you want to take such a leap? Her father’s voice echoed.
She ignored his voice and pushed herself back on the track. Her gown followed her, wiping the floor behind her. She felt the sweat trailing down the sides of her temple. She saw from the corner of her eye and noticed a few people taking video of her. When she looked at them, it wasn’t any electronic device or cellphones but just paper cup, fries pack, and other things. Her mind was creating up everything to make her quit.
Her breathing grew deeper and turned into wheezing. The more she went inside, the more her body refused to comply. She wanted to cry out loud. Her chest ached on every breath she took. She felt her knees tremoring under her gown.
She searched for the phone in her pocket except there wasn’t any pocket, and then she remembered the phone lying on Mia’s car.
Her vision began to swing. Faces blurred as she went forward. The small, high-pitched noise began ringing in her ears. She almost slipped and her right foot came to the other side for counterbalance.
“What ij je doing?” Eva asked with the ice cream melting in her hand.
Devin wasn’t sure. He studied her keenly and her walk didn’t look steady. He saw her holding her head as she searched for the wall on her right. He realized what was happening and grabbed Eva’s arm and flew down.
Eva dropped her ice cream as he began strolling toward her. Eva tried to keep phase in her tiny legs. Yuleika stood leaning on the wall with one hand on her head
. She tried to push herself away, shaking her head.
She stood straight for a second before beginning to collapse. Her knees began to bend as she slowly clenched down on her legs.
Just as he strode toward her, he saw her friend running toward her from the opposite direction. She was quicker than him and grabbed her from falling down. She pulled her up, bringing Yuleika’s arm around her neck for support and walked toward the elevator on the right.