by T L Harty
It was magnificent, watching the water rise in the air like a 10-story building. I saw scenes of my people’s history play before me in the water- all the women that came before me, living their life out with grace and strength.
This was the moment I accepted my ancestry. A bond with all those women could be felt, but not explained. No article in a book would convince me or a story handed down through the generations. This experience…feeling the power of those that walked this Earth before me…this would make me accept my inheritance of power and responsibility.
During the spectacle, I swatted my leg. When I brought my hand up to examine what kind of bug had met its end, my hand was covered in blood. It took me a second to realize the source of the crimson liquid because the endorphin rush had a hold on me.
“The baby,” I gasped. Any rage still stirring in my being was instantly quieted. Once my concentration was no longer on the lake, the water rushed back down into the temporarily empty crater. The crash flung water toward me. Before I had a second to move out of its path, the force of the water threw me backwards.
Landing hard on my back, I sputtered for air as water enveloped me. The water slowly receded back to its home. A muffled cry could be heard. Momma! Momma! Blinking came slowly, but I would swear, through watery eyes, that I saw an angel hover above me. She looked exactly like my Deidra.
Chapter 9- Obsession
The morning after the party, there was a smile on my face. No doubt, spending the evening with Greg had put it there. I didn’t rise out of bed until ten. My stomach grumbled, but the cafeteria didn’t open for another hour.
I showered, brushed my teeth and drank some water. The alcohol from the night before had dehydrating effects that made me feel like I slept with cotton in my mouth, but it was child’s play compared to my first drinking escapade in Ireland. Nothing a good breakfast and an aspirin couldn’t cure.
Only a half hour after the cafeteria had opened, it was packed. Not having spent a weekend on campus yet, I figured this was the norm. Many students probably opted for sleep over food and then made sure they showed up for lunch. Not everyone bothered to shower. The smell of whatever festivities they enjoyed the night before, lingering in the air.
After retrieving scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice, I walked aimlessly around, looking for seating. If I’d been thinking, I would’ve gotten a paper plate and brought the food back to the dorm. A couple of girls from last night’s party waved me over to sit with them. I joined them at their table. This went against my character, but seating was very limited and my mood still soared.
Half way through the meal, flowers started being delivered to our table. The girls read the cards as they came. To the lady who stole my heart. I’ve never felt like this before. You’re the most amazing woman. There were four or five bouquets on our table.
The girls were trying to guess who the recipient could be, which caused a lot of giggling and whispering. I concentrated on my food, with no interest to whom the flowers were sent. They weren’t for me. Greg didn’t like spectacles or being the center of attention. I learned at least that much about him last night.
The last bouquet came. The card read: I want to be with you forever. Say you’ll be mine. These girls were so excited that I hoped that the person receiving the attention was worthy of it. The girls at the table were now looking frantically around the room, while I finished off my last piece of toast.
Music cut through the air. “I Melt With You,” by Modern English played over the intercom. I had to give the guy credit- what a great song. People were done with their meals, but stuck around to see who had hundreds of dollars’ worth of flowers sent to them…or who sent them. I took my tray to the garbage, getting ready to leave before the big reveal.
“Don’t go, Muriel,” a familiar voice said. “All of this is for you, my angel…my love.”
The look on my face was one of pure irritation when I turned around to see Rick at the entrance of the cafeteria, bull horn in hand.
“There she is,” he went on. “Isn’t she beautiful? I’m asking in front of all these people. Will you marry me?”
The situation was horrifying. People looked at me in anticipation of an answer. I quickly left the scene by way of the nearest emergency door. The alarm sounded, but the noise couldn’t compare to the sirens going off in my head. What the hell is wrong with him? Did he not notice that his best friend wanted to date me?! This had to be a gag or something! Maybe he falls in love with anyone who won’t have sex with him.
My quick walk turned into a sprint. Once reaching my room, I slammed the door and locked it. It didn’t take long for a knock at the door. Rick pleaded for me to have a conversation with him, saying I owed him that much. Dumbass. I owed him nothing except a slap across the face or maybe a knee to the groin.
He said he would wait outside my door all day, so I didn’t leave…and wouldn’t even crack the door to check. Greg and I never made any official plans, but I prayed that I had read him right and he was as anxious to see me as I was to see him. Hopefully, he would come to my room right after the football game. His game started at 1 p.m. and he wouldn’t be here until 5p.m. at the earliest.
Luckily, I heard some rumbling out in the hall around 4:30. Greg and Rick were having a conversation. Hearing Greg’s voice brought a sigh of relief. He must have hurried back from his game to see me. Putting my ear to the door didn’t do much good because Greg and Rick quickly went into Rick’s room to talk, making any conversation impossible to hear.
As soon as Rick’s door shut, I made an urgent dash to the bathroom and back. After another fifteen minutes, there was a light tap at the door.
“It’s Greg, Muriel,” he said. “Can we talk?”
I flung the door open and looked at my savior. “I’m so glad you’re here.” I hugged him, starting to cry a little. When Greg put his arms around me, I realized the events of the day had frightened me.
“Get your hands off of her!” Rick screamed from behind Greg.
Greg held Rick back with one arm, while still holding me in the other. “You better go back in your room if you know what’s good for you. We said that I’d talk to her.”
Rick begrudgingly did what he was told, slamming his door.
“Are you O.K.?” Greg said, embracing me again. “C’mon, let’s go in your room.”
“I’m not sure what happened today,” I told Greg. “Your friend might be unstable. He did the strangest thing!”
Greg nodded his head. “I heard about that. That’s why I rushed over here. Someone mentioned it to me at halftime, not even realizing that I knew you or that we hung out last night. I wish I could’ve come earlier.”
“That’s, O.K.,” I said, melting at his concern. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
Greg looked sad. He pulled me close to him and tenderly kissed me.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since we were at the beach last night.”
“Funny,” I said. “I wanted you to kiss me at the beach last night. I’m glad we have an understanding.” I smiled, but the expression on Greg’s face was still not what I’d expect.
He walked me over to the bed, where we sat side by side.
“You’re an amazing person, but there is a complication that I never saw coming,” Greg explained.
“That doesn’t sound good.” My face now shared the same concerned expression as Greg’s.
“As much as I’d like to get to know you better, Rick says that he’s in love with you. He’s my best friend. As much as I like you, I can’t stand in the way of his happiness like that.”
“He what?!” I stood up, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. “Rick doesn’t know the first thing about love. We are JUST neighbors. I swear to you, Greg. There has never been so much as a hint of romance between the two of us. If I’m being honest, he repulses me…makes my skin crawl!” I took a deep breath during my rant, realizing that Greg was upset about the situation, too. “Don’t let him do this,” I pleaded.
“It’s already done,” he said. Greg got up, quietly shutting the door behind him as he left.
This couldn’t be happening. No one but Greg had made me feel so comfortable…not since Jed. And because Rick had taken Greg away from me, the emotion left for him was one of utter contempt.
Before I could cry myself to sleep, I remembered that my day should have been spent at the library. The group meeting began at 3 p.m., but in order to finish my part of the assignment- I needed to get there a couple of hours earlier. Rick would be blamed for this little loss of memory as well. If it wasn’t for his shenanigans in the cafeteria, my day would have progressed normally.
I ran to the library, as though running would somehow make up for my unpreparedness and being late for the meeting. When I got to the table, I apologized, said to pull my name from the project and ran back to the dorm. This meant that I’d fail the assignment.
It didn’t seem possible that my anger towards Rick could get much worse. Seeing him in the hall, however, waiting for me by my door, proved me wrong in an instant.
“Go to hell,” I spat, still steps from my door.
“I love you,” he said. “I never meant to upset you.”
I fantasized about wrapping my hands around his neck until all life escaped his being. “You,” I jabbed him in the chest, with my finger, “have made my life a living hell in a short, twenty-four hour period. You asked me to go to a party with a friend of yours. Your friend turns out to be truly amazing. I can see myself spending time with him. Fast-forward to the next day where you announce your undying love to me in the school cafeteria. Greg says he can’t see me anymore and I’m getting an F on a huge assignment. You don’t notice any inconsistencies or crazy-ass behavior in there, anywhere?! Well, do you?!” I asked, jabbing his chest with nearly every syllable spoken.
He put his hand on my shoulder. I smacked it away forcibly.
“Last night, when I was walking you home, everything changed. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“That works out because I don’t want to hear it.” I pushed past Rick and entered my room, slamming the door behind me.
There hadn’t been a time in my life where I could ever remember being this angry. Everything on my desk fell to the floor. I didn’t even recall bumping into it during the raving. Listening to some of my favorite music for the next few hours had me riding an emotional rollercoaster. Smiles were intertwined with tears.
Sleep rescued me from the events of the day.
Every day that week, a red rose sat outside my dorm room. Every day, I would tear it apart and throw it at Rick’s door. Sometimes he would wait for me outside a classroom, to walk with me. I’d pretend he wasn’t there, while he would fumble with some dialogue I grew skilled at ignoring. Rick would knock on my door, inviting me to the cafeteria or out to dinner. After a few days, I stopped answering.
Getting to go home for the weekend was all I could think about- an escape from this madness. Surely, Rick had to understand I had no interest in him. He would stop eventually.
Returning to school Sunday night, after a relaxing weekend, there were two roses at my door. One for each morning I’d been gone. I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d call the housing office first thing tomorrow morning to request a dorm transfer.
The housing office didn’t help and wouldn’t process a transfer. What I defined as stalking, the administration called “someone trying to extend niceties.”
Short of transferring schools, there had to be a way of fixing this problem. Once all the possible solutions were filtered, I had two options left: my dad could kill him or I’d try to talk some sense into him, explaining once and for all that I wasn’t even remotely interested.
As tempting as the first solution may be, a conversation made more sense. So, Tuesday, after all my classes were completed, I’d march across the hall and confront my neighbor. A light tap on the door Tuesday night signified Rick’s daily invitation to dinner. He seemed early tonight.
When I opened the door, Jenna stood there. It took a second for me to place her, the girl on Rick’s arm before we went to the party.
“Can I talk to you?” Jenna asked, sheepishly.
“Sure. Come in.”
I took a seat on my bed, while Jenna sat in the desk chair.
“I want to talk to you about Rick,” Jenna announced. “I’ve been friends with him for a long time and I’ve never known him to be taken with anyone the way he is with you.”
“He’s insane,” I told her. “We’ve spent all of fifteen minutes with each other.”
“He cried on my shoulder all weekend about how important you are to him. And, I’m embarrassed to say that when I invited him into my bedroom, to make him feel better, he rejected the offer. Rick never says no to an offer like that.”
I squinted at her, as though she were as insane as Rick. “Well, that settles it. Your little story proves that Rick and I were meant for each other. It all makes perfect sense.” I hoped my sarcasm was not lost on her.
“He’s a changed man, I’m telling you,” Jenna insisted. “He said if he can’t be with you, he won’t be with anyone. Just think about it. He seems really sincere.”
“Listen, Jenna. I really appreciate you coming by tonight,” I said, while opening up the door and motioning her out. “But, Rick will be on to his next conquest by tomorrow and everyone can go on with their lives.”
She started to speak again, but I’d closed the door in her face, wanting to get started on my assignments. A minute later, a knock on the door came again. I surveyed the room, wondering if Jenna had forgotten something.
This time, it was Rick on the other side of the door.
“I’m here with your nightly invitation for dinner,” he smiled. “Anywhere you want.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” I accepted. “This really needs to stop.”
His smile widened and he seemed honestly excited at the prospect of having dinner together.
“How about the deli on third?” I suggested. The bright lighting would erase any hint of romance during our conversation. It would be perfect and I could pay for my own meal. Dad didn’t give me a lot of spending money, but he would surely appreciate this investment.
We took separate cars, arriving at the deli simultaneously. Rick raced from his car so he could pretend to be a gentleman, opening the deli door for me. The motivation to get Rick out of my life gave me the strength to tolerate him for a few more minutes.
Once we each had our sandwiches, we found a table near the back. We sat on opposite sides of the rickety table that separated us. Rick asked if he could get me anything. Even though my answer was no, he came back with a handful of napkins.
I waited for him to say something, so I could gage the level of directness that would be required during our conversation.
“You look beautiful tonight, as always,” he complimented.
That sealed it. I realized that I may have to be down-right mean. There may be no other way to get through to him.
“Listen, Rick. This,” I motioned between the two of us, “isn’t going anywhere. It’s important that you hear me. I’m completely void of any romantic feelings for you.”
“Yes, but, our relationship could grow.”
“No.”
“You could change your mind.”
“No.”
“If you just gave me a chance…”
“No. No. No. I think I’m being pretty clear,” I said, rising from my seat. “I’m not interested. Please, leave me alone.” I grabbed half of the sandwich out of my plastic basket and fled from the restaurant, not wanting to waste another minute.
The car ride back to the dorm was done with partial concentration. Why did I feel guilty for speaking honestly about my feelings? As I got closer to the dorm, my anger increased, thinking of how Rick refuses to accept my stance.
Once parked in the lot, my head was spinning. The visions were coming and, in my current state, it would be an impossibili
ty to keep them at bay.
The beautiful coast of Ireland came into view, music gently traveling on the wind. The sight was unspoiled, free of modern buildings or ports. A crown lay heavy on my head. There were others with me, informing me that I would be queen of this land.
My belly was swollen with a child and a man stood near, smiling at me with his own crown atop his head. He said that I was now queen of this land, but I shook my head in confusion. I am not the queen, but your wife, alone. That is the only title that I bear. I am not the queen. My love for him consumed my being. I would have traveled to the ends of the Earth if it meant we would be together.
In the background, I could hear someone asking if I was O.K. Please don’t make me leave my king. In my mind, I commanded the voice to be silent…but, my lips were immovable. As the voice in the background became louder, I floated away from my king, reaching, crying. He called for me. Scotia. Scotia.
Chapter 10- Proof
A chill lay in the air when I awoke. At first, my vision was blurry. The aches and pains all over ensured patience, while waiting for my eyes to focus. Hearing was the first sense to return. The sounds of the room included many familiar voices, but one couldn’t be recognized.
My left wrist felt as though there was an IV inserted and the weight of oxygen tubing ran across my face.
“She’s waking up,” Deidra announced.
A moan escaped me.
It took a few minutes before my surroundings could be determined. A man picked up my wrist to monitor my heart rate.
“It’s a little high,” said the doctor. “She could be in more pain than we realized. I’m going to call for a nurse to administer some more pain meds.”
When he left, Macy locked the door behind him. Everyone in the room crowded around my bedside.
“Hi, Muriel,” Clio said. “We don’t have a lot of time. You’re in a local hospital, under an assumed name. Please remember your name is Dana, Dana Johnson. Do not use your real name.”