by S M Mala
‘How do you know?’ he said, feeling his breathing becoming anxious. ‘Where is she?’
There was an almighty bang as the men fell to the floor. That’s when Jake saw something by the door.
It was Hatty’s shoe.
Huts and homes had been crushed and lay strewn as debris smashed in the air, hitting rocks and trees. Hatty couldn’t do anything as she lay there, unable to take it all in, her heart beating furiously. She was petrified. Just as she tried to move the wind carried her over and threw her against a tree. She held on tightly and noticed she was by the cove to the house.
With all her might, she hung onto the tree, knowing the wind was getting stronger and stronger. She screamed and cried as her legs were being lifted in the wind and then she heard it coming. The sound of the sea roaring towards her and she couldn’t fight anymore, she felt tired and her body was hurting. Then she wondered what she was holding on to.
There was nothing left.
Slowly she let go as Mother Nature took her quickly away.
Murray startled himself awake when he heard a scream.
‘Mr Logan,’ he heard someone say and noticed the nurse. ‘It’s the noise. Please rest. The hurricane is just passing through. It will all be back to normal soon.’
But Murray felt it wouldn’t be the same.
Thirty four
The silence was heavy when all the noise stopped. Even though the wind and rain was left pummelling the island, the noise had gone. Jake had been standing in the corner as Philip looked out into space. They’d taken Gina downstairs as she wouldn’t speak to them when asked about Hatty’s shoe. Jake noticed there was a haunted expression in her eyes every time she glanced at him.
‘I have to go out,’ said Jake shaking his head. ‘She’s outside, I know she is.’
‘Don’t be stupid!’ shouted Philip. ‘It’s dangerous and still dark. Just wait until morning!’
‘Gina knows where she is.’
‘If Hatty’s here, she’ll come out soon enough,’ he said angrily.
‘If?’
‘Her shoe? Why’s her shoe by the door?’ Philip snapped. ‘Gina not sayin’ sumtin.’
Jake didn’t blame the man for being furious with him as he waited for something to happen. Slowly, people starting coming out from the basement as the staff tried to usher them back in. He looked at his watch. It was after 2.00am on April 13th.
A year until he got married.
Delores’s head was thumping as she opened her eyes. Focussing on her watch, it was after four in the morning. She tried to sit up straight but there was an overwhelming stench of sweat from the heat. Standing up, she felt sick and managed to run to the toilets before vomiting. She couldn’t remember how she got there. Rinsing her mouth, she stumbled back in and saw Caroline stare at her before turning away. Realising nothing changed when it came to her, she walked out of the basement and up the stairs to the ground floor which was cooler. The sounds of crying and general human voices were fading into the background as she walked into silence. Then she saw Jake and Philip standing, staring angrily at each other.
‘Where’s Hatty?’ she asked.
He didn’t feel good as he sat up. Something was bothering him. He swore he heard screaming and shouting but was so dazed he couldn’t make it out. Murray hated the heavy haze drugs left him in but inhaled deeply before focussing on speaking.
‘Where’s my son?’ he asked, as the nurse came towards him.
‘He was here a few hours ago. He’s fine,’ she said calmly, smiling at him.
‘And Hatty? Where’s Hatty?’
He then heard Barney start to bark.
‘Ah,’ she said, her smile slightly fading. ‘She came to see you just after midnight, very upset but I told her to go back downstairs with the others and to come back this morning. And your friend told me not to let her in.’
‘My friend?’
‘Yes,’ she said and he noticed she seemed upset. ‘I was told to keep the young lady out of the room.’
‘Why was she upset?’ he groggily asked, knowing something was up.
‘I don’t know. She was crying and slightly hysterical. I told her you needed your rest.’ The nurse grimaced for a moment before turning to her. ‘She told me she wasn’t a bad person then there was a quarrel a few minutes later. I told your son. I’m sure they’ve found her now.’
Immediately he knew something was wrong.
Jake’s head felt numb. The sun wasn’t rising quickly enough and a grey haze remained outside as well as the wind and the rain.
‘I’m going out,’ he said, determined to leave.
‘What ya expect to find?’ Philip said tiredly. ‘Gina knows something.’
‘Then ask her!’ he snapped, only to be met with an angry stare. ‘I need to find Hatty.’
‘Why? So you can tell her it’s over?’ he hissed. ‘Jacob, if anything has happened to her I will never forgive you and neither will Louisa!’
‘I was confused when I read the letter. I thought I would be defying my mother’s wishes and-.’
‘What about Hatty’s wishes and dreams? Don’t you think, in that moment you decided to end it, everything ended for her?’
‘Don’t!’ he groaned, not wanting to hear. ‘When I find her I’ll tell her I’m sorry and I made a mistake. We’ll sort this out.’ He glanced over at Delores who was staring hard at the floor. ‘Have you spoken to her?’
‘She can’t remember anything and she won’t admit she was high,’ Philip said gruffly.
‘Mr Logan,’ the manager said walking up to him. ‘I think you might need to see this.’
‘What?’ said Jake, turning to look at the woman, his stress and worry building.
‘It’s your friend. Mr Logan’s housekeeper.’
‘Adopted daughter,’ he said, trying to stifle a sob in his throat.
Jake and Philip followed her into the office as she was looking at a large screen.
‘The security cameras were still working.’ She suddenly looked uncomfortable as she forwarded the footage. ‘Here.’
Jake looked up and in the very dim light, he saw Hatty walking in to the kitchen.
‘She was with Gina!’ Philip angrily said and stormed out of the room.
Jake just stared at the faint silhouette of Hatty, touching the screen.
‘The camera in the kitchen was damaged so there’s no more footage but that’s where she went,’ the woman said, her voice dipping.
He ran out of the office and into the kitchen before throwing the door open.
What he saw left no preparation in his mind.
There were cars crushed by trees or over turned and it looked as if a bomb had hit it.
He felt sick.
Jake knew she could never have survived, as he started to trembled. Sinking to his knees, he cried uncontrollably until he felt a pair of arms grab his shoulders and pull him up.
‘We’ll find her,’ Philip said. ‘Even if I have to kill Gina wid me bare hands, we’ll find her.’
As she washed her face and rinsed her mouth, Delores saw her blood shot eyes. There was screaming and shouting going on outside but she didn’t care. Her mind was a blank. The only thing she remembered was what Murray had told her the day before and drinking in her room.
Everything was a blur.
‘God help me,’ she said, rubbing her face but as she went to walk out, Caroline was coming her way.
‘I think we need to talk, don’t you?’
‘I take it you showed him the letter?’
‘Delores, we need to go somewhere private,’ the woman said in a hostile tone.
‘They split?’ she shrugged.
‘I heard what you said to her last night.’
‘I didn’t see Hatty-.’
‘You were in her room after they quarrelled. I was going to talk to her as she was upset but I heard you screaming and shouting. I heard what you said.’
‘You must be confused.’
‘You
told her you hated her and wished she was dead not before telling her what happened when she was young and -’
‘You misheard!’ she said, shouting loudly and standing rigid to the spot, not knowing what if being said really happened. Terror filled her chest realising this could all come out if Hatty said a word. ‘You’re making it up because you caused this.’
‘You told me to show him so they’d realise they were young,’ Caroline persisted, stepping closer. ‘You said nothing bad would happen and life would go on, remember?’
‘They’re young. They’ll find someone else,’ she said, getting agitated.
‘You seem to have forgotten to tell me your real reasons why.’
‘I didn’t want to see Hatty get hurt as she’s so naive. Jacob will go back to New York and forget about her in a minute. Look, if you don’t mind, I need to find Hatty to make sure-.’
‘Why? You told her you didn’t love her.’ Caroline looked around before whispering. ‘This isn’t about Jacob, it’s about hurting her.’
‘What do you care?’ snapped Delores angrily. ‘You don’t like her so don’t go making up stories.’
‘You told her to die, do you remember?’
Delores had to brace herself as she stood against the basin. Her head was reeling. She couldn’t remember a thing but Caroline seemed to know.
‘I was very drunk last night and I might have made up a few-.’
‘You told Hatty you tried to kill her and wished she was dead. What sort of monster says that to a child they brought up?’ Caroline hissed.
‘Don’t you dare question me!’ snapped Delores angrily. ‘You didn’t have to show Jake that letter but you weren’t happy he was with Hatty were you? Your own prejudices resurfacing or maybe jealousy about Murray? Don’t you think I don’t know how much you want that man! I can see it.’
‘I know what you did Delores. I know what you did to Hatty.’
They both jumped on hearing one of the cubicle doors open, to find Ethel staring at women in shock before fainting to the ground.
Jake noticed people running into the ladies washroom as Philip tried to restrain him.
‘I need to go!’ he shouted, struggling to get out of the strong grip.
‘You’re not thinking straight,’ Philip said calmly. ‘You don’t know this island as well as I do. Stay here while I go out.’
‘You can’t go out when it’s like this!’ shouted Frederick, trying to stand in Philip’s way
‘Daddy!’ he snapped. ‘I’ll do what I have to do to find her!’
‘I need to find her,’ Jake said, starting to cry. ‘She might be under a car or-.’
‘Murray needs to see you,’ said Philip quietly. ‘Take Jake to see his father and explain what happened. Everything. The truth, ya hear me?’
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing as Jake and Frederick tried to explain what had happened. The young couple had a quarrel ending up with Jake ending the relationship.
‘What was the quarrel about?’ he asked as Jake bit his lip. ‘Where’s Hatty?
‘Don’t get stressed Mr Logan,’ the nurse said calmly.
‘You should’ve let her into my room!’ he barked as the heart monitor’s beat grew in pace.
‘It’s not her fault,’ Frederick said calmly, approaching the bed. ‘We’ll find her.’
‘You’re both not telling me everything. I’ll ask you once again, where’s Hatty?’ he said, getting agitated.
‘We don’t know,’ Jake eventually answered, crumpling into a heap on the floor. ‘Philip’s gone to find her?’
‘Gone?’
‘She wasn’t in the hotel,’ his son replied, closing his eyes.
Murray then watched the tears drip down his face as he turned to look at an ashen Frederick before asking,
‘Was she outside when the hurricane hit?’
Delores stayed close to Ethel, feigning concern when all she wanted to know is what she heard. Mercy was panicking as someone looked over the elderly lady, who was still unconscious, while Caroline stood biting her nail and glaring at Delores.
‘She needs to rest,’ said a woman taking Ethel’s pulse. ‘Is there a room we can put her in?’
‘I’ll take her,’ Delores added quickly.
‘No!’ snapped Caroline. ‘Let’s take her to a room near Murray, at least there’s a nurse.’
Then Delores noticed Gina sitting in the corner of the room, her eyes staring down, as if in shock. The young woman looked up at her before anxiously turning away. Something cold shot through Delores as she didn’t know what to do next. They weren’t letting the rest of the guests into the other areas of the building until they checked how safe the hotel was. She walked towards Gina who looked up at her.
‘I know what you did. Hatty told me,’ she said quietly.
‘I’m sick of riddles!’ said Delores wearily.
‘She told me last night, she say ya told her ya push her into da sea when she was a child,’ smiled Gina as Delores’s heart froze. ‘Now me know ya hated her as much as me. Aren’t you happy me ‘elp her along da way so we not ever see ‘er again?’
‘What do you mean?’ she said, staring at the beautiful young woman, realising what she’d done. Standing perfectly still she held her breath for a moment then silently mouthed ‘thank you’, before walking off.
Jake watched the feet of his aunt come towards him without looking up. For every minute that past, he knew Hatty was drifting further away. He stood up and couldn’t speak as he heard his father’s voice and then Caroline say something. A quarrel was the last thing he wanted to hear as he opened the door and walked out.
There was debris in the corridor but he knew where he had to go. The room to their door was open. He immediately felt a wave of tears numb his face as he put his head down to control them. It’s when he stepped in, he saw her belongings. Jake started to cry as he lay on the bed and grabbed the pillow she slept on, the smell of repellent and Hatty beautifully intertwined.
‘What have I done?’ he said quietly, holding tightly onto the pillow before falling asleep.
He dreamt of Hatty, he could see and smell her. She was laughing at him and smiling before running into the fresh water pool and swimming. Then she stood up and waved, her beautiful body dripping with water before she went under. He waited and she wouldn’t come out so he started to shout and jumped in to find her. But she wasn’t there.
He heard himself scream making him jolt up.
Immediately, he knew he had to find out what happened to her. He quickly walked down the stairs and found Gina sitting next to her mother. The lady was weeping into her hands as Gina stared at Jake for a second.
‘Can I talk to you?’ he said, walking up to her.
‘Can’t ya see me moder upset?’ she quietly replied.
‘Is it true about Hatty?’ the woman said her face tearstained. ‘She fell out a window?’
‘What?’ Jake’s heart started to beat heavily as he couldn’t breathe for a moment. ‘No, no, that’s not true.’
‘Then where she?’
‘That’s what I was hoping Gina would tell me. You were the last one to see her.’
‘Not now,’ she said and her mother turned and stared. ‘Me saw Hatty before she disappear. She upset.’
‘Ya not say anytin’ else to upset she?’ the older woman asked, her tears immediately stopping.
‘Me not say a ting!’ snapped Gina. Her mother narrowed her eyes. ‘It not me fault Hatty want to take her own life!’
‘What?’ Jake immediately crouched down to face Gina. ‘What did you say?’
‘Jake, dis not the time,’ Gina said and he could see tears in her eyes. ‘Not in ya state.’
‘Tell me,’ he said, through gritted teeth, as Gina started to cry. ‘What aren’t you saying?’
‘Philip threaten me. Me too scare to speak,’ the woman sobbed as her mother put an arm around her. ‘It bring back bad memories.’
‘Please Gina, I need to know
.’ his voice croaked. ‘Philip’s outside looking for her and-.’
‘She told me she want to die. She said she not happy an’ me try an’ stop her,’ Gina sobbed, putting her hands over her face. ‘Me say not to do it but -.’ There was loud painful sobs. ‘She ran towards da door in de kitchen an’ flung she self out.’
‘Oh me god!’ said Gina’s mother. ‘She took she own life?’
Jake couldn’t hear any more. It was worse than he thought. She’d purposely left the building to hurt herself and to hurt him. He stood up and walked quickly away.
Over thirty hours passed and there was no sign of Hatty. Jake lay in the room with the door tightly shut, getting angrier. He couldn’t think straight and knew a whole army of people were searching for her but he wasn’t allowed out. Since his father found out what happened, the man had become subdued and Jake couldn’t face him.
‘Bitch!’ he said over and over again, knowing she’d gone out of the way to upset him because of what he said.
He was determined that when he saw her next, he’d tell her she was a selfish spoilt brat and throwing herself out was pathetic. The speech was ready in his head but then there would be massive pangs when he realised he was avoiding the most important thing.
That the ‘when’ was really an ‘if’.
Delores was doing her upmost to help the injured people, all the time keeping an eye on Caroline and Ethel. The old woman seemed to be in shock as Caroline looked troubled. Some of the water supply had been cut off but there was food. People were rallying around but all the time everyone knew there was one person missing. Barney was being looked after by Bennett. Every time she glanced at the dog, she knew for each second that past, there was more of a chance Hatty wasn’t alive.
And when her eyes kept meeting Gina, she knew who to be thankful to.
Thirty five
Two days had past and Murray hadn’t seen Jake. Frederick had told him the young man was in a state but, in all that time, he couldn’t think straight. It burned his heart to know she needed him and he wasn’t able to look after her, entrusting all the people around.