Chapter 6
No One But YouJessica had no idea how she managed to be sane enough to bring along her purse and made her way to her brother’s place. She rang his door bell.
“Coming!” Bobby shouted as he rushed to the door and opened it. He was taken aback by a tear-streaked and pale Jessica standing in front him. He noticed her wrist was bleeding.
He quickly ushered her into the house and settled her down onto a sofa. “Raymond! Bring me the first-aid box. QUICK!” he yelled as he examined her wound. Although the cut was not too deep, it was a miracle that she had not passed out for who knew how long she was bleeding.
Bobby gently bandaged her wound with his nursing expertise. Although he had stopped the bleeding, he looked worriedly at his sister. He knew that she had another invisible wound and he could not reach it to stop the bleeding for her. He held her in his arms. “Tell me what had happened, sweetie. There is nothing that Brother will not do for you.” he said gently to her. She sobbed and trembled uncontrollably in his arms. “Cry all you want, girl. You are safe here.” he reassured her and patted her back soothingly.
Raymond was stunned to see Jessica in such a state. He sat in another sofa and observed her. He wanted to call Louis, but he knew better. He knew this had to do with Louis. There was nothing else that could drive Jessica to this state of mind.
“He has an affair.” These were the only words that she could mutter in between her sobs. But, this was all it took for Bobby to get enraged. And as chance would have it, Louis had rung the doorbell at this very moment.
Bobby saw Louis at the door and pulled a punch right into the latter’s face. “What did you promise me when you ask for her hand in marriage?” Bobby bellowed at Louis. “You PROMISED that you would be FAITHFUL TO HER! You PROMISED that you would NEVER HURT HER” Bobby raised his voice even louder.
“Is Jessica in the house? Let me see her.” Louis pleaded with Bobby, ignoring the injury on his left cheek. “Is she all right? Please let me see her.” He kept pleading.
Raymond shuddered at Bobby’s rage and pulled his brother back. “She is with us, Louis. Come another time! Not now!” he urged Louis to leave. He could hardly hold Bobby back much longer. “You wouldn’t want the whole world to know what has happened, Brother.” he tried to talk some sense into Bobby. But, it was the slam of a room-door that stopped the brawl at the main door.
The three men stared at the closed room-door in silence. “Please look after her for me, Raymond.” Louis beseeched Raymond as he retreated away. “I will. Just go.” Raymond urged Louis as he held onto Bobby tightly, in case the latter launched into another attack at Louis. Bobby was shaking with rage.
“Why did you stop me?” Bobby scolded Raymond as he closed the main door.
“What good will it do if you kill him?” Raymond answered back. “You think she bear to see him got beaten up by you.” Raymond thought but did not say it to Bobby.
“Killing him is being too easy on him. I should make him an eunuch.” Bobby replied angrily.
“Don’t be so loud. She can hear you and get upset.” Raymond reminded Bobby.
“You should not have stopped me. Maybe the beating will knock some sense into him …” Bobby kept on grumbling in a low voice.
“My goodness. He goes chanting again.” Raymond shook his head and spoke under his breath.
Jessica dropped onto the bed and covered her head under the pillow to block out Bobby’s words.
“Am I not good enough?” she questioned herself. “Am I not gentle enough?” “Did I spend too much time at work? But he did give me his blessings, hadn’t he? Was he spending those times when I was away with her?” “Am I getting too old and unattractive?” “Is he attracted to Bernice because she is younger and prettier?” “What is it that I have not done as a wife?” “Am I not attentive enough to his needs?” “What have I gone wrong?” Jessica blamed herself for his affair.
She looked at the wedding band on her finger. She recalled their vows. “To love to cherish, till death do us part.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. These were vows of commitment. How could their marriage be so fragile? She finally slipped her ring off. It’s over. Everything was over.
She soaked the bed with her tears that night.
Louis returned to the empty house. He walked into their bedroom and sat on the floor. He stared at the pool of blood that Jessica had left behind. He pained him to know that Jessica had hurt herself because of him. “I promised to protect her. I promised not to let her be hurt. Why am I the one who inflict the pain on her? Why can’t I keep my promises? Why am I so weak?” he asked himself in agony.
He walked over to the wall and took down their wedding portrait, ignoring the pieces of broken glass. He looked at the damages that the perfume had made to it. It had tainted their photo just like his mistake had tainted their marriage.
He ran his fingers at Jessica’s face in the photo. “I’m sorry, Jessica. I don’t mean to hurt you. I’m unmistakably wrong. Please don’t condemn me for life. Please forgive me. Please give me another chance.” he said insufferably to the empty room. “I cannot live without you.” he cried out and buried his head in his hands.
If he could turn back the clock, he would never step into Bernice’s place that day.
Bobby kept coming to Jessica’s door that night. He made her favourite hot chocolate and stood at the door. He wanted to knock at the door, but he stopped himself. “Maybe she is asleep. Let her sleep” he said to himself and walked away. Then, he came back half an hour later with another hot chocolate.
Raymond stopped himself from snickering at Bobby. He was pretending to sleep on the living room’s sofa. It was extremely uncomfortable for him as he was too big for the sofa, but he wanted to catch Jessica when she opened the door.
“How could you introduce such a scumbag to your own sister? He is all about fast cars, booze and women.” Bobby laid the blame on Raymond, as he served their breakfast.
“Hey! You know that’s not true. I’m part of his crew, remember?” Raymond argued back.
Jessica joined them without them realising it. “Raymond is right. He did keep his promise for the past five years. I was the one who chose him, so don’t blame Raymond.” Jessica defended Raymond. “Is there a time limit to a promise?” she asked herself. “If the promise was kept for one year, three years, or in our case, five years, is it considered fulfilled?”
Bobby and Raymond looked at Jessica in bewilderment. Bobby wanted to ask her why was she defending Louis but he kept quiet. Instead he said to her, “I’ve prepared a new towel and toothbrush in the washroom for you, Jessica. Go and wash up and join us for breakfast.” She obeyed his instructions.
As Jessica settled into her seat at the dining table, she found a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. “Thanks, Brother.” she said to Bobby, who gave her a pat at the back.
“I’m sorry to occupy your room last night, Raymond.” she apologised.
“No sweat! A young man like me can sleep on the sofa for days.” Raymond bragged to her, even though his back was aching.
“Can I stay here for the time being?” she asked her brothers.
“Of course. Don’t worry about it. Raymond can move into my room or we can set up a sofa bed in the living room for him.” Bobby quickly assured her.
“Yes. Go ahead and stay here as long as you like.” Raymond added.
“Thanks, guys.” she said.
“I need a favour from you, Raymond. Please tell him to leave the house. I need to get some of my things and I don’t want to see him.”
“Sure, I’ll get it done immediately.” Raymond removed himself from the dining table and went into his room to make the call.
When Raymond returned to the dining table, he saw Jessica squabbling with Bobby. “Go to work, Brother. He won’t be able to train today so Raymond needs not go to the tracks. Raymond can take care of me.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of her. Stop bothering us.” Raymond said to Bobby and put his hand on Jessica’s shoulder.
“I can’t be bothered with the two of you.” Bobby said to them angrily and went to his room to change for work. “Make sure you watch over her.” he added along the way. Both Jessica and Raymond shook their heads and exchanged a little smile.
Jessica returned to their house with Raymond. Louis was not around.
She walked into their bedroom. She saw the broken glass and the wedding portrait on the floor. She saw the patch of blood and she turned to her wrist. Tears welled up in her already puffy eyes. She forced herself to look away. She pulled out the suitcase from under their bed.
She laid her clothes and belongings into the suitcase. She sighed at the differences in circumstances. Two months ago, she was packing into this suitcase for a renewed romance with Louis; today, she was also packing into the same suitcase but to leave him.
“Do you need my help?” Raymond asked at the door.
“Can you carry this for me?” she asked.
“Sure. Let’s go home now.” he put his arm across her shoulders and led her out of the room. He noticed the glass and blood too.
She looked around the house. This was their home, something which they had built together.
~ Flashback ~
“Welcome to my new home!” Louis declared happily to Jessica.
“This apartment is lovely!” she exclaimed to him.
“But I’ve a secret to tell you. I’ve no money left after paying for the house’s down payment. I’ve no money for the wedding and the diamond ring. Will you still marry me?” he whispered into her ear.
“When did I ever say that I will marry you?” she argued back at him.
“Then, will you move in with me?” he asked her back.
“Fat hope!” she said to him.
“Is it?” he said with a glint in his eyes and lifted her up in his arms.
“Put me down! Where are you taking me to?” she shrieked at him, while hooking her arms around his neck for safety.
“I’m throwing you out of the house since you don’t want to live here.” he said mischievously to her while he carried her into their bedroom.
~ End of Flashback ~
He proposed to her with a diamond ring that night. She sighed sadly at the memory.
Louis hid at a corner to catch glimpses of her. He saw her walked into their house. He saw her left with her suitcase. He wanted to stop her from going. It hurt him to see the bandage on her wrist. But he heeded Raymond’s advice that she needed some time.
“Can you take over Jessica’s project for the time being, Bernice?” Gallen asked.
“I’m afraid I can’t. I’m too tied up with the two projects that you have given me. The clients are changing their requirements every other day.” Bernice replied him.
“Gosh! It is so unlike Jessica to leave her work like that. Something serious must have happened.” Gallen fretted and left.
“Something serious must have happened.” Bernice thought to herself. “Don’t tell me!”
Bernice quickly called Jessica but her phone was turned off. She hesitated at calling the next person. She finally did and all she heard was “She knew.” She could hear the anguish in his voice.
“What had I done?” she asked herself.
Raymond met up with Louis that night. Raymond gave Louis a hard punch in his abdomen that very instant he saw him and Louis crouched down in pain. There was fury in Raymond’s eyes. “This punch is for hurting my sister!” he said furiously to Louis. “I would have killed you if she does not care about you anymore!” he added.
“How is she?” Louis asked, while crouching down.
“She is calmer now. And, thanks for keeping away this afternoon.” Raymond said in a calmer tone while extending his hand to pull Louis up.
The two men stared out at the waterfront.
“She still cares about you. She just needs more time. You have done it before and you can do it again, Brother.” Raymond said.
“Thanks, Brother.” Louis was really grateful to have Raymond’s support.
(22.06.2007)
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