Wow. We did it! Coming up is the final chapter of ãHis body is my universe". I can't believe it's finished. I hope you enjoyed reading!
(From the previous chapter)
I tried to sneak trough the abandoned cemetery as fast as I could to get back to the car. I was hurrying through the lines of graves, passing Emilie's grave. I finally made it to the car, racing off in search of a hardware store. I bought something that looked like scissors to cut iron, a lock picking set and a flashlight Ð glad that I had thought to bring Case's credit card I gathered the stuff and hopped back into the car.
I parked in a side street of the cemetery and didn't use the flashlight when I got to the cemetery, just in case The Creep was already back. I ran back to the gate as fast as I could and in one (ok maybe four) swift movements I opened the lock. How easy was that!? And it didn't make any noise either Ð a lot more effective then this crazy idea I had about hitting it with a rock! I swung the door open and listened for any sound. Just the dark and moist smell of basement. Other then that Ð nothing. Just then my cell phone rang.
I was wondering if there was such a thing as fate when I read the caller ID. It said "Home."
"Hello" I said, sounding out of breath when the chirping of my phone against my ear told me that I hadn't hit the right button yet.
"Hello" I tried again, sounding slightly calmer.
"You were right, this is not what I want. This is shit" the Creep announced angrily.
"Wow, that's harsh" I said, knowing that Case was probably a safe distance away from him.
"I wanted a painting, a memory of my girl. What you made is absolute trash! You think anyone could put this in their living room? And what's with the dirty pear? This looks nothing like my girl" he sounded mad.
"Well, what did you expect?" I bitched back
"Not a painting of a cadaver. Something like the painting of your Asian boy! Something real that seems like you can touch it, like it would start to laugh when you gave it a new doll, or that would get mad when you told her she couldn't have candy before dinner! Something that would help me remember her. . Make it better this time. More like her...more like the paintings of the Asian boy" I had always kind of assumed that the Creep had somehow killed the little girl on my couch but now I wasn't so sure. Maybe he was just a crazy grieving man and I felt a pang of sympathy at the hurt in his broken voice. I took a few seconds to phrase my answer carefully.
"Well...I love that Asian boy and I know him well. I know how his hair moves when he shakes his head and how his eyebrows knit when he frowns. I know what kind of chocolate he likes best and which wine will give him a headache. But I don't know anything about this girl. To me she's just a stranger on a couch. So that's all I could paint. I'm sorry..."
Was I apologizing to the guy that had kidnapped my boyfriend and put a dead body on my couch!? I guess I was.
"...you know...it might help if you told me a little more about her...so I can imagine how she once was... maybe that way I will be able to do a better job" I suggested carefully.
"What do you need to know?"
And he talked. Her name was Emily, who it turned out was his daughter. She had died from stomach cancer at 10 years old. Her mother had passed away when Emily was born and now Robert Ð that was Creepy-man's real name knew that he was going to suffer from dementia. He was going to loose all memory of her and he couldn't bear it. He talked about random things, little memories, her hair, that she had liked horses like most little girls, had taken ballet classes and had loved the fluffy inside of biscuits. She had had a little kitten named Spiffy and a turtle named Michelangelo. He told me everything I needed to imagine what she was like and what might have become of her if she hadn't died way too early.
"It would have been easier to write me a letter and send me some pictures. Would have saved both of us a lot of trouble" I flat out told him.
"I know, but would you have helped me?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. I might have. Or maybe not. Maybe I would have been angry at being burdened with someone else's problems. Maybe I would have been happy to help. It would have depended on my mood. But it didn't matter now.
"So...what are you going to do with her now?" I asked him
"Burry her. Put her back in the ground I guess. To me she is still beautiful and I can still see how she was when she was alive. I guess it makes sense that you can't. I'll put her back to rest" Ð take the cootie-couch with you!
"Can you send me a picture of her?" I asked
"A picture? Do you mean you are going to try again?" he asked, surprise in his voice.
"Well....I guess. With what you told me about her I can imagine her much better..."
"Thank you. I really appreciate that. You can come home now. The Asian boy will come to you soon after you get there" that last sentence made my heart skip a beat. I had hoped for that. But with a little luck my Asian boy was coming home with me right now.
I climbed down the mossy steps and expected a crypta under the stone angels. Instead I found a room filled with rusty gardening equipment, a pile of dirt littered with old flowerpots in the corner and a wooden door with an iron latch. I threw back the bar, ripped open the door (which I later realized was pretty stupid Ð without cover or anything) and looked down at a pretty pissed-off-looking but unhurt Case Ð tied to a chair and gagged with a rag and duct tape.
A sob echoed loudly from the concrete walls and I only then realized that I was on his lap, hugging him, tears streaming down my face. I reacted to his "hmhm" and quickly regained enough composure to cut the nylon rope which bound him to the chair, noticing the spots where he had been rubbing it raw against it. Feeling heroic I grabbed for the tape on his mouth and would have ripped it off his face to kiss him had he not stopped my hand in his strong grip. He answered my puzzled look with wide eyes and a shake of his head and started to slowly peel the edges off, wincing. Ok, I guess ripping it off would have really hurt. I hugged him tightly, kissed the tape and grabbed for his hand.
ãCase Ðlet's go! We can do that in the car!"
Again he shook his head. While he kept peeling the duct tape with one hand he shut down a computer that I only now noticed with the other. It was crammed into the tiny space and attached to an electrical cord, which ran through a little air vault barred with iron bars. Attached to it were several electronic devices and monitors Ð neither of which I comprehended what they could do.
ãGive me you phone." Case demanded, holding out his hand.
ãThis is the first thing you say to me after you almost die?" I asked exasperated.
He pulled me close, and his soft hot lips found mine, his tongue, which I had so feared to never taste again, probing, teasing. My glazed eyes opened slowly, the thought that I really did have him back still not quite ringing through. I looked at Case with my phone held up to his ear - did he really snatch it from me while we kissed?
ãHello? This is Case Tentaiyo. I was kidnapped. I was just freed and am still on siteÉ NoÉ I don't know. A cemetery in the Riverridge area. Can you locate this phone?... We will wait for you at the gate. TwoÉYes, but not badly. We don't need an ambulance. My partner will drive meÉYesÉ"
He had started walking carefully to the exit, pulling me along as he went. The light was getting closer and I was relieved when we breathed the fresh night air and the soft soil of the cemetery under our feet. Finally both of us free again.
ãYesÉ There was a lock. My partner cut itÉNoÉ We are out now...to the gate" He nudged me ãwhich way?" I pointed in the direction of the car and he promptly turned, taking my hand to pull me with him.
I shook it off.
ãCasey" I stared at him shocked. Was he talking to the police? I know. Me. Really slow sometimes.
ãHold on one sec" he covered the mouthpiece of the phone and turned to me.
ãYes love?" he asked me.
ãThis is all wrong Case. We can go now. He will take the dead girl off our couch and we can go home. We don't need to call the police."
ãThere is a dead girl on our couch?" he asked.
ãWell, he said he'd take her back and send pictures. But we really don't need the police."
ãWhat?" he asked ãSweety, I was kidnapped by a guy who put a dead girl on our couch. He is still out there. And you think I shouldn't have called the police? Really?" He gave the officer on the phone the information about a dead body being in our house so they could send cars there as well and make sure to catch his kidnapper.
When he hung up I shook my head and sighed, slowly falling a little behind ãCase. You don't understand. He's just this poor dad who misses his daughter and is scared he will forget her. He just did this to get me to paint her."
He gave me a serious look.
ãLucy" he said rushing me forward ãa normal poor dad doesn't rack up all this equipment, bugs your phone, kidnaps me AND apparently puts a dead body on your couch. This person is not normal and he needs to go to jail. And we need to hurry, let's go."
ãHe was just desperate"
Case just shook his head ãLucy let's go"
So we went. Him hurrying along. Me a step behind, shaking my head. We reached the gate and just like that Robert pulled up in his Volvo, staring at us openmouthed in pure surprise to see Case already out in the daylight. It shouldn't have made me feel guilty. A black truck pulled up behind him, gave a short whine of a siren and blue lights started flashing. It was strange, like watching a movie without background music. Case pointed at Robert who still looked at us dumbfounded.
ãThis is him. This is the kidnapper. He has a dead body in the passenger seat."
Robert was pulled out of his car and pushed to his knees by two cops. Hands behind his back. Cuffs clicked.
ãI'm sorry" I heard myself say. Wait? Was I apologizing to the guy who had kidnapped my boyfriend? The man who had made my live a living hell for the past couple of hours? I guess I wasÉ
ãMe too" he said from his knees ãÉyou've got the right to remain silentÉ." and took one last glance at the golden curls that spilled through the cracked window of the passenger's side where Emmies body was buckled into the front seat.
It was a Saturday morning and I was on my tummy on our bed on the covers, giggling to myself. Case was in the bathroom washing away what we had done and brushing his teeth (which kind of was the same thingÉo well) It had been six month since Case had been kidnapped and he stopped seeing a counsellor over it two weeks ago (which I thought was early, but he assured me he was fine). Somehow having him ripped from my live, if only briefly, had renewed my appreciation of him. I was so scared to loose him, I hadn't realized how important he was to me. I mean I had always known he was important to me, more then he did even. But now I knew what it felt like when he was gone and now that I had gotten a taste of that, it was just so much more real. It made me appreciate little things more - like the disgusting little noise he made when he cleared his throat after rinsing his teeth, you know, when it sounds like he's choking? Whenever I got annoyed with him I just had to remember how it was when he wasn't there to bug me. I knew I would miss that noise same as everything about him, were he gone again. I enjoyed being around him so much more because now I didn't think of it as something that just kind of happened, but as a privilege. I knew that this privilege might be short lived. And that I shouldn't take our time together for granted. Because it might not last as long as I expected it to.
ãShouldn't you be getting dressed, dreamy-eyes?" he smiled at me warmly and threw a towel at me.
ãHmmmm, maybe" I took in the way he was standing in the doorway. Golden skin, hair damp, some drops of water on his chest and shoulder from where his hair had dripped. Full lips puffy and his eyes so warm. Golden almost. Was it the way the sun hit them? Or was it just him?
He snipped his fingers in front of my face.
ãI think you should" he said, pressing a kiss on the top of my head.
ãHmmmm. Should what?" I said rolling over.
He laughed at me and sat next to me to run his fingers through my curls. I loved his laugh. I know. I realize it. I sound like a teenager in love. We had been together for such a long time and it all just kind of happened. Because I was happy with him and he with me and there was the house and we could both live there and sure why not? AndÉwhy not, right? And that's what it had felt like for a while. Like a Ð sure why not? For him more then for me, even. And then Case had been kidnapped. And even though he wasn't gone long it changed so much for me. Because now I knew the answer to ãwhy not?". And now I knew that he had felt the ãwhy not?" more then I did Ð because he had actually told me. Because we had really started talking to each other. Because he had really opened up and I had the feeling that I had gotten to know him on a whole deeper level. And he had gotten to know me. We spend more time together, really together Ð not just sitting on the couch watching the same TV show (I mean we did that too). Maybe part of that was his therapy, but I just had the feeling that now we had a much better way of communicating. Like he could express what he needed and I could trust him to hear what I was saying. In short. We connected. And that for me was such an erotic feeling, it was like falling in love with him all over again. I know. Sappy. You may go brush your teeth now, too much sugar will rot you teeth.
ãWhat's up little one?" he pushed lightly on my shoulder.
ãI'm not littleÉ" I grummbled.
He roled is eyes and tugged on my ear ãWhat's up. You're thinking again"
I rolled on my tummy again, facing his leg ãI was just thinking how much I'd miss you if you were gone. And how much I love it that you're not. And how much I love being around you and that I'll always want to be around you. Even when your mad or sad or being difficultÉ"
ãMe, difficult...? Pf, never" he laughed.
ãTschhhh. You know." I looked at him ãyou know what I mean. I feel like in the past sixth months we have really grown together as a couple, like I rediscovered you and like you still mean the world to me. Shit, I'm no good at this. What I'm saying is: I'm glad you're in my life and I want to keep it that way."
ãWell I'm not going anywhere. Any I love you too" that warm smile again. So full of love.
I smiled back at him ãI'm still not seeing a ring on your finger" I pointed out.
After the kidnapping things had been a little confusing for everybody. We had put off the wedding to get some ground back under our feet and Case had turned down the promotion that would have him move to Taiwan. Instead he had been promoted to a position that kept him in the headquarters (something liaison-officer for Pacific Asia, not sure). So while we were technically engaged, we had put everything off. Which had been good at the time.
ãWell maybe it's time you put one there" he looked at me intensely.
ãPut one there?" I smiled at him as he leaned down to give me a slow luscious kiss with his full lips and just a little tongue.
ãReally? You're ready?" I asked him.
ãI love you Lucy. I feel like we've grown, too. And I have faith in you. I'm ready." I squealed, jumped on him and rolled around with him on our bed. Finally!
I was walking with Case through my first real exhibition of a real complete series of paintings. I was so proud. Case had arranged for the collection to travel to some major art museums all around the world. And we were going to be there for every vernissage Ð traveling there would at the same time be our honeymoon. Tokio, New York, Madrid, Berlin Ð so many cool places to visit, so many hotel sheets to ruin. It was exciting and I was almost giddy with happiness. Nah, ok, I was giddy. Part of that might have been the prosecco that was being passed around by waiters with fashionable burgundy aprons. I glanced over at my man to see him looking at a painting of a little girl placing marbles around a turtle. Perfection. I had received particularly many compliments on that one. I took a picture of him with my phone (Yes, I had learned how to do that).
ãSmile" I said.
He rolled his eyes. I knew it annoyed him. Me taking the picture but also knowing I was going to send it to Robert. It was strange that Robert and I had stayed in touch and Case Ð even though he was the victim Ð had never spoken to him again. Robert had apologized to me for kidnapping Case a million times, but never to him in person. He never got the chance.
We were walking through the room that had the ãchildhood memories" series in it right now, past my favourite painting - a little blond girl, crying and raising her arms to receive a doll that had been taken from her. I had painted several versions of this motive. One was missing. It was at the Psychiatric ward of the prison Robert was being kept in. He had very shyly asked for it when I had sent him pictures of the paintings and I had no reservations to gift it to him. Needless to say that had been a strange moment for Case.
We walked on to the next room. For some reason I had discovered seagulls Ð so I had a room with paintings of seagulls. I know. Sometimes it didn't make sense to me either. I wasn't too fond of them, I had just kind of played around with them, but Case had insisted on displaying them because he thought the perspective they showed, seeing the world through the eyes of seagulls, was unique. Ok.
We entered the last and tallest room of the exhibition. It had a high ceiling and across the back wall was my favourite piece of all times. I had put so much time in it. So much effort, love, passion Ð and yes it had been frustrating at times. And now that I looked at it, finally on display I saw that it was all worth it. 8m tall, 4m wide it was a combination of 189 paintings, some big some as small as a post card. They showed different motives mostly of nature - a volcano about to erupt, birds in the sky, the foamy sea, camels in a desert, the sun and the moon, herds on a plane, goats on a mountain, ice, a city, stars, planets Ð a whole universe. Every painting in itself was complex and could stand alone, but combined Ð the sea: his hair, the desert: his torso, his lips: fields of red poppy with sheep grazing there, the stars: his eyes Ð combined they were my Case. I smiled at him standing next to me. The volcano in his eyes, the sun in his smile. My love. My life on canvas. My universe.
Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. If you did or didn't: let me know at rock_on_summer@yahoo.com.
I recently found another really short story on my harddrive. It's called ãKasi" and can soon be found in the non-English section (sorry, its in German. I hope I'll find the time to translate it someday and post it in the relationship section).