Entangled – episode 15
Entangled – episode 15
Lancelot did not say anything to her concerning the diary after that day, 3 days passed and he behaved coolly as usual, pretending as if he did not notice her presence in the house. He ate his food and thanked his wife for the delicious meal as he normally did and answered her greetings with a nod and a grunt. Many things ran through Jane’s brain this wh0le while, she came up with a theory; that Lancelot was depressed and was gradually losing his mind while she, Jane, was the only one who noticed it. Rahila did not notice it, as a matter of fact, her work seemed to occupy all her time and left her with no other time to think about her home. When Jane tried to engage her in petty talks, she would yawn, stretch and complain about how tired she was. Sometimes, she told Jane in almost hushed tones about her patients; the old woman who had dementia and called her “Daughter”, the young boy of 15 who cried when he was given an injection and the poor woman with a baby whose husband had abandoned her for days.
She always spoke of these patients as if it was the most unethical thing a nurse could do, as if any minute she would be caught and fired for simply telling another soul about them. When she talked about them like this, Jane would listen attentively without interrupting. It was the one time they bonded, Jane valued this somewhat sacred moment they shared. Occasionally, Rahila would ask her few questions about herself, like if she called her aunt often or whether her relationsh¡p with her mother was still strong since her mistake with Pamshak. After this she would chirp out some instructions for Jane:
“Make sure you bolt the kitchen door before going to bed. Don’t forget to change the water for the pap, since you prepared it for yourself take care so it does not turn sour.”
She would then say good night and turn to go to her room. Lancelot will come out of the room immediately to lock the door of the sitting room, then he will reduce the volume of the T.V because he knew Jane will still make use of it, he will then walk back to his room silently without saying a word to Jane.
After Lancelot’s confession, Jane had to find a better place to hide her diary, though she doubted Lancelot will come to look for it. But then if her theory was right and he was losing it, he might come back to look for the diary, after all he had said he was addicted to reading it. She frowned when she remembered he now knew most things about her that she would never have told him.
He needs help, she figured out. But who was she to tell her cousin that her loving husband, the pride of her life, needed psychiatric evaluation? Her cousin will only tell her to pack her things and leave, that Jane was the one who needed to visit the psychiatrist and not her husband. The best thing to do will be to pray it would not get blown out of proportion so it could still be managed.
On the fourth day, after the confession, Jane was sewing a button back on her blouse in the sitting room. She wore a black vest and a blue cotton skirt with folds on it. She heard a car pull up in the garage, she checked the time and it was 2 O’clock. It was not yet time for Rahila to come back so she knew it would be Lancelot. She went to her room and changed to a flowery blouse. He entered the sitting room and she went to welcome him and collect the things he was holding.
“Welcome Brother,” she said to him.
“Thank you Jane, how are you?” He said smiling brightly.
“I am fine,” she said with a worried expression. When he smiled at her, it meant she was in for a big surprise.
“Guess what?” He asked and collected the things he brought from her hands. He did not allow her to answer; he opened one of the bags and removed a long pink dinner dress. “This is for you.”
“Wow,” Jane said taken aback. The dress was pretty and was looking elegant. She held it and admired it. She loved it at the instant, but she was afraid to collect it because she did not know what he had at the back of his mind.
“The surprise I told you about…” He ventured when she looked at him inquiringly. He opened another package and brought out black high heeled cover shoes. “Try it on, in fact, go try everything on in your room and come back so I can see how they fit.”
She took the bags and went to her room, two minutes later she came out looking like a bride. He was sitting on the long armchair when she came out, his eyes grew wide when he saw her. He stared at her for long.
“You look splendid Jane. You look like Cinderella going for her first ball.”
Jane smiled. She could not hide her happiness. “Thank you so much Brother, it is so beautiful, and they are all my size. How did you know my size?”
He waved a hand to mean she did not need to bother.
She smiled. His eyes were still fastened on the gown that she started to feel clumsy. “Thanks.” She said again, “I will show Sister when she comes back.”
“Right.” He took his eyes off her, “Oh, I also got you these.” He removed a wrapper and handed it to her. It was a chocolate bar, she had been desiring to eat one for a long time now. She accepted it with a curtsy.
“Lunch is ready Sir, would you like to eat now?” She asked him.
He thought about it for a while, “Should I? What do you think?”
She laughed throwing her head back, a deep cackle that echoed in the living room. “Maybe you should, it is past two O’ clock now.”
“What’s for lunch?” he retorted.
“Yam porridge with lots of fish and vegetables.”
“Okay.” He rose up and came to the dining table. He asked for orange juice and after he had drunk the juice, he ate the yam porridge slowly.
After the meal, he rose up and carried the dishes himself to the kitchen. “Thank you for the delicious meal.” He said to Jane who acknowledged him with a smile. She watched as he left the house and went back to the hospital. She knew from that moment that things were going to be different in that house.
To be continued
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