Tales From The Triple Suns (Chapter Eleven)

I actually liked it here, and was glad that my earlier doubts had been unfounded.  The planet was a pleasure to look at, and the weather more suited to a resort colony than an agriculture community.  Temperate areas dotted the coastline, and although we were situated approximately 50 kilometers from there, the rain reached us with ease, and at times you could smell the sea air on the breeze.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I loved it here, (part of me still missed the cities) but it was a nice place to spend a year or more.1

I put the paintbrush down and walked away from the wall to admire my handiwork.  My office wall stared back at me with an adequate paint job.  Well…at least I didn’t get any on the floor.2

Craig had liked my changes to the building, especially the ones I suggested for our living area.  A few of his employees didn’t think that things needed to be changed, and he had to convince them.  It was simple, really.  I told him that if he didn’t find some way to keep the home and business parts separate, that I hoped he would be comfortable sleeping on the couch.  The plans were finalized that evening, and the work began the next morning.3

The storeroom from the office section had been transformed into a rather elaborate dining area for visitors.  Everything from the storeroom was moved to our extra bedroom, and the door was closed off on one side and added on the other.  Craig hadn’t wanted to take away my ‘office’, but I reminded him that I had a notepad, and could write anywhere.  He relented, and the work was finished in one week.  4

I did write everywhere, but soon realized that maybe I did need an office of sorts.  5

One day I decided to take our ‘vehicle’ to the coast and get some inspiration for writing.  A few of the other women that I had made friends with and I decided to make a day of it.  We packed lunches and anything else we would need.  We really weren’t worried about anything bad happening since we had planned to be within sight of one of the extensive scientific buildings that dotted the coastline.  6

Most of the other women were here under the same circumstances I was…their husbands had something to do with either the set up, or the maintaining of the community.  Most of the agro-wives worked the farms with their husbands, and mainly kept to themselves, and I had yet to exchange more than a few words with any of them.  A few single women were also there, mainly Courtesans who had wanted to start fresh on a new planet.  The possibilities of a habitable planet in it’s infancy appealed to a few of them, who had to go through stringent government protocols to get a license to set up business.   Their presence didn’t bother me, since for years regulations and general teachings forbid them from engaging in carnal relationships with married men or women.7

The trip to the coast was wonderful, and although I didn’t do any writing, I managed to just lose myself in the beauty of the waves hitting the rocks.  Small gray birds flew over head, squawking loudly at each other, before falling swiftly towards the water.  They would skim the azure ocean, catching any fish that happened to be near the surface, and then fly back into the cloudless sky. 8

After a month of getting everything set up at the community, I welcomed this relaxing moment.  I only wished Craig had been there to enjoy it with me.  Maybe in a few days, we could take some time and come here together.9

When we finally got back that evening, I wearily walked into my home, and headed for the bedroom to change…I stopped as I noticed something different.  I walked to the door that had mysteriously appeared in the hallway, and opened it.  I stared, confused at a nearly exact duplicate of my office from my apartment.  The set up was nearly identical, with a similar computer, desk and chair against one wall.  A few pictures leaned against the wall, looking like they were ready to be hung, but the walls were bare.10

I slowly backed out of the room, walked out of the house, and went over to the office section of the building.  I entered and went to Craig’s office.  I knocked softly on the door frame and he looked up from his computer.  11

“Hey,” he said as he stood and walked to me.  “Have a good time?”  He embraced me warmly and kissed me.12

“It was wonderful,” I replied absently.  “But, it seems someone did some renovating while I was gone.”13

Craig just smiled that wonderful smile at me.  “Yep.”  His smile got bigger as I stared at him.  “It was Tara’s idea,” he said, referring to one of the two women in his office.  “She said that just because you said you didn’t need an office, didn’t mean you didn’t want one.”14

“Smart woman,” I said.  “How did you find the space?”15

“Redesigned three offices…into four.” He smiled proudly.  “Left the walls bare, so you can paint it that puke color you like.”16

“It’s pronounced puce.”17

He shrugged.  “Same difference.”18

~~~~~~~~~~19

Every weekend, I would send a large letter to Sindra through the International System or internat, as most people called it.  I would include my descriptions of the planet and the community, and give updates on certain things.  Sindra would then submit it to the magazine, and soon I had a running article on my life.  Some of the things she would leave out, such as certain feeling I was experiencing, or issues of a ‘delicate’ nature.(she would write to me about her boyfriends, and I would make her jealous of my never ending sex life).20

I didn’t know at the time, but every week Craig and Mark would check out the articles, laughing in all the right places, and admiring the others.  They actually liked the slant I put on certain things, and Mark got the biggest kick out of seeing his named mentioned in a magazine that was distributed system wide.21

Sindra would fill me in on all the news and office gossip that I was missing, and would sometime include pictures.  On rare occasion, my Uncle would also write…usually to mention in his offhanded way that he liked my articles. ‘The multitude of words used to express a single emotion is interesting.’ was one of his favorite so called compliments.  My personal favorite was: ‘I’ve never seen a metaphor used in quite that way before.’22

In one of the chatty letters Sindra had sent, she described a party she had gone to, mentioning in passing that my ex Tony had been there.  I rolled my eyes, and went to skip the paragraph when I noticed something near the end.  ‘I don’t know how to tell you this, or if I even should…’  I hesitated.  Sindra wasn’t the type to mince words, and sometimes her brash forwardness annoyed me, so I knew it had to be something bad enough for her to try to warn me in her own way.23

I read the next paragraph…read it again…then a third time.  I found it upsetting that I had no emotion as I read, so I thought if I said it out loud then maybe I wouldn’t feel guilty about feeling nothing.24

“The day after the party, the authorities came to the office, looking for you.  They wanted any information you had about Tony, since your name was one of the ones found in his personal contacts.”  I paused, wondering why after three years, he would still have my number.  “Tony was found beaten to death in the park a few blocks from his apartment, and the police wanted to talk to you.  I told them that you had been gone for over four months, and they left.”  I stopped reading, waiting for some emotion to surface, but there was nothing…not even an empty void.  I mean, yes, I was sorry he was dead.  I may have hated him, but I didn’t wish him harm…I hadn’t even thought about him in a long time.  25

I skimmed the rest of the letter.  Sindra had added the investigating police’s number, and I wrote out a small note to them and sent it through the internat.  I told them that I had no contact with Tony for over two years, and I included a list of people who he had pissed off or owed money to when we had been together.  I also included ‘proof’ of where I had been for the past four plus months.  I knew I wasn’t a suspect, but I didn’t want to be bothered with someone wasting their time on me.26

I sat at my desk an hour or so later, the letter still open on my computer screen, still wondering why I didn’t feel anything about someone I knew dying.  Tony may have been a jerk, a liar, and a complete ass, but he was someone I knew…someone I had been intimate with… 27

I met Tony a few weeks after my parent’s sudden death, and I think I just needed to be with anyone at that time in my life.  He was sweet and kind at first, listening to every word I said, bringing flowers and taking me out when needed, or staying at my place when I needed him.28

The sweetness only lasted a few months before his true nature began to surface.29

~~~~~~~~~~30

”Cali, I need it.”  Tony walked up and stood beside my chair.31

“Tony.” I sighed.  This was starting to become a bad habit.  “I’ve already bailed you out with loan sharks three times.”32

“And I need you to do it again,” he said.33

I couldn’t stand it any longer.  This was getting expensive, with the last ‘loan’ being nearly fifty thousand dollars.  “No.”34

“No?”  He grabbed my arms and dragged me to my feet. “No!?”35

“Say goodbye, Tony,” I said, fighting to stay calm.  “And don’t come back.”36

An angry look sprung to his face.  “You don’t dump me, lady,” he snarled.  “The only way out for you is in a body bag.”37

I pulled out of his grasp.  “Get the hell out of my apartment,” I ordered and started walking towards the vid-phones.  “Or I call the police.”38

“Cali,” he said and smiled.  “Come on…don’t be stupid.” He started towards me.39

I glanced behind me to punch in the emergency number and felt something hard hit my body.  Tony knocked me against the wall and I fell to the floor, gasping in pain and surprise.  He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, twisted my arm behind my back and forced me against he wall.40

“You stupid little bitch,” he spat as he twisted my arm further until I yelled out in pain.  I brought my other arm back, connecting with his face and he let go as he stumbled back.41

I quickly punched in the number for emergency and heard it ring once before his hand flew by me, hitting the disconnect. Then that same hand followed through and slammed the side of my face.42

I saw stars as it hit, then I was on the floor with him standing over me.  I curled into a ball as he pounded on my back before grabbing my arm again and pulling me across the floor.  My shoulder felt like it was about to tear from my body and I cried at him to stop.  I closed my eyes and tried to move out of the way when he turned and kicked his foot at me, hitting me just below my left eye.43

He let go of my arm and stormed around the apartment cursing me as I cried in pain.44

“Stupid, fuckin'’ bitch,” he ranted.  “I put in all these months with you and this is how I get treated?!”  He strode to me, grabbed me by the hair and pulled my head up.  “I listened to you go on and on about your dumb fuck parents…and when I need you, you dump me.”  He sighed in disgust, then slammed my head against the floor.45

I cried, the sobs hurting my ribs and shoulders, but he continued yelling at me.  The pain blocked most of it out, but I clearly heard him mention body bag a few times.  Whether he was trying to scare me or he was serious, I didn’t know…but part of me believed that he was telling the truth.46

His raving worked him up even more, and he yelled how worthless I was as he kicked me repeatedly in the stomach and ribs.  A few hits landed on my face, but I was too worn to protect myself with my arms any longer.  I just laid there, numb from the pain, part of me wishing that he would just kill me and get it over with.47

I don’t know how long I stayed there, but when I finally got the energy to open my eyes, I was alone…and there was a pounding on my door.  Thinking it was Tony again, I stayed where I was and held my breath.48

The door flew open, and I screamed for him to go away.  The next thing I knew, I was laying on a hospital bed in emergency with three doctors hovering nearby, and a police officer asking me questions.49

~~~~~~~~~~50

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the letter Sindra had written.  I read the part about Tony’s death again and realized why I didn’t feel anything.  51

I didn’t care.52