Five months ago, April was standing in the same house, in the same room, wearing the same thing. Closing her eyes, she let all the memories of her marriage come flooding in. How had she ended up here? It had happened too quickly. Maybe 10 minutes. “No five minutes”, argued April with herself. It wasn’t possible. Her heart beat began to slow down. She tried to stop herself from remembering. She tried to push back in the memory. She tried. She really did. But it didn’t work. She was weak and that image was far too strong. She felt herself having a flashback, to the worst five minutes of her life. She felt tears roll down her cheek. She knew there wasn’t a point in acting like it didn’t happen. It did happen, and the image was getting stronger and stronger.
April was washing her face; after another long day. She wiped of her make-up (the one she put on for him: but took off before he got home). She walked into the kitchen and turned the kettle on.
“He loves a cup of tea, when he gets home”, sang April to herself. She placed two cups on the table, ready drink from. She tied her hair back; she changed into her night gown; and that’s when her life changed forever. It was late at night, and there was a full moon. The stars where shinning. Once the clock stroke 11, April started to count down the seconds, for when he will be home.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14………
***
409,410,411,412,413, 414,415………..
***
It was soon 12o’clock. April knew better than going out in her night gown. Instead, she took out the photo album; and looked over her past years. Ever time she saw his face; she stroked it carefully and kissed his forehead. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Hours into days, without her husband by her side.
She knew she shouldn’t. But she couldn’t help herself. He was later than usually. It wasn’t normal. All sort of horrible things came to her mind. She punched them away and told herself, “the train most if been cancelled”. When she finally realised he wasn’t coming, she opened the front door and slowly walked outside. It was very quiet, as it was very late at night. But April could her distant voices.
“He most of had a few drinks with the boys”, thought April as she rushed over to the approaching shadows. Her heart was beating with love.
She stopped. She had made a mistake. It couldn’t be right.
In front of her stood 4 complete strangers. It was obvious they had, had a few drinks earlier. April took slow steps backwards; but they just got closer and closer: Till they were standing nose to nose.
“Hey, you, sexxxy ladieeeeeeeee”, called one.
“What doiong out here so late?” asked another.
April turned back but they were too quick for her. Soon enough she was on the floor. How had it happened? How could she live? How could she ever walk in public again? How could she look him in the eye and say, “I’m all yours”? The questions seemed to build up the more she thought about it. One minute she was happily waiting for her husband the next she was on the floor wanting to kill herself.
April took one last look around the house. She began to say her goodbyes. First, to the kitchen where she cooked him meals; Then, to the table, where they ate them; Next, to the sofa, where they cuddled up after a long day. Finally, to the bedroom where she slept in peace knowing he was always there for her.
She knocked down the chair and everything went white.
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