chapter 10 (Reflection)
1870 Words
I sat in my office hearing to my friend Jim mumbled about all that was happening in my company, how newer and richer clients were signing up and wanting to buy property that we were selling .But I don’t think that I was actually listening at all. Once upon a time I liked hearing things like this, how I finally got rid of environmentalists who were against me building a parking space right in the center of a protected land or how I finally convinced some poor person to sell of their home for a few measly dollars so that I could have my way. Coming to think of it all I actually felt bad
Could all this happening to me truly be nothing other than karma?
The same thought kept running through my head and more guilt kept stabbing me in the guts, leaving me feeling sick and empty.
“Max!”
My friend Jim nearly yelling at me got me to step out of my misery for a while, as I watched him wave his hands in front of my face.
“Where were you Max? I thought I almost lost you there buddy”
I couldn’t help but stare right back at him. Here he was my childhood friend, I trusted him more than I trusted my wife I must say but could I really confide in him?
“Jim, do you believe in Karma?”
I got him, I clearly did because he stopped smiling for a bit and just like a switch his facial expression changed to serious. He positioned himself on his chair so that his body was right in line with mine.
Oh how I wish I could do that.
I didn’t understand where that thought had come from, perhaps I was just jealous of him, having the ability to turn when all I could do was turn my head and move my fingers and on my good days my hand might even show off and decide to move a bit.
“Why are you asking me this?”
“I don’t know, it’s just a thought that has been running through my mind lately”
I stared at him straight in his face and patiently awaiting his answer. He went from serious to calm, that’s how we business men worked. Never allow the client see and traces of anything written on your face.
“Well Max karma is for the poor, I mean that’s what I know. Think about they use it to justify the fact that they can’t be winners like us, they don’t know how to cut corners like we do— they cannot admit that they are failures at business”
Years ago before the accident I would have agreed with him, I was him wasn’t I? I thought that my stealing and the lower ranking business men stealing was different. I considered there stealing a crime and mine was simply just business.
I watched Jim stand up from his chair and tidy himself up and I envied him a bit, look how he was standing up all by himself and I had to depend on Anastasia. Anastasia the thought of her name sent a chilling feelings to the parts that I could feel.
“Max I’m sorry I have to leave you know, you know I have to get back to the office and deal with matters of importance”
“Sure”
I knew what he meant because I was the very same man a few years ago, chasing that dollar bills no matter what. I watched as my best friend made his way towards my exit door and I simply just had to ask him.
“Jim one more thing”
“Sure buddy”
“Do you believe that a married couple can fall out of love with one another after years of marriage?”
“Um—well yes it does happen I mean you know how Jenifer and I ended—”
“Jim please I’m not talking about Jenifer and yourself”
“Are you and Lisa getting divorced?”
“No we’re not getting divorced. Never mind it was just a silly question after all. Have a great day at work”
Jim nodded at me and walked out of my office and for the rest of the time I was sitting there I had to decide if I needed Anastasia’s help. The kiss, well the second kiss on my birthday really ruined thing for the both off us.
She wasn’t opening up to me anymore, she no longer asked me questions that otherwise once used to irritate me. She acted all robotic, just did her job and she exited.
“Anastasia!”
And before I could call her again, she came rushing into my office as if someone was after her, panting loudly an if I was honest, I think that was sweat running down her brow.
“Oh goodness, you’re okay!”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“It’s just… nothing never mind really”
“No I want to hear it really, you started you might as well continue with what you were going to say”
She walked away from the door frame and made herself towards me but she stood a close distance away from me, as if she was afraid that I might reach her.
“Well Mr Jim left like fifteen minutes ago and when you finally called I thought that your chair fell over or you might have hurt yourself”
If it were anyone else I might have been mad that thought me to be nothing but a vegetable that needed help to do everything, but this was Anastasia and I knew that her intentions were all good.
“Well it’s good that someone here cares about me. I need you to help me do something”
“Yes sir what is it that you want me to do”
Kiss me
As soon as that thought left my mind I knew that I had to reel it back immediately.
“I need you to ask Maria to make me a picnic basket and I need you to get my van ready”
She stared at me with a confused look on her face as I if I was chewing on an octopus.
“I’m sorry sir but what?”
“You heard me the first time didn’t you?”
“Yes I did sir but”
“No butts Anastasia I really need to get out of this house before I lose my mind and you know what when I lose my mind, I tend to became—"
“Okay—that’s a little more than I expected thank you very much”
**
I in my wheelchair that overlooked the beach. Even though my body numb I was still happy that I could feel the breeze on my face. I tried to focus only on the waves smacking itself in all direction but I still couldn’t because my distraction was standing beside me.
I didn’t have to move my head to the side to see her, because her presence was felt whenever she was around me. I also knew that she too was staring at the distance, just looking ahead at the sunset.
“So why did you bring me here Mr Richfield? To your palace on the beach”
She was right, I had her drive me one hour away to the beach in my own private beach house away from prying eyes. The reason I brought this house way because I needed privacy, I never even brought Lisa to this house—yet Anastasia's is here besides me.
“I’ve had enough of the sun, I think we need to go inside”
Before she could protest, I wheeled myself away from her and onto the trail way leading to my house. I didn’t want her stopping me at all. Inside the house we both at in utter silence, the picnic basket Maria had prepared still stood on the kitchen table untouched.
“Do you want me to feed you?”
Great the first thing since we entered the house teen minuet ago is a question on whether I want to be fed or not. Without waiting for my reply she stood up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen table, taking out its contents and placing it onto the table.
“I’m not even hungry Anastasia”
I said to her, rolling my eyes not understanding why it took so much for Anastasia to connect the dots… or maybe she didn’t connect the dots.
“Anastasia we need to talk”
“Do you want a ham sandwich or a—”
The rest of the sentence just turned into a blur as I realised that she was avoiding what happened between us or was I the only one between the two of us who was immune too this attraction.
“Anastasia!”
I yelled at her and she stopped everything that she was doing and for that moment it felt as if everything stopped, feels like she had the same effect on time as she had on me. The moment she turned and faced me broke me, because she was crying.
“Do you know how it feels to look at her eyes and lie to her?”
I wasn’t sure what she was saying so I just stared right back and her because I also was unable to comfort her.
“Do you know!?”
“Anastasia I don’t think I know what you’re talking about?”
“Max your wife thinks you’re cheating on her with another women”
“How do you know that?”
“Because she asked me who the woman was. Let me tell you how guilty I felt knowing that she trusts me and I’m walking around her house and kissing her husband!”
“Anastasia we’re not having an—”
“Affair? Oh no we’re not we’re just walking around the house kissing one another for almost two months now!”
I couldn’t respond to her because I knew that she was right, this had to end one way or another. Anastasia's bend over the kitchen counter crying her eyes out, I motioned my wheelchair towards her and she looked at me dead in the eyes, her eyes were blood shoot red and a pool of sweat fell from her brows.
“You’re right we need to stop this now. It’s unfair to my wife and it’s definitely unfair towards… the both of us. Although I need you to do me one favour, please”.
- Writer
