Chapter Fifteen: Divorce

"Please tell me you're not about to break my heart" she pleaded. He was in a different universe, oblivious to the fact that there was life happening around him. She knelt down, shook him out of his distant mind syndrome and brought parts of him back to her. She looked at him with earnest, longing eyes. All she needed was words. But he was keeping his words locked up in his heart. Hands on the wheels, he rolled away from Cindy towards the bedroom. She fell to the floor, seemingly devastated. Many would say he was just going through a phase and Cindy had no cause for alarm. But whenever the sight of rejection appeared before her eyes, it came with memories of a destructive nature. As the wheelchair rolled away, she recalled all the misfortune that had plagued her life. It was perhaps, her most consistent adventure, but grim and excruciating was the journey. Never ending too.

In the bedroom, Jake closed the door and against it leaned as he endeavored to collect the chaotic thoughts that raced in his head. He felt a slight headache approaching. This was a mess he had to clean up. From his trousers pocket, he summoned his mobile phone and lingered. He knew what he wanted to do, what he had to do. But the courage was lacking. From his other trousers pocket, he pulled out the reason for his conflict, the tiny metal bird. So small an object yet so big an impact. For the first time in many months, Elizabeth mattered. The devil's apprentice was in the company of light, bright shining light. He took a deep breath and dialed Elizabeth's number.

Cindy was distraught, mad. But what angered her most was that she really didn't know why she was mad. He had been tightfisted with answers to her questions and her mind had run riot, looting every reason that uncommonness of sense possessed and attaching it to her questions. Her thoughts, devilishly, poking her to anger. Men were once again growing tails and fur, next thing their words would turn to barks. But in the midst of all this mental commotion, she had found a quiet spot inside her head and asked reason for a clear answer. Reason told her not to get worked up over what might not be. So to escape from all this, she was going to immerse herself in work. In his short hiatus, she would clean the living room and the kitchen, cook too. For they say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Jake wondered whether he made the right decision. He looked at his phone for a while, then snapped out of it. He had set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the shattering of a heart. A heart he had longed to protect and cherish. Now there was no turning back. He had to be true to himself. He thought of going outside but knew an in-depth inquest awaited on the other side of the wooden door. An inquest he could not avoid, all he could do was postpone. He dared not further disturb the waters. He just sank into the back of the wheelchair and closed his eyes. In approximately half an hour or so, hell would break loose.

She lost track of time and real life events as she cleaned the apartment and softly hummed a mournful tune. It had been Jake and Elizabeth's fault that she was in this position but as much as she wanted to mentally chastise them, her ghost was proving all too powerful. The thought that her mother was dead because of her ignorance and that the incident made her a murderer threatened to rip out the calm that industry was giving her. She wasn't doing too well especially considering that once the place was clean she would have to wait for it to become dirty again. What would she do then when she would have time in abundance? Time to think and evaluate the ground she stood on which in this moment was as brittle as eggshells and hungry as quicksand. As she dusted her last pieces of furniture, there was a knock on the door. At the selfsame time, Jake emerged from the bedroom.

"I'll get that" he shouted as he sped to the door. Cindy's curiosity shot up to the roof and the worst of her predictions were confirmed when on the other side she saw Elizabeth standing. Barely an hour and half since she had appeared and dug a canal between her and her man, now she was back again. And it appeared Jake was privy to this visit yet he didn't say. She felt justified to fear the worst, and so she did. There was no way she was going to stick around for this. No, not this time. She got up, grabbed her jacket and headed for the door where Elizabeth still awaited an invite into the apartment. "I see you two have a lot to talk about. Let me give you space". As she was about to go past Jake, he took her hand. Cindy attempted to wriggle free but with each addition of effort, he tightened his grip. He wasn't letting her go. "Please stay" he urged with heavy, sad eyes.

Cindy came and settled opposite Elizabeth, but most importantly, closer to Jake. Maybe this was the last time she was going to be his. "I might as well make use of this opportunity" she thought to herself. "Why did you call me here Jacob?" Elizabeth asked. "Blunt and straight to the point I see" Jake responded. "I don't see the point in small talk" Elizabeth replied. Cindy was the designated onlooker. All she could do was suggest opinions to her inquisitive mind. The first bits of exchanges were positive for her. If the pair continued like this, her interests would be best served. The next set of events however weren't particularly friendly towards her. Attentive as an eagle stalking prey from up high, she saw as Jake reached for his pocket and took out Elizabeth's piece of jewelry. He looked at it for a while and her heart collapsed as she saw a tear develop in his eyes, drop to the edge of his chin, and eventually be wiped off by a heavily conflicted Jake. She felt she was losing him.

"I do remember when I gave you this. And I remember all the promises Elizabeth. You were really bright, and smart back then. You cared for me so much" Jake uttered. "I still do Jake" she replied in resonant tone. Cindy's heart was on the edge. "My forever dove. Eternity wouldn't be enough. I remember all of that. You were my everything, and I loved you so very much. You still are a very beautiful and bright woman capable of brightening any man's world. I shouldn't have deserted you the way I did. All this time I was bitter at you over what you did but I literally pushed you inside his arms. I am sorry Elizabeth" he added. Cindy was trying to be strong but her resistance to giving in was weakening with every moment that was elapsing. "I am sorry too for what I did, I never should have cheated on you. You were lost, devastated and rightly so. I should have come looking for you. But I gave up, and for that I am really, really sorry" she supplicated. They were having a moment. A moment in which Cindy was completely irrelevant. "I left you, yet I said I would love you beyond your mistakes. I shouldn't have left" he went on. Cindy, wide eyed, looked at him face preaching the gospel of disbelief. Were these words coming from his mouth? Yes they were. She had heard enough when she heard him say "I wish we can remain friends. I don't want to fight anymore. This one…" he said turning to Cindy, "…is the one. She has always been from the past. She just got away from me, but miraculously she came back". He turned back and looked at Elizabeth and as if apologetically whispered "I think we should get a divorce".