Brad drove up to the house and parked in front of the entrance, he looked over at Anna, “don’t worry am just gonna pick something up before we go, you don’t have to come inside,” he opened the door, “besides Mara hasn’t come home for four days now, I’ll probably be hearing from her lawyer.”
“I didn’t say anything Brad, just go get what you came for,” Anna replied and turned to look out the window.
Brad sighed, “you’ve been sulking since that stupid fight with Derek, you said yourself that you didn’t think he was the guy for you, now you’re acting as though your life is over.”
Anna looked over at him sharply, “well it’s not, I’m fine Brad and you need to stop bringing up Derek.”
He snorted, “how am I supposed to stop bringing him up, the idea of him hovers above us wherever we go. He’s all you talk about, I’m taking you to a festival he promised to bring you for heaven’s sake.”
“For heaven’s sake? Or your sake?”
Brad frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just go get your stuff and let’s go,” she prompted.
“No, I want to know what you mean by that,” he persisted, his right leg still outside the vehicle.”
“Forget it Brad,” she said, folding her arms across her chest and turning to look out the window again.
Brad swore under his breath and climbed out of the vehicle, closing the door behind him angrily. He stomped up the steps to the house and after fumbling with the lock for a while, entered the house, leaving the door open behind him.
Once he was gone, Anna climbed out of the car and walked to the edge of the driveway, there was a neat stone path along the evenly cut lawn leading to what looked like a green house at the far side of the lawn. Without thinking she headed toward it, her arms still wrapped around her protectively. She was still upset with the way she and Derek had parted, she couldn’t believe that what had started with so much promise could end so dreadfully, now that she thought about it, maybe there wasn’t that much promise anyway, their first meeting did end in words of fury, why shouldn’t their last. Was that really the last time she would see him? She hoped not, she would so love to see him again before she left, even if it was for a little while.
As she entered the house of glass, a gust of sweet evening breeze greeted her from the open roof. Anna sighed contentedly as she beheld God’s glory in his creations, and suddenly she didn’t feel so rotten any more. She had always acknowledged signs of God’s existence and power, she knew he was creative and a perfectionist but it was only later that she experienced his love and forgiveness.
She remembered the first time she’d fallen in love with the delicate beauty of flowers. It was a couple days after she’d found out she was pregnant, when she’d found out that a group of boys were looking for Brad, everyone knew them, and she wasn’t stupid she knew that his life was in danger. It was during that time that she realized how everything was falling apart, how she wasn’t just losing control of her life, but she was also losing the man she loved. Everything was weighing down on her then; the pregnancy, Brad’s life, the church – since her mother’s death they’d been looking after her like their own, and though it was thoughtful and much appreciated it was stifling to have every member of your congregation involved in your life. Anna had dreaded the day when they would find out, and she had become so overwhelmed with her fears of the future that she’d thrown herself to the ground and cried and begged God to forgive her and give her the strength to face the consequences of her own failure.
She’d stayed there for a while, her tiny frame being wracked with remorseful sobs, just lying in the grass behind her church. Then something strange happened and she’d never been quite able to explain it, she fell asleep and when she woke up she was greeted with the most relaxing smell, around her were blooming hibiscus, red roses and buttercup trees. She’d gotten up and walked back home, that night she courageously told her brother about her situation and went on to tell her pastor and soon her church, and most surprising of all she’d managed to let Brad go. Somehow she just knew that she was receiving the bounty of answered prayers, and she was soon able to mark that time of her life as a time of failure and trials and find her way back to God – her mother did warn her that being a Christian wasn’t a bed of roses, and she was right, the beauty was in its triumph, which was sweet as a blossoming field of flowers.
She thoughtfully caressed a pink rose which hung over the side of a pot and she sighed, here she was again, this was another trial she had to overcome, she knew they didn’t stop coming, but she knew that she couldn’t allow herself to fail again, she was too far ahead in the race to fall down now.
“God, I’ve come to realize that I have no idea what am doing, and as always I forget and try to figure it out on my own. But I need you, as I’ve always needed you, help me to make the right choices here, help me to not just overcome but to help others overcome as well. Lord you have promised to turn the darkness into light, to make the rough place smooth and to never forsake me, and I believe you, just ‘cause I know you never lie. Give me victory over my fears, Father.”
She opened her eyes and exhaled deeply, and that’s when she noticed from the corner of her eye a figure standing near the entrance. She turned to find Brad looking at her with an odd expression, his hand shoved deep in his jacket pocket.
“I hope am not interrupting,” he said uneasily.
“Uh… no… what are you doing here?”
Brad lifted an eyebrow, “I should ask you the same question.”
“Oh I’m so sorry, I just kind of drifted here,” she replied growing more and more flustered.
“It’s alright Anna,” he chuckled, “you ready to go?”
Suddenly there was a low rumble above them and they looked up simultaneously at the now dark sky; terrifyingly heavy clouds had masked the sky boldly and were rumbling as though demanding their attention. They both gapped at the darkened sky, surprised at its suddenness.
“That’s gonna be a huge one,” Brad said.
A sudden shower burst from the pregnant clouds and Anna squealed with surprise. Brad ducked and grabbed her arm.
“Let’s get inside!” he commanded.
Anna yanked her arm from his, “wait, that’s way too heavy for these flowers, we’ve got to close the roof.”
Brad stared at her in disbelief, “the gardener will do it,” he said finally, “let’s go.”
Anna turned and went to untie the rope holding the roof up, “we’re here, we can do it.”
Brad rolled his eyes, both of them were now quite wet, “yeah sure,” he mumbled, “let’s save the flowers doesn’t matter if we get a cold.”
When they finally rushed into the house, they were thoroughly soaked, but bright with laughter. Brad removed his coat and shook it out, “you’re crazy you know that, you’re the crazy bird lady’s sister; the whacky flower lady,” he teased.
Anna laughed, pulling up her hair and wringing it into a tight bun, “and you’re the brother of the … uh angry dude that hates birds.”
Brad howled, “you suck, after spending all this time with Derek you’d think you would learn something or two.”
Anna struck him playfully, “whatever. Where’s your bathroom?”
“Oh, use mine; everywhere else is out of supplies. Up the stairs, double door on your right, you can borrow a bathrobe.”
“Thanks,” and she dashed up the stairs, only to pause and turn back to look him with a wide grin “I’m sorry I made us mess up your carpet!” she called back.
Brad chuckled, “That’s alright.”
When Anna returned she was clad in one of Mara’s old white robes, her clothes bundled together in her hand. Brad turned around from the counter where he was making some coffee and looked at her with a smile that quickly faded into discomfort. It made him feel guilty seeing her standing there in Mara’s robe, but he didn’t understand why, it wasn’t as though he was doing anything wrong; they
were wet and they needed to shelter and change.
“Uh… where’d you get that?” he asked, turning around so she would not notice his sudden discomfort.
Anna smiled, “in your linen closet, you told me I could.”
Brad nodded but didn’t turn around, “yeah okay,” he mumbled.
She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, “do you want me to put it back?” she asked carefully.
Brad turned around suddenly, a smile pasted on his face, “what? No. It’s okay, Mara hasn’t worn that in years.”
Anna gasped, “oh, Brad am so sorry, I’ll put it back.”
“No it’s fine, please don’t worry about it, here let me take that,” he said, reaching for the wet bundle in her hand.
She drew it away from him, “no it’s fine; I’ll do it. I can do yours if you like.”
He hesitated, looking down at her through narrowed eyes, “why are you always shying away from me?”
Anna frowned, “I do not,” she objected.
“Yeah you do.”
“Yeah well… that’s only when I don’t want to do, what you want to do,” she replied.
“But you never want to do what I want to do,” he whined.
Anna smiled, “there’s nothing wrong with that, where’s the laundry room?”
Looking forlorn, Brad gestured in the direction of the living room, “you’ll see it,” he said.
“And another thing Raj, I uh… don’t drink coffee,” she said motioning to the two cups on the counter.
“What? Since when?” he asked wide eyed.
“Since ever.”
The weather only got worse that evening, as it turned out they’d been trapped by a thunder storm resulting from a minor hurricane on the coast. Darkness fell fast and it didn’t take them long to realize that they would be trapped there for the night, with little supplies and after six thirty; no electricity.
Brad and Anna crashed in the living room, bundled in blankets drinking green tea and coffee, with mixed nuts and apples.
“I have a generator,” he said, chomping on apple slices as he shook the nuts in his hand.
Anna brightened up, “great! Let’s put it on, it’s freezing in here,” she was already rising to go.
Brad didn’t move, “but I uh… don’t know where it is.”
She looked down at him with an unbelieving frown, “you’re kidding right?”
He shook his head and tossed the handful of nuts into his mouth, then looked up at her as he chewed them loudly.
Anna sat back down and folded her feet underneath her, “how can you have a generator and not know where it is? No wonder your wife hired a hit man,” she said in annoyance.
Brad stopped chewing and glared at her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She looked up at him, “just what it sounds like it means. If you’re this unconcerned about little things like what goes on around the house, how can I expect you to pay attention to important things like the little things that goes on in your marriage.”
“Are you saying that this is my fault?” he flared.
Anna lifted both hands toward him in a calming gesture, “just hear me out for a minute, think about your marriage before all this killing and lying ideas came in. A person’s marriage doesn’t just fall apart suddenly, it starts with something.”
Brad continued to stare daggers at her, his nostrils flared with anger, looking like the very epitome of rage in the pale light of the battery powered lantern.
“Come on Brad, I need your co-operation, I’m not trying to make you angry. Just try to remember.”
He inhaled sharply and looked away, shaking his head obstinately, “you don’t know anything about marriage, don’t try to lecture me,” he said coldly.
Anna leaned back against the couch and folded her arms against her chest, “you’re right, I don’t. All I’m good at it seems is having a child at seventeen with no father, no friends, no support, all I’m good at is watching everyone around me move on, get married, live happy for a couple years. I’ve seen marriages fall apart and have people turn on me with distaste and the same amount of animosity you’re aiming at me right now, like I could have somehow foreseen it’s down fall…”
“Anna what the hell are you talking about? Whose fault was it that your child didn’t have her father around, it was you, you sent me away.”
“You shut up, I knew this day would come, I just didn’t know you’d be such a selfish, snob. It was your fault Brad, or don’t you remember, don’t you remember promising me you would stop? Don’t you remember standing me up that day to go hang out with your friends? I was going to tell you but then I waited and waited and I didn’t see you, and when I saw my brother rushing out the house, ‘cause Mr. Moren’s house was on fire and they saw some boys running from it, I knew it was you, I knew you stood me up to go have fun with the guys and that didn’t cut it for me. I couldn’t have a mischievous deadbeat with no goals in life as my child’s father but I wasn’t going to have a prisoner either, so I did what I had to do,” by now the tears were brimming and her voice had become husky with emotion, her face contorted into distaste at the bitter memory of their parting.
“So don’t you sit there, feeling all high and mighty in your grand empty house, with your grand unused furniture and put your failings on me. If it wasn’t for me you’d probably be playing dominoes with the inmates right now.”
She got up just as a flash of lightening lit up the room, illuminating her tear stained face, “you’ve got some issues Anna,” Brad said, not daring to look at her.
Anna scoffed, “no Brad, you’re the one that doesn’t know what he wants, you’re the one that can’t face the consequences of your actions, you’re the one that doesn’t know where your generator is, neither your wife,” and with that she disappeared quietly into the dark of the room.
Derek marched up the driveway, the spiky haired teenager hurrying after him, it was the morning after the storm and the air was pure from a night of tormenting purification. The blue blanket hovering above them, there was no sign of a dark cloud, or a trace of what had occurred last night, the sun shone brightly with a passion, like an insulted man given a chance to demonstrate his prowess once more. Below the beautiful restored sky, however was a state of discord; leaves from the stripped trees and debris carried by the travelling breeze littered the road and the yards, people were now swarming out of their houses like land crabs after rain.
Derek stood up at the foot of the steps with his arms perched on his waist as he perused the damage. The house appeared unharmed but the delicate flowers and shrubs surrounding the yard looked as though they’d been mauled. He kicked a rotten branch from the foot of the steps and turned around again, this time he winced when he noticed what was left of the green house. There was nothing left standing, the glass walls lay in splinters on the grass. He started to make his way toward it, thinking of how he’d asked Brad if he could put it up for him, only to be turned down so he could hire this other guy to do it. Derek had thought he was a flaky guy, he had no personality and apparently so did his work.
“Mr. Reed!” the teenage boy with the yellow spikes for hair called out after him.
He turned around, “what Yugioh?” he asked in annoyance, he didn’t really know the boy’s name but that seemed suitable enough.
The boy gestured to his side bag and spread his arms questioningly.
“I brought you here didn’t I, just ring the door bell, if he’s in he’ll answer,” and he turned back toward the shattered green house.
However, before the boy could ring the door bell, it was pulled open and Brad stood there looking down at him through narrowed eyes.
“What do you want kid?” he asked grouchily.
“Are you Mr. Brad Mason?”
Brad looked at him, then over his ridiculous spikes at the disaster in his front yard and he sighed, then he turned back to the boy, who was shifting his weight from one leg to the next
impatiently.
“Yeah that’s me,” he replied.
The boy reached into his side bag and withdrew a brown envelope, “great, I have a package for you.”
Brad took it and turned it over in his hand, there was no address whatsoever, “who sent it?” he asked frowning at the package in his hand.
The boy shrugged and turned to leave.
“Wait a minute, don’t I have to sign something?” he asked.
The boy looked at him with an insulted frown, “I ain’t no mail man,” he said in annoyance, “all I know is some dude paid me to get this delivered directly to you, and he paid me well too.”
Brad looked down at the envelope suspiciously; he hefted it and turned it over, with a suspicious frown. When he looked up again, the boy was already sauntering out the gate, that’s when he noticed a car parked outside that looked like Derek’s.
“Isn’t that Derek’s car?” he asked.
Anna appeared beside him, “Oh my! Yes it is. Is he here?” she stepped down onto the front porch and looked about the yard.
Brad followed her pulling the door behind him, still preoccupied with his confusion over the package in his hand.
“Don’t you think that would be a little weird, considering he’s not speaking with either of us,” he said as he unsealed the envelope.
Anna glanced over her shoulder at him, “Derek not like that, his feelings were hurt, but he still cares. He probably heard you got touched by the storm and came up to see if you were okay,” she said.
“There he is!” she announced excitedly.
Derek was walking along the side of the house, when he noticed her, his frown shifted into a look of surprise and just as quickly his face darkened with anger.
“What are you doing here?” he asked grumpily.
Anna smiled, “Good morning Derek. We got caught in the storm,” she replied pleasantly despite his curt greeting and her gaze fell on the flower pot he held in his hand, with a thin stemmed flower bent over the rim, it’s pink petals drooping to fall.
“Where’d you get that?” she asked gesturing to the potted plant.
Derek hesitated, caught between giving a civil response and maintaining his angry composure; he looked up at her and sighed.
“From the green house, it’s the only one I found that looked like it still has some life,” he replied begrudgingly.
Anna looked at him with an odd smile; that made him more uncomfortable than anything.
“Can I see it?” she asked.
He handed her the plant and looked away, knowing the power her smile and gentle gaze had over him. Yet when he tried to steal a look at her, he found her watching him, with that captivating smile of hers.
“It’ll be fine,” she said.
He nodded and pursed his lips, already held captive by her gaze. They both seemed unaware of Brad’s presence, as they held each other in mutual silent captivity, but Brad was too taken up with the envelope to notice, too troubled by its contents to care.
“Oh my God!” he cried suddenly, his face had grown terrifyingly ashen.
They both looked at him quizzically, “what’s wrong?” Anna asked.
Brad looked up at them, “It’s Mara,” he said, “she’s been kidnapped.”