to be a cracker of a day,” said Karl, buttering toast for breakfast the next morning, while glancing out the window at the early morning sun licking over the grey city centre rooftops.
“Yes,” agreed Naomi, looking up from the magazine in her hands. “They said all this week should be good.”
“One or two slices?”
“One, please.” From the magazine, Naomi removed an envelope. “I’ve something to ask you, Karl, but first you must promise not to be mad.”
“Too late. I already am mad. You know by now that I make the Hatter look sane,” said Karl, his lips smiling but his eyes the opposite as they settled on the envelope. “
Hmm
. That looks vaguely familiar.”
“I … this morning I was going through old magazines to dump and came across this letter in an old shoebox. I opened it by mistake …”
“That pert little nose of yours always grows when you’re fibbing.”
“Well … I sort of let curiosity get the better of me.”
“Remember what happened to Lot’s wife? Go on. Ask what you’re going to ask. Don’t keep me in suspenders.”
“It’s the title deeds to a house. This house, I suppose,” said Naomi, producing an old black and white photo, holding it out for Karl to examine.
“Ten out of ten. Next question, please.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you owned a big house in the country?”
“Technically speaking, it’s my father’s. I have what’s called enduring power of attorney, because my father is incapable by reason of mental disorder of managing and administering his property and affairs. Knowing he’s probably never going to get better, I guess the house is mine. Though I’ll probably never see the inside of that place again.”
“Why do you say that? It really looks the part. I’d love to go and have a look at it,” replied Naomi, smiling. “Our own place in the country. Sounds good to me.”
“It’s where my mother was murdered and I was attacked, left for dead,” said Karl matter-of-factly.
Naomi looked stunned. “Oh my God, Karl … I … I’m so sorry … how could I have been so stupid?” Seconds later, tears were streaming down her face.
Sitting down on the sofa, Karl put his arms around her. “I’ve been trying to persuade Dad into moving out of that care home he’s currently residing in. I was hoping he would move in with us, some time in the future, once we get a bigger place.”
“What … what did he say?”
Karl sighed. “When I visited him last week, he threw a shoe at me, screaming I was a burglar and a murderer. He tried grabbing a pair of scissors while leaping at me, saying he was going to protect his son.”
“Oh my God, Karl.”
“The staff finally managed to sedate him. It was heartbreaking to watch. I feel so guilty about where he is, even though it’s probably the best place he could be, with his mental problems. He was never the same after my mother was murdered. He’s a broken shell of the man I knew when I was growing up, as a kid.”
“My poor Karl,” said Naomi.
“What’s with the tears?” he said, kissing the side of her head.
“I brought back all those bad memories,” she sniffed, wiping her nose and eyes on his shirt. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t bring back anything. They’re always there; always following me, everywhere I go.”
This piece of information only encouraged the tears to come even faster. “Oh, Karl …”
“Stop crying, Naomi. Please … you know I don’t like to see you crying. Come on. Give me a smile,” he soothed.
She attempted one. Failed.
“Call that a smile? Look, perhaps we
can
go. Perhaps there’d be no better way to exorcise my childhood demons than facing them, head on. What do you think?”
“No,” sniffed Naomi, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to torture yourself. I’m going to put the deeds somewhere safe. When you’re ready, we’ll go. But only when you’re ready.”
He kissed her chin. And then her mouth, whispering, “Soon. Soon
“Yes,” agreed Naomi, looking up from the magazine in her hands. “They said all this week should be good.”
“One or two slices?”
“One, please.” From the magazine, Naomi removed an envelope. “I’ve something to ask you, Karl, but first you must promise not to be mad.”
“Too late. I already am mad. You know by now that I make the Hatter look sane,” said Karl, his lips smiling but his eyes the opposite as they settled on the envelope. “
Hmm
. That looks vaguely familiar.”
“I … this morning I was going through old magazines to dump and came across this letter in an old shoebox. I opened it by mistake …”
“That pert little nose of yours always grows when you’re fibbing.”
“Well … I sort of let curiosity get the better of me.”
“Remember what happened to Lot’s wife? Go on. Ask what you’re going to ask. Don’t keep me in suspenders.”
“It’s the title deeds to a house. This house, I suppose,” said Naomi, producing an old black and white photo, holding it out for Karl to examine.
“Ten out of ten. Next question, please.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you owned a big house in the country?”
“Technically speaking, it’s my father’s. I have what’s called enduring power of attorney, because my father is incapable by reason of mental disorder of managing and administering his property and affairs. Knowing he’s probably never going to get better, I guess the house is mine. Though I’ll probably never see the inside of that place again.”
“Why do you say that? It really looks the part. I’d love to go and have a look at it,” replied Naomi, smiling. “Our own place in the country. Sounds good to me.”
“It’s where my mother was murdered and I was attacked, left for dead,” said Karl matter-of-factly.
Naomi looked stunned. “Oh my God, Karl … I … I’m so sorry … how could I have been so stupid?” Seconds later, tears were streaming down her face.
Sitting down on the sofa, Karl put his arms around her. “I’ve been trying to persuade Dad into moving out of that care home he’s currently residing in. I was hoping he would move in with us, some time in the future, once we get a bigger place.”
“What … what did he say?”
Karl sighed. “When I visited him last week, he threw a shoe at me, screaming I was a burglar and a murderer. He tried grabbing a pair of scissors while leaping at me, saying he was going to protect his son.”
“Oh my God, Karl.”
“The staff finally managed to sedate him. It was heartbreaking to watch. I feel so guilty about where he is, even though it’s probably the best place he could be, with his mental problems. He was never the same after my mother was murdered. He’s a broken shell of the man I knew when I was growing up, as a kid.”
“My poor Karl,” said Naomi.
“What’s with the tears?” he said, kissing the side of her head.
“I brought back all those bad memories,” she sniffed, wiping her nose and eyes on his shirt. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t bring back anything. They’re always there; always following me, everywhere I go.”
This piece of information only encouraged the tears to come even faster. “Oh, Karl …”
“Stop crying, Naomi. Please … you know I don’t like to see you crying. Come on. Give me a smile,” he soothed.
She attempted one. Failed.
“Call that a smile? Look, perhaps we
can
go. Perhaps there’d be no better way to exorcise my childhood demons than facing them, head on. What do you think?”
“No,” sniffed Naomi, shaking her head. “I don’t want you to torture yourself. I’m going to put the deeds somewhere safe. When you’re ready, we’ll go. But only when you’re ready.”
He kissed her chin. And then her mouth, whispering, “Soon. Soon
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