Matt had been surfing the TV since the last 2 hours. He was back home early, thinking he’d take Hailey out for dinner at their favourite restaurant. The last few months had been crazy since they moved into this new apartment. Little did he know that he was in for a surprise! There was a sticky note on the key holder.
“OUT WITH MY GALS. WILL BE LATE.
– XOXO Hailey”
He tried calling her cell phone at least 20 times since then. It was switched off. Just then the door bell rang. It was the mailman.
“There’s a package for Miss Hailey.”
“Unfortunately, she’s not home, and won’t be until late. Can I receive it?”
“Sure. Please sign here.” He handed the package to Matt and left.
It was from the International Charity Organisation Rehab Centre. Weird. Why would someone send Hailey something from the Rehab?
Normally he’d not be snooping in on her packages or letters, but he was overwhelmed with curiosity.
He opened it.
It was a book ‘Where the sidewalks end’ by Shel Silverstein and an envelope. Maybe there’s a lot to know about her yet. He took the envelope that read :
AS PER THE LAST WISH OF OUR LATE PATIENT
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Dear Hailey,
If you are reading this then know I’m long gone. Rest assured, I’ve not been stalking you or anything. Thanks to social networking we can always look up old friends. Guess it’s OK to call us friends, or maybe not. I do not know if you have even opened this or its in the garbage, yet I would take a chance.
Last 6 years have been hell. I know it was probably worse for you. But this was best for the both of us. I had tested HIV positive. Not coz I was seeing some crack wasted slut, OK? You remember the bike accident right? The night we fought, I left in a hurry and ended up in the makeshift hospital downtown. Damn, I wish we didn’t.
Anyway, it was due to some used needle that bore the virus. Twelve weeks later after regular bouts of symptoms, I took the blood test. Good that we hardly spoke in between.
Sweetheart I’m sure you are happy with someone right now and have probably thrown me out of your memories. Still, you deserve to know the truth and with me gone it will not affect your present relationship, god knows I’d never want that.
I know I had never made efforts to make you feel special, throughout the years of our relationship. Probably that is why I deserve all this. But my love was always true. You were and will always be my one and only.
I Love you!
Scott
P.S : it is only you I can trust my treasures with.
He opened the book. It had a birthday collage made out of magazine cut-outs and Hailey’s handwriting at one section.
Matt wasn’t sure if he should discuss this with his partner or just let the bygones be bygones. After all these years how would it impact her? What if it did and she decided to call quits. He couldn’t afford that. No way!
His phone rang. It was Hailey.
“Hey, Munchkin! I’m so sorry I had to leave like that. Becky is in town for the night and she’s catching a flight to Dubai, early morning tomorrow. She’ll be gone for I don’t know how long. It’s been ages since we had seen each other. Baby, would you manage for the night, I’d see her off then? I’ll make it up for you I promise!” she sounded excited, happy and sad all at the same time.
Maybe this is it, a sign to take the right decision.
“It’s OK hon. You see her off. I’ll order dinner for myself. Have fun and be safe, see ya tomorrow morning. I love you!” he replied.
“You’re the best Darlin’ Love you. Bye”
Early morning the next day Matt visited the Secondhand bookstore and deposited the book as an anonymous donor. He discarded the letter with the envelope and the package on his way back home.
Reblogged this on Postcard from a Pigeon and commented:
The Cliffhanger Chronicle’s spin on the message in the book
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Beautifully written.
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Thank you so much! I’m glad you took time to read it. It is actually an addendum to a trail of ideas from here. Please share one if you would! Not a mandate. π
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Great twist to it all, obviously he has a few issues of his own, trust being the most obvious. Awesomely done, the inner workings of the mind revealed π
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Thank you! Exactly my point, I’m glad I was able to portray it correctly.π
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You did a great job, I really felt a dislike towards him, people like that truly annoy me π
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Well I really have a bitter sweet feeling for this Matt guy. It was his love against Scott’s, who was not even there anymore. Yet the truth was strong enough to make him consider the possibility of losing Hailey.
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Maybe the relationship was crumbling, the move was not going as well as he had hoped, his insistent calls, his worry, all starting to grow into something fucked up, where before he had shielded her from it all. And now the package came, and he, inside himself, confronted the truth, and attempted to delay the inevitable by ditching the book. You could even start to tell the story from her side, as she sits in a coffee shop, alone, her eyes all puffy and red, from all the crying she had done, looking out the window, across the street, towards their apartment. Her phone sits in front of her, with the message from an old friend open, telling her Scott has died….
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Wow this really makes me think what if it was not the girls gang she was with after all… It was just a lie that she told Matt to avoid any questions. Hmmm…
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She too feels the problems, too afraid, knowing, gripping, trying, but seeing Matt isn’t who she needed him to be.
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An unexpected take, beautiful. Thank you.
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Thank you for reading me… I’m glad you liked it π
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What a great story! I do not like Matt. Decides to open her mail and then destroy or get rid of the contents – definitely an untrusting insecure person with a few problems of his own. :0)
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Thank you for visiting my blog and i’m glad you liked it. Yeah Matt is insecure probably coz he knows of his shortcomings in the relationship!
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I agree. it’s the audacity of him opening her post in the first place and then taking it on himself in an ‘I know what’s best for her’ (but it’s more ‘I know what’s best for me’) stance he destroys the evidence! Had a bit of a fume for a few seconds over that Hahahaha!
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