SHORT WALKS
Volume II
The
second intriguing journey of discovery, loss, love and
sacrifice
through a collection of short stories.
Graham Murray
SMASHWORDS EDITION, License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be re-sold or given away. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each intended recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of the author.
This book is a work of fiction unless otherwise stated. The characters, incidents and dialog were drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SHORT WALKS, Volume II.
Copyright 2011 by Graham Murray
All rights reserved.
Cover photograph by Graham Murray
Cover design by Graham & Kinsley Murray
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.
* * *
Other publications by Graham Murray:
Short Walks, Volume I - ISBN 978-1453883761
Short Walks, Volume II - ISBN 978-1456308551
Briefly: Collector's Edition - ISBN 978-0615476483
The Guardians of Azurin – ISBN 9780615480411
For Kinsley: always my inspiration.
As with SHORT WALKS, Volume I, I once again hope that some of the concepts and messages in the stories of this book afford hope, solace and encouragement to those who may have suffered unimaginable personal loss in their lives, and have endured. These short stories were written with you in mind and were conceived whilst I attempted to imagine such unthinkable circumstances. Some of these stories are based on my own, personal experiences and every one of them contains an element of truth, however much artistic license I may have employed in their telling and fabrication.
MISSING MELODY
adapted from the novella
‘Calypso Wishes’
In the master bedroom, Robert Preston was running late. So, instead of the usual double Windsor, he tied a simple schoolboy knot in his necktie and then examined his handiwork in the mirror.
That will do, he thought as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the stairs. On the way out, he picked up the small, framed photograph of his daughter on the nightstand and kissed her picture.
The smell of toast rising from the kitchen made his mouth water as he bounded down the stairs, two at a time. Today would be hectic. He had to be downtown in thirty minutes.
“Where’s my pretty girl, then?” he said, sliding into view on the kitchen’s wood floor. Stocking-clad feet on polished wood floors were better than skates for sliding. Wendy, his wife, who was busy at the stove, looked up and laughed.
Melody, their eighteen-month old daughter, watched Robert and squealed with delight, her blue eyes lighting up. She shook her arms at her father, wanting him to pick her up. Melody loved playing this silly morning game and particularly liked the way her father slid into view across the floor each morning to surprise her.
Cereal already covered Melody’s face and her straight blonde hair had been milked down in several places. Although her hair was still sparse, it would no doubt soon grow into beautiful golden strands, just like her mother’s hair.
“There she is!” said Robert in a Peek-A-Boo voice as he leaned over the high chair to kiss his daughter’s head. As he stood up, an expertly flicked spoon propelled a blob of porridge down the front of his shirt.
“Oh no!” laughed Wendy, holding a hand to her mouth. “That will have to go in the wash. I have a clean shirt in the laundry room. Quick, take it off. You’re already late! We can’t keep the world waiting now, can we?” She smiled as she held out her hand.
Melody thought this was hilarious and flung a few more spoonfuls for good measure. They mostly landed harmlessly on the floor but Busby, the family dog, who was not quick enough off the mark, took a direct hit and scampered to the safety of her box.
While Wendy was in the laundry room, Robert helped himself to some toast, which he gulped down between mouthfuls of black coffee. He unbuckled Melody from her highchair and lifted her up. As she put her arms around her father’s neck and patted his shoulder, she said her new word, “Ahh!”
She had learned to say this only a few days ago and had already worn off the patina by saying it whenever he picked her up. As far a Robert was concerned, this wonderful bundle of joy could cling to him all day. Since her birth, Melody had become the focus of their lives and they spent as much time with her as possible. She had not just become a part of their lives; she was their lives. Everything they did was with Melody in mind.
As a reasonably successful writer, Robert was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home dad, but this morning he had to go into town to meet with a new publisher who had expressed an interest in his latest manuscript. He expected to be home around four o’ clock.
Wendy had taken the day off to go to the mall with some friends she had not seen in a while. Although Robert was fortunate enough to be at home with his daughter during the day, he wished their budget would allow them to both stay home and enjoy Melody, but their present financial situation would not stretch that far. Robert’s new manuscript looked promising and might prove to be the break they’d been waiting for.
Their neighbor, Chen, arrived for morning coffee as usual and helped Melody to finish her breakfast while her mother dressed for her outing. Wendy would take Melody to the mall with her in a small stroller.
Ten minutes later, Robert was sitting in traffic, seriously pondering buying a bicycle as a quicker mode of transport, though perhaps not for use during the winter months, which lasted almost two thirds of the year in this part of the world.
Although downtown was only a ten mile drive, it took him nearly ninety minutes to arrive, so he was already feeling edgy when he was finally ushered into the publisher’s offices.
After nearly three hours of discussions, negotiations and bartering, they broke for lunch, agreeing to resume proceedings in one hour. The afternoon would be spent exchanging marketing prospects and ideas. Robert had heard it all before from other publishers, but he would have to endure it again as this was a new publisher and he was bound to hear their sales pitch. Besides, he welcomed the break; offices made him feel claustrophobic. He ordered a pastrami sandwich from a nearby delicatessen and sat by the fountain in the park, listening to its soothing sound and thinking about his daughter.
Melody had not been planned. Rather, she had made her presence known when Wendy had visited the family doctor for a routine checkup. A simple blood test had alerted them that they were to become parents. This was to be their first child and an incredibly exciting time, especially as to date, attempts at conception had proven futile. Wendy had been ecstatic; it was her lifelong wish to have a child and she had begun to think that it might never happen.
Their first view of Melody was as a printout from an ultrasound scan that showed an inch-long embryo; an image they would remember for the rest of their lives. That tiny, living worm they stared at was to become their first child. It had seemed impossible that a small wriggling blob no larger than a jellybean would develop into a fully-grown human being. At nineteen weeks gestation, they had learned that Melody was a girl. Up to this point, they had not considered the baby’s gender. It had not seemed important.
During Wendy’s pregnancy, Robert was able to grab Melody’s feet through the skin on her mother’s stomach and tickle them - a source of great delight for them both. Although Wendy had developed gestational diabetes, this was easily controlled with twice-daily injections of insulin. The pregnancy had been as close to perfect as possible, but at times they both thought it might never end.
Melody was almost born on April Fool’s day, but she managed to delay her arrival for one more day and they finally met her a little after noon on April 2. Wendy had endured an almost perfect pregnancy until the final few hours, when Melody had decided to flip over.
After four hours of intensive labor, it was decided that a Cesarean delivery would be best. Robert and Wendy had forbidden doctors to use forceps or suction cups to deliver Melody. Although the staff at the hospital had insisted that such a procedure was ‘normal’ and ‘safe’, records, publications and horror stories in magazines from distressed parents painted an entirely different story.
Melody was the most beautiful thing Robert and Wendy had ever seen. Weighing in at seven pounds and six ounces at birth, she spent the first hour of her life with her father in the nursery while Wendy was made comfortable by the nursing staff.
During that first hour of life, Robert took many photographs and watched in awe as his new daughter cooed and wriggled and held his fingers. From that moment, the bond between parents and child grew stronger by the minute and they relished every second they spent with Melody, often wishing she would wake up from her naps just so they could play with her. Father and daughter bonded tremendously during the first weeks of Wendy’s maternity leave.
All too soon, the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months. Melody was the ideal baby. She rarely cried, was very receptive and slept through the night. She did not go through the usual fits of pique for which babies are notorious. She was also remarkably smart for her age. Even her pediatrician had commented on this. Melody could identify many different animals in books and on the television when she was only nine months old and could mimic most of the sounds the animals made. Ducks were still a bit of a problem, though. As too were frogs. And the giraffe had her stumped for quite a while, as nobody knew what sound a giraffe actually makes.
By Melody’s first birthday, the family had formed an unbreakable bond. She was a lucky baby as she never attended a nursery and spent her time with one or both of her parents each day. They had never been separated for more than a few minutes since her birth.
Wendy and her friends, Ginger and Stacey, had worn themselves out walking around the mall. They decided to stop for a cup of coffee at a new shop in one of the alleys off the main concourse. It was called ‘Calypso’ and they all agreed afterwards that it was the best coffee they’d ever tasted. Melody had been quite happy to ogle at all the decorations and toys hanging from the high ceilings. They talked about old times and Wendy answered the girls’ questions about Melody, Robert and life in general. She mentioned Robert’s meeting with the new publisher and they wished him special luck with the new manuscript. Wendy noticed the small stall first.
“Oh, look!” she said, pointing. “Let’s go in there!”
Ginger looked up and frowned. “Aw, girl! Are you serious? Everyone knows that’s all just a big con! All those places are.”
Stacy nodded. “I agree,” she added, sipping her raspberry latte. “I tried it once. I didn’t get what I wanted. It’s all just a big rip-off!”
Wendy was still staring at the little stall that was barely noticeable unless you looked directly at it. It had a small purple and yellow awning outside and the name had been written in a heavy Gothic script, making it difficult to read. She noticed the ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’ claim under the name and turned to her friends.
“You all still have coffee left,” she said. “Would anyone mind if I went in? Just for the fun of it.” She looked at Stacey. “You said you were only in for five minutes, right?”
Ginger and Stacey looked at each other and shrugged.
“Sure. Fine by me,” said Stacey. “Leave Melody here. We’ll watch her.”
Wendy was a little reluctant to let Melody out of her view, but finally agreed. After all, it would only be for a few minutes.
Ginger waved her hand. “Go on. Knock yourself out, girl. You never know. Maybe it’ll work for you.”
They shook their heads as Wendy walked through the awning and vanished. “There’s one born every minute,” Stacey commented. Ginger nodded.
The afternoon did not go as badly as Robert had expected. The new publisher’s marketing strategy was actually quite enjoyable and he felt himself relaxing as the afternoon wore on, despite his initial misgivings. Signing with a new publisher was thrilling, especially as they had agreed to have his book on the shelves by early spring. As they were also interested in the screenplay and movie rights when the time was right, Robert was more than happy with the outcome of the day. It meant that Wendy could finally retire and stay at home with Melody. She would be thrilled beyond words when he told her.
Stacey had been right and Wendy returned a few minutes later, looking a bit flushed and wearing a wry, skeptical smile.
“You were right,” she said, picking up Melody and hugging her. “I didn’t get anything out of it.”
Stacey laughed. “We did try to tell you!”
Wendy nodded. “Yes, I know. It was all a bit . . . strange,” she conceded. “Anyway, it was just a bit of fun.” She glanced at the huge clock on the wall. “Well, sorry to break it up, guys, but I need to get home. Robert is due back soon and I’d like to be there when he arrives. Just in case he has good news.”
Ginger and Stacey helped Wendy to strap Melody back into her stroller and they made their way back to Wendy’s car. She dropped her friends off along the way and by the time she arrived home, Robert’s car was already parked in the driveway. She eased past his car, pulled into the garage and switched off the engine. She picked up some stray toys from the floor and placed them into a small box on the seat. Melody was asleep in the rear car seat. Driving in the car always made her fall asleep. Wendy carefully lifted her out and entered the house through the garage door.
Unnoticed by Wendy, a coruscating, sparkling effect ran across the surface of the garage door when she locked it.
Once in the house, Wendy gently placed Melody on the living room floor, still in her chair. If they were quiet, she would probably sleep at least another hour. Time enough for some adult time - a rarity these days.
For Robert, the drive home, while still in heavy traffic, had seemed less stressful. He listened to a compilation of songs on a CD that he had created for Melody. She loved music and would dance to almost anything. As he drove, lost in thought, he imagined her little feet tapping to the music and her adorable smile as she sang along and tried to say the words. She had invented a kind of rapid tap-dance routine that they loved watching her perform. Of course, Melody would spring into her repartee at the drop of a hat, performing for all and sundry. Although not yet fully grown, she had her mother’s beautiful blonde hair that swung from side to side like streamers in a breeze as she danced and waved.
When he arrived home, Robert had gone straight upstairs to work on his manuscript, adding the final changes. The staircase squeaked and betrayed Wendy’s presence as she tried to sneak upstairs.
“Hi, honey! I’m ho-ome!” she said in her best sultry voice while she slipped off her shoes, leaving them on the staircase. There was no reply. The house sounded eerily silent and somehow felt emptier. There was usually some noise when Robert was at around, if only that of the music he listened to while writing.
In the master bedroom, she noticed that Robert had been busy. Very busy. There was not a single toy in sight. No torn pieces of magazine, no small blankets scattered around, nothing. The room looked like it belonged in a Model Home. It was usually strewn with a trail of Melody’s toys and evidence of her daily activities. Wendy glanced around the room, wondering why Robert had done this, and then headed back towards the stairs. “I’m home, sweetie. Where are you?” she called again. She heard a noise from across the hall.
Robert appeared wearing only a towel. His hair was wet. “Oh, hello,” he said. “I didn’t hear you come in. I had to take a shower to get the city grime off me.” He removed the towel and rubbed his hair.
“Ooh,” said Wendy, coyly. “I could just do with some of . . . that!” She looked up at him, “So? How did it go?”
Robert lifted her chin, grinning like a cat in a mouse storm. “You,” he said, “are looking at the new sensation for next spring. They went for it!”
Wendy let out a whoop and danced around on the landing. “Woo-hoo! I knew it! I knew you could do it! Oh, honey, I am so happy for you. For us! This is what we’ve always wanted!”
He put his hands about her waist and twirled her around. “And they want the movie rights as well,” he added.
Wendy’s jaw dropped. “No! Really? That’s incredible. They want to make a movie as well? Yahoo!” She kissed him on the cheek. “Well, why don’t you go in there,” she said, indicating the bedroom, “and I’ll go and check on Melody. She’s still asleep.”
Robert looked confused. “Who?” he said, but Wendy was already halfway down the stairs. Filled with the prospect of some infrequent adult time, he shrugged and went into the bedroom. As it was still light outside, he drew the curtains to create a more appropriate ambience. He was lighting some candles when he heard Wendy shrieking from downstairs.
“Robert!” she shouted. “Come quickly! She’s gone!”
Robert dropped the lighter he was holding and ran towards the stairs. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Wendy! Are you alright? What happened?” he hollered.
Wendy sounded frantic. “She’s gone! I left her right here and she’s gone! I even locked the doors!”
Robert ran down the stairs and entered the living room where Wendy was running around, looking behind couches and chairs. She looked up, her eyes filled with fear when she saw him. “Help me, hon. She’s gone! I left her in her car seat right there! Just like I always do. She couldn’t have gotten out!” She looked around the room, panic rising in her voice. “Where’s her car seat? She couldn’t possibly have moved it! It’s too heavy!”
“Whoa!” said Robert, slightly alarmed by this strange behavior. “What’s going on? What are you talking about? Who’s gone?”
Wendy was incredulous. “The baby, hon! Melody! I left her right there!” She pointed at the floor where she’d left the car seat and the still-sleeping Melody. Robert was dumbstruck. Wendy was not given to playing silly tricks, but the way she was acting now was beginning to worry him.
“You brought someone’s baby back with you?” he said, trying to sound calm. “Whatever for? Are we baby-sitting for someone?”
Wendy stood up, her hands hanging at her sides. “What do you mean, ‘someone else’s baby’? What is wrong with you? Why would I do that?” she said through tear-filled eyes. “I’m talking about our baby, Melody. She’s gone! Would you please help me look for her? She can’t have gotten far. Maybe she managed to loosen her seat straps.”
Robert was at a loss as to what to say. “Sweetie? Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” As much as it hurt him to say it, he felt he had to. “You know we don’t have a baby. Yet.”
Wendy’s face was immediately red with anger. “Would you please stop messing about and help me to look for her! Before she gets hurt.”
Robert sat on the arm of one of the large leather chairs, taken aback by his wife’s vehemence. “Sweetheart? It sounds like you’ve had quite a hectic day. Why not sit down, switch on the TV and I’ll make us a nice cup of tea?”
Wendy shook her hands in frustration. “Tea! Now? Are you crazy?” Now she was shouting—something Robert had never seen her do before. “Help me to find Melody. She’s gone!” She ran from room to room, calling Melody’s name. She pulled the sofa from the wall and looked behind it. “I know I didn’t take her upstairs.” She stood with one hand on her hip, the other pressed to her lips in thought. Then she clicked her fingers. “The car! Maybe I left her in the car!”
She ran past a stunned Robert, unlocked the door and went into the garage. Robert heard the car doors slamming one after the other before Wendy come running back in, looking more frightened than ever. “She’s not there, either, Robert!”
She was crying now, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. “I think she’s been taken, Robert. But how? I locked the door when I came in!”
Robert was feeling extremely uneasy as he walked over to comfort her. “It’s alright, honey. You’ve just had a stressful day. It’ll wear off in a while. Why not let me make you some tea.”
Wendy was almost screaming now. “I don’t want any of your damned tea! I want you to help me look for our child!”
Robert held open his hands, helplessly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you’re talking about!” he said, starting to feel a little irritated by this odd scenario. Was this her idea of an adult game? Some bizarre kind of foreplay?
“What?” Wendy yelled. “Are you insane, Robert? I’m talking about our daughter! She’s gone! Which part of this do you not understand?”
Robert felt his anger rising. This had gone far enough. Whatever Wendy was up to, he no longer found it very amusing. Any amorous feelings he may have had earlier had now evaporated. He went to the kitchen to make tea, regardless. He needed a cup himself. Tea was soothing and it gave him something to do while he thought about what to do next. They both desperately wanted a baby, but despite their best efforts, it had not yet happened. It had been almost two years. Perhaps Wendy was beginning to feel the pressure. Whatever the reason, this had to stop before it got out of hand. When he spoke, again his voice was firm, yet gentle.
“Okay, you’ve had your bit of fun,” he said in a joking voice, if a little shakily. “Did the girls put you up to this?”
Wendy stared at him open-mouthed. “Argh!” she shrilled, shaking her hands above her head. Robert stepped back, surprised at this sudden outburst. It sure did not look or feel like any kind of foreplay. Wendy noticed the telephone on the kitchen wall and picked it up. She waited a few seconds before speaking.
“Hello? Yes. Police, please.”
“What are you doing?” said Robert, now becoming more than a little concerned. Wendy held up a hand to silence him and continued. “Hello? Yes, I’d like to report a stolen baby,” she said, anxiously twirling the telephone cord in her fingers. “Where from? From here, of course. From right inside my own house!”
Robert sighed and leaned against a kitchen unit, deciding that the best course of action was probably just to let her play out this charade. Just to see where it was going. This was an aspect of her personality he had not seen before, and he was finding it a little on the wrong side of peculiar.
“What do you mean, forty-eight hours?” Wendy was becoming more agitated as she spoke. “She could be anywhere in the world by then! Or even dead!” She was sobbing again. “What? No! She has not gone to play with the neighbors. She’s only eighteen months old! She can barely walk!” She rolled her eyes as she spoke. “Okay. Right. Yes, of course I’ll be here. Yes. My husband Robert is with me. Please, hurry!” She hung up the receiver and sunk to the floor against the wall, hugging her knees. Robert sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.
She shrugged him off. “I just can’t believe you,” she sobbed. “At a time like this you make a joke of it!” She looked up at him. Her mascara had run, making her look like a raccoon.
Robert fetched a tissue and handed it to her. “I like a joke as much as the next man,” he admitted. “I just don’t think this particular one is very funny, that’s all. I want a child as much as you do. But doing things like . . . this is not making it any easier. And I’m sorry if I don’t find it particularly funny.”
Wendy’s expression was empty when she stood up. It was like a part of her had been removed - as if a light had gone out. Her eyes no longer shone as they normally did. Instead, they looked like dying embers.
“What?” she said coldly. Then she stood up and opened her arms. “Alright, Robert, let’s play it your way.”
For the first time since Robert had known Wendy, he was now unsure who this person before him really was. It was beginning to unsettle him. For Wendy, fear was giving way to anger. She stormed back into the living room, heading toward the large fireplace and extending her arm.
“What’s this then---Hey! Where’s her photograph gone?” Wendy spun around to face Robert. “Did you take it?” she said accusingly, stamping her foot on the carpet. “This is not funny, Robert! Stop it!”
Robert was astounded. “What photo?” he said, looking around in case anyone was hiding with a camera, filming this charade for later Family Fun. Wendy looked back at the mantelpiece where she knew Melody’s photo had been since a few days after her birth.
“The one you took while we were still in the hospital!” she shouted.
Robert shrugged. “I don’t know what say, sweetie.” He indicated the mantelpiece. “That picture has been there since we moved here three years ago. There has never been another one.”
Wendy looked at the photograph. It was of the two of them on their honeymoon at Niagara Falls. She remembered it well. “No. No! That cannot be right! Melody’s picture has always been there!” She eyed him suspiciously. “What’s going on here, Robert? Is this one of your silly jokes? Because if it is, it has run its course and isn’t very funny. Now, where is Melody? The police will be here any minute.”
Robert opened his mouth to answer but an urgent knocking cut him short. Wendy pulled a face. “That’ll be them,” she said, heading toward the door.
Robert did not know how to respond. “You really called them?” he said in disbelief.
Two armed officers stood on the doorstep. A patrol car, its lights still flashing, was parked in the driveway. Another officer was walking around the front yard, glancing up and down the street.
“Mrs. Parsons?” enquired and officer. “You called us?”
Wendy nodded. “Yes. Yes I did. Please, come in.”
The officers removed their hats as they entered the house and nodded at Robert, who was standing in the middle of the room, staring in disbelief at the presence of the police officers. He thought the call that Wendy had made was phony and that she had not really called the police. He’d read that women could become . . . difficult when they wanted a baby. But this? The police? This was pushing it a bit too far.
“Are you Mister Parsons?” said the other officer as he approached Robert. He took him aside until they were out of earshot of Wendy. The officer seemed somewhat perturbed. “Mr. Parsons, can you tell me what is going on here, please?”
Robert was stupefied. He really did not know what to say. It all sounded so silly. Like a practical joke gone horribly wrong.
“I . . . well,” he began. “My wife is under the impression that our daughter has gone missing.”
The officer’s expression did not change. “I see,” he said carefully. “And, has she?”
Robert felt embarrassed having to tell the officer. “Well, that’s just it, officer,” he said awkwardly. “We don’t have a daughter. We don’t have any children. Not yet, anyway.”
The officer replaced his notebook in his pocket. “I see,” he said. “Are you trying for a child?”
Robert nodded, trying to take it all in. His mind was reeling. “Yes. Actually, we’ve been trying for quite a while and . . . well, I guess it’s just not our time.”
The officer nodded. His name badge identified him as Dupree. “I understand, sir,” he said. “We see this sort of thing quite a lot.”
Robert watched as Wendy spoke to the other officer. “You do?” he said. “What thing? I don’t know myself what’s going on.”
Officer Dupree fiddled with the brim of his hat. “Women who are desperate for a child often start believing that they actually have one,” he explained. “From what I---”
He was interrupted by a commotion from the other side of the room. Wendy was walking in a circle, stamping her feet and flapping her arms.
“Okay, Mrs. Parsons,” they heard the burly office known as Perez saying. “Let’s all just try and stay calm. I’m sure we can work this all out.”
Wendy was livid with frustration. “Calm? Calm! How can I be calm? My daughter is missing and we’re all standing around here talking about it instead of looking for her! She could be in mortal danger!”
Robert was impressed by Officer Perez’s conduct. Wendy’s unruly behavior had not rattled him in the slightest. “Ma’am,” said Perez, his voice even but firmer. “If you could let us have a photograph of your little girl we can dispatch it to all vehicles and officers in the vicinity. I’m sure she hasn’t gotten very far.” He glanced at Dupree, who nodded approval.