One More Day - PART TWO

Darrin felt his voice, he saw his body but he could not control it.  I saw himself from the outside.  He stood outside himself and watched what he could not change.  This was not at all what he expected.  He recognized the time and the moment with Mellissa, but he could not enter his body.   Was this what the man meant by not being what he expected?

Darrin recognized his own words, “I want one more day to know how much you love me.”   And he was reminded of the situation by Mellissa’s, “Who said I loved you?”

He watched and walked about as that morning wore on.  When he and his wife parted ways at the lunch time hour, Darrin made the obvious choice to follow his wife.  She had told him that she wanted to visit a friends office while he played soccer with his friends in Central Park.

Always wondering what it would be like to be with the one you love when they are not with you, it suddenly gave Darrin an uneasy feeling.  After all, what if she said things against him, or what if she didn’t go to see a friend at work?  And this is just the truth Darrin did not expect or want to learn.

Darrin followed her to a cab when she always asserted her greater understanding for the subway.  Already it seemed he was learning more of his wife than he realized; but he was sure there was a reason.  He didn’t catch the address as he ran up behind her and his ghost like shadow stepped through her into the passenger seat.  Sitting next to her in the cab he noticed she was checking her make-up.  She pulled from her purse a cell phone he didn’t recognize.  This was now something that began to bother him.  Here is now a newly divorced man, but sitting next to his now ex-wife he felt pangs of betrayal, and sense of pain he didn’t feel before.  His mind was running towards one thought.  Was his now ex-wife having an affair?
 
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Is all she said and she snapped her phone shut in a hurried manner unlike the down to earth country girl he once knew.  This Mellissa was suddenly direct and abrupt.

The cab pulled up to a small café  all the way in Soho.  Surely she could have taken the subway but Darrin was now beginning to see things differently himself.

The worst now occurred.  She runs up to an out door table and sits down with a man in a suit whom didn’t look the part at all.  He seemed somewhat forced in his attempt to wear a suit more like an ex baseball player or football player in retirement trying to play a professional part of commentator. But in the end, it didn't matter to Darrin what this man looked like. It hurt his head trying to make sense of what Mellissa needed in a man if all he ever did was never enough.

Mellissa took charge as her lover tried to kiss her.  “Stop, you know I don’t like public affection. We don’t have all afternoon.  Let’s go.” He then reached for her hand and again she just looked at him saying no with her eyes.

“The office put a number of us up downtown.  We don’t have to rush today.” He answered back. 
Mellissa responded, “I left some things I need to pick though.  What’s the difference?  Downtown or Roosevelt Island… equal distance.”

“Not really, but OK.  Where is your husband? Cutting it close bringing him to the city this time don't you think?”

“The redneck is playing soccer in Central Park.”
 
“I didn’t think red necks played in Central Park.  Do you know what a red neck is?”

“I grew up with them.  He’s a red neck.”

This was getting hard to listen to.  Darrin knew all his life he challenged himself to rise above his middle class roots and chose his words, friends and atmosphere carefully.  And here she was calling him a red neck to a man that doesn’t even know him. 

Like a fly on the wall that no one can hear, Darrin shouted, “No! That’s not true!” He turned to his wife, “Why are you doing this?” He spoke aloud to himself realizing no one could hear him, “I didn’t earn this.  I don’t deserve this.”  Quickly his self pity erupted into anger and knowing she could not hear him he spewed his disgust, “Who are you!” 

She could not hear him as she dashed into the cab and ran her hand up the mans leg.  Darrin suddenly in that instant saw every moment in his relationship differently.  "Who said I loved you" was no longer a joke. She meant it. And so many other things she had said and done lined up making perfect sense.

“I’ve seen enough! I want no more of this! What more do I need to see!” He yelled towards the sky as if God almighty was in control of this out-of-body experience.

In that instant Darrin was back at his home.  The man looked at him and began to speak in his same measured tone, “You wanted one more day.  I gave you the answers.”  And that suddenly Darrin also realized the man standing before him was the same Frenchman that sold him the trinket on St. Barts.  His accent didn’t register until now.   His face was forgettable but now he recognized him. 

“You see Darrin you didn’t buy the cherub you thought you had.”

“What do you mean?” Darrin answered as he came down from his emotional rollercoaster.
 
“You obtained the cherub of answers.  You bought it, and the most important answer to help you in your life was this one.”

“Was what?” He said in anger.  “That my wife was cheating on me?”

“Yes and no.  It was the answer of the truth.  Now you know who she really is.  You can live again.  Not for her but for yourself.   Did you really want to go through life wondering if you loved someone enough when there was nothing you could have ever done?”

Darrin took a moment to understand what he heard.  In fact, he already accepted it.  He just needed to put it into perspective.

Just then he heard a knock at the door.  It’s the movers he thought to himself. In the instant he turned in distraction by the door knock and upon turning back, the man was gone.
 
“Tap tap tap tap” the door knocked again. 

Darrin turned slowly, digesting all that just happened.  “This did happen didn’t it?” He thought to himself. 

“Tap tap” the door knocked once again, louder.
 
Darrin finally began to walk towards the door slowly.  He clutched Mellissa’s kaleidoscope in his hands and placed it into his pocket then opened the door.

“Mellissa!” He answered in surprise.

“Hi, I just remembered I forgot a few things.”

“Well as you can see everything is packed up.”

“Yeah, I hope you didn’t mind, I’ve just been so busy.”

“No, it gave me time to think.” Darrin answered.

Mellissa paused a moment as if she missed him but sounding phoney, "You look great."

"I feel great. What a difference a day makes." Darrin answered.

Mellissa didn't quite understand his meaning as she paused. “OK. Well ...Gotta go.” And she turned back down the walk. 

Darrin stood there watching his ex-wife walk away.  He realized he didn't feel an ounce of despair or any desire for her.  The sun washed down on his face and he smiled to himself. 

She called back suddenly.  “Hey, I need my kaleidoscope. It means a lot to me.”
With any hesitation he answered,“Haven’t’ seen it. 

Closing the door Darrin tossed the kaleidoscope into the trash.

LH