Fiction

Part I

19 March! Yay! It was her birthday today.

She was so very happy. In her typical excitement about her annual birthday celebrations, she had gotten out of bed bright and early, intending to go over to the boyfriend’s to give him a surprise!

She had waited in vain for his call last night, but it was alright. He had told her that he had a JC gathering to attend. She knew the group included his previous girlfriend, but she reminded herself that she had nothing to worry about; he had always been very open about his previous relationships and his appointments.

And wasn’t the relationship built on trust and honesty? Trust, he often told her, was the foundation to any relationship. “Ruin the trust, and it’s all gone, darling. That’s why I tell you everything. Trust is key.”

Thinking about him put a smile on her face.

She virtually pranced across the room, getting ready for the day.

Her pink shimmery dress – her favourite Kenzo’s “Summer Love”, the pretty pink earrings he had given her last summer dangling from her ears, the matching necklace… ooh she was so eager to meet him.

Then her handphone beeped.

Yay! That must be him.

She flipped open the phone, “Read SMS”.

Oh, but it was yet another birthday greeting. She replied with thanks, grabbed the car keys, and headed out. It was a gorgeous day!

She ran her fingers along the leather rim of her steering wheel. It was beautiful, this car, a gift from her daddy when she started work. Just as she was putting on her sunglasses, the phone beeped again.

She clicked on the speakerphone.

“Ah yes Mummy… thank you!… Yup… on my way… How’s it in Zurich?… Ahhh… lovely… ok… Yep…. Mmhmm, no not really. Ok… talk to you tomorrow then…. Byebye!”

 She pulled into his driveway.  Click, the automated car door lock worked its magic as she entered the gates of her boyfriend’s place.

“Hi Uncle, Hi Aunty, I got some tarts on the way here. Help yourself to some!” she called out as she deposited the boxes of pastries on the kitchen table.

She skipped up the steps, turned the knob of his room door, and.

No.

No no no no no.

She closed the door gently.

Take a deep breath. Yes, all is good. It is her birthday. The weather’s perfect. Her boyfriend loved her. Random thoughts. She had a decent job, but the boss sucked. She missed the British breakfast. Deep breath. Random thoughts. Deep breath. Random thoughts.

She opened the door again.

Noooooooooooooooooo.

Alarmed, the boyfriend’s parents pounded up the stairs, the boyfriend’s brother stuck his sleepy face out of the adjacent room,

and the two of them sprang out of bed.

Part II coming up