Tré Calling, chapter 10
I couldn't help but sigh in relief. Tré had seen the better letter... although it was still quite bad.
But still, I had to explain to him.
"Well, I was nearly married to this guy called George. But uh... things just didn't work out," I mumbled.
Tré raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Well, it was a foolish arrangement. We didn't know each other well enough."
"Anything else you want to spill?"
I took a breath in. No way was I going to tell him my biggest secret... yet.
"I wasn't just engaged to him. We were married and lived together for a year."
I looked at Tré, who was looking down at his feet, as if in deep thought.
"I... just wish you would have told me, that's all," he mumbled.
"I know, I'm sorry. But I try not to think about it any more."
"Well, that's fine. Now... let's go to my swimming pool and eat ice cream!"
"Um... okay then," I replied hesitantly. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"I'm going to dunk you!" Tré shouted, ignoring my last sentence.
"Not on your life Tré!" I retorted, shoving him.
"Oh, wait. I need to go and buy some ice cream first."
"I'll catch up then. But make sure you get Ben and Jerry's please," I said, smiling.
"Nothing but the best, baby!" Tré giggled, and then ran off at high speed through the door.
I sat down on my bed and started to fold away the sheets of paper. I picked up the folded letter and it rustled tantalisingly in my hand. Slowly, I unfolded it and allowed my eyes to glaze over it again.
I'm coming for you. You can't escape.
I folded away the paper again, determined not to cry, and picked up the last remaining item in the box. A picture of a baby boy, smiling a toothless grin with big, bright sparkling eyes.
I slipped the photo into the diary and headed to Tre's house for what I assumed would be a calm Saturday afternoon.
I was obviously mistaken.
I arrived at Tré's house about 20 minutes after he himself, as he drove and I chose to walk. That was one of the advantages of my new apartment. It was so easy to pop over to Tré's.
I knocked on the door and when it opened by itself, I was honestly worried. I stepped in, apprehensively. Nervously, I glanced around, trying to find someone. I heard a clutter of footsteps from the direction of the kitchen. I put my bag down and followed them. I was greeted almost instantly by screams.
A small bundle of energy zipped towards me, nearly knocking me down.
"Frankito?" I questioned. "Where's your Daddy?"
"He's in the garden," Frankito mumbled and then pulled me along by the arm.
Tré was lying on a deckchair near the pool in his swimming trunks and holding the promised ice cream in his hands, along with two spoons.
"Hello!" he grinned, sticking out his now chocolate brown tongue.
I snatched the ice cream from him, ignoring his pleas for justice and ran to the other side of the garden.
"This is damn good ice cream, Tré!" I shouted in his direction.
Tré pouted and stomped off somewhere, leaving me alone with Mr Ben and Mr Jerry.
When I turned around, Tré had a hosepipe in his hand. My eyes widened as I started to whimper and tried to stand up. However, before I could get to my feet, Tré shot a sharp spray of water on my legs.
"Tré!!!" I shouted.
"Give back the ice cream," he stated simply, putting out his hand.
"No!" I answered sharply.
"Then there's nothing else for it. I will take back the ice cream by force."
I raised a sarcastic eyebrow and took another spoonful of ice cream, taunting him.
He sprayed me again and I giggled, trying to swat him away.
"Well, if the hosepipe won't work... " Tré started.
Then he swept me up into his arms and kissed me, even though my mouth was still full of ice cream.
"That's how I get my ice cream."
I grinned and pointed in the direction of his living room. "Let's go watch a DVD."
"Nah," Tré replied, causing me to look him straight in the eye.
"Why not?"
"Because I have a promise to keep."
"What?"
"I said I'd dunk you!"
And then he tipped me into the swimming pool, raising his arms in triumph and dancing slightly while I tried to splash him from a distance.
***
Before I knew it, it was nighttime. The sun had waved farewell and the moon taken his place. The stars had followed soon after. Tré and I looked up at the stars together; lying on the soft grass and I felt content to just lie next to him, noticing the gentle rise and fall of his chest as we gazed at our surroundings.
"Maria... " Tré started, still staring up at the sky.
"Mmhmm?" I replied softly.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?"
My eyes suddenly pricked with tears, and I fought not to blink, so Tré wouldn't notice.
"Of course," I whispered, my mouth dry.
"Because I want to help you."
"What?" I questioned, snapping my head round to face his, but he had fallen asleep.
His features looked so angelic, that I decided I would leave him in peace. I nestled my head into his warm chest and closed my own eyes, revelling in the day's memories.
***
The next day I awoke with a film of few across me. Shivering, I looked up and discovered that Tré had disappeared and left a blanket in his place. I smiled and ran my hands through my hair, picking out the pieces of grass.
I wandered slowly into the kitchen, peeking around the door frame to try and find Tré. I grinned when I saw him, and drew him into a big bear hug and gave him a kiss.
"That's the best Monday morning wake up I've ever had," Tré mumbled.
"Monday?!?" I repeated, drawing back from him, my eyes wide.
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm supposed to be at work! Oh damnit, she said that if I missed another day in before the end of the month, then she'd fire my ass."
"So what? You're smart; I saw your grades. Practically straight A's. You can get another job easy," Tré soothed me.
"No, but I don't have enough training or experience. I only just got this job because the other person backed out!"
Tré pondered for a second. "Okay then, we'll pop round your house and you get changed and get your stuff, then I'll give you a lift back, okay?"
"Thanks Tré," I said, draping my arms over his shoulders, "You're the best."
Tré drove like a man possessed, and I clung to the edge of the seat, wide eyed. As soon as we reached my apartment block, I dashed in, running up the stairs to grab a suit as quickly as possible.
But my eyes widened even further as I reached my door. I put my hand to my mouth.
My apartment had been completely trashed. The door had been broken down, the tables upturned, the ornaments smashed onto the floor, glass littered the carpet and the contents of boxes had been strewn about.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Again.
But still, I had to explain to him.
"Well, I was nearly married to this guy called George. But uh... things just didn't work out," I mumbled.
Tré raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Well, it was a foolish arrangement. We didn't know each other well enough."
"Anything else you want to spill?"
I took a breath in. No way was I going to tell him my biggest secret... yet.
"I wasn't just engaged to him. We were married and lived together for a year."
I looked at Tré, who was looking down at his feet, as if in deep thought.
"I... just wish you would have told me, that's all," he mumbled.
"I know, I'm sorry. But I try not to think about it any more."
"Well, that's fine. Now... let's go to my swimming pool and eat ice cream!"
"Um... okay then," I replied hesitantly. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"I'm going to dunk you!" Tré shouted, ignoring my last sentence.
"Not on your life Tré!" I retorted, shoving him.
"Oh, wait. I need to go and buy some ice cream first."
"I'll catch up then. But make sure you get Ben and Jerry's please," I said, smiling.
"Nothing but the best, baby!" Tré giggled, and then ran off at high speed through the door.
I sat down on my bed and started to fold away the sheets of paper. I picked up the folded letter and it rustled tantalisingly in my hand. Slowly, I unfolded it and allowed my eyes to glaze over it again.
I'm coming for you. You can't escape.
I folded away the paper again, determined not to cry, and picked up the last remaining item in the box. A picture of a baby boy, smiling a toothless grin with big, bright sparkling eyes.
I slipped the photo into the diary and headed to Tre's house for what I assumed would be a calm Saturday afternoon.
I was obviously mistaken.
I arrived at Tré's house about 20 minutes after he himself, as he drove and I chose to walk. That was one of the advantages of my new apartment. It was so easy to pop over to Tré's.
I knocked on the door and when it opened by itself, I was honestly worried. I stepped in, apprehensively. Nervously, I glanced around, trying to find someone. I heard a clutter of footsteps from the direction of the kitchen. I put my bag down and followed them. I was greeted almost instantly by screams.
A small bundle of energy zipped towards me, nearly knocking me down.
"Frankito?" I questioned. "Where's your Daddy?"
"He's in the garden," Frankito mumbled and then pulled me along by the arm.
Tré was lying on a deckchair near the pool in his swimming trunks and holding the promised ice cream in his hands, along with two spoons.
"Hello!" he grinned, sticking out his now chocolate brown tongue.
I snatched the ice cream from him, ignoring his pleas for justice and ran to the other side of the garden.
"This is damn good ice cream, Tré!" I shouted in his direction.
Tré pouted and stomped off somewhere, leaving me alone with Mr Ben and Mr Jerry.
When I turned around, Tré had a hosepipe in his hand. My eyes widened as I started to whimper and tried to stand up. However, before I could get to my feet, Tré shot a sharp spray of water on my legs.
"Tré!!!" I shouted.
"Give back the ice cream," he stated simply, putting out his hand.
"No!" I answered sharply.
"Then there's nothing else for it. I will take back the ice cream by force."
I raised a sarcastic eyebrow and took another spoonful of ice cream, taunting him.
He sprayed me again and I giggled, trying to swat him away.
"Well, if the hosepipe won't work... " Tré started.
Then he swept me up into his arms and kissed me, even though my mouth was still full of ice cream.
"That's how I get my ice cream."
I grinned and pointed in the direction of his living room. "Let's go watch a DVD."
"Nah," Tré replied, causing me to look him straight in the eye.
"Why not?"
"Because I have a promise to keep."
"What?"
"I said I'd dunk you!"
And then he tipped me into the swimming pool, raising his arms in triumph and dancing slightly while I tried to splash him from a distance.
***
Before I knew it, it was nighttime. The sun had waved farewell and the moon taken his place. The stars had followed soon after. Tré and I looked up at the stars together; lying on the soft grass and I felt content to just lie next to him, noticing the gentle rise and fall of his chest as we gazed at our surroundings.
"Maria... " Tré started, still staring up at the sky.
"Mmhmm?" I replied softly.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?"
My eyes suddenly pricked with tears, and I fought not to blink, so Tré wouldn't notice.
"Of course," I whispered, my mouth dry.
"Because I want to help you."
"What?" I questioned, snapping my head round to face his, but he had fallen asleep.
His features looked so angelic, that I decided I would leave him in peace. I nestled my head into his warm chest and closed my own eyes, revelling in the day's memories.
***
The next day I awoke with a film of few across me. Shivering, I looked up and discovered that Tré had disappeared and left a blanket in his place. I smiled and ran my hands through my hair, picking out the pieces of grass.
I wandered slowly into the kitchen, peeking around the door frame to try and find Tré. I grinned when I saw him, and drew him into a big bear hug and gave him a kiss.
"That's the best Monday morning wake up I've ever had," Tré mumbled.
"Monday?!?" I repeated, drawing back from him, my eyes wide.
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm supposed to be at work! Oh damnit, she said that if I missed another day in before the end of the month, then she'd fire my ass."
"So what? You're smart; I saw your grades. Practically straight A's. You can get another job easy," Tré soothed me.
"No, but I don't have enough training or experience. I only just got this job because the other person backed out!"
Tré pondered for a second. "Okay then, we'll pop round your house and you get changed and get your stuff, then I'll give you a lift back, okay?"
"Thanks Tré," I said, draping my arms over his shoulders, "You're the best."
Tré drove like a man possessed, and I clung to the edge of the seat, wide eyed. As soon as we reached my apartment block, I dashed in, running up the stairs to grab a suit as quickly as possible.
But my eyes widened even further as I reached my door. I put my hand to my mouth.
My apartment had been completely trashed. The door had been broken down, the tables upturned, the ornaments smashed onto the floor, glass littered the carpet and the contents of boxes had been strewn about.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Again.
