A Moment of Doubt

by Remedios Dorio

 

MIRIAM looked around the house. Everything was just perfect. The red roses in the flower vase looked fresh and pleasant. A card hung on it says, ‘Welcome Home Mark,’ it’s for her husband that today will be discharged from the hospital after his long confinement due to brain tumor operation.

 

Looking at the mirror, Miriam thought she looked nice and pretty. She was naturally attractive but today she was glowing and so alive. She’s happy that her worries about Mark’s health problem was now over. 

 

She had nothing to complain about her husband. Mark was tender and a loving husband; considerate and understanding.

 

Mark worked as a tax counselor and earned good money. They have a nice house; the interior was classic with many expensive things both antiques and modern.

 

Miriam worked as an Executive Secretary in an international company and she earned good money too.

 

When she and Mark got married, they made an appointment to have a child or children after they have financial stability and after eight years, they were ready to have a baby but then a tumor in Mark’s brain was discovered and he must be operated. It happened and now Mark will be coming home.

 

THE reaction of Mark was not what Meriam expected. He even did not notice the flowers, Mark seemed in deep thinking.

 

“You’re still not feeling well? Look the roses, and it’s for you,” Miriam said to Mark. Mark did not answer so Miriam repeated her question, “Darling, I’m asking you, you’re still not feeling well?”

“What kind of question is that?” Mark snapped at Miriam. “You know I just came out the hospital?”

 

“But I like only…” Miriam did not finish what she wanted to say because Mark cut-in angrily.

 

“Just be still! Let me rest, will you please?”

 

“Okay,” Miriam sighed. “Is there something you need?”

 

“No!” the answer of Mark was short and sharped.

 

THE days that follows, Miriam noticed that Mark became a different person. He was always angry and seemed to watch her every moves. When she went to work, he would tell her to come back quickly after work. Arriving home, he would asked her many questions, what she did the whole day and who she talked with, all for Miriam understanding nonsense questions. Miriam could do nothing right too, her every move was wrong.

 

But Miriam tried to understand all of these. She thought that Mark was only boring and irritated because of medication and that of doing nothing at home. If Mark returned to his work, everything would be okay; she expected it because she planned to stop working, she’s not getting younger anymore, she wanted to have a baby.

 

Mark returned to work and when he was home, Miriam asked him how is his first working day.

 

“Boring,” Mark answered. Miriam looked at Mark for more explanation about his remark because as she knew him, Mark liked to work. But because Mark said no more words, Miriam asked.

 

“Why?”

 

“What why? Do I have to explain it to you? It’s boring and I will not come back there to work again,” Mark was angry.

 

“You’re joking,” Miriam said as she could not believe what she heard from Mark.

 

“I am not joking! I mean what I say. If you will not believe what I am saying then don’t ask me,” Mark angrily walked away from her, entered their bedroom and slammed closed the door hard.

 

Miriam was shocked, she did not expect such behavior from Mark. For a while she was nailed where she stood as she doesn’t know what to do but then later, she followed Mark into their bedroom. Inside their bedroom, she saw Mark lying on bed with two arms behind his heads and just staring the ceiling seemed not noticing that she entered the room. Miriam sat on the edge of the bed and asked Mark.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

“Nothing is wrong,” the same tone of voice Mark answered Miriam.

 

“I think you have to go to the doctor,” Miriam said.

 

“Hell! What do you mean by that? I don’t need a doctor!” Mark was furious.

 

“You became a different person. You acted so strange, you’re not the same Mark I know. You really need to talk to a doctor,” Miriam said.

 

“What doctor, a psychiatrist? You think I am becoming crazy?” Mark was angry, he sat up from lying on bed.

 

“That is not what I mean. Maybe it’s because of your medication, and the doctor has to change…” Miriam did not finish what she was going to say because Mark with his fist suddenly hit her at the back of her head.

 

“Don’t ever think that I am crazy!” Mark was shouting.

 

“Mark!” Miriam ghastly stood-up from sitting and horrifyingly looked at Mark.

 

“You are a boring, nagging, and an idiot bitch! Leave me alone, or you will bath in your own blood!”

 

Mark said it as intended that’s what Miriam felt so she went out the room tearfully.

 

MIRIAM sat in the living room crying for how long she doesn’t know. She could not understand what’s happening with Mark. It was the first time that she put his hands on her. When she touched behind her head, there’s a bump and she felt the pain. He did pain to her when she was just worried about him.

 

“Darling,” she did not notice it, Mark was standing in front of her. “I am sorry, I did not mean to hurt you,”

 

Mark was apologizing, Miriam did not answer.

 

“Let me look your head,” Mark looked at the back of Miriam’s head where he hit her, he saw the bult and it was red. “My gully, does it hurt?”

 

“Don’t touch it, is painful,”

 

“Darling I am so sorry. It was just an impulse, moment I will put ice on it,” Mark voice was so sweet and tender, the usual way who Mark was; then he went to the kitchen to take a block of ice in the refrigerator.

 

“Why did I do this terrible thing to you? I am sorry. Darling, please forgive me,” and Mark hugged Miriam and kissed her. The kiss was so passionate it made Miriam’s body warm, and before they knew it, they’re making love on the sofa in the living room. Mark made love to Miriam roughly and wild but seemed it did not bother Miriam, she liked it. ****to be continued****