A Moment of Doubt - #2

by Remedios Dorio

 

AFTER their lovemaking, Miriam was satisfied and happy; but then she noticed Mark was liked in a deep thinking.

“Honey,” Miriam wanted to ask Mark what’s wrong but Mark suddenly stood-up and snapped at her.

“Don’t talk to me!”

“Why? I could not understand,” Miriam was surprised for Mark’s again sudden changed of mood.

“You are seeing another man!” Mark accused Miriam. “Where did you learn how to make love the way you did just now with me?”

“What?” Miriam could not believe it. Mark was accusing her of seeing another man just because of their rough and wild lovemaking.

“Don’t ask me what!” and Mark suddenly choked Miriam as he put his hand on her neck.

“Take out your hand, I cannot breathe,” Miriam struggling as she was afraid seeing the fire of anger in Mark’s eyes. Then suddenly Mark takes his hands out from her neck.

“You’re trying to kill me!” coughingly as she gasped for breathe Miriam said.

“Ahh,” Mark growled and pushed Miriam. She fell from the sofa and hit her head on the edge of the center table. But Mark was not bothered, he stood up and went to the kitchen. Take a bottle of beer and sat down in the dining table.

In pain, disillusioned Miriam went inside the bedroom, lay down on bed and cried.

THE next day, Miriam as she’s preparing herself for work, she saw in the mirror the bump in her forehead. The bump behind her head was not yet gone and now she had one in her forehead. Mark did not sleep in their bedroom. She thought maybe in the guestroom, but she dared not to look.

At work, Ria, a colleague and best friend noticed the bump in her forehead.

“What happened to you?” Ria asked Miriam.

“I fall down and bumped my head at the edge of the table, but it’s nothing,” Miriam answered Ria.

“You have to take care yourself, how is Mark? Is everything okay with him?” Ria asked.

“He’s okay, only he changed a little bit,” Miriam answered but she knew to herself she was lying to Ria. The changes in Mark’s personality were not just a bit; Mark had totally changed but to herself, Miriam thought that she must kept the problem to herself. Whatever problems she had now with Mark, she must be patience and be understanding. Everything will be all right, the behavior of Mark was only because of his medication.

THAT evening at home. Miriam and Mark were in the kitchen eating their supper with a bottle of wine.

“I saw a package in the guest room,” Miriam said to Mark. She saw a box that was not yet opened.

“You opened it?” Mark asked.

“No,” Miriam answered.

“Don’t dare to open it. I don’t like you mind things that are not yours,” Mark said to Miriam with a tone of warning.

“Can I ask you what’s in that box?”

“Books,” Mark answered Miriam.

“Books? How come when you don’t like reading?” Miriam was surprised because Mark hated reading books.

“Why so many questions? You mind all that I am doing. Those were books about Medicine. Now are you satisfied?” Mark was irritated.

Miriam did not answer Mark. Books about medicines? Why does Mark suddenly have interest on books about Medicine? Miriam changed the topic of her question.

“How is your work today?”

“I went to the office, but I did not work,” Mark answered.

“You did not work?” Miriam could not understand why Mark went to his office but did not work.

“I said I did not work, could you not understand what I said?” Mark was angry.

“No, I don’t understand. You said you went to your office, but you did not work. What would you do there if you did not work?” the voice of Miriam raised a little bit; she became upset.

“Damn!” Mark angrily swiped from the table some plates it fell down on the floor plus his glass that was full of red wine. “Look what you’d done. Clean the floor!”

“You’re crazy! You did it by yourself, and you blame me. Clean it by yourself!” Miriam lost her patience; she stood and went away from the dining table. She sat in the living room and lights a cigarette when suddenly the glass flower vase on her front broke as was hit by the bottle of beer that Mark threw. Then she saw Mark rushing to her in his eyes; she saw flames of anger. Mark angrily tapped the cigarette away she’s holding.

“Never, never say that to me again! Because if I cannot control myself, I will stitch your big mouth so that there’s silence in this house,” and Mark grabbed the hair of Meriam and dragged him to the kitchen.

“Let loose of me,” Miriam was shouting in pain.

“Clean the kitchen, bitch!” Mark said and pushed Miriam down. “Clean it!”

Miriam did what Mark ask her, and while doing it, her tears were just continued falling down. Mark was watching and shout to her, “stop crying, or I will take out your eyes from your face!”

SAME last night, Mark was in the guest room. Miriam heard that Mark was busy doing something, what; she did not know but she felt fear. She was frightened of Mark. Then she decided to leave their house secretly.

She was already outside their house when she called on her mobile phone her mother but no answer so she called Ria.

“Miriam?” Ria was surprised.

“Ria, I will come to your house. I called my Mom but nobody answers.” Miriam was crying.

“Why, what happen? Why are you crying?” Ria asked.

“It’s Mark. I am so afraid. I went out the house, and I’m waiting for the taxi. I will leave him.” Miriam told Ria that she was going to leave Mark.

“Wait, wait, you called me unexpected, I had a male visitor,” Ria had someone in her house and she gave a hint to Miriam that she could not come.

Miriam just finished talking to Ria when she saw a man standing in front of her, it was Mark.

****to be continued****