Chance Encounterby Oksanatranslated by Olga |
|
The consciousness came back with a sharp flash. “Mary,” he breathed out. “I'm here,” the darling voice he knew so well responded. Mason took pains to open his eyes. The light hit his brain and made him sick with pain, but Mason fought this sensation, as he was afraid to take his eyes off the woman sitting by his side. “Is that you, really you?” his voice faltered, betraying the emotion. Mary smiled, touching his cheek tenderly. “Yes.” Mason gulped down the bur in the throat, and suddenly tears got streaming down his cheeks. He rushed to hug Mary against his weakness and pain. Only when he hid his face in her neck and breathed in her scent could Mason believe it was not a dream. “Oh God, Mason,” Mary sobbed and hugged him. They were both crying. Mason drew back a little and started kissing tears off Mary's cheeks. She was taking in the sight of him, watching him greedily, and then pressed herself to his breast as if trying to dissolve in his being. They felt the beating of each other's hearts, and they were afraid to be drawn apart. It was an ordeal for Mason to wait through the doctor's checkup, and he gave a sigh of relief when Mary came back to him. “The doc said you were fine, almost,” said Mary with a smile. “Why are you looking at me so? I am no ghost.” “Do sit down,” asked Mason taking her hand. “I am so afraid you'll disappear again. It has happened so often when I saw you in my dreams after you got… after that accident on the roof… Mary, how come…?” “It's Mark,” said Mary simply. “He was around and found I was still alive. He took me to another hospital, and then he took me here…” “But why didn't you find a way to tell me…?” “I couldn't. I wanted to so much, Mason, but Mark never gave me a chance. He kept me prisoner….” “Oh God,” Mason exclaimed with pain. “Mary, he… he…” Mason couldn't put into words the question that scared him, but Mary knew. “No. It never happened. I am not sure why he never touched me… I guess he still had this kind of trouble… he'd keep me as a trophy.” Mason threw a quick look at the door as if expecting Mark to walk in any minute. Mary shook her head. “Don't worry. He's dead.” “What?” “He got killed not long ago. During a fight in a brothel.” Mason gave a sigh of relief. “I am not sorry.” “Neither am I,” Mary smiled. “But why, why did not you call me then?” “I did not want to… Mark showed me a newspaper, I know you're married,” Mary said with a sad smile. “I used to be,” Mason nodded. “Used to be?” “It's a long story.” “Tell me,” Mary begged. Mason collected his thoughts, running his hand through his hair. “When I thought you were dead, I could not stand the pain, it was impossible. As soon as I fell asleep I saw you in my dreams, and every time I woke up I'd lose you again. I drank much to deaden the pain. I did not want to be alive any more, without you. I felt I was deprived of my soul, I had none left.” “Mason,” Mary's eyes watered. She patted Mason's cheek. He took her hand and planted a tender kiss on her palm. They froze looking into each other's eyes. “And then?” prompted Mary. “And then,” Mason sighed. “And then I got drinking more and more… A sect picked me up some place. Its dogmas were a fraud but I believed them for a while and it helped me survive and stop drinking. Then I met Victoria. She reminded me of you, she did. I started dating her. There was no love, we were no more than friends. But she was pregnant. By Cruz. And dad asked me to marry her to protect Eden.” “Oh no. And you accepted?” asked Mary not believing her ears. Mason just shrugged his shoulders. “I was thinking of making a family then. I wanted a family of my own, I needed someone to be around, to wait for me at home. Victoria needed a father for her baby. I thought it was a way out as good as any other.” “Why did you divorce?” “Because of Julia Wainwright. Do you remember her?” “I do.” “It all had happened before I decided to marry Tori. Julia wanted a baby. She was trying to find a candidate to father her baby, no strings attached. It was what I wanted. I wanted to leave some trace in this life. Julia would not accept me for a long while, I took some pains to convince her. We even signed a contract. As soon as Julia learnt I was dating Tori she called off our… attempts. I did not know they were a success, then. There was one point in the contract that came a surprise…” “That you'll care for the baby,” said Mary, half in question, half in affirmation. “Right.” Mason smiled. “You do know me so well, you always have.” “So your baby was born?” Mary asked with a delicate smile. “A daughter. Samantha,” said Mason with warmth in his voice. “And you married Julia?” “No.” “Why not?” Mason shrugged his shoulders again. “She expected this from me. We did live together, but I did not feel I was ready… I couldn't bring myself to this. Maybe I just knew I would not be able to love any one as much as I love you.” His words and his eyes made Mary's heart beat rapidly in her breast. Without thinking she reached out to Mason, and their lips touched. They were kissing like those dying from thirst take to water, trying to quench the thirst, never thinking they needed to breathe. “God, Mary, I still can't believe in this miracle,” said Mason gasping for breath, when he broke away from her lips. Mary's cheeks flushed as she smiled in embarrassment. “Neither can I… Mason, I've a question. Why are you here? Why were you with the rockers? Why did you give the name of Sonny Sprocket? And how long have you been wearing the earring?” Mary stopped short when she saw Mason was at a loss. “What?” said he feeling for the earring. He took it out and stared at it, puzzled. Mary did not understand. “Mason, don't you remember? Mason?” Mason took pains to give it some explanation. He licked his lips nervously and asked, “Mary, what month is it now?” Mary froze. “August. The end of August.” “What?” Mason asked, even more perplexed. “Wait,” said an anxious Mary. “And what did you think it was?” “June, the 13th…” They exchanged worried glances. Mary tried to pull herself together. “Wait, Mason. Now just tell me what you remember, the last thing you do remember.” Mason wrung his brow in thought. “Someone was trying to frame me for the murder of… there was a corpse found in the boathouse, and Mark's medallion on it, and everyone thought it was Mark's body. Keith jumped at the chance to start a case and frame it on me. I did not remember the time after the accident on the roof so well as I had been drinking so heavily, and so I had no idea if I had had any alibi. I decided not to wait till Keith locked me up in jail, and started an investigation of my own. There was some evidence that brought me to the church in Galita.” “The church?” Mary echoed in surprise. “Yes. I went there dressed as a beggar, and I traveled by an alias of course. But Father Michael figured me out, and he told me to go away. We had a quarrel that grew into a fight, and then there was an explosion… something hit my head so heavily…” Mason did not move staring into the emptiness, and then he turned to Mary in embarrassment. “And then I was here, and you were calling me by my name.” Mary was trying to analyze what Mason said. “Wait, now, it means you don't remember anything that transpired since that explosion till the moment I called you?” “Right.” “I need to consult a doctor,” Mary said getting on her feet resolutely. “No, don't go away!” Mason called in fear. “Don't be afraid,” Mary smiled at him. “I'm your nurse now. As Sonny, you scared off all the others, and no nurse would have you.” “So there's some good about that Sonny guy,” Mason said with a crooked smile. |