The Violin
20 Oct 2014It had been raining fox six days in Walbridge. One more and it would be the longest that Kate could remember. She was returning home from a long day at work. She slipped and fell in a puddle as soon as she got out of her car in the morning. Drenched, she had to work in her gym clothes after that. Now the traffic. She was frustrated. All she wanted was to get home.
Kate had been living with her fiance, Adam whom she met back in college. Adam worked as a marketing consultant for a paper factory. While Kate was struggling with the rain, Adam was off in California enjoying the awesome weather. He was there to score a deal that might just earn him a partnership at the factory. Adam was supposed to be back today. Depending on how the weather was. He loved driving and, to Kate's protests, still wanted to drive back in the rain. There were warnings of flash floods and fallen trees but he didn't listen. Kate was worried about him. Her cellphone was not working thanks to the puddle. For a 'smart' phone, the lack of water resistance was puzzling.
Kate reached home and just sat in the car, parked in the garage. Thinking about her day. She was a hiring cum human resource manager for an IT firm. They had recently scored a deal with the government. It was a job that needed people who could be trusted with the government secrets. That meant citizens only and that too, after a long screening process and background checks. It was a long an tedious process and the rain wasn't helping. With poor cellphone reception, late arrivals and frequent cancellations, Kate was having a real bad week.
She turned off the engine and got inside the house. There was a message for her on the answering machine. It was from Adam. He had called to let her know that he had left the hotel and was headed back. He couldn't reach her cellphone and was worried about her. That made her smile, how much he cared. She tried calling him back but couldn't get through. 'Must be the rain,' thought Kate.
She really needed a hot bath. She started running the water in the tub and began to undress. Kate was a beautiful woman. Slender and tall, with long dark hair that reached her lower back, green lively eyes and lush lips. She liked to read while relaxing in the tub but she was too tired for that today. She put on some music and lowered herself in the steaming water. She was worried about Adam driving in this weather. He had been gone a month this time. She missed his presence. His touch. In two days, it would be a year since he proposed her. He had just found out about the promotion which made him the head of marketing at the factory. They were out celebrating when he popped the question. It was the happiest day of their lives. Kate didn't realize when the fell asleep to the soothing sound of the piano.
Kate woke up, quite abruptly, when she heard a loud music playing somewhere. It wasn't the stereo she had put on. It was coming from the basement. It sounded like Violin.
'Adam, is that you?' she cried out. She got up and snatched her bathrobe and hurried downstairs. Adam had recently taken into playing the Violin and liked practicing in the basement. Which was all right for Kate since she found it irritating. Especially since Adam couldn't play very well. He was playing 'Love is Blue' by Paul Mauriat. It was their song. He has been practicing for ages now. Kate opened the door and saw Adam by the notation stand, his violin in his hands. He saw Kate and kept the Violin aside and embraced her. 'I missed you,' he said and kissed her.
Kate pushed him on the floor while kissing his neck. Adam slid the bathrobe over her breasts and kissed them. She tore the buttons of his shirt as he removed her robe. They had been apart too long and neither one of them could take it anymore. They engaged in wild sex right there on the hard wood floor of the basement. It ended with both of them exhausted, naked, and tangled in each others arms. "That was the best till now." said Kate, kissed Adam again and slept.
Kate woke up to loud banging on the door. She looked around her, Adam had left. She could see the buttons of his shirt sprayed across the floor. She covered herself and went upstairs to open the door. It was a policeman. "There they are, again!" thought Kate. She opened the door.
"Are you here for another background check on me or my fiance?" Asked Kate.
"No mam. I'm here about something else. May I come in?"
"Yes" said Kate wondering what it could be about.
"I'm detective Lewis. I'm afraid I've some bad news for you." said the officer. "Your fiance, Mr. Adam Gates. We found his car crashed on I5 just outside the town. I'm sorry but he didn't make it."
"No! You must be mistaken. He was just here, with me." exclaimed Kate as she fainted. She woke up with a paramedic hovering over her. Detective Lewis was there too. She kept saying Adam was with her. She tried his cell, it didn't work. Lewis insisted she come to the morgue and help identify the body. She agreed, reluctantly. They opened the door and uncovered the face of the body. Kate screamed. It was Adam. She fainted again.
"Congratulations! You've recovered well." Said Dr. Collins to Kate. It was a month since the incident. The police had labeled it as hallucinations. Stress related. There was no evidence of anyone ever being in the house except her. Dr. Collins was her psychiatrist. She believed Kate had recovered after an intense therapy session. Kate had resumed her job, she was still in mourning over Adam's death. She couldn't believe that the most wonderful moments she spent with Adam were all just a figment of her imagination. That's what Dr. Collins said anyway.
Kate was in the final stages of the government job. She had to get a clean bill of health. Mentally and physically, before she could lead the HR division again. Dr. Collins was confident of her recovery. She asked a nurse to do the physical exam as she prepared her final report. Kate would get the results the next day.
She returned from work and was cooking when she heard the phone ring. It was Dr. Collins. "Congratulations Kate" said the doctor, "your results are in. You're pregnant. You didn't tell me you were seeing someone." "That's impossible!" exclaimed Kate, horrified. She dropped the phone. She heard loud music somewhere. It seemed to be coming from the basement. It sounded like Violin.