FINDING JASPER

A long journey to hostile countryside.

 

Chapter 3

FINDING JASPER

 

The next day Briony woke up from a deep sleep, and found Auntie Mati was having her breakfast in the living-room. Alden was having his breakfast in his bedroom.

Auntie Mati asked Briony, “Are you sure you want to leave today?”

“It’s very important to see Jasper. I haven’t driven all the way up here in this weather for pleasure.”

Alden entered the living-room, “When you’re ready, well go to the hospital.”

“What are you going to do at the hospital?” Briony asked.

“I’ll wait for you in a nearby café, and then you can come and tell me all about your visit with Jasper.”

Alden asked Briony to let him drive. “The roads up here are covered in snow, besides always being dangerous, and today they’ll be much worse.”

“Whatever you like. I don’t enjoy driving much.”

 

Mati opened the front door onto a totally white world. Briony wanted to know where Grandfather was, but was told he never got up till the cleaning was finished. Alden said that his grandfather predicted Briony’s return to the house. Mati gave them kisses and victuals.

Alden and Briony had to dig their way through the snow to get her car out and onto the road. Alden got the car started up, however, they had to move slowly.

“I think it’s going to take all day to get there,” Briony said.

“Don’t you believe it, by midday we’ll be at the hospital.”

Briony sat staring into space, her head going round in circles over and over, about Jasper’s possible motive for running off. Alden broke into her thoughts asking her for coffee. On either side of the road were solitary houses, while on the road there was light traffic.

“Alden, where are your parents?”

“They died a few years ago. They weren’t as strong as Grandfather and Auntie Mati. Travelling amongst so much whiteness made the eyes become very tired. Up where they were, one snowfall was quickly followed by another, and the winter was very hard. A snowplough came towards them. The enormous vehicle pushed the snow to both sides of the road creating artificial cliffs. The winter countryside was nothing at all like it would be in spring and autumn. The driver of the snowplough waved to them.

“The journey should be quicker from here on,” Alden said.

Briony and Alden finished up the coffee, and the car moved faster than ever now it was on a clear and smooth surface. More cars appeared on the road, which meant the village couldn’t be far off. Snow blown against the windscreen worsened visibility and Alden slowed down. The church was the building that stood out in the white village.

“Alden, the hospital can’t be far, as it’s said to be near the church,” Briony stated.

The line of cars in front of them entered the village carefully. At the entrance there were signposts indicating the church, the centre, the hospital, and the town hall. Briony couldn’t stop asking herself the same question: Why had Jasper gone there?

The hospital was rather small, it was nothing more than a big house surrounded by a garden and many trees. The hospital and the church were both built of red brick, which was the only colourful detail against all the white.

Alden offered to accompany Briony to the hospital and she agreed.

The receptionist in the hospital looked up Jasper’s name on the computer and said, “Yes, it’s true your husband was brought in as having been involved in a traffic accident. He had concussion and was unconscious, but was allowed to leave the day before yesterday.”

Alden said, “Wasn’t his recovery rather quick?”

“I’m not a doctor, and can tell you only what it says here on the screen.”

“Who was the doctor who attended him? Is it possible to see him?”

“I’ll let him know you're here. His name is Doctor Quinn.”

They didn’t have to wait long. The door opened, and a short blond bearded man entered. He introduced himself, “Good morning. I’m Doctor Quinn. Nora here says you want to see your husband. I’d like to see him too. He left after being brought in suffering from severe concussion.”

Briony told the doctor how she’d been informed by the police. The doctor didn’t understand how Jasper could have been in any condition to leave the hospital. He maintained that his substitute had been working in his place, and had informed him that Mr Tello was well enough. He wanted to leave, and signed all the relevant forms. Alden asked Nora whether Jasper had received visitors or had phone calls. Nora said that Jasper was unconscious the whole time. When Alden asked if they could see the doctor’s substitute, the answer was that he wasn’t in the hospital at that moment. Nora told them she had seen a car waiting outside the hospital, but she was unable to say whether the driver was a man or a woman. Both Alden and Briony were offended by the lax attitude of the doctor, and she felt she was being made to look foolish.

 

They left the hospital, and went to get something to eat, and tried to work out what had actually occurred to Jasper. Briony rang Michael, “It seems your father had a miraculous recovery and left the hospital.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s still missing. Be very careful. There’s something in all of this I don’t like. I’m going to have lunch, and then start the journey back home.”

Alden was looking at the menu, “What would you like to eat?”

“Nothing heavy. I have to go home.”

“Don’t you feel any curiosity about what might have happened to your husband?”

“Not at all.”

“In your place, I’d not only have felt curiosity, but anger for having made such a long and fruitless journey,” Alden commented.

“You’re not in my place. I did it for me, not for him.”

Alden said nothing about Briony’s reaction.