My One And Only

Before the car accident, I never believed in bad luck but now, I just want- just shut up Dolores! I sat on my creaky, rocking chair. My feeble fingers gripped a pair of needles, producing a clicky-click sound while I was knitting a new jumper for my daughter. I hope she likes it.

In a blur, a vision of blue and pink came rushing towards me with grins plastered onto their faces. “Granny, Granny! We broke a mirror by accident,” lisped the twins. I don’t know why they are so happy but smashing a mirror will sentence you with bad luck for seven years.

“Taylor and Tyler, you know that this gives you bad luck for a very long time.” My lips wobbled fearfully with a flashback creeping back on my mind.

“But mummy said stuff like this is complete rubbish.”

“Well, when I was quite small, I never used to believe in luck as well but something…happened.”

“Oh do tell us a story pwease,” they pleaded.

“Alright! Shush! Just don’t interrupt me or ask any questions OR make any kind of side comments.” They nodded mutely and took off to the kitchen. They returned with crisps, juice and popcorn. What am I, a cinema? They settled down on the carpet with widened eyes.  “ Okay, it was 1975, I was about 17 years old when mum was born-“

“Wow, you were young!”

“ I said no comments!”

“You didn’t mention about saying facts.”

“Fine! No sound, only silence is required.

“I felt the happiness spread through my body when my daughter, Lucy was born.  My husband, Tristan, was over the moon when he heard about it. Tristan is not really around at home because he is usually at University, which is on the other side of the country, doing his Ph.D. I sometimes felt ashamed that I was married to someone with an age gap of eleven years.

Crazy isn’t it?  Now I didn’t feel bad anymore.

My telephone blared my favourite song ‘Little Darling’. I answered the telephone, concealing my fit of giggles. ‘Hey Hun!’

‘Hey to you, Doll. Guess what!’

‘What?’

‘I’m coming home in an hour! And there’s more! A surprise is coming along the way!’

‘That’s marvellous.’ I did a little dance, making sure no one was watching, otherwise it would’ve been really embarrassing.

‘I have to hang up now. Bye!’

‘Bye sweetie!’  I hung up when I heard Lucy crying. I hurried to her and took a whiff of her nappy. Ew. Time to change her nappy.  I gave her a soothing bath and tucked her in her little cot. I found myself cooing at the sight of her. My eye was caught on the clock. Oh no! Only forty-five minutes left! I paced around the room thinking what to do.  Oh dear conscious… give me an idea.

I think I know what you can do.

What?

Scream around the room like a maniac.

Not helping.

Wasn’t planning on it.

Gosh, you’re no help!

Thanks for the compliment.

You're welcome-not!

I left my simply annoying mind and impulsively took off to clean the house. Well, it’s better than nothing. After forty-five excruciating minutes, I heard a soft chime near the front door. HE IS HERE. The tips of my lips turned up. I opened the door, automatically bursting into a hug.

‘Mon Chérie, the emotion that I’m feeling right is simply beyond words.’

‘Same here, Trist.’ I stepped back. He looked different. His hair was jet-black with light-brown highlights. The front of his hair was no longer short, but it was replaced with a long fringe, covering one of his sparkling sea-green eyes.

He no longer had clean-shave, but now a thin stubble highlighting his jaw line. He definitely looked different! ‘You look extremely different. What did you do?’

‘Well, I…uh…decided to ‘modernize’ myself up. I did all of this for you to match with your present.’

‘My present? How can you even look-oh my flipping fish!’ He gestured to a mint-condition car with my name scrawled across the bonnet. MY NAME! AND IT WAS A CONVERTIBLE! ‘Thank you a trillion. I love you so much. This is the most excellent gift, I ever had! But it’s so expensive.’

‘Nothing is expensive when you beg your parents for it.’

‘You cheeky monkey.’

‘And you’re my cheeky wife.’ I giggled like a girly teenage girl, wait I am a teenage girl.’ So, where is my Lucy-kins?’ I guided him upstairs where Lucy was sleeping soundly, with her violet eyelids fluttering open.

Eyes like her father.

Tristan cooed, I think we are pigeons. He picked up Lucy, cradling her. She looked at her father, scrutinizing him. She knows her father.  ‘She looks like an angel.’

‘That’s because, she looks like you.’

‘Really Doll, you are making me blush.’

‘Hehe. Shall we take your car for a whiz.’

‘We shall and one more thing it’s YOUR car.’ Blood rushed to my cheeks. It was a dream come true. I changed into my denim shorts and a plaid shirt. Next, I put Lucy in a fresh nappy with a frilly dress.

Beautiful.

Tristan helped me put her in her booster seat and fastened her seatbelt. We sat at the front, inhaling the floral scent. ‘Safety first,’ while putting on my seatbelt. He didn’t drive us to a typical town with bright lights dazzling you; instead he drove us to the calmest countryside even if it was miles away. My chestnut brown hair blew in the cool wind. The nature almost seemed homely.

‘Tristan.’ I broke the silence.

‘Hmm.’ Tristan was still paying attention to the breath-taking view.

‘Can we move here someday? It’s just so wonderful. It will be good for our health especially for Lucy. And the best thing would be that you could be more near the university. We both know that you are a fool for animals.’

‘Come to think of it, yes but we would have to take at least a year to move.’

‘Splendid! How about we stop and roam about in the fields?’

‘Sounds great.’ We got out of the car, taking Lucy out of her seat, who had fallen asleep. Aw, wasn’t she precious? Roses, tulips, daffodils, daisies and countless other flowers surrounded our legs. A ladybird flew and landed on my nose, crawling absentmindedly. ‘Doll, how did you grow a spot on your nose that quickly?’

‘You childish boy, it’s a ladybird. I named it Bob.’

‘How imaginative,’ Tristan answered sarcastically. I ignored his side comment and put the ladybird gently on Lucy’s dainty little finger. She watched it with amazement, and then started laughing hysterically when the ladybird started swarming upwards and flew.

‘Bye Bob,’ I whimpered immaturely. Tristan came with an emerald plant in his hand. ‘I found a four-leaf clover. It will bring you so much good luck.’ Tristan was very superstitious. That’s the only flaw about him and his deadly temper.

‘You know, I don’t believe this junk. It’s just a coincidental thing.’

‘Fine, suit yourself,’ he growled.  I suddenly felt thirsty. I decided to ignore it. I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! NEED WATER!

‘Do we have water in the car?’

‘Uh…no don’t think so. We have hot chocolate.’

‘Not in the mood. Can’t I just go to the nearest shop and get a big bottle of water?’ I begged giving my husband a big frown.

‘Okay. Okay! Enough! Just come in exactly five minutes.’

‘Don’t be such a worried William.’ He threw his keys at me, typically dropping it.  He smirked. Clumsy me.

‘Take care of Lucy,’ I hollered. I heard the sweet sound of the engine starting. I obviously had no idea where I was but, why bother? I kept on driving until I was tired with my tongue hanging out like a bulldog. This is not five minutes, more like an hour.

Oh MAN!  Unexpectedly, a shop with a flashing sign screaming ‘A simple shop’ stood there near a farmhouse.

 How lame.

 I halted the car. I locked the car and entered the shop swinging my hips, happily.

I grabbed two bottles of water with a small carton of milk. The plump lady at the till was very cheerful, commenting how pretty I was.

 People were so nice here.

‘Thank you for coming, love.’ I waved goodbye while exiting the store. Something caught my eye.

Who could do this? My eyes were watering. What would Trist say about this? A tree had been knocked into his car, which made a huge dent on the driver’s door. I have to cover this.

Fast.

 I hopped into the car, trying to remember the route. Sweat was pouring down my forehead. My teeth remained clenched until the end of the journey.

My husband’s expression was definitely not happy.

‘Where have you been young lady? I have been waiting for two hours. Even Lucy started crying because you took too long. Explain yourself.’

‘Well, there was a dead bird on the road so I did a small funeral for it. Also, when I went to the store. The shopkeeper showed me her choking hamster, so I performed CPR on it. Come on, I was trying to be nice and save the humanity,’ I lied completely, not even feeling one bit guilty. What’s wrong with me?

‘That’s okay. I will let you off. But next time, there will be trouble.’

 I can’t believe he believed it! Even a two year old wouldn’t trust that! He started to walk towards the car.

 He will see the car!

‘Heyyyy, how about we swap roles. It’s a good game. You can be the wife and I can be the husband. That means I drive and you put Lucy in her booster seat.’ I quickly put my bottom against dent.

‘ Wow, you’re jumpy all of a sudden. If you say so, then I will play your game.’  I thanked God for protecting me. The way back was quiet, too quiet.

When we were just 20 minutes from our home, he croaked,’ the petrol level is very low. Let me fill it up.’ While I was stupidly drooling on the steering wheel, I didn’t notice that- ‘Dolores! What in world have you been hiding from me! How dare you spoil my car!’

 Oh, so now it’s his car now.

‘Come here you useless b***h!’ He grabbed me by my hair, not realizing that he was causing a scene.

 The colours around me turned hazy. I tried to run from his grasp but he ended up ripping my shirt from the back, revealing my rather provocative lingerie. 

 

‘You s**t! I never should’ve ever met you. I was just your English teacher and someone just came waltzing in and took over my life.

 Someone who is now married to a man who is 11 years older than her.

Someone, who has given up her education for nothing,

Someone, who is careless,

Someone, like you, Dolores,’

He spat my name in disgust.  Did he hate me that much? ‘Your filthy child is nothing but an extra sh*t to feed. She will grow up to become a prostitute just like you!’

‘But dear, I never-‘

‘Don’t you ‘dear’ me. It was nothing but a f*cking mistake to marry you. You impulsive, lovesick teen!’

 He threw me against the side mirror of the car. It shattered into a million pieces.

I felt blood seeping through my hair.

‘Look what you did! You have cursed us with bad luck!’

‘But-But luck is stupid.’

‘Just shut your effing gob. Now, get in the frigging car.’ I wrapped a piece of cloth around my head.

 I don’t want to get hit again if I stain the seat. Lucy didn’t stop crying; she wailed like a siren but Tristan turned around and slapped her and cried even more. ‘Tristan don’t hit her; she’s only a baby.’

‘I’ll hit you instead,’ he roared, raising his hand. I scrunched myself helplessly to defend myself. As he was about to hit me, an earsplitting horn filled our ears. A lorry was coming towards us.

‘Turn around, quickly. Please.’ He turned right. The truck followed our path. I tighten Lucy’s belt and mine. Tristan wasn’t even wearing his belt.

 My hands reached his side. He flinched away from me. ‘Put your belt on! Just do it! NOW!’ He continued to ignore me.

I saw a huge rod smash through the windscreen. An immense jerk crumpled the car, vacuum-packing us. Groans and moans filled the car.

Black dots covered my vision.

My eyes trembled open.

 Sharp pins ran through my body.

 

The room was plain white with not even a speck of dust in the room. A bleeping monitor sat next to me.

Where was I? Where are my baby and husband?

I screamed at the top of my voice, kicking the air until two women ran inside and injected me with an oddly yellow liquid.

 

My eyes drooped down and sleep took over me. 

My eyes shot open. The stinging irritated my eyes. My hands and feet were tied with metal bands. Was I some prisoner?

‘Hello, I’m Sue. You have just woken up from your two-month coma. You experienced a car accident with your husband and your child.’ Coma? Car accident? What’s going on?

‘Where-where are they? I want to see them. Take me to them,’ I demanded.

‘Your baby is been taken in care by her foster parents. I must say she is a ball of sunshine.’

‘She is my child! Give her to me! Where is Tristan?’

‘But-I can’t say. It’s better if you see him yourself.’ Sue started pushing my bed out of the room, hitting me with scents of medicine, blood and death. Sue opened the room slowly-almost memorising her movement. Tristan lay there with a brooding expression on his face.

 

Life was sucked out of his lively body. ‘ I am sorry but he died as soon as you woke up.’ And BAM! Fat tears rolled down my cheeks.

 

My lips trembled. My hands furrowed up.

 

My sugar lump was dead.

 

I didn’t even get to say goodbye.  Sure there was an extreme down in our marriage but in the end, he was the most wonderful person in my life. I struggled to touch his face.

 

It was cold like ice.

 

He made no single movement. Still. Finally at peace, while I was stuck in Earth-hell.

‘I’m sorry.’

My head jolted up. Did he just say-no, he didn’t. I was hallucinating. Yeah, I am paranoid. Maybe, I should be admitted to a mental hospital. I looked at him.

Same dead Tristan however, there was a tiny smile frozen on his face. Sue popped inside and placed a sheet over his face and carted him away.

 Goodbye.

 His cologne lingered in the room. 

Maple leaves and vanilla.

Nothing mattered in the world. He mattered the most.

‘Before he died, he wanted me to give you this,’ interrupted Sue. She put a four-leaf clover in my hand. It brought me good luck, giving me the potential to stay alive.

After recovering fully, Lucy was with me again but she always muttered ‘dad’ every time she saw the broken car (which I begged to keep) in our garage.

I never touched the car again because it had too many memories trapped into it. 

The only side effect, of the accident was that it make my bones weaker so later, I became diagnosed with arthritis. Lucy got night-blindness but that’s not too bad.

Still, that car accident has still affected me still to this very age.”

Without realising, the twins were sleeping with their thumbs placed inside their rosebud mouths. Next to me, Lucy was sitting there, with tears filled with anger in her almond shaped eyes.

“Mother, you never told me that but you told the twins. You said dad ran away. You lied to me. After all these years, dad died before I knew him. So that’s why never let me throw that battered up car away,” cried Lucy.

“I only did that to protect you. Here, here is a picture of your father.” I took out his picture out of the chest of drawers. Lucy studied the picture in detail however; her eyes froze at one corner of the picture.

“You stuck that clover in the photo,” she whispered.

“Yes, because it brought me all the luck I needed.”

“It’s green like mine and my dad’s eyes.”

“The most beautiful colour in the world.”

Author's Note

Excuse the grammatical and other silly mistakes. Thank you for your co-operation.