Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 86 - Dead of Night

That night, a waning moon rose in the sky. It waited patiently as one by one the tired citizens of Buriti returned to their homes. She stared down and watched Escobar leave his house with a change of clothes tucked under his arm. Once again, he would borrow Eloy's car and drive to Marumbi, where he would spend another night at the hospital with his wife.  

Curious, the moon peeked behind heaps of grey cottony clouds. Her gaze followed a shadowy figure and saw it arrive at Escobar's portico half an hour after his departure. She witnessed as the lights blinked out in almost every home and when the night guard's last whistle echoed throughout the empty street, she spotted a solitary boy hurrying with a bicycle by his side.  

After walking around the church's backyard for a few minutes, where he left the bike, the boy headed toward a block of attached houses. Although modest, these homes had a privileged location. Their windows faced the town square, where tropical almond and white jasmine trees framed green wooden benches and a dry central fountain. This street ended at the docks, which bustled with splashy restaurants and quaint shops during the day. Now, at this late hour, it was blissfully quiet. All one could hear were the waves crashing against the harbor stones and the soft creak of tied up boats.  

Across from building numbered 23, Theo stopped. It was a two-story house painted in earthy colors. A small door stood at street level, flanked at each side by a large window. The top floor was a replica of the ground one except that, whereas the latter had a door, the first had another window instead.  

Theo double-checked the blurred address in his palm. Fortunately, his own handwriting was still readable. Yes, this was Abel's house according to Agnes. Since Mica was not in the designated meeting place, he assumed she had to be at Abel's home. Now how was he supposed to find out which window belonged to her room? 

He narrowed his eyes to an upper floor window on the right side. It was the only one casting out a dim light. A lampshade, Theo supposed.  

As the evening breeze blew in, gauzy curtains billowed inside. 

Theo checked his wristwatch. It marked eleven thirty-four. Ringing the doorbell did not seem a suitable option. Besides the inappropriateness of the hour, he could not bear the thought of having the door answered by Abel.  

Then a better idea occurred to him. He crossed the street and hid behind a tree. Just like a hippie, he hugged the barky trunk, trying to get a glimpse inside the room. Maybe, if he could spot a shadow, he would be able to discern its owner. 

Already on his toes, he craned his neck, wishing the extra inch would give him a much better view. Unlucky for him, the dim light went out that very instant.  

The room went completely dark and to make things worse someone pulled the curtains shut. There was nothing else to see.  

Theo cursed his life, Abel and everything else he could think of. Unable to come to terms with his bad fortune, he did not move.  

Earlier that day, Agnes and him had spent over an hour trying to find out discreetly where Abel lived. When they finally did, Agnes convinced Theo to let her go talk to Mica alone.  

If the facts Agnes had relayed to him were accurate, Mica had received the old messenger on the doorstep. There, they sat and talked for a short time. When Theo asked Agnes what they had discussed, she refused to tell him. The only thing she said was that he should meet Mica at the church's backyard after dinner.  

Since after dinner meant after his parents were sound asleep, Theo could see now how this seem quite late for a meeting. He borrowed Agnes rusty, gearless bicycle to get there faster, which in retrospect was a horrible idea. The uneven stones in the pavement made him go even slower at the risk of breaking a limb or even his neck. He could picture Mica's pout as she laid under the sheets, thinking he had stood her up again.  

Despite this discouraging image, Theo kept observing the house. He waited for a miracle but the clock ticked away and nothing happened. Until something did.  

First, the church bell started tolling, announcing it was now a quarter to midnight. Next, Theo watched the house's door slowly disappeared into the dark. Whoever opened it did not want to be seen, as all the lights inside remained turned off.  

Theo squinted his eyes and first discerned a silhouette at the doorframe. Then, as the shadow stepped forward and into the street, the beam of a nearby streetlamp revealed it was Mica. 

She had barely shut the door when she thought she heard a sound.  

"Psst!" 

It had come from the square. Mica searched around but the street was dead. Two steps later, it happened again.  

"Mica!" She could swear someone had hollered her name. 

Turning again to look for whoever was calling her, she saw what looked like a tree unnaturally waving a branch at her. 

Mica had no doubt nor shame. It is common knowledge that as midnight draws closer, dreadful, hair-raising things are known to happen. Quicker than a ghost flies through a wall, Mica vanished inside the house and double-locked the door behind her.