A SMILE IN A WHISTLE

Chapter 45

Although the new windows were only little, it wasn't as simple as Sam thought it would be to put them in... He had already devoted three hours into cleaning and fixing his sailboat, and yet he was still on the job at lunchtime. It was lucky the sun was shining; if it had been raining, it would have been a whole other kettle of fish! Sam ignored his stomach's loud growling and set his mind to finishing the top priorities, particularly installing the replacement windows.

"So, this time it's for good?" a deep voice shouted out, breaking Sam's most-needed concentration.

He turned to the cabin door. Sarah's brother was standing on the dock, observing him.

"Are you leaving for good?" Mark repeated.

"What does it look like?" Sam replied with his arms wide open, holding a screwdriver in one hand and a bunch of nails in the other.

"It's for the best. Sarah is probably going to get back with her old boyfriend, anyway. He suits her much better."

Sam tried his best to ignore his spiteful comments.

"Now we're even," Mark said. "I won't tell the police about your perversity, and you won't press any charges against me."

"I have proof of your aggression," Sam put forth, sick of his accusations. "You're not dictating the rules anymore, Mark. If I didn't care about Sarah, I would have sued you already!"

"I know what I saw!" Mark stated in return.

"You twisted it into what you wanted to see, and you made a horrible allegation out of it!"

"Then tell me Sam, what happened?" Mark sneered.

"I don't remember. Just like Sarah doesn't remember. It must have been something genuinely insignificant for both of us to forget, don't you think? Instead of letting us be happy, you altered her perception of me with your hideous insinuation!" he said, losing patience.

Sam had the feeling Mark had only come by to rattle his cage, and he had no energy to deal with it... He had already spent a depressing week after Sarah had pushed him away. What could the future possibly offer me that could make up for the loss of Sarah? he thought, demoralized.

"Go away. You've won," Sam told Mark. "Sarah doubts me and doesn't want anything to do with me ever again. You can't harm me any more than that."

Mark stood still on the dock. He seemed to be thinking of something. What kind of vicious scheme is he planning now? worried Sam, wishing he would just leave. Then, Mark questioned his relationship with Sarah a little further...

"Did you have feelings for my sister when she was young?" he asked Sam.

"What?"

"You speak of her as if you have always loved her. When she was eleven years old, did you love her?"

"Why would you care about my feelings then? You haven't even taken them into consideration these past few months..." replied Sam.

"Just curious," Mark said with a nasty grin on his face. "I think you're pathetic... Falling for a little girl to make up for your dead parents. You were obviously desperate."

Sarah's brother walked away immediately after saying those snarky words. Sam would have given anything to tear his own heart out... It ached so bad, he could hardly breathe.

On the spur of the moment, his emotions got the better of him. He lost his grip on the screwdriver and nails, which all fell to the floor, and hurried onto the dock. He grabbed the metal pole that was leaning on the side of the boat, and sprinted towards Sarah's brother. Mark heard the quick, frantic footsteps behind him, and turned around to mock his opponent. As Sam got closer to his target, he held the pole high over his shoulder, ready to strike. But then his pace began to slow down... Instead of going through with his intended attack, he stopped a few steps away from Mark and dropped his weapon onto the dock. Sam stared at him in misery. He was incapable of doing any harm, even though Mark had crushed him many times without mercy. Tears started to blur his eyesight. He felt weak, humiliated and defeated.

"I knew you didn't have it in you," said Mark.

He finally left the premises. Sam fell to his knees, beaten up inside.

That evening, after spending the day fumbling in his sailboat all the while facing unsurpassable heartbreak and frustration, Sam passed by Josephine's apartment. As soon as she opened the door, he crashed into her arms, begging her to let him stay for the night. He needed someone to help him get back on his feet, and he was a little too proud to fall apart in front of Carl.

After letting her down a couple of months before, Sam was afraid his ex-fiancée wouldn't even listen to him. But Josephine cared too much about him to let her disappointment win over their deep affection for one another. She ordered Chinese food and they talked for hours about everything. Sarah, Mark and his past. By nine p.m, Sam gave into his exhaustion and zonked out on the sofa. Josephine covered him with a heavy blanket, tenderly kissed him on the edge of his lips and turned the lights off. She was glad he had knocked on her door.

END OF PART FIVE.