what happened in a small town

part eighteen

Unnecessary side confrontations but they happen.

She left her aunt’s house with an empty mind and deaf feelings. It was strange that she did not collapse and her mind did not abandon its freeze, as if it was in shock, not comprehending the confrontations in which it was forced to be one of the parties. It was a heavy night for her, a night did not want to pass, and she was deprived of a safe path of escape above her bed under the covers.

She wandered a little in the semi-quiet streets, it was a normal night despite everything that had happened, the cold of the evening weather stung her because she had left the house without anything, she had forced herself to take a cold shower to revive herself frozenness from Harry’s confrontation with her, she put on gray cotton pants and a white sweater with short sleeves, her hair was still wet and her body was dewy before her aunt appeared and forced her to flee the house as well without even taking a jacket, the cold sting passing through her brought her back to attention every now and then.

She walked for a long time, just wandering until she reached Harry’s mansion, the largest house in the town and of course fit for the first lady of it, she wanted to tell him why she chose her choice every time, maybe she was wrong but she never stopped thinking about him or seeing him as an idiot.

She let herself in through the gate; the guard, who knew her well, let her in; she knocked on the door without hesitation; she was definitely going crazy, but who cares?

She sighed as the door opened, a lady in her late thirties appeared, a maid of Mrs. Helen’s, she cleared her throat and then opened her mouth with a foolish smile like a naughty child who knocked on the neighbor’s door to prank

“Good evening. I want to talk to Harry.”
She did not give the lady a chance to ask, but she did not stop wondering, and before she could answer her, a decisive tone disposed of her.
“Go.”

She appeared behind her with her usual dignity, she was in her nightgown, her black silk pajamas covered by a black silk apron worth a fortune, her blond hair was elegantly gathered, her eyes that had not yet been removed from their makeup were looking with disdain, her tone clearly speaking her name slowly.
“Marla.”

She said it as if she were presenting it to an audience on a stage as if she would be the entertainment of the night, her lips pursed, and the goofy smile barely appeared on her lips; she raised her fingers to put a wet strand of hair that had escaped her ear.

“Mrs. Helen, sorry to bother you, I’m just looking for Harry.”

The corner of her mouth rose with an eyebrow, her eyes rolled in mockery, and she muttered, “As usual.”

The other swallowed her saliva and did not comment. Helen sighed as she gripped the edge of the wooden door in a clear sign that she was not welcome here. “Not here; in fact, he hasn’t been home for days.”

She tilted her head, looking at her appearance, which she did not like. Clothes that, in her opinion, were not suitable for going out, wet hair, and she appeared at her doorstep at half past eleven at night to ask about her son, whose personality had changed since she returned. She stretched her lips at the end of her assessment to inquire in a tone that carried the meaning she intended. “Is there something happening?”

She shook her head as she stepped back, ready to leave. “No… nothing happened, I just forgot to tell him something.”
“Aha.”

She made a mocking statement as she continued talking as if she didn’t mean anything. “I would have helped you if I knew where he is, but like I told you, he hasn’t been home or work or even spoken to his fiancée in days.” She shook her head and continued her acting. “This reminds me of the time after you left, he used to do something like that.”

This woman is not saying anything extra or saying things she doesn’t mean; this is exactly what she means. She blames her for her son’s attitude, and she is right.
“I should have known this was coming since I knew you were back.”

Again she chose not to answer her, not only because she had no suitable answer to her words, but because she would never have this discussion with her, she would never put Harry in this position, she would never let her win by telling him that she had insulted his mother.

She had to admit that all attempts to provoke her into doing so had failed.

Marla moved her eyelashes, repeating politely, ending the argument before it began. “Again, sorry to bother you, Mrs. Helen. Good night.”
She nodded in a gentle farewell and turned to leave, under Helen’s angry eyes, but she did not give her a chance for peaceful victory.
“Marla.”

She stopped and exhaled slowly, turning to look at her with a questioning look that she had answered. “If you find Harry, tell him to talk to me and his fiancée because we are worried about him, and he shouldn’t punish us for the actions of other people."

She has heard she’s his fiancée from everyone she has spoken to in town; it’s not the classy way she uses it, which means she’s more upset than Marla realizes. She sighs, and the silly smile lingers on her lips, shaking Her head applausively.

“I’m not going to look for him anywhere else so I think you or his fiancée should tell him that.”
She nodded again and strode out the door, not happy that she had been defeated or not given what she wanted, not happy that she was hated so much.

Her feet led her to the street where Joan lived, and she thought about going up to her, but the security office informed her that there was no one in her apartment, so she returned to walking in the quiet streets alone, walking without a destination, with no one to turn to.
~~

She never entered the forest.
Marla thought about this as she walked along the woods that stretched behind Harry’s house, you could see them from the back windows far beyond the eye’s reach, she turned around the house and crossed the back path and walked aimlessly, just walking because there was nowhere to go, no one to turn to.

The coldness increases near the forest, the further she gets away from the neighborhood and deeper along the forest path the colder she feels, a slight shiver passes through her and she shudders as if it were not a hot summer night, but the weather decided to scold her as well, a silent cold sting without sounds, the tall trees stare at her silently as she thinks that she has never entered the forest, and she thought why not now?

She knows that this goal extends to the next town and beyond that to an area she does not know, some of it belongs to Harry’s family,