Martha

Chapter 20 The Man Behind the Door

Chapter 20
The Man Behind the Door

Great! I had it all! Not only because Paula ignored me in school, but also Martha had erased me from the map... her personal GPS, as limited as it had been already regarding to me. Believe me, it was worst than receiving a slap on my face, by the two ladies, at once! At work, Paula avoided me, notoriously abhorred my presence and then I had the slight sensation that the cartoon made on the board a day ago, of a woman dressed in a witch's dress and sexy lady dressed in carnival's costume, both wearing boxing gloves and a big VS. between them, had something to do with this predicament... How did they know? Small hellish town!

I tried, everyday since, to go the library to talk to her, but it just didn't work. Only answering to me plain yes or no, in her all fuck-you-up-professional tone was all I got. Not that I wanted to be her friend again, because, deep inside I was so disappointed with her childish manners, the way she treated Martha so mean and disrespectful... Argh! Jealous women... They all are the same!

Then I sat at home and pondered. It's true, I couldn't blame her. For me, I felt frustrated, a mix of guilt with anger I guess. It was part my fault. I gave Paula hopes. Perhaps she thought we were into a more formal relationship after going out a few times and after a few kisses. We had fun together. However, she was mean to my precious Martha.

In the other side of my pathetic "romantic" situation was Martha. After arming myself with valor, the other day I knocked on Martha's door... but no one answered. I looked up to the second floor's windows. I knew she was there, in the art room. The window was opened and the breeze made the curtains sway.

Maybe, she was finishing that portrait of mine, or maybe she tossed it away, or burned it in the fireplace.

Womanizing. That put me on the line of Fire in the end, but, what I've done to Martha? For what I know, I did nothing. I just tried to help that lady, making sure nothing was going to happen to her. And everything was flowing so smoothly, even better than I expected, for I didn't expect anything at all. It just happened that she, Martha, was the one that wanted ME to stay with HER sleeping TOGETHER in MY bed. I behaved well! I respected her and treated her well. How would I've known Paula would arrive to my house just like that, so early in a Sunday morning, that Sunday morning, to find Martha wearing nothing more than my t-shirt?

Ever since, every time I closed my eyes, I saw her, in MY house in MY t-shirt, sleeping next to me, kissing me, and those images haunted me. Sometimes for good. Yes, it felt so good thinking of her. My room still smelled like Martha and I only hated that sensation of emptiness in my bed, since that.

Two weeks gone and there were no signs of Martha... Acting like a zombie, I went to work that Friday and returned back home. I wondered why all my students were really happy. For some strange reason, all of them got A's in yesterday's test. Anyway, as I parked my jeep in front of my house, I noticed that Martha's front door closed after someone went in. I quickly stepped out of the Jeep and ran through the Great Manor's front yard, getting to the porch in seconds.

I rang the door's bell once - 'I know you are there pretty lady.' -and no one responded... I tried to wait, but impatiently I hit the button twice. Almost immediately, the door opened. For my surprise, it was not Martha who opened it. It was a man. A young, handsome and well dressed man indeed. Ipso facto, my blood all boiled up to my face and it all stopped there.

"Can I help you, sir?" The young man asked me in a thick foreign accent. His tone flavored with a hint of sternness.

Excellent! This guy was not only appealing as a Hollywood star, but he was European.What else could be worst for me?

"Um... No... well... I was looking for Martha... Is she here?" I asked feeling so stupid.

"And who are you, if I can ask?" The man squared up his back and broad shoulders. Of course to intimidate me.

"My name is Antonio. I just want to check on Martha, to see if she was doing better. I tried to imitate the male dominant thing but I think I failed, for the man was now stepping outside, making me to walk backwards. He closed the door behind him.

"And why wouldn't she be fine, Antonio?"

"Well, because she had an accident a few weeks ago, and I wanted to know how was she recovering of that."

"Excuse me sir, can I ask you, how do you know of her 'accident'?", the man inquired, in a deep severe tone.

"Well, because I took her to the hospital. I was here with her when she fell."

"Oh, really? You said you were here, with her?"

This unknown guy crooked smile, almost a mocking face while he talked.

"Yes I was, here, with her. And now... can I know who I am speaking with and what are you doing in Martha's house?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Ralph. I am Martha's brother... and it is a pleasure to meet the only man capable of trespassing Martha's dominions." Ralph stretched my hand with a strong shake. A wide grin glowed on his face. (Wait! Did he just say brother?) Ralph kept talking for he knew he had just left me speechless. "Well, you can come in. Any friend of Martha, and I didn't know she had friends, it's a friend of mine. Let's have a talk about my little sister, Antonio."

I followed Ralph inside. There were no signs of Martha and that worried me. That only meant one thing: I was alone with her big brother who wanted to talk with me about his little sister.