The Merderer

XI

Sunday.
October 4, 2038.

It was a wet day. The sky was cloudy and sounds of thunder echoed all over. Dirty snow was being washed away by the rain. Snow caused by dirty shoes, cars and everything dirty. Children were playing in the rain, wearing their rain coats and boots, grateful for the not so cold weather. Their parents were yelling at them to come back into the house. The children paid no attention to them, they kept dancing in the rain and having the time of their lives. Houses were lit warmly. Glorious scents of food emanating from them, their cheerful laughs beckoning Marilyn to come join their fun.

Marilyn left early to attend mass. She wore a long and black gown and crowned her hair with a sad black hat. She didn't bother to take a rain coat or an umbrella because she now drove a hand me down car. She had used up her savings to get one. She no longer saw the need to save her money. Her savings account was gradually running dry. She had quit her job some days ago and she no longer babysat for her neighbours. Many of them wondered what the matter was with her, such a friendly girl had become a sadist.

Marilyn hadn't gone to church in years. In her heart, she was irredeemable. She felt that God could never forgive all her sins. But today, she needed some words of hope, she needed to feel her sanity again. The priest talked about death. He said, it was inevitable. 'We are all going to die one day, what matters is how we die. In sin? or in glory? People die all the time, young or old, weak or strong, poor or rich, it doesn't matter. Death is unstoppable and when it happens to the ones you love, you have to let them go. You have to move on with your lives. Jesus died for us, to redeem us of all our sins. Death isn't always bad, sometimes, it can be for a greater good..'

She blocked his voice out at this point. A greater good? Adamark died for no reason. He was poor and innocent, yet he still died. Her eyes became blinded with tears. She could no longer see properly. She blamed herself for the death of her friend. She could see the mouth of the priest moving, but she could no longer hear him talking. She composed herself until the end of the mass, then she walked out of the church. She saw a lot of familiar faces, they all look concerned for her. She told them not to worry, that she only caught a cold. Mrs. Edinson didn't seem to believe her story.

She drove home as quickly as she drove to the church. The church wasn't half as far as the bar, but she didn't have the strength or desire to walk. She took her clothes off and got into the covers of her bed. She cried herself to sleep like she had been doing for a while now.

_____________________________

Someone was knocking at her door. She woke abruptly with a slight headache. She got into a robe and walked slowly to the door. Through the peephole, she saw the face of a man. He looked familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. She opened the door and didn't say a word. They both stared at each other. She noticed the man was soaking wet and she thought of asking him to come in, but the words couldn't seem to come out of her mouth.

"May I come in?" he finally asked, after minutes of silence.

Marilyn opened the door wider to allow him come in. The man went to her couch and sat on it, wet clothes and all. He realized what he was doing and removed his wet jacket and shoes. Marilyn sat in a couch opposite to him, she looked like a visitor in her own house. She stared wide-eyed at him, expecting him to say something.

"I see you don't remember me," he said.

Still wide-eyed, she shook her head at the short man.

"Oliver. The bad cop, remember?"
He snapped his fingers as if to make her memories come back.

She still stared blankly at him.

Oliver began noticing her appearance. The active woman he saw then had now become a woman without emotions. She looked depressed and sick, so did her house. None of the lights were on and it was dusty. Almost like no one lived in it. Her kitchen just across the living room was bare and barren. What had happened to her? He stood with the intention of making her coffee, but even her cabinet had nothing in it. Wearing his jacket and shoes, he left the house and went to a supermarket. He felt sorry for her. He felt like he caused all this. He should have followed her as soon as possible that day. He had accepted that people were right about him, a good-for-nothing man. He bought many groceries for her. He added a few drinks and junk food.