That goddamned thing

Chapter 13

We make our way up the ladder with difficulty, his swollen shoulder giving him a hard time. I come out of the Kitchen Island after him, seeing him leaning against the sink, his eyes closed. I take out an ice pack from the refrigerator as instructed by him and lead him to his bedroom. I try to treat his shoulder through his shirt but it is hard.

I hesitate but seeing that it is getting worse I say, "Uhm Alex, you have to take off your shirt."

He looks up at me and just stares. I raise my eyebrows and he says, "Well, uhm, I-"

I cut his words and say, "Come on, stop acting so manly. Just assume that I am your nurse."

"Yeah, okay." He says after a few moments and removes his shirt with a swift motion. The tan of his body is a little lighter than his hands and face. I find myself staring in awe at his hard, lean and magnificent frame as he sits before me. I can't tear off my eyes from him but after a moment of awkward silence, I turn around and pick the ice pack and touch it to his shoulder. He winces and I try to concentrate on anything else but his body, but it is impossible.

I notice some words inscribed in black ink on the top of his spinal cord. I lean down and look closely at them. They make the word Antonella. I feel a mixed feeling rise inside me, a feeling of seeing your lover with their ex – a feeling of jealousy. Maybe this was the reason of his hesitation to remove his shirt; maybe he didn't want me to see the name of a girl inscribed on his back in Italics. I run my fingers across his tattoo and ask, "An old girlfriend?"

He looks up at me and asks a little confused, "What?"

"Your tattoo. Is it dedicated to an old girlfriend?"

He looks down and says gravely, "No. Antonella was my mother."

Was. I realize how less I know about him.

"I am sorry." I say quietly removing the ice pack from his shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He says looking up at me smiling despite the sadness in his eyes. I put the soothing ointment over the swelled up area, spreading it lightly and tell him to rest.

"But let's first see what the box contains." He says.

I nod and fetch a lock opener. The lock is very rigid partially due to age and partially due to the rusting but it gives way finally and the lid of the box pops open. I slide the box across from myself to Alex on the bed and he lifts the lid slowly. It is his right to see what is inside first. His eyes open wide in astonishment as he sees what is inside. I crane my neck slightly to get a better view of what is inside.

I see two small and one large medal lying inside the box still attached to their ribbons. I budge slightly towards him as he picks the largest one. It is the size of a biscuit. I look closely at it and it has the same emblem carved on it as that on the crest of the box. Alex is quiet all this while so I ask him,

"Was your great-granddad a soldier during World War 1?"

He nods.

"Well, what are they doing here? Why didn't he take them with him?" I ask him picking up one the smaller medals in my hand.

"I don't know." He shakes his head.

I look closely at the medal. They are small but each of them must be worth a thousand pounds. They are ancient and the state would kill to have them. I put the medal back in its box and tell Alex to take a short nap. "Take some rest. It's good for your shoulder." He puts the medals in the box and I place it in the drawer in the side table.

"I will wake you up when dinner is ready." I say kissing his cheek. He smiles at me and lies down on his side.

 *