13 WINDOWS

Chapter 10 Part 1: The Secret

Sandra was apprehended by the police that night in her Rosedale home. Rupert was unable to calm her down when they arrived. She had struggled against the three police officers and she was finally subdued with pepper spray after she had bitten an officer's cheek. And because Sandra had been arrested several times before for political protests, she was held overnight in a holding cell at the police station.

Rupert picked up his mother after a court proceeding the next morning. She looked terrible. Her hair was frizzy and out of control, and she had tear stains running down her cheeks. But she was quiet. He drove his mother back towards Rosedale in silence. He had been up all night trying to get in touch with Serena. She had refused to unlock the door for Rupert and had bolted the door shut so his key was useless. He ended up staying in one of the guest bedrooms at his mother's house.

They were waiting to turn left onto the Sherbourne Street Bridge towards Rosedale when Sandra suddenly looked up, as if coming out of a dream, and she pointed towards a building.

"I used to teach English as a second language there," she said with a voice, whispering like a ghost.

"Yes I know Mom you told me," Rupert said rolling his eyes.

"Germans. I taught German students. And others too. From all over the world," she said, remembering.

He stared ahead coldly as the light changed. He turned left and started driving across the bridge.

"One of them was a Nazi," she said with contempt in her voice.

Rupert looked at his mother concerned. "Oh Mom let's just get you home and get some rest. Do we have to start talking about Nazis?"

They headed into Rosedale and approached the Glen Road Bridge, the longest of the bridges in the neighbourhood crossing the largest ravine, connecting two different sections of Rosedale. "Rupert stop the car! I need to tell you something."

"Mom let's just go home," he said exasperated.

"NO RUPERT STOP! I need to tell you something important." Rupert slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Rupert. A man I met there. He... he...." Her eyes flooded with moisture.

"Mom what?" he said, feeling more and more disturbed by her behaviour.

She turned to Rupert. "He...was obsessed with me."

"Okay Mom," Rupert said, looking in the rear view mirror, hoping they weren't blocking traffic.

"Rupert," she said looking at her son. Her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Rupert he attacked... raped... me."

Rupert just turned and looked back at his mother, stunned. After a moment he said, "Oh God. Mom. I'm so sorry." He could see that she was just an echo of who she once was. He leaned over and hugged her as she sobbed into his shirt.

Then she leaned into his ear and whispered loudly...

"And one day he came back!"

Rupert froze. And then she said even louder.

"And he took our Terry!"

She let go of Rupert and then opened the door to the car. Then she got out of the car.

Rupert said. "Wait Mom where are you going?"

Sandra was looking over the side of the bridge at the ravine below. Rupert got out of his car just as another car whizzed past, almost side swiping the car.

"Mom. Hold on!" he said urgently. He walked over to her and put his arm around her.

"Don't Mom. Don't think about it. Don't...jump. Don't do this to me again."

Sandra just stared down into the ravine, eyes red with tears. "I won't Rupert. I won't."

Rupert just kept his arm around his mother and the two of them stared out towards the large ravine. Her world was upside down.

(I will be publishing "Chapter 11: The Stalker" next week Monday Sept 21, 2020 which will conclude Part One of 13 WINDOWS. There are 3 parts in total.)