Half Life (5 page)

I see her eyes are growing heavy. 
“
Tired already?
”

“
Just a bit.
”

“
We can go back if you want?
”

“
No, not yet.
”

“
Come here,
”
I say softly.

She rests her head on my shoulder and I wrap an arm around her.  I feel blessed.  Here I am sat on this stunning beach gazing out at the sea, a beautiful woman beside me.  I feel alive again.

I don
’
t want this moment to end but half an hour later she
’
s barely awake.  So with the blanket in one hand and the other supporting Kate we walk back to the house.  But she
’
s so depleted she can
’
t make it up the steps so I scoop her up in my arms and carry her the rest of the way.  She nuzzles into my chest and if my heart could beat it would be going ten to the dozen right now.  Her hair smells of coconut and I drink it in.

I lay her back on the couch and sit beside her, careful not to touch her so she can regain some strength.

“
Get some sleep Kate.  You
’
ll feel much better,
”
I say softly.

Those lovely wide eyes flicker open and she smiles before they slide shut again.

“
Thank you Kate,
”
I whisper, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead but she doesn
’
t feel it because she
’
s already asleep.

Feeling alive and happy I settle down in the armchair with a book but I hardly regard the pages because I can
’
t keep my eyes off her.  Oh no, I can
’
t think like this, it can never be.  She needs a man who can give her everything, who can take her out, buy her things, give her children.

I sigh impatiently and cast the book aside.  The memory of my own life cut so short before it had really begun torments me.  I
’
d never loved Clara, I
’
d married her because my family insisted on it and Kate has made me realise what I
’
ve missed out on.  It
’
s so tragic that I
’
m only really starting to live now that I
’
m dead.

Kate sleeps three hours before she
’
s rudely woken by a loud banging on the door.  She jumps awake and stares at me.

“
Nothing to do with me,
”
I say.

“
Kate, open up,
”
yells a man
’
s voice.

“
I don
’
t believe it,
”
she gasps.

“
Who is it?
”

“
Michael, my ex-fianc
é
.
”
  She looks angry, defiant and a little scared all at once.

“
Open up Kate, I know you
’
re in there.
”

She gets up and stares at the door reluctantly.

“
I wont let him hurt you,
”
I tell her determinedly.

“
I know,
”
she replies.

Her eyes fill with that steel I saw so many times during our feud and she yanks the door open to reveal the man in the photograph, only now he
‘
s very red in the face.  I make myself invisible but remain in the corner of the room, should my assistance be required.

“
What do you want?
”
she demands coolly, one eyebrow arched and I can
’
t help but smile.  Magnificent.

“
My Stenenstaum,
”
he practically snarls.

“
Bless you.
”

“
Don
’
t mess about you bitch.  I know you took my sculpture and I want it back.  Now.
”

“
Why would I take that thing?  It
’
s hideous.  I used to think you only bought it to annoy me.
”

“
You always did like to make everything about you.  Where is it?
”

“
I repeat, I haven
’
t got it.
”

“
I don
’
t believe you.
”

She shrugs. 
“
I don
‘
t care what you believe.
”

“
If you don
’
t give it back right now I
’
ll call the police and have them take it back.
”

“
Call whoever you like.
”
 

She tries to shut the door in his face but he sticks his foot in it.  He
’
s a big man and with one shove it flies open and she staggers backwards.  He steps inside and slams the door shut behind him.  Not once does Kate
’
s cool demeanour slip and she folds her arms across her chest rebelliously.

“
If you don
’
t get out of here right now Michael I
’
ll be the one calling the police.
”

He looks around approvingly. 
“
This is a nice house.  How would you like me to take it from you, like I took everything else?
”

“
You can
’
t do that.
”

“
I can.  Give me back my sculpture and I might let you keep it.
”

She looks furious. 
“
Sod off you arrogant prick.
”

He grabs her by the shoulders, fingers digging into her flesh painfully.  I
’
m filled with fury that he
’
s hurting this beautiful brave woman so I grab his jacket and drag him backwards.  He releases Kate and stumbles away from her.

“
What
’
s going on?  Who did that?
”
he demands, whipping round but of course he can
’
t see me.

“
Did you know this house is haunted Michael?  The ghost doesn
’
t like you hurting me,
”
she snarls.

“
Ghost?
”
he laughs. 
“
You
’
ve lost the plot since you left the city.
”

Incensed I stand before him and he looks through me, still jeering at Kate and I shove him roughly.  This time he falls over onto his behind.

“
Who do you think did that then?  I
’
m warning you Michael, you should leave.  Right now.
”

“
No, there must be some other explanation, some trick,
”
he says although his eyes are filled with uncertainty.

“
No trick,
”
she says maliciously. 
“
Leave, while you still can.
”

“
Get out,
”
I bellow at him in my deepest scariest voice.

This has the desired effect.  He scrabbles to his feet and races for the door.  Before he leaves he pauses.

“
This isn
’
t over Kate.
”

In response I grab some books off a shelf and hurl them at him.  With a girlish scream he ducks out the door and races down the path to his big metal beast, jumps inside and speeds off.

I turn my attention to Kate, who despite her bravado looks rather shaken. 
“
Are you alright?
”

“
Yes, thanks to you.  One thing I never liked about him was his aggression.
”

She
’
s shaking rather violently so after closing the door I hug her, delighted when I feel her arms go around my waist.

“
He was my boss at the newspaper,
”
she begins. 
“
He was a good man once but over the years he became cold and cruel.  When he met a pert blond twenty three year old girl who wanted to be a journalist he gave her my job and kicked me out the door.  I fought him through the courts but everyone at the office took his side.  I can
‘
t really say I blame them because if they hadn
‘
t they would have lost their jobs too.
”

This is the first time she
’
s told me what happened and I
’
m pleased she
’
s opened up to me.

“
You
’
re better off without him.
”

“
I know.  I
’
m so glad it
’
s over.
”
  She smiles up at me. 
“
What would I do without you?
”

“
No, it
’
s you whose saved me Kate.  Before you I was a willow-the-wisp, a nothing.  Now I am alive.
”

The next thing I know her lips are against mine and it
’
s marvellous.  She feels so gloriously warm and wonderful.  When it eventually ends she remains in my arms.  All the fear and pain Michael
’
s appearance caused her has disappeared from her eyes, which are now light and playful.

“
I can
’
t believe I just kissed a ghost,
”
she smiles.

“
I didn
’
t know such a thing was possible,
”
I reply, absolutely stunned.  This woman has an infinite capacity to surprise. 
“
I hope I didn
’
t feel too cold?
”

“
Not cold exactly, more tingly.  It was nice,
”
she says demurely.

“
You are astonishing Kate.  You
’
ve just kissed a dead man and you
’
re not in the least disturbed by it.
”

“
That
’
s not how I see you Tom.  You
’
re one of the truest friends I
’
ve ever had and you
’
re very important to me.
”

I feel as though I could cry but hold the emotion back manfully.  No one has ever said anything like this to me before.  For the first time ever I feel valued.  We kiss again and it
’
s even better.  Then we pull away and laugh nervously.

“
I
’
m feeling very weak,
”
she says.

“
I must be drawing on your energy to kiss you.
”

“
It
’
s worth it,
”
she says, pressing her lips to mine once more.

This time it lasts longer, becomes more passionate.  Then she sags against me, considerably weakened.  I lead her to the couch and we cuddle up together to watch our show on the television, after which she
’
s sufficiently recovered.

We lock in another embrace, passion blazing like a flame.  Desire courses through me, something I never really experienced with my wife.  Unfortunately each kiss drains her of a little more strength and we have to break apart.

“
Let me try something,
”
I say.

Closing my eyes I concentrate on every electrical appliance in the house, taking the onus off Kate.  So when we kiss again I draw from the electrical sources.  Her tongue slips into my mouth and I groan and press her back into the couch.  I feel her hands on my back, warm and pulsating with life.  As the passion increases the appliances go haywire.  The television switches itself on and races up and down the channels, Beethoven once more erupts from the stereo, the microwave and blender whirr into life in the kitchen and the lights frantically flicker on and off.