The Cries of the Butterfly - A LOVE STORY (39 page)

And again and again.

He tried all the tricks he knew: he shook her, tried to humor her, went eyeball to eyeball, shouted in her ear, shook her some more, scolded her, pleaded with her, begged her forgiveness, tried to scare her, even threatened to leave and never come back…

But she stood there steadfast, facing him insensibly, statuesque. Her eyes were dark pebbles and her face a flat white wall.

Wolf regarded her quietly for a while, then finally exhaled and let her go. He dropped on his butt and sat back against the parapet.
Sweet shit, what’s happened to her!
He remembered the header in The New Halcyon Tribune: ‘Little Robin becomes suicidal’. A chill shivered down his column. He dropped his head to his knees and hugged his shins. First Savannah, now his little baby. He was losing them both. Perhaps he had already lost them both.
God, help me! Please!
Oh, but then there was no such entity, so what was the point in praying to someone who simply didn’t exist?

“Yes, I know,” he said at length, not looking up. “And I’m so sorry. But what could I do, they just didn’t allow me to see you. I came last night, but they threw me out. They wouldn’t even let me inside the compound.” He shook his head. “They said that if I married your mom, or even continued to see her, they wouldn’t permit me to bring you home. How could they do that? The whole damn world has turned against us, even your grandpa. They simply don’t want us to be happy together. What have we ever done to anyone…why are they torturing us like this? All we want is to be happy together, to live our lives quietly. But they won’t allow that. Is that fair…is it?!” And he fell silent. The breeze was mild and the night passive. Stripey was untiring in his search for the mysterious treasure.

For a long time there was supreme stillness.

Then suddenly there was pressure on Wolf’s right shoulder. It was so gentle he didn’t feel it at first. The pressure swelled a little and he drew in a quick breath and looked up. Her hand was on him. But her face was as deadpan as before. Wolf regarded her quietly for a minute. Then he lowered his face again.

And then he was grabbed—an ardent arm went around his neck. A soft little cheek mashed against his face. And Stripey stood on hind legs and watched them.

.

“
S
o why didn’t
you
phone me?” Wolf accused. “Not once did you call.”

“They were not allowing me, Daddy. Sisters were always looking at everything I did,” Robin said. “Why are they so against Momma, Daddy?”

“They are bad people,” he said.

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

“But Mom isn’t bad?”

“Oh, no. She’s a fine person…the very best.”

“Then why hasn’t she come to see me?”

Because I couldn’t find her. Because she has disappeared. Because god knows what’s happened to her…what they’ve done to her.

Instead, he said, “Because the bad people won’t permit her. Like they won’t permit me.”

“But you came now.”

“Because I can jump high walls. Momma can’t.”

She considered that for a moment, trying to understand.

“So what will happen now, Daddy?”

“We will fight. Your Momma and I. And then one day we will win.”

“Then?”

“Then we—you and Momma and I—will be together, forever.”

“How long will it take?”

“I don’t know,” he said, trying to keep the glumness out of his tone. “But I want you to promise me something tonight. Will you, Butterfly?”

Her head bobbed up and down.

He put a hand to her face. “I want you to be strong,” he said. “No matter what, you should always be strong, okay? We must all be strong—all three of us. Only then can we ever win. Regardless of what difficulties you face, Butterfly, you should not turn weak. Because if you do, if you show others any weakness, they shall defeat us. And then we won’t be able to come together…we won’t become a family ever.” He observed her intently for a second. And then he added, “I want you to be a hero. Will you be my hero, sweetheart?”

She nodded vigorously.

He patted her cheek. “You are such a good girl and I love you so much.”

“Oh, I love you so very much too, Daddy. Too much,” she said, then lunged forward and embraced him fiercely.

And he hugged her back.

They remained like that for a very long time, father and daughter, and when they parted, Wolf smiled at his little baby, gazing fondly into her now clear eyes.

And then he remembered. He hastily pulled away from her.

“Butterfly, I’ve brought you some food.” He disengaged the cotton bag from around his shoulder.

She was surprised. “But I’m not hungry.”

“How can you not be? You haven’t eaten in years. You must be dying!” He began laying out the food on the small cotton sheet he had brought along with the food box.

“How do you know?”

“Oh, I know everything. Now sit down and eat… No, wait, sit here on my lap. You’ll be much more comfortable.”

“Dad! So much food? It’s too much!”

“It’s not! You haven’t eaten in…”

“But I can’t eat it all at one time, Dad!”

Wolf sighed. “Okay, eat what you can… Come, sit here.” He patted his lap. She came and he wound one arm around her. “What would you like first?”

She studied the five different things he had brought. Then she pointed. “Can I have that?”

“The pudding? Of course.” Oh, but how could he have forgotten?

He picked up the bowl and brought a spoonful to her mouth.

“But I can eat myself, Dad!” she protested.

“No, I want you to relax and enjoy the food, okay? No more straining. I want you back to full form again.”

“Dad, please!”

His face fell but he relented. “Okay, whatever you want.” He handed her the spoon. But he didn’t give in completely. He held the bowl for her.

When she had finished, she looked up at him and smiled. There was satisfaction on her face. For a while, Wolf insisted that she should have the other stuff too. But she ultimately convinced him she was up to here.

“I’m really, really full, Daddy. I can’t eat anymore. I swear on God!”

“Okay. But at least have one of these. Just one, uh? Desert.” He handed her a chocolate chip cookie.

So she had it—just to make Daddy happy.

He opened a bottle of water, took a little of the liquid in his palm and cleaned her lips, then wiped it with a small napkin he’d brought. She was embarrassed by this attention, but allowed him, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

“You want a drink?” he asked her.

“Just one sip.”

Thankfully, this time he handed her the bottle and didn’t insist on holding it to her mouth for her.

Finally, Wolf packed up, then reached forward and took his girl in his arms again.

“Promise me one thing,” he said, his cheek against hers.

“Yes, Daddy?”

“You’ll NEVER go hungry again. You’ll NEVER skip a meal ever again. I want you to solemnly promise me that.”

For a while, she was quiet. Then she nodded, “Yes, I promise, Daddy. … But you also promise me you’ll come to meet me every day. Please!”

He nodded. “Yes, I will, I promise, Butterfly.”

Suddenly, he looked up. And he froze.

A woman stood in the terrace doorway.

A young woman, slightly built—about five feet four and maybe one hundred five. She was in a one-piece night dress that covered her from shoulder to shin. And she was staring fixedly at the man and his child.

Robin seemed to notice the sudden change in Wolf. She turned around to follow his gaze. And she cramped up. Her face went red, then white.

Wolf slowly got to his feet. His left arm wound around Robin and he pushed her behind his back. Robin instinctively grabbed his arm and clung to him.

Wolf and the woman regarded each other evenly.

She was the first to thaw. She moved into the terrace.

“Robin? What are you doing here?” she said harshly, looking around Wolf.

Robin glanced at Wolf, then at the woman. “Sister Clara!” she exclaimed in a half-whisper, her eyes panicky. Wolf squeezed Robin’s shoulder, then stepped forward.

“My name is Wolf Butcher, Sister. I…”

“I know, Mr. Butcher,” she cut in, waving her hand with a flourishing gesture. “May I know what the two of you are doing here at this time of the night?”

“I came to see my daughter.”

“At
this
time of the night?”

“Yes.”

The brusque
yes
threw Sister Clara for a second.

“I…I beg your pardon?” she stuttered, a little peeved. “Are you aware of visiting hours?”

“Yes.” He kept his face strong, even as his heart fluttered with dread.

“And yet…”

“There was no other time I could see her,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

Wolf filled his lungs with a long steady breath. “Look, Sister, if you know who I am, you are also aware of my situation vis-à-vis Robin.”

“Yes, I’m aware of everything,” Sister Clara said, a note of power parading in her voice. “Yet, there are rules that need to be followed.”

“I’m Robin’s father and it’s not just unfair to separate us, it’s extremely cruel.”

“She is not your daughter yet.”

“Not on paper, but in heart and in soul and in every other human way she is. There are no degrees in father-ness, Sister.”

“But there are rules here, Mr. Butcher,” she repeated, as if that was all there was to emphasize.

“And I’m fully aware of them, Sister, but what would you do in my situation? Do you know how painful it is to be separated from your child? Do you know how agonizing it is for this little girl to be kept apart from her parents? You’ve seen what’s happened to her in just two days. So tell me what would you do in my place?”

“In your place, Mr. Butcher, I would do exactly as you did,” she said matter-of-factly, her face impassive.

It was Wolf’s turn to be thrown now.
Have I heard right?

“I think Robin should go sleep now. She has school to attend in the morning,” Sister Clara added.

“Yes.” He felt his courage flow back. He glanced at Robin behind him. She seemed a little scared still. “Sister, may I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Can you keep all this…a secret?”

She was thoughtful for a while. Wolf’s heart began to race again.

“Yes, okay,” she finally said, quietly.

Oh, her words were such sweet music to him. “Oh, thank you, Sister!”

Then she added, “Don’t worry, Mr. Butcher, Robin is safe with me. I’ll look after her.” Her voice had changed abruptly. From ruthless it was humane now.

Wolf impetuously stepped forward and took Sister Clara’s right hand in both of his. “Thank you, Sister, thank you so very much,” he said squeezing her hand, meaning every word he had said.

She blushed furiously and looked away. … But she quickly recomposed herself.

“Can you do me one more favor, Sister?” he said. She raised her eyebrows. “Can you please…please…ensure that Robin never goes hungry again?” he pleaded.

“Like I said, Mr. Butcher, I’ll look after her…in every way.”

He squeezed her hand again. “I’m so very grateful to you, Sister. I can’t express how much I appreciate this. Thank you again…thanks a million.”

Later, Wolf would learn that Sister Clara was Sister Toynette’s deputy and that this morning, Sister Toynette had flown to the UK, her ancestral home, on a month’s leave.

Wolf looked down at Robin and ran his hand over her head.

“I’ll leave now, Butterfly. Okay?”

She looked away but she nodded. Wolf crouched and took her in his arms once more.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” he whispered. “We’ll win. Remember what I said: you have to remain strong always. I want you to be my hero. Yes?”

She forced a smile then stretched herself to her full height.
Yes, I will be strong…I will be your hero
, her bearing said.

They went down and Sister Clara pointed out her room to Wolf. It was bang opposite Robin’s dorm. Wolf and Robin hugged and kissed one last time.

After Robin had left, Wolf turned to Sister Clara. “Well, I better leave, Sister.”

“Can you spare a minute?”

She led him to her pad and shut the door after him.

Wolf’s eyes took in the dwelling in one rapid sweep. It was a small, simple room, as basic as they come. About fifteen feet by thirteen, he thought. A single bed, with a creased but clean white bedspread; a steel cupboard; a writing desk and a chair; two more steel chairs, the steel-green paint wearing off; faded gray drapes at the double windows.

She gestured to a chair and he sat down. She sat on the edge of the bed and faced him.