The Cries of the Butterfly - A LOVE STORY (60 page)

T
en pm, Friday, May 23rd.

They were all assembled there, in the bedroom of the ground floor maisonette of Dias Apartments. Knott sat on a chair. Wolf, Savannah and Rochelle were cross-legged on the bed. All barring Maddy.

“What’s keeping the witch?” Wolf grumbled.

It was time to tell them. Wolf glanced around. The faces were bleak. Savannah’s from knowledge. Rochelle and Knott’s from foreboding.

Earlier in the day, Wolf and Savannah had given Rochelle powers of attorney over everything that concerned them. Wolf had also convinced Rochelle’s father to sell him this house. Rochelle had pressed, and pressed, about these abrupt developments, but Wolf had told her to hold her oar. “In time you’ll find out everything,” he’d said. But her face said that she knew something very radical was happening here.

Wolf thought of Dad. Despite everything, despite the fact that Grant was the reason for his grief, for his decision to run away, Wolf realized he felt no anger for the man—far less hatred. He realized then how much he still loved him. He ached to be back with him, to see his face once more, to speak to him and hug him—like old times. He wished all this would just go away and he could be with Dad again. Instead, very soon, he would be leaving him forever and never seeing him ever again. Wolf felt a deep emptiness in his core.

The doorbell rang then. Knott was quickly on his feet and answered. It
was
Maddy.

Wolf was startled on seeing her face. It was white and her eyes were wild.

Now who bit you?
“What’s wrong, Witch?” he asked. “You ate a crow?”

“What was so urgent…why did you summon me?” she flung back.

He studied her for a second. “I have something very important to tell you all.”

“Spit.” She was clearly very disconcerted and edgy.

“Not before you take a seat and tell us what’s biting
you
,” he said.

She clicked tongue and impatiently took the chair next to Knott.

“I have something important to tell you too. But first you,” she said.

He shrugged. “We’re leaving.”

“Returning to Butcher Garden?”

“No. We’re leaving the nation…for good.” And he went on to give them the details.

Rochelle and Knott’s faces went white and Maddy’s whiter still. Wolf and Savannah’s faces became grimmer.

“Have you gone completely bonkers?” Maddy shouted. “You can’t do that!”

“It’s done,” Wolf said quietly.

“No, Wolf, you can’t do it. It’s crazy!” Rochelle said.

“It’s the only way to go.” He paused, looked around for a second. “Look, guys, at this time I need your support, not heat. This is the one time I need you to come through for me. Prove to me you are my true friends.” He looked intently at each in turn.

Stanley Knott was the first to nod, albeit out of a sense of blind loyalty. He was very miserable, Wolf could see.

“Roch?” Wolf said.

She looked back at him, her eyes crestfallen.

“Please!” Wolf pleaded.

She looked away, bit her lip, then gave a barely discernible nod.

Wolf turned to Maddy. “Witch?”

But she was deep in thought.

Wolf got out of bed and walked over to her. He placed both hands on her shoulders.

“You can’t go,” she said in a low voice, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t want to go now.”

“What do you mean?” Wolf demanded.

But she couldn’t speak anymore…just kept shaking her head in disbelief.

HE
had totally forgotten about it. Once convinced of the fallacy of his assumptions, the very matter had vaporized from his psyche.

They were in the kitchen—Wolf and Maddy, the door shut.

“Robin
is
Savannah’s daughter,” she murmured. “The DNA match.”

He stared at her askance. Then slowly understanding came to his eyes. His lips stretched and he showed his teeth.

“Yeah, sure, like you are my sister.”

“No pranks, Wolf. The lab head called me an hour ago.”

His smile slipped. “You got the results so soon?”

“We’d asked for triple express, remember?”

He stretched out his left arm. “Show me the papers.”

“You’ll get them tomorrow.”

“Okay, I get it. But it’s not going to work, Mad Witch.”

She grabbed his cellphone from his shirt pocket. She checked the phonebook of her cell then punched some numbers on Wolf’s. She spoke some, listened, then handed Wolf the handset.

“Talk to the lady yourself.”

She watched his face, watched the blood gradually leave it, as he listened and stuttered in response. When finally he cut the connection, he stared at the floor and began shaking his head, as if in total disbelief.

She touched his face. “I know it sounds absolutely bizarre, Wolf. But technology doesn’t lie. Not in today’s day and age.”

“Sweet shit, how can it be?” His throat was dry. Then he abruptly looked up. “Is this your way of keeping me from leaving? Be honest.”

“Don’t be a prick! I didn’t even know of your plans until I came here.”

.

“
N
o…first you show me the proof of it! SHOW ME NOW!” Savannah shouted. “How dare you accuse me of something like this! HOW DARE YOU! SHAME ON YOU!” Her body was trembling with rage.

“You’ll get your printed proof tomorrow, Savannah,” Maddy said calmly. “For now, why don’t you talk to the lab?”

“And how will that help? Don’t we all know how totally corrupt you can be? You can buy anyone, anything, anytime. Didn’t we see that during the hospital visits? If you could bribe the security and the police and even the nurses and the doctors, would it be difficult for you to corrupt the lab people? Oh, Mary! And I thought you were our friend, Madonna. I didn’t know you would try to screw us like this. Why Madonna, tell us why? What do you gain from all this? Just to prevent us from leaving this wretched city? Wow! I hand it to you. Today, you even outdid your own treacherous self. I had always mistrusted you after what you had done to us. Today my misgivings are being proved right. Hats off to you Madonna Witcher. We should have never relied on you, knowing you could turn traitor anytime.” Her eyes were daggers that stabbed into Maddy.

Maddy’s face tightened. She looked at Wolf. “I don’t need this, Wolf. This is gross and most unfair,” she said.

“Oh, you’re so damn right about that! Gross and most unfair. That’s you!” Savannah spat.

Maddy threw up her arms, then rushed out of the kitchen.

“Shame on you!” Savannah yelled after her, gesticulating wildly. “SHAME ON YOU!”

The main door was banged shut. Savannah turned to Wolf.

“Would you believe that little rat?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s eleven-thirty, Wolf. Time we got moving. We still have to get Robin out of that damn hole first. Let’s go.”

But Wolf didn’t move, his eyes locked on the floor below him.

“What?!” she scowled at him. “You want us to miss the flight? It’s getting late, Wolf!”

At last, he looked up. “I don’t think we can go,” he said, a tremble in his voice.

Her jaw dropped. “What…!” she stuttered. “You’re not telling me… Oh, Mary! You’re not telling me you believe that deceitful bitch!” She grabbed his wrist. “Wolf!” she cried, her bewilderment loud on her face.

He didn’t say anything, just kept gazing at her, his shock showing in his eyes.

She gawked in incredulity. “Oh Mary, you’re
actually
telling me you believe her? I don’t believe this! You believe her, but not me?” She squeezed his wrist despairingly. “WOLF!” she cried.

He pressed his lips together. “Maddy has not faked the tests,” he said with an effort. “She wouldn’t do such a thing. She couldn’t do such a thing if she wanted to. The lab is a very reputed establishment and among the world’s most prestigious.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. The bitch can corrupt anyone and anything. You still don’t see her for who she really is, do you? How blind can you be? She’s the most immoral person there ever could be and you say she’s not capable of it?” She stared at him disbelievingly. “Oh Mary, you believe her, but won’t believe me?”

“What would she gain by doing such a thing?”

“Oh, who knows…who knows!” She gnashed her teeth. “Who knows anything about that pervert little slut! Perhaps she’s just fishing around for yet another story. But she has no thought who she damages. Friendship means nothing to her.”

“I repeat: this lab is too big, too reputed for fraud. I don’t think Maddy or anyone else could ever influence them in any way,” Wolf said.

“Yet, she could influence the entire staff of New Halcyon’s biggest, best and most reputed hospital, is that what you’re saying?” Her cheeks were flushed with the hot blood of wrath.

“That was different.”

“Different? Different how? Oh, please tell me. Pleaseeeee…” she said, derision echoing loudly in her voice.

He seemed to have no answer.

She sucked in a harsh breath. “Are we going away tonight or no? Tell me finally, Wolf.”

“We can’t…not tonight.”

She shook her head in befuddled amazement. Then she snatched her handbag.

“I don’t believe this! You believe I’m capable of giving birth to a child, then would simply abandon her? And then when she is found, I would deny her? You think I’m so debased, so depraved?” Great hurt filled her eyes. She put a hand to her heart for a second. She looked at him. “Oh, Wolf, I had thought you would know me better by now. I was a whore once, but I was never evil.” She gave a sudden sob. But the remains of pride made her push it violently back. “Goodbye, Wolf Butcher.” Her face was suddenly a mask as she turned around and walked briskly out of the house.

.

R
ochelle was truly scared.

On this Monday, May 26th, she sat next to Wolf on the bed in the top floor studio apartment, observing him with a very pained heart.

Look what’s happened to him…look how he has become!

He had gone into deep shock ever since the printed report of the DNA tests was shown to him a couple of days ago. For Rochelle, it was like revisiting old times. This, however, was far, far serious, if less dramatic. She had never seen him so melancholic, not even during the suicide attempt. At least then he had shown some passion. Now, he was a veritable zombie, with faraway eyes, who neither ate, nor walked, nor talked, nor seemed to be aware of his surroundings. All day long, he remained in bed, either on his back, staring vacuously at the ceiling, or sitting with his legs bent in front of him, hugging them with both arms, looking blankly at the far wall. The only sign of his existence was the anemic to and fro of his chest. Oh how she wished he would express the agony that was within him. She would have died to see him weep his heart out, to scream his pain, his anger. Just for him to show
some
animation. But it didn’t happen.

She had almost sought professional assistance, but the hope that he would pull through had made her hold back. She had sought Maddy’s assist, and the champion news-hawk had visited several times and tried to cheer Wolf up with her characteristic sassy jocosity. But he hadn’t even registered her presence.

Angst-ridden, Rochelle could take it no more. She had finally decided to summon medical help. She had to salvage him before it was too late. Perhaps it was too late even now.

She would try to get him to eat one last time, before she called the hospital, she told herself. She sighed. She dreaded calling the hospital. God have mercy, the stink it would create once the news got around, as was inevitable to happen (thankfully, Maddy had written nothing about it in her newspaper—she had proved her friendship). And yet, she had to rescue him. She looked at the food she had got with her. There was Chinese manchurian gravy and shezwan rice, pineapple curds and Russian salad—some of his favorite foods. Another favorite—fig ice-cream, awaited in the refrigerator. She knew she was wasting her time…that she was desperately trying to prolong the inevitable. Still…

She froze. Her head snapped up. She thought she had heard a sound—a murmur. But Wolf was as insensible as ever and she realized her mind was playing a trick on her. She continued laying out the food.

Then she heard it again. She looked at him closely. His lips were parted and his jaw seemed to be quivering slightly. She leaned forward, bringing her face close to his.

“How could she…” The words were definitely from him.

A thrill of hope swept through Rochelle and she cocked her ears and strained to listen.

His voice was so thin that despite being an inch from his face she could only just make out the words, and then in dribs.

“…all these days she was taking me for a ride…I totally fell for it…what a sucker I was…her own child…but she has no feelings…she’s so cruel…pitiless…crook…”

Rochelle filled her lungs with the air of relief. Suddenly enthused, she filled a spoon with manchurian gravy.