The Other Woman (9 page)

Jesus looks at me, eyebrows raised.

In an attempt to maintain the status quo, I nod.

“Done,” Jesus says, and with a pleasant smile, he walks away.

Jim immediately takes Jesus’s seat, an amused look on his face.

“Is he really a priest?” I ask.

Jim shakes his head. “Grave digger.”

“You serious?”

Nodding, he chuckles again. “Welcome to the Bipolar Express, Rival.”

You're telling me.

“Dear Father, please forgive Brother Jim for mocking me and calling me a grave digger, for he knows not what he is doing.”

“Wait, he’s talking to God about me!” Jim says in an excited voice, before he bows his head in prayer.

Oh, boy.

Suddenly Jesus appears, carrying a bucket of water. He kneels before me. “I’m going to wash your feet, Sister Rival."

I jerk back my feet. No way am I going to allow him to touch my feet, no matter how good looking he is.

“Do not become alarmed, Sister Rival. It is my duty. I am not in
any
way above you.”

“Are you going to suck her toes?” Shauno asks, his eyes bright with expectation.

Like magic, Nurse Eden appears in front of us. “No time for that, Jesus,” she says as she takes my hand and leads me to my room. I crawl into bed, exhausted from all the interaction.

“Do you have any family around?” she asks as she plumps up my pillows and straightens my bed.

I shake my head. My mother died when I was just five, so I was raised by my mother’s sister, Esme, who lives in Queensland. Since I don’t know my father, other than Bradley, I have no family in Sydney, just a lot of friends. I’m really close to Bradley’s family though, and I wonder why they aren’t visiting me. I wonder if they are aware that I am in hospital.

“Can you call my friend Scarlett?” I ask.

“Okay, sure. Is she your good friend?”

I nod. “She’s got mental issues too, and she’s really supportive and nice.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she’s been my confidant recently. Always there for me. It would be great to see her.”

“Oh, okay. Just give me her number.”

Nurse Eden leaves my room and I doze. Thirty minutes later, she returns. “Rival, I made contact with Scarlett, and she says she will visit soon.”

“Did she say when?”

“No.”

I’m puzzled by the frown on Nurse Eden’s face.

****

RIVAL

When Bradley finally visits, I am so relieved to see him, I throw my arms around him.

“What took you so long?” I whine. “Where are the girls?”

“Rival, I didn’t want them to see you here, in this condition,” he says, gently untangling himself from my clutches. “It’ll be very upsetting for them.”

“But…but…”

“When you’re better, I will bring them to you.” His voice is clipped and a little impatient.

“But are they okay?” I ask, swallowing my disappointment at his remoteness.

“They are fine!” he says, reaching into his pocket and removing several typed pages. “I need to take care of things while you’re here, so you need to sign these.” He proffers a pen.

“What are they?”

“Ah, just necessary stuff. A power of attorney, and other stuff that allows me to take care of things for both of us while you’re in here.” His tone is dismissive. “Sign here.” He stabs the bottom of the page with his index finger.

I look into his face. “What…?”

His chin jerks toward the pages. “Sign them, Rival. I don’t have a lot of time. With you doing what you did, I have to handle everything, and I have to tell you I am not very happy about a lot of things.”

Things as in drugs; I know what he means.

“I didn’t take drugs, Bradley.”

He looks at me, then away, appearing to hold his tongue.

“I swear on my children’s lives, I—”

“Stop! Just stop, okay?” he hisses, his face darkening with anger. “The doctors won’t concoct a story like that, Rival. All along I thought you were ill, but you weren’t. You were just entertaining yourself on the side. Using my hard-earned money to fund your addiction.”

“What addiction, Bradley? I didn’t do—”

“Just sign the papers so I can take care of our children. They are little, Rival, they need someone to watch over them.” He’s trying really hard to contain his anger, but he’s doing a bad job, and I am at a loss for words. It’s so confusing to me, it’s almost surreal.

It’s like I’m in a bad dream.

“Sign the papers.” He shoots a quick glance at the door.

It is then that I notice a familiar man blocking the entrance to my ward. Where have I seen him before?

“Sign here,” Bradley interrupts.

I take the pen, but hesitate, not because I’m feeling pressured (I trust Bradley implicitly), but because I want to prolong his visit. I want to talk to him; I want him to talk to me. I want him to hold me in his arms and kiss my lips like he used to do, and tell me that this whole confusing episode in our lives is a mistake that he will soon fix.

“Rival!” Bradley’s voice is impatient.

I look at the page on top of the pile. The words float around, then blur into one another.

I look behind him at the man at my door. When our eyes meet, he quickly looks away.

I sign all the pages and hand Bradley the pen.

Bradley looks at the man. With a nod, the man steps forward and witnesses my signature with his.

Less than a minute later, Bradley starts to leave. “See you soon,” he says, backing out of the ward.

I lunge at him, grab his arm and look into his eyes. “Don’t I get a h…hug?” My voice is pleading, as I
need
to be hugged right now. More than I’ve ever needed to be hugged.

He rolls his eyes before he gives me a brief hug, followed by a short rub to my back. Quickly, he leaves with the man and once again, I’m all alone.

His visit was less than five minutes. As a feeling of emptiness pervades my soul, I stare at the entrance to my ward. Bradley was so cold and impatient. Like he couldn’t wait to get away from me.

My thoughts are interrupted when Bun and Alison barge into my room, followed by Jesus.

“What did he bring you?” Alison asks, diving into my bedside locker. “Chocolate? Lollies?”

While she scouts for goodies, Bun’s narrowed eyes scan the room. I know she’s looking for flowers, cards, and soft toys – all the things families bring when they visit.

Bradley brought nothing. Not even a change of clothes for me.

Even though they say nothing, I hear Jesus quietly praying, and that sums their thoughts. “Dear Father, please give Sister Rival the strength to cope with life’s disappointments.”

Hot tears prick the back of my eyes. I swallow hard, lie on my side, and melt into my bed with both my hands under my cheek. Even though there are four of us in the room, I lie cloaked in loneliness and despair. And uncertainty. What happens next?

“You know, if things don’t work out, yous can come stay with us,” Bun says in a voice I’ve never heard before – soft and caring.

I don’t look at her or respond.

She puts her hand on my shoulder. “Me and my sister, we have this big house my father left us. It’s really big. Huge. Yous will be happy there.”

I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut.

I have a house, Bun. A big one. I don’t need accommodation.

I just need my husband to be there for me, and to believe me when I say I didn’t do drugs.

****

(Six weeks later)

RIVAL

I am so excited, I can barely sit still. After two months of being in Dunhill, I am going home tomorrow.

Desperate to get my life back, and even more desperate to be with my kids, I’ve done everything necessary to pass my assessments, which has led to my discharge from Dunhill. I’ve taken my medication, attended therapy, exercised daily to stimulate endorphins naturally, and finally, I am going home to Bradley, Holly and Phoebe.

I haven’t seen my girls since I’ve arrived in Dunhill, but Bradley has sent me lots of photos of them, and I simply can’t wait to hold them and hug them and squeeze them.

As for Bradley, I’m not too worried. Things will improve between us. We will go to couples counseling, and I’ll fix the problems between us. We love each other, there’s no doubt about that.

Whoever she was, if there was an affair, I am not interested. I will, as discussed with Dr. Camda, forgive and forget, and as a couple, we will become stronger.

It’s not only about me and my feelings; I have two children to think about, and their happiness comes first. By now I am sure Bradley realizes that too.

I spend my last day in Dunhill saying goodbye to all my friends I have made. “You guys get well and call me when you leave here,” I say as I hug them one by one.

My friends are sorry to see me go, judging from their goodbyes at the breakfast table.

“You must not forget us, now, Rival. Come visit us sometimes.”

“She will forget us the moment she leaves.”

“Yeah, bring Tim Tams.”

“Not Tim Tams, bring
Anytime
Choc
-
Chip
cookies. The ones in the brown bag.”

“As if she’ll remember.”

“Bring Lindt chocolate. The red ones in the packet, not the box.”

“Why? What’s wrong with the box?”

“The box has the chewy center. Sticks to my gums.”

“Ah. Yeah…you’re right. Hey, bring us some vodka!”

“Yeah, man. Vodka will be awesome, man. I’d give anything for a dri—”

“As if she’ll do that for us.”

“Or bring us some liquor chocolates. That’ll have to do. I will get drunk on liquor chocolates, Rival. Ha! Ha!”

“That’s not
really
liquor in them, you know. It’s just smells like whatever liquor it supposed to smell like.”

Silence.

“Of course they have real booze in them.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s real booze, man. Real booze.”

“T…rue.”

“No, it’s not! If they did have real booze, they wouldn’t sell them in supermarkets.”

Silence.

“I don’t give a fuck. Inject some vodka into them if you can.”

“Yeah, man, inject whatever you—”

“You can buy a syringe for fifty cents from a chemist and then shoot whisky into the chocs, man. Nobody will know—”

“
Buy
a syringe? You don’t have to
buy
a syringe. You can get them for free.”

“Oh yeah, from where? On the beach? A used one?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“In a public toilet, behind the toilet bowl, huh? Is that where you get yours?”

“I didn’t say that. Shut the fuck up!”

“Father Dear, we once again come to you in supplication, and beseech you to bless our brothers who fight, as we know of two brothers in the bible, Cane and Able, who—”

“You shut the fuck up!”

“Hey, man, stop fighting, man. You’re stressing me out, man. Make love, not war, man.”

“Knock it off you guys!” Nurse Eden says and turns to me. “You must take good care of yourself Rival. Take your meds, keep your doctor’s appoint—”

“And lay off the E!”

“And the C!”

“Lay off
all
the alphabets, Rival. All of them. Or they’ll drag your arse back in here and hide all the bibles!” Laughter all round.

I choke on my corn flakes, wipe my nose, and join in the laughter. No use trying to convince them I don’t do drugs.

Before I leave Dunhill, in preparation for my discharge, I have one final visit with Nurse Eden and Male Practitioner David Appleby after breakfast. My final farewell consultation, then it’s all over. I can hardly wait.

After breakfast, I skip to the consulting room for the meeting. Like I’m the Pied Piper, everyone follows me and waits for me outside David Appleby’s office.

To my utter surprise, I see not just Bradley in the consulting room, but my best friend, Scarlett, both waiting to take me home.

“Scarlett!” I yell and lunge to hug her. “I’m so happy to see you. Where were you? Why didn’t you visit me?”

“Eh, you too,” she says, peeling my arms off her.

I move to hug Bradley. He stiffens in my embrace, but I’m too happy about my impending discharge from Dunhill to take notice.

“This is so gre…” the words die on my. Something’s wrong.

I look at Eden. Her eyes move to the floor and stay there.

I look at David Appleby. His forehead is lined.

“Rival,” Eden says, a worried look on her pretty face, “we…have a…a
situation
.”

“Oh?” I move my head slowly to look at Bradley. His eyes are glued to the floor.

“Your house has been sold, Rival,” Eden says.

“What?” I cock my head and look at Bradley.

He glances at me, then looks away again.

“My home that I built? It’s been sold? Brad, w…why?”

“It was for the best, Rival,” Bradley says in a firm voice. “Your share of the money will be held—”

“My
share
? What do you mean,
my
share?”

“Three…three hundred thousand, Rival. It’ll be in your bank account soon.”

I throw my palms upwards, my eyebrows raised.

“Look Rival,” Bradley says. “There’s no other way to say this. I’m leaving you, okay? I’m sorry, but I’m…I’ve…I’ve filed…for divorce, and it’s been granted.”

“Whaaaat?” My voice is barely audible.

“I’ve…met someone, Rival and I want…to…to move on, build a life with her.”

The room tilts, and I feel like I’m on a boat.

“I’ve met someone…”

My eyes scan the room in search of the boxes of Kleenex with the mini Beagle puppies on them. They’re not there. Where the hell are the Beagles?

I tap my head with my palms. “Bradley, I don’t understand. What…what…?”

I look at Eden and follow her eyes to Scarlett’s face. Our eyes lock. She shrugs.

As I stare at Scarlett, things crystalize before me. “You? You’re that someone?!”

“Look, Rival,” she says, shifting to the edge of her seat, “you and Bradley, you were having problems, you went away, indefinitely. Bradley, he…didn’t know when you were coming back, and…”

“No, no, no…”

“…things just happened and…and we’re now together,” Bradley finishes. “It’s nobody’s fault, Rival. Things just unfolded this way and now, like, we’re together. I’m sorry.”

Bradley and Scarlett…

Both my hands fly to my mouth and clamp over it. I stare dumbfounded at my best friend and my husband.
No, no, no, no…

“It wasn’t like we had an affair or something,” Scarlett continues. “You were in a mental institution. For
drugs.
And Bradley, he was alone with two
little
children. I stepped in to help and…”

“I’ve only been gone for sixty days,” I say in a voice that sounds strange to me.