Twice entwined

Warning: this story briefly mentions the aftermath of an accident, including a hospital scene.

Two sets of footsteps running down the stairs made Elsbeth look up from her knitting project. Two red-haired heads then peeked from the doorway.

“Granny, Mommy promised us you would tell us a story before bed today!” Darren said, eyes twinkling with mischief that told Elsbeth immediately knew they were up to no good. His brother Stephen followed silently but nodded in agreement.

Elsbeth put her knitting down on her lap. "Is that so?” she asked, raising an accusatory eyebrow up at her oldest grandson, though a small smile escaped nonetheless. One look at the clock hanging on the wall next to the telly told it was well past their bedtime.

“Yes! I swear Granny, Mommy said you promised, please!” Darren tried again, hands clasping the hem of his sweater.

"Please Granny, for us. We missed you" Stephen added.

Another set of footsteps. Elsbeth’s daughter, Ingrid, appeared behind her sons, wrapping them in her arms. "I did no such thing, you silly boys". Both boys shrieked but embraced her hug nonetheless. "Let Granny be, she had a long day of travel. Maybe if you boys ask nicely tomorrow, she will tell you one." She kissed the boy"s heads. "Now, time for bed."

Elsbeth met her daughter’s gaze. It is true, she’d had a long day of travel, but she was glad to be here. Ingrid had been struggling to raise the two boys on her own since the split with their father while maintaining her full-time job. Especially because her 9- and 7- year olds were a handful to deal with. Elsbeth came to stay with them every four weeks to help. It took some persuading, as Ingrid was stubborn and didn’t accept help easily, not wanting to fail her boys. Elsbeth was proud of her daughter, considering the tough year she’d had, and she cherished their time together.

Elsbeth nodded, silently telling her she didn’t mind. She placed her knitting on the side table and picked up her cup of tea. "If you two promise to go upstairs now, and brush your teeth without stalling, I"ll come tell you any story you want."

Both boys shrieked in delight. Ingrid let them go with a laugh, and they stumbled back upstairs, voices hushed, and giddy that their plan had worked.

" Make yourself a cup of tea and rest, darling," Elsbeth told Ingrid. “I will let you know when they"re tucked in so you can come give them a goodnight kiss."

—

Five minutes later Elsbeth entered the bedroom the boys shared. She stepped over the toys and clothes scattered on the floor, ignoring the mess for now. Tomorrow, she would scold them gently and help them organize. But now, it was time for a story. Darren and Stephen were sitting on the bottom bed of the bunk, eyes bright with anticipation. Elsbeth shook her head with a crooked smile and sat beside them.

"Well, what type of story would my you boys like?" she asked. They always preferred stories from her imagination.

Darren spoke first. "The story of how you met Gramps and all the adventures he took you on!"

"Yes, the one with Gramps in it!" Stephen added. " With his motorcycle!"

Elsbeth chuckled. "You already know that one."

" Please," they said in unison.

" Well, come here then". She opened her arms, and the boys nestled on either side. Elsbeth scooted the boys closer into a warm hug.

" There was once a troublesome man who liked to wake up the neighborhood with the roar of his motorcycle every morning" Elsbeth began.

"Each working day, you could hear it, like so" She imitated the rumble, clutching them tighter. The boys shrieked.

"It was Gramp’s motorcycle!" Stephen exclaimed.

" Yes it was," Elsbeth replied. "And the old grumpy neighbors did not like it. Sometimes, a neighbor or two would chase him when he arrived back home later that day."

"Ohh, like Mr. Barren from number 7 does when our ball goes in his yard again!" Darren pouted, then grinned.

"Yes, like Mr Barren dear."

Both boys nodded, no doubt picturing Mr. Barren as one of those old neighbors. They chased him for other reasons too, but not all stories are fit for a child.

"One day, a woman who hadn’t seen him in a long time was walking home from work, pushing her bike with a flat tire as the sun was setting,” she continued. "Suddenly, the sound of an engine came up behind her."

"RRRR" Darren imitated.

"The poor woman was startled and didn’t dare look behind her."

Stephen shrieked. "Mommy always says we can"t scare girls like that."

“That's right Stephen" Elsbeth smiled, proud her daughter had taught them well. "But the man wasn’t trying to scare her, you see. He stopped the motorcycle beside her, and it turned out they knew each other."

"They were friends?" Darren asked.

"No, not quite, but they did live close to each other, like your friends across the street. You don’t always see them, but you do know who they are." The boys nodded again.

" Do you know what happened next, boys? The woman got on the motorcycle with him, leaving her bike behind. And dangerous that it was for her! She had never been on one before."

"Where did he take her, Granny?" Darrens eyes were wide.

"To the beach!" Stephen guessed.

Elsbeth chuckled. " No, not that night. But yes, they went on more rides after that, to many places, on many adventures.

"I want a motor cycle too. And then I will ride it to Antarctica. Or to the moon!" Darren declared, his hands moving with him excitedly while he talked.

" Antarctica, hmm?"

"But that’s not possible." Stephen pointed a finger at his brother. “We'd have to sail there with it."

Elsbeth nodded her head. Both boys were getting too carried away with their own imagination. And she would let them, as one day it would fade. But story time was over.

" Or you two will ride through the clouds in your dreams". She nudged them up. " Come on, bedtime. Tomorrow, another story."

"Nooooo" Stephen and Davy sputtered, but they got up. Elsbeth helped Darren climb to the top bunk, tucked them in, and kissed their heads. "Sleep well, my dear boys." She turned to leave.

"Granny?" Darren"s voice was small.

"I miss Grampa".

Elsbeth bit her lip. "Me too darling." She turned back around. "But he’s still watching over you boys, you know that, right?" Elsbeth didn’t need light to see they were nodding their heads at that.

—

Later that night Elsbeth made herself ready for bed as well. Once inside the small guest bedroom she sat down on the edge of the single bed. Her duffel bag stood on the ground next to it. Elsbeth bent down and picked up the picture frame she took with her wherever she went. Inside was a black-and-white photograph of her and her late husband, Ronald. It was taken on the first Christmas Day the year both their children had left the nest. It was their first Christmas morning with just the two of them. They had set up an old camera on a lower bookshelf in the living room, and Elsbeth and her husband sat down in front of it, both a coffee cup in hand, smiling brightly inside the camera. The tree that covered the background hang full of ornaments collected over the years.

"Oh darling, I know" Elsbeth sighed, while focusing on her husband’s face. Sometimes she felt as if he was looking right at her, even now. That"s why she had chosen this picture of them. She imagined him scolding her playfully about the story she had just shared with her grandsons. Looking at her as if he knew it wasn’t the whole truth.

" They’re too young for the other one, and you know it too. It’ll scare them," Elsbeth whispered to him. "One day, darling, when they"re older, I’ll tell them." Elsbeth clutched the frame towards her chest and held it there for a bit. Then, she carefully placed it onto the bedside table. She hurried herself under the covers. Not long after, sleep welcomed her with open arms, her thoughts guiding her to a day that has played out like a short film inside her head many times before.

————

June 2nd, 1962 - 1.30pm

Clasping the steering wheel tightly with both hands, Elsbeth cursed under her breath when the traffic light turned red just as it was finally her turn in the never-ending line of cars.

"Calm down, you nitwit!" she muttered to herself, taking a few breaths to steady her breathing.

"He is awake”, the nurse on the other side of the call had told her a mere twenty minutes ago.

He is awake.

Oh, Elsbeth should be ecstatic right now, crying tears of happiness. But she only felt like she could faint at any moment. That’s how nervous she was. She had been preparing dinner while four-year-old Simon was making a drawing for Daddy at the kitchen table when the phone rang. She hadn’t expected this news, not after the last three excruciating weeks of sorrow. And when she hurried toward the phone and replied it was the hospital calling, all she could think about was death.

Fortunately, her neighbor, Mrs. Wright, happened to be walking by with her dog just in time to hear Elsbeth shriek. Noisy little thing, that one was. But also extremely helpful. Obviously, she invited herself in immediately, not even bothering to knock, taking the back porch entrance instead. The dog ran straight to Elsbeth through the open kitchen door, as if he sensed she needed comfort.

At least Simon is taken care of now, Elsbeth thought. After hanging up and sharing the news, Mrs. Wright hushed her out of the house, saying she would look after Simon.

"Go to him, dear. Call me if you want Simon to come later, I’ll bring him" she had said.

Mrs. Wright was a widow herself, so after news broke out of Ronald’s accident she rushed to Elsbeth’s side and hadn’t left it side since. She helped her out with groceries, cleaned the house, and cared for Simon so Elsbeth could spend more time beside the hospital bed. Elsbeth was so grateful for her neighbor’s kindness, she couldn’t even imagine how she could ever repay her.

The traffic light turned bright green, and Elsbeth hit the gas. All that mattered now was getting to Ronald.

—

“Ma'am, please wait up! Let me explai-" the nurse whom had retrieved Elsbeth from the waiting room called after her. But Elsbeth didn’t listen. She ignored the nurse's pleas, striding down the hallway of the hospital wing. Five more doors down on the left was the room she needed to be.

“Ma'am, please,” the nurse tried again. The woman apparently caught up with her, because Elsbeth felt a tug on her coat. She stalled, and turned around.

"I don’t believe you, and I want to go to him now,” Elsbeth hissed, trying to keep her voice low so as to not disturb other patients. She wasn’t being kind, but her nerves were getting the better of her. She just wanted to see him.

"I know, and you will, but you have to tread carefully. I told you, he doesn’t remember anything. Not even his name. His brain damage is severe, and he might not even remember you."

Tears threatened to emerge in Elsbeth’s eyes. She took a deep breath, letting the words sink in.

He might not remember me?

" What do I do?" Elsbeth whispered to the nurse, her hand coming to rest on her round belly. The little girl growing inside her gave her a kick, as if sensing Elsbeth’s shock.

The nurse’s eyes softened at the state of the pregnant woman in front of her. "Come, darlin", let’s go in together. Try to appear calm, and see what happens okay?"

Elsbeth nodded, her mind racing with worry and sorrow. As they walked in silence toward room 431, Elsbeth grew more frightened with each step. What if he truly didn’t remember her? Or little Ingrid? Ronald had been so thrilled when she told him she was pregnant again. And when they found out it was a girl, he was overjoyed. Every morning, he would lay a hand on Elsbeth’s growing belly and whisper sweet words to his little girl. Ingrid, he wanted to name her, derived from the Norse god Yngvi, associated with beauty. A name for a beautiful and lovely girl to be. Elsbeth had agreed to it the second she saw how meaningful it was to her husband.

The door to Ronald’s room was open. Firm hushes could be heard inside. Elsbeth approached, stalling immediately when she saw what was happening.

Her husband was sitting on the edge of the bed, or rather, being pushed back by three nurses as he frantically tried to get up, pulling out the tubes attached to his arms in the process. He was murmuring something, refusing to cooperate as the nurses tried to calm him.

But Ronald wouldn’t listen. Elsbeth couldn’t see his face yet, only his back on full display to her. The shirt he was wearing was drenched with sweat, but she could see he was breathing heavily. Elsbeth didn’t know what to do. Should she say something? She glanced at the nurse standing behind her. The expression on the woman’s face told her all she needed to know; wait it out.

So Elsbeth just stood there. She watched as the nurses eventually managed to calm Ronald enough for him to comply. He laid down again, closed his eyes and at the same moment the nurses replugged the machines and put the tube back in his arm.

For minutes, Elsbeth remained in the doorway. She only stepped aside to let the nurses leave the room. All three looked at her apologetically, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes remained fixed on Ronald. His eyes were still closed. He was panting, his ragged breathing tearing through the silence of the room. Eventually, his breaths were calming down.

A tear threatened to escape Elsbeth seeing her husband like this. He looked horrible. His head was beaten up still, but that was covered with bandages. Dark purple stains were visible on his upper arms. But the damage from the fall off of his motorcycle wasn’t what terrified her. It was the devastation in his face. He looked like a man dying of old age, not a man in his thirties.

Slowly, Elsbeth took a step forward - then another. Her left hand found her belly again. Elsbeth inhaled, then slowly whispered, "Ronald."

Her voice made him open his eyes. Oh, those ocean grey eyes she missed so dearly. But it wasn’t the ocean Elsbeth saw in them now, but a deep pit of clouds on a dreary blue Monday.

Ronald looked at her. He said nothing. His breathing quickened. Elsbeth held his gaze, not daring to say another word.

Would he remember her?

Ronald"s gaze dropped to her belly, and he held his gaze there. Upon seeing her pregnant belly, he exhaled deeply, before lifting his eyes back to her.

“Ronald," she tried again.

"Ronald, it"s me."

No response.

Elsbeth took a step forward, but stalled when she saw uncertainty wash over his face.

Then, Ronald cleared his throat, and spoke the most devastating words his wife would ever hear.

"I"m sorry, but do I know you?"