Listening to one side of a conversation

Listening to a one side of a conversation

It was one of those late spring days in Paris, clear blue skies and a warm southerly breeze. The trees had lost that virgin green of the early spring and were in full splendor heralding the summer. I was sitting on a cafe terrace admiring the view. From what I saw from the people passing it appeared this summer was to be the year of shorts, long and daringly short. Without warning my little haven of peace was disturbed by two young women that took seats just behind me. Even before they started talking I could feel one woman was in a highly emotional state. I turned around to get a glimpse of her but she had her back to me. I heard a movement from her chair and the table creaked. She must have leaned on the table to give her friend a kiss. She started talking in what to my ears was a voice that portrayed someone finding enormous relief in talking to a friend.

“Emma I am so pleased you could make it. I know you don’t like coming to the city. In fact I think it is only the second time we have seen each other since my marriage. You have always been my closest friend, somebody I could talk to about my happiness and troubles. But first, how are your and my parents?”

There was a reply that I could not hear, only a muffled sound flowed across the bistro.

“I forgot they are in the process of starting the harvest period. You see what city life does for you”.

Emma replied. What she said was for me just the blurred sound of somebody talking. A small pause while she spoke.

Her friend replied. “The job, the job. For a couple of months I had great difficulty. My typing and shorthand speeds are way below what is required in the city. I finally found a job in the Russian Embassy. There were not many candidates. I suppose people feel uncomfortable working for the Russians, but I was going crazy mooching about an apartment all day. The job is not very well paid but the Embassy is very relaxed about hours. We are only five secretaries. Another French girl and three Russian guys. We spend a lot of time talking to each other.

At this point her friend, Emma, must have asked her about her marriage. I heard the reply

“Emma you warned me even on my wedding day. I can still see you looking so beautiful as my bridesmaid. As for your warning I never even listened. I was in seventh heaven, in a profound love for the man I was marrying. Only that mattered. It gave me untold pleasure, sending tingles down my spin, when I introduced him to my extended family and our friends. The day was a great success. People thought Brain was very handsome and charming. His parents were well received amongst us farming crowd. It was just a magical luncheon set in the family’s farm yard with long tables that seemed to stretch to eternity. The music, the food, the laughter, and an army of children petting and playing with various animal the wandered through the yard. The only small dark cloud on the perfect day was when that night my husband told me although he thought the day was a magnificent moving country scene he could never imagine living in the country. He was a confirmed city boy. The only child of parents that had always lived and work in the city.

There was a pause while Emma replied. I supposed she was asking her how after nearly a year of married life was it going.

That is why I asked you to come and see me. As you said I have been married barely a year and recently found out, from his careless mistake, he is cheating on me.

Emma replied, no doubt, with a question which I could not hear.

One morning as he was leaving for work he forgot his portable telephone. It rang. I picked it up. It was his mother and we had a nice chat. As I put the phone down a message popped up. Darling see you at le Bon Georges at midday tomorrow for my birthday. I have booked. my love. Rebecca.

The phone fell from my hand. I did not go to work that day and called in that I was sick. How could he, I felt so small, so stupid, worthless, just a pebble on the beach of life…... discarded. This extreme belittling of myself turned into anger and a thirst for some sort of revenge. But first I had to see for myself if this was true. That night my husband telephoned to say he would be working late which over the last two months had often been the case. Before he came to bed I heard him take a shower. I lay there pretending to be asleep. The next morning he was all charms. On leaving he gave me a peck on the cheek. The monster.

I decided to heavily disguise myself and to be in the restaurant as it opened. I chose a seat that was partly hidden but with a good look at the entrance. Shortly after twelve my husband and his lover Rebecca entered holding hands. I need not have disguised myself as they were completely absorbed in each other. Even before they sat down they started kissing. I left the restaurant in disgust. Went home and cried. What is wicked is that he knows I am pregnant. There was a cry of joy from Emma followed by a long conversation by her.

“Emma, darling you say it is one of the dangers of marrying good looking men. The pitiful thing is I would do it all again. I was so deeply in love with him. I, in my wildest dreams never imagined this could happen. It is also true I have no experience of living in a city. Which I have come to realize is so different from living in the country, particularly on a farm. When, by accident, he walked into my life I just stood there with my body trembling in an emotional outburst of attraction. Since we started dating he has always appeared so loving, gentle and considerate. He keeps telling me he is excited about becoming a father. Is he a man one would judge a little conceited and vain, maybe? But I am told an only child often tends to suffer from this character trait. Do I forgive him, sweep it under the carpet? As you are so right in saying it might be only a temporary period but I am afraid it will probably happen again. This will leave me with a cross of shame to have to bear for the rest of my life. My dearest Emma, your suggestion of an immediate divorce for me is barely acceptable. Return with a child, like a dog with its tail between his legs to my parents farm? I am not sure if I am strong enough to stand the shame. Give me time to think about it. Can we meet at the same time and in the same place in a month’s time? I will then tell you dearest Emma what I have decided. In the meantime I will ignore, with difficulty, his infidelity.

I heard them both hugging and kissing, paying the bill and leaving the restaurant.

I suddenly began to be intensely interested in the outcome of their conversation. True I had only heard one side of it. But it seems the outcome will be divorce. One more in the ever increasing line of couples facing the courts. On the spear of the moment a shaft of sadness damped my enthusiasm to know more. Nevertheless I noted the date in my dairy.

A month later I was in the restaurant waiting for the two young women. They both came in at the same time. Before they sat down they hugged. This time I made sure I had a seat close enough to hear both the voices. I was curious to see that Emma was a well built young woman with a delightfully round face expressing a kindness and concern for her fellow humans. Whereas her friend who’s name I learnt was Catherine, was definitely an unusually attractive young woman with blond short hair and an engaging smile that showed her small dimples. Emma was dressed in a tweed costume declaring as she had just come up from the country. Catherine was in jeans. She wore a smart red jacket and white shirt that highlighted her blond hair. Both were lightly made up.

I could not help smiling at these two good looking young women dressed in accordance with their position in life.

They ordered. Emma opened the conversation

“So dearest Catherine, what's new in the big city. Our exciting news is that we have had three births on the farm in the last month.”

“My news is that I am one month closer to giving birth. My husband John is in hospital suffering from some bug he caught. The doctors can’t find the cause. It has been very trying for him with a certain amount of pain which at present the doctors are combating with drugs. It happened about two weeks ago he started to complain about violent headaches and stiff muscles. Seven days later he went to the doctor, two days after that he fainted and was rushed to hospital. My family is on tender hooks for news. I gave a lot of thought concerning my husband's behavior and the problem we discussed at our last meeting. It took me two days to come to a conclusion. Divorce was out of the question. I just would not be able to stand the shame. My love for him was too deep. I just wanted it to last forever, but to live knowing he was probably always going to be unfaithful to me I knew I could accept a life like that. So it is my intention to return to my parents home bearing my child and mourning a dead husband.

“But he not dead yet”

“Emma dearest, I am going to tell you my darkest secret as I need to share it with you. I cannot keep it hidden within me without knowing that my dearest friend realizes what I had done. Please, it must remain a secret between us. In forty eight hours he will be dead and I will have the everlasting memory of my handsome husband kissing his bride on our wedding day.”

“I don’t understand”

“The doctors will never find the cause of his illness. I poisoned him with a very special product administered in his morning cafe over twelve days ago. If he had gone to the doctor immediately they might have found the cause and treated it. I was sure he would not go immediately. Now it is too late, any tract of poisoning has long disappeared. Emma I trust you to keep this a precious secret between us.”

“Yes, you have my word, but how did you come across this poison?”

“Don’t forget I am working for the Russian Embassy”.

David Nutt May 2024