EMPTY

EMPTY

What a truly lovely evening it was. In no way cold as the stars were out in full force. You might even say that it was the near perfect night if you felt like a stroll with the one that you hold most dear.
Maybe then, down one certain country lane where a fox was walking along, he just might have been looking for his mate or, he was on the look-out for the next meal. Either way, it strolled peacefully along looking fully contented. But luckily for the fox, it`s reactions was just as quick as it`s cunning when he suddenly leapt into the nearest bush when a car that was travelling like a Bat out of Hell, appeared from out of nowhere with seemingly no regard for its own or anyone else`s safety.
Barely stopping at the next junction as it turns sharply right before continuing to speed along the road as it was up another gear as Gabby, wipes away yet another flood of tears.
Once, twice, and then a third time, she slams her hand on the steering wheel as she found herself unable to scream out the rage that was eating away inside of her. It was now to hell with the speed limit or any form of The Highway Code as she pressed her foot down harder and harder down on the accelerator. She had somewhere to go, and she was in a hurry to get there.
Suddenly, she could see her destination getting even closer and closer by the second until, even catching Gabby by surprise, she was on her driveway with her front door rapidly getting closer and closer so, it was a sharp handbrake turn to the right which sent some of the stones flying against the windows.

1
"It was my money that got us this house" she rages as he doesn`t even bother to close her car door and thrusting her key into the lock, throws open the front door, slams it behind her, more than ready to claim her territory.
She stands their Queen of all she surveyed, continuing to look around at what she thought was an empty home. It all seemed quiet. Maybe too quiet. Which was different to only an hour or so ago when only the bravest soul would have dared to enter.
They may have been lighter than usual. But she was convinced she then heard footsteps coming down the stairs. And she was right. As Darren appeared looking only half-the-man he thought he was a couple of previously, completely taken aback, not really expecting to see Gabby back so soon.
He had no real idea of what to say or even what to do for the best at this very moment. All that he really knew was that he wasn`t looking for another argument. "Oh, you`re back then" he says eventually.
"Yes, I`m back. Why the hell should I leave my home!" she yelled at him. He thought about it. He thought about it long and hard before he dared to answer her.
"Well, when you put it like that, I don`t suppose you should" he says looking like someone who just wanted to hide. Unfortunately for him though, there was nowhere to hide as Gabby stands there with a hatred that she never knew existed within her.

2
"How could you? How could you even think of doing it? After all the years that we`ve been together, do I really mean that little to you?" Darren just stood dumbstruck, with no idea how to answer any of these questions.
"Cat got your tongue has it, huh? Or is it that you`re just ashamed of yourself and what you`ve done? Yes, that`s probably it. Ashamed and spineless. Now the truth has finally come out, and I can see what kind of man you really are. But I do use the word man very loosely. Suppose it was different when it was all going on behind-my-back. Bet you were a real big man then weren`t you eh."
Darren knew only too well that he should at least try and say something. But exactly what that should be, was an entirely different story. For he also knew that no matter what he says next, would very likely, be the wrong thing to say.
"Still got nothing. Well, luckily enough I`ve plenty for the both of us. Seriously? I mean really, did it really have to be her? Wasn`t it bad enough that she gets the promotion over me that she gets to have you as well. And no doubt everyone at work knowing exactly what was going on. Apart from muggings here obviously.
"Look out girls, here comes that daft cow Gabby. Not a clue to what`s really going on in her life. Bet they all had a good laugh. And you couldn`t, not that I`m surprised, show me a little respect by being man enough to tell me to my face.

3
"Had to find out from a stupid text message which you didn`t even realise you sent to me by mistake to begin with. How thick are you? I could even laugh about that if I didn`t want to kill you so much."
"Yes, I know. That wasn`t fair. And you`re right. I should have talked to you about it all weeks ago."
"Oh, hallelujah. It does speak then." Her sarcasm hit him harder than any slap across the face that he actually received off her just over an hour beforehand. But he managed to recover.
"Like I said, I should have talked to you. There was no way that you should have found out the way that you did. That wasn`t right. Out of everything, that`s the thing that I`m least proud off. But what`s happened has happened. Can`t change it now. No matter how I want to.

"Oh, do you now?" Gabby asks unconvinced.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes, honestly."

"Funny, but somehow, just right now, finding it really difficult believing anything that comes out of your mouth right now."
"Yes, I get that" Darren says in an effort to be understanding.
"Oh, do you now. Well that`s very clever of you to figure out isn`t it" again, the sarcasm left him feeling that he`d been slapped across the face again, which he was happy to accept, but, unlike after the previous one, he now seemed prepared to fight his corner.

4
"Look, I know that I`m in the wrong with what I done. I won`t deny that. And that`s something that I`ve got to live with. But let`s face facts. This relationship hasn`t been great for a while now. I mean, I`ve hardly seen you these passed what, six months or so."
"Don`t you dare! Don`t you even think of bringing that into this! I`ve been slugging my guts out so we can have this house and if I did get that promotion, I was planning on taking us on a nice holiday to make up for it as well you know" she raged at him.

"What, I haven`t been working as well" says Darren defensively.

"Didn`t say you hadn`t."

"Maybe not directly. But that`s what you always mean. It`s always about you and how hard that you work and how you think that you`re the only one that pays the bills around here. Well, I pay my fair share towards this house and plenty of other things besides and I`ve always done so as well you know." Gabby`s response was instant.
"Aww poor baby. Didn`t I give you enough credit. Oh, I`m sorry you poor little thing. Do you want me to say what a good man that you really are and how lucky I am to have you? Are those the sort of things that she said to you to make you feel better?"
Darren just conceded defeat. He knew that this wasn`t an argument that he stood any chance of winning. He just brushes passed her on his way out without another word being spoken As Gabby made certain that the door was firmly closed him before she locks it whilst listening to him drive away.

5
It was if a dead weight had been removed from her shoulders when she could no longer hear his car as she made herself comfortable on her sofa and looked around her home and all its contents.
The 50-inch wall-mounted Plasma Television, including the surround-sound. Dining Room Suite and fully fitted kitchen. Then out into the Conservatory and it`s furniture she couldn`t help but feel how proud she was of herself that she had been able to achieve such a lovely home. Her time of admiration was interrupted by her mobile ringing.

"Hello mum."

"Yes, I`m alright, don`t worry."

"Not a lot to say for himself, but then again what could he say? He`d been caught out and he knew it."

As she continued listening to her mother`s support she began, totally unexpectedly, to slowly drift off too somewhere where she`d never thought that she would go.

"You`re dead right mum. I wouldn`t have listened if you`d told me that a couple of weeks ago. I was in love. Thought he was too."

The solid gold Carriage Clock that was in its rightful central spot on the mantlepiece above the log fire. The Home Computer, Desk, and Chair which looked right at home in its own special corner of the lounge. The Welsh Dresser with the finest Bone China nestling regally on each shelve. All of which she had worked tirelessly for. Now, all just seemed nothing more than bric-a-brac. And she just couldn`t explain why.

"Honestly mum, there`s no need for you to come over. I`ll be fine. Yes, I`ll call you tomorrow, promise, and stop fretting. I`m going to be fine.
Bye."

From the very second that she hung up, the last thing that Gabby felt, was fine. Far from it in fact. All she could do was simply sit there, and gaze into space, looking like someone without any purpose or direction in their life. Her entire world would have disappeared right in front of her very eyes and the home that she was once always proud to show off or, in some cases, rub people`s noses in, now had as much charm as the local rubbish tip. Her life had suddenly become a total wilderness in which she found herself wondering aimlessly around with no hope of finding her way out of it. Except for one. One hope of finding her way back into the life that she`d always dreamed of having and no matter what anyone thought of her, she knew that she just had to try. She gets hold of her mobile, and dials.

"Hello Darren. Yes, it`s me. Can we talk?"

6

by Paul `Pops` Westlake