The Note on the Wall #5

I have decided to do something. To post a novelette on my blog. In installments, of course. One chapter per post, once every four-ish days. Now, you may not care. You do not need to read these. But you may like it. So there you go.

(Small warning: this story does mention a case of rape at some point. Of course it is handled delicately (and it's not talked about in detail etc.etc.) but if you are younger than 13 you may want to ask your parents if they're ok with that.)

Chapter one // Chapter two // Chapter three // Chapter four // Today we have reached the middle chapter. 

So, last time we ended with:

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“I’ll give you three days. If you haven’t told Gayl by then, I’ll tell her.”

Tim swore. He called me something I had never been called before. I slammed the pub door shut and marched home, my heart pounding faster than I knew was possible.

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5.

The following day, I stopped for a moment to read messages before I went to catch the bus to my work. Somebody had taken the time to write down the ‘a time’ passage from Ecclesiastes. I wondered if it was the same person who had written down my favourite Bible verse. That one had been from Ecclesiastes too. I always thought I was the only person who loved Ecclesiastes so much, but apparently there was someone who loved it just much as I did – maybe for different reasons, but still.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

The passage was like, it’s okay. You’re sad? That’s fine, you have to be sad sometimes. Everyone is sad sometimes. It’s all part of life. But the passage was also more than soothing. It was like, ‘say no to some things’ and ‘know when to do things and when not to do things.’ It spoke of timing. The ‘a time to be silent’ one might not be relatable to some people, because they just don’t want to shut up, for instance. I liked the challenging side to the passage; it was something simple to chew on.

I wrote: “I love this passage! Always makes me feel good about myself.”

Someone else had written: “I’m an Atheist, but I enjoy the Bible verses that that one person keeps writing down.”

I do too, atheist, I do too.

During lunch break at work, I decided to phone Gayl. I promised Tim (ugh) that I wouldn’t tell her for three days, but if Tim had told her by now, I wanted to be there to support her. We exchanged hi’s and she asked me cheerfully why I was phoning her and why I sounded so concerned and I said, “Oh no reason” which was such a lie. Then I went back to my lunch of gluten-free pasta – my Mum was on one of her gluten-free sprees and every meal tasted like something like cardboard – and thought about the ‘a time to be silent’ thing. Somehow it didn’t feel like a time to be silent. It felt like a time to speak. A pity the passage didn’t say there are times to break promises.

After three days, I popped by Gayl’s house after work. I was tired and felt like anything but talking with people (even darling best friends), but I didn’t matter right now.

I went upstairs and found Gayl in her bedroom, studying. About the cardiologic system and the nymph system and things doctors have to know about. She had lighted candles and a Movie Soundtrack twinkled soothingly on the background. Gayl was obviously happy, so obviously Tim had not told her. He was that unfeeling that he decided making amends wouldn’t be any part in this. The scoundrel. I was furious at him.

I sat on her beautiful flowery-sheet-ed bed and gave her a weary hi. I didn’t know where to start. How was I supposed to break it to her, that Tim had cheated on her through me? It was a hard task.

“What’s wrong?” Gayl asked. “Something is wrong.”

“Yes, something is.”

This was enough to fully have her interest. She got all worried. “What is it? Oh, is it your mother! Is it her who has cancer?!”

“No! Thank goodness not! I was so relieved when Mama was like, what on earth are you talking about.”

“That’s good. What is it then?”

“Something,” I breathed heavily, “Concerning you.”

“Oh?”

“It’s about Tim,” I said.

Gayl flew up her horses, if that is an expression – it sounds like it could be one, but I am not entirely sure that it is one. Imagine the panic that horses get in their big eyes when something flies at them and use it as a simile for what Gayl looked like.

“I knew something was up with Tim!” She said (old novels would’ve written ‘she cried’), “He hasn’t contacted me in three days and we normally text at least like, ten times a day. What is it? Has he had an accident?!”

This was classic Gayl. She had the imagination the speed of a forest on the fire.

“No, he is fine! I’m concerned about you! It’s – Tim. He –”

“TELL ME, bluntly, the way I like it.”

My shoulders sagged. “Remember that creepy note on the wall?”

Gayl looked at me as if I was the creepy note. “Ye-es.”

“Well, a few days ago, there’s was another one, from the same person. He asked me if we could meet up at the Yellow Bull and I thought, okay, why not, so I went. I expected an evening with a young, silly boy who was up to a little trick, but – oh, Gayl. I’m extremely, extremely sorry.”

Gayl blinked. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“It was Tim, Gayl! Tim wrote me the message!”

The clock ticked and the Movie Soundtrack became suspenseful background music. Gayl stared at me and then said, “And so what? You know Tim! He plays pranks on everyone.”

“Gayl, this wasn’t a prank.”

“Of course it was.”

I held Gayl’s hand. “I’m sorry, but it isn’t. I’m wretchedly sorry, and I wish with all my heart that it was a prank, but it wasn’t one! When I realised Tim was the one who’d written that on the wall, I became furious and asked him how he got the nerve to do that behind your back. He said that he liked you a lot, and always would, but that he liked –”

“You better,” Gayl finished.

I winced. “I wish he didn’t! Please don’t take it against me.”

“Of course not,” Gayl said quickly. “I would never do that.” She bit on her lip and tried not to cry. “W-what else did he say?”

“I said he was being very unfair to you, liking me better all the while and pretend to you that you were his favourite. He didn’t like to hear it like that. I gave him three days to apologise and explain it to you and told him that if he didn’t, I would tell you.”

Gayl snagged for breath. “And here you are.”

I gave her a hug and she burst into tears. She couldn’t believe it – and understandably so. She and Tim had been together for over a year now; they were really close and told each other everything, not to mention their high levels of PDA and their endless cute nicknames for each other. They were all over each other’s Instagram feeds and they had pictures of each other on the background of their phone. And now it was all a big fat joke.

“I have no idea what he saw in me. You’re way nicer and prettier than me,” I said. It was hardly comforting.

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(Chapter 5 will be up on Saturday, 14th of April. Next chapter you get introduced to my favourite character and I can't wait! :-)) 

(PS: Happy birthday to one of my dear readers, Zane Jones!)