Things to Know
By a.hutchinson
- 529 reads
Things to Know
David rolls the box over in his pocket, feels his fingers across it
again, makes sure it's still there. For tonight, David has thought of
everything. It's at the restaurant she loves, where they've been
before. Tian is her name. David met Tian at a house party one time when
David had taken speed, which he doesn't normally get into, but this one
time. Tian was beautiful, she had long blonde hair, dark regrowth at
the base, and dark eyes. And Tian, she is one of those people who are
effortlessly beautiful. She looks perfect in the morning. David sat
next to her that night and he can't really remember all they talked
about but he must've put his number into her phone, under 'The Dave',
and she called him a few days later. For David, imagine a twenty year
old Marlon Brando but skinnier, smaller.
David went to her house the first time they went out. A date. And on
the doorstep he hoped she was attractive because he had no memory of
what she looked like. He knew she looked beautiful. But no idea how her
features looked, what with the alcohol and the speed. He couldn't
remember writing 'The Dave' that's for sure. And Tian was smiling in
the porch-light with her head tilted like she was nervous. David kissed
her that night, under the street light out the front of her house, with
her hair whipping across her face in the wind and the leaves falling by
them like paper snowflakes. That was the first time.
Tian had moved in with David two years ago and she was in desktop
publishing but she really wanted to write. David was in marketing and
had been promoted to a middle management seat and now seemed to be the
right time. Because he wasn't a teenager anymore. He wore his good suit
tonight too. Tian had lip gloss on that shined in the candle-light.
David didn't really understand the candles himself, but Tian liked, no
'loved' them. He runs his fingers across the box in his pocket
again.
'So, you're all dressed up and here we are?' Tian waved her fingers
across when she said this. 'So what's the surprise? Promotion?' David
looked over his menu, kept his mouth closed when he smiled.
'Isn't... Isn't today our five year anniversary?' Tian looked shocked,
angry. 'Kidding,' David clarified quick. He'd forgotten what date their
anniversary was once before. Twice before.
'So what then?'
'Hey, when am I going to meet the parents?' In some way, David wanted
to ask Tian's father for her hand, a traditional formality. He didn't
think of it much, but he did think it was strange that he'd never seen
Tian's parents, and she didn't talk about them. Not once. Tian stops
smiling, looks down to the table.
'Okay, David, that's a good point' David feels over the box again.
'Yes, sorry, my parents.' Tian takes a long breath like she's about to
go into something.
'I mean if you're...' Tian stopps David talking.
'After five years David, I think I can tell you this. This is not
something I talk about, to anyone. I need you to know this though
David.' She leans in to him, narrows her eyes in the light. 'You are
the one I want to be with always.' She whispers across her lips. 'I
love you.' She says.
'When I was nine my father murdered my mother. My father is in prison
for life.' Tian stops, waits for David's reaction, sees the questions
across his face. 'I watched my father come into the kitchen, and it was
summer, my mother was in a flower dress and she was trying to catch a
fly. My father, he smelled like beer and garlic and he yelled at her,
saying that she was not a good mother to me. He told her she was
neglecting me. Then he picked up a carving knife that my mum kept by
the oven and he stabbed her thirty four times. Five times to the chest,
three times to the stomach, ten times in her neck and sixteen to her
face. I watched this happen, got some of her blood on me, saw the life
run out of her. I have never seen him since. Those are the questions?'
David has no words, stares at her across the table, imagines blood
across her cheek.
'So I don't tell people for the obvious reasons. If you're upset at
all, I understand.' David feels himself breathing for a moment, takes
her hand, kisses her fingers.
'Baby, he says. 'Baby, I love you. Thank you for telling me.' Tian
takes a deep breath, laughs slightly, shakes it off.
'So, that's me.'
'So what are we here for tonight then?'
David feels his fingers across the box in his pocket. And the ring,
he'd had it made for Tian weeks ago. He feels his fingers over the felt
outside of the box and says:
'Promotion.'
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