GET GONE
The Beginning of an End to a Beginning
by Eduardo

  Saturday 28th 12:20
   Awoke this morning hearing Eliza as usual on the phone to her mate telling her about this fantastic cottage she found and how she's very busy packing everything to move into this beautiful place. She hasn't even been to see the place yet, or passed the stringent landlord check, or even if someone else has already viewed it. Its already hers according to Eliza.
As usual I came downstairs and she finishing the conversation, she reminded me.
"Don't forget I need more boxes and bubble wrap please."
"Okay." I replied "I'm off to get it now."
Feeling pleased with the little drive, I contemplated on dropping in to see my Monday date and have a coffee with her. Then thought, the sooner these boxes are packed the better, so bought a big pack with ten different sized boxes and another ten rolls of bubble wrap.

  Depositing this lot in the front living room which has become the packing zone for operation new life, I noticed the apparent bareness of the room and the strange echo of emptiness. She is just mine sweeping the house, room by room. Everything that can be carried is being wrapped and packed. Even the small sideboard cloth covers to prevent ornaments scratching it, have been carefully folded up and packed. Pictures, mirrors and everything else off the walls. If its packaged in a box its gone. Liam has just come down to tell me how empty the house is becoming, so I went up to have a look. There's just the main furniture stood there, totally bare. Spaces on the walls and a huge pile of taped up boxes.
I tried standing about six feet away and shouting above her wireless headphones and eventually walked in front of her to get attention. Lifting back one earpiece, she looked up at me.
"You're four or five boxes plus two for the Huntsman have turned into what, twenty? And you haven't even started with your office yet." I said to her looking at the pile of boxes and emptiness. of the room.
"Yes, I will need more boxes for that." She shouted above the din in her ear.
I just came back to the lodge and carried on sorting the emails which seem to have more spam each day.
Liam is sitting down here with me and we are chatting about the holiday and things and Eliza comes in for a pair of pliers.
She's just about to go off with them, so I ask.
"What do you need pliers for?" I was curious to know.
"Its to take the top off the telescope, I cant unscrew it." She calmly replied.
"The telescope?" I snapped. "Now just wait a minute, there is no telescope! You have already gone through the house like a mine sweeper filling twenty boxes with everything takable You never even had the decency to ask about any of it or whether there was some particular memory I wanted to keep. You just packed the lot!" I was feeling very upset with her.
"But I want the telescope!" She demanded. I spotted that one."
"Yes." I said. "And I spotted the old gramophone you so hurriedly boxed. Along with everything else."
"But its mine and I want it." She continued like a very naughty child deserving a smack.
I really lost it for a moment. I slammed my open hand down on the desk with the sound of an explosion and stared straight at her.
"No!" I shouted while allowing just enough anger to show. "The telescope is not open to discussion. It stays and that is final!"
"Oh, but please Edward, please let me have it." She was sort of pleaded and begged as if it was the most significant thing in the entire universe to her.
Again i slammed my hand down, this time deliberately much louder and adding a touch of Eliza's famous 'venom' to my reply, I again shouted back at her.
"I said no. And no is no, that's it. The subject has nothing more to be considered. The scope stays! Full stop!"
Then, just to be sure she would not come back and ask again, I slapped my hand really hard again and reiterated.
"That's it final."
She half attempted another begging of please like some hurt girl who wants a sweetie. But I just ignored her as she put down the pliers and left.
Liam turned to me and said in total seriousness.
"Mums lost it, big time." He said with a discernable hint of sadness.
"I know son. Its very difficult."

  Then needing to bring some joy into the gloom of the situation, I looked at Liam and said smiling.
"Never mind son, we will soon be relaxing on a beach."
"You need that dad after all this."
"I do son, badly." I quietly answered.
We looked at some photos on line of the local area and resort and Liams eyes popped wide a few times in joy at what he saw.
"Its going to be good there da." He laughed.
"Yes son. I can just see myself sat on the balcony sipping a cool drink in the early evening sun, with a nice young dolly bird sat besides me."
"Now your are fantasising dad. You will get the balcony and drinks but not the other." He smiled at me.
"Oh wont I?"
"No dad. You wont."
"Okay then." I answered. "Lets see what happens there. Yes?"

  He changed the subject asking, could we get Evelyn back when Mum goes. Just like his dad, he is missing that shiny clean house and offices we had all become accustomed to. I explained that I was going to try on Monday to contact her and had written an email ready to send. So oh course he wanted to read the email, which is the same as in the previous pages.
"Yeah. I think she will go for that." He confidently replied and added. "After all Dad, there's her dream and she wants that bad."
No, I suddenly thought to myself. Not more damn dreams, that's the last thing I need and a kind of fear crept over me of ever being faced with others dreams are their desires for materialisation. Almost as if reading my mind, Liam interjected and smoothed away the sudden panic.
"And its easy for you to make her dream come true." he said simply.
"Yes it will be Son. I shall send her the email on Monday.
"Why Monday?"
"Oh, I would just like to wait until then." I replied.

  I was not quite prepared for where the conversation went after that.
"So. You going to ask Evelyn to have a sugar daddy?" He calmly asked.
"I don't even know if she will come back yet. Let alone asking her to be my mate. Anyway, do you think I have any chance with a twenty something?"
"No way Dad." Came the immediate retort.
"So why do you ask then if you are so certain?"
"Well, knowing my Dad, you might have a tiny chance."
I couldn't resist delving deeper into what Dad's image was in his eyes. Its a rare opportunity not to be missed.
"What percentage?" I challenged smiling at him.
"Oh, I think you will talk her into coming back, but the other....?"   He thought hard, screwing up his lips as he did so.
"Possibly ten percent?"
I was hoping for maybe a twenty or even a thirty! But ten, well maybe better than most fifty seven year old dads, I thought, but this definitely needs challenge from me. If I fail, he will still give me ten out ten for trying and admire me more, but if I could win!  I guess his Dad would be more an equal and that huge age barrier would vanish between us, which has been slowly happening since Eliza came back from Japan and started all this.  In the right circles amongst his mates at the private school he goes to, his Dad would be quite cool.
"Bet you millions you don't though."  he continued.
His millions are in Runescape gold, where he enjoys a millionaire status in the game he has played on and off for many years.  He often buys some gold from his real pocket money, the rest he earns within the game.
I laughed back. "How many millions in gold then?"
"Ten million. But you've no chance Dad. Cor, i'm going to be rich."   he beamed in total certainty of winning.
"Okay then." I put my hand out for a shake.

  Leaning forwards, he hesitated for a second and asked me clarification of the bet. "So if she comes back here and becomes your partner I loose, but if she comes back only as a cleaner, I make millions?"  He gleamed as we shook hands on the deal.
"If you lose Son, you will be working your but off for the entire holiday to pay me."
We joked about it a little and left it at that.
Now its time to go up to the house and see what's left of it.

  Not much, that's for sure.  Spent just long enough to look around and speak with Eliza sat on the floor surrounded by crockery from the sideboard unit.
"So what else you taking?"  I asked controlling emotions tightly and noticing two more picture gone from the wall.
"That's about it from the house."  She coldly answered.  "Oh and I want the two large persians in the bedroom upstairs."
Obviously the thousands of pounds worth of new and very old furniture in the prayer room all specially imported from the far east will go. Each item in there cost a fortune. Nothing but the most expensive for the prayer room was always Eliza's wish, which had to be done without care to expense. Each item represents the hardship it took me to provide.   Each item in there is a token of undying love and respect for a woman I believed to be my soul mate.  Each of the countless other gifts I have showered upon this woman were giving with the maximum of ability and represented a token of my deepest felt love towards someone I believed in totally. Some may not have been on her birthday, but there have been more in the past sixteen years than all her birthdays and christmases put together.
They are now of useless worth to me for they were bought while I surfed the illusion I came to believe in and no value is felt from their acquisition or true gratitude shown for their provision.  So she is welcome to the lot.  I wanted to use the master bedroom as a bedroom again anyway, its the best room of course and twice the size of the others.
   I just looked at her sat there totally gone into this new trip of hers and felt compassion for her twisted reality and the sorrow it could bring her.
I could just see her sat on the sofa seats in that Moroccan place she goes, eating and smoking the hubbly bubbly, which of course all the men in there will gladly offer her to do.  Don't think she will find Mr Rich Dick there, plenty of dick though.
Liam just text me from upstairs saying  "We will need to go shopping once mums gone."   He is seeing how empty the place is becoming.   I just replied "Agreed."

Don't forget to choose and ad you like and click it.  It costs you nothing but helps towards my financial independence.