Zach immediately carried Cathy off the floor and onto the couch and turned the fan on.
“I’ll get the alcohol,” the other man offered. Zach was too worried at that moment to have noted that the man was familiar with the house. When they had revived Cathy with the alcohol, the other man went to the kitchen and set about preparing a light meal of wheat porridge as Zach stayed with Cathy. He had still not registered the familiarity with which the other man was moving around in the house; his focus was on his pretty wife who was aghast and very, very pale. He ran his fingers lightly at her hairline, kissed her lips, her nose, her forehead ever so softly. Cathy had begun to cry silently again, and Zach was soothing her, unaware that the other man was standing at the kitchen door way, looking at them and wondering who he was.
Cathy looked up and her eyes met those of the other man’s. That caught Zach’s attention and he turned around and signaled the other man to bring the meal. He did so, and watched Zach feed Cathy so lovingly that he ached. Who was he, the other man wondered? Why was he treating Cathy like she was his wife?
Zach’s thoughts were not far from the other man’s: who was he? Why did he have a key? And why did he act like he knew the house inside out? Cathy coughed, and the other man showed up with a jug of water. She was having the best of care right now. Why did she look so pale and worried? Zach was sure it had to do with the other man.
Having satisfied himself that Cathy would be okay and realizing that the man was not going away and he was not really needed, the other man excused himself. Zach caught him on his way out and thanked him for his assistance, all the questions passing between them silently. He went out and Zach stood there till he disappeared from view.
When he returned to the hall, Cathy was sitting up. He went to sit beside her on the couch and cuddled her. He wanted to ask her about the other man but he did not want to push her yet. Cathy was having an internal battle of her own: what went on between the two men while they were outside? Did Zach know who the other man was? Did the other man know who Zach was? Her time was catching up. She had to tell Zach before he found out from her nosy neighbours.
As she opened her mouth, Zach said, “Let’s get you showered up, yeah. We need to get some air. Is that park still operating? Let’s go there.” He got up, lifted her to the bathroom and they showered together.
On their way to the park, Cathy noted all the curious stares she was receiving from the neighbours. She felt their stares like knife pricks at her back. Zach took her to all the places she and Dale had been and it was all she could do not to run away from there back to her home. She could not bear the judgmental stares. They did not make it all the way to the park. She complained of dizziness and so they returned home.
Zach felt blessed when Cathy complained. He could not bear the curious stares himself. He wondered why the neighbours stared at them like that and why Cathy looked uncomfortable with him. That had never been: she always wanted to be seen with him. Having made sure that Cathy was well, he led her to the couch where she had lain. He had to know. “Cathy, who was that man who came here earlier? I saw him on my way back from jogging. He had a key to this door, and he seems to know this house better than even I do.”
Cathy sighed but was not shocked. She was expecting it. She looked up at him, took a deep breath and started, “His name is Dale. He is a friend from the beach club I joined after I thought you were dead. I’m sure he came to check on me”. She patted his thigh with her left hand unconsciously as she got up and was startled when Zach held her wrist and raised it up, noticing the absence of the wedding ring. He looked at her questioningly, “Where is your ring, Cathy?”
