THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, BUSINESSES, PLACES, EVENTS, LOCALES AND INCIDENTS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF THE AUTHOR’S IMAGINATION. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, OR ACTUAL EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
chapter 3 : DEPARTED
Deborah’s cheeks turned red. Her ears steaming hot and her face clearly strewn with guilt.
She clicked her tongue as if reprimanding herself to be careful with words and in a desperate bid to change the topic said, “I didn’t want you to be alone today. I knew you could count on some company. I know Carter has a busy job, still, I expected him to be home with you today. Anyways, I came over because I felt it’s the right thing to do. Isn’t today the death anniversary of our dear boy Ethan. He would have been six years old had he not…….”
Evelyn’s head spun, the room darkened, her feet became wobbly. She had forgotten! It had completely slipped her mind that today was the day four years ago she had lost her son. How could she have forgotten? Was Ethan not a part of her life anymore just because he wasn’t alive? Was his memory reduced to a meaningless insignificant detail now?
She was transported back to that day she had known about her pregnancy. It was Carter’s birthday. She had gifted him the pregnancy stick wrapped inside a box. His eyes had popped in happiness. He had not let her feet touch the ground during the entire pregnancy. He had been the happiest she had ever seen him the day Ethan was born. He had been a hands-on dad. Soon after the delivery, Evelyn started suffering from PPD (Post-Partum Depression). However, it wasn’t detected or suspected by her doctor or anyone else around her. She had often found herself resentful and unloving towards Ethan. Some days she just picked up her car keys and walked out of the door when it became overwhelming. Evelyn counted on Cleo to look after Ethan. Deep down she knew a dog didn’t qualify as a proper babysitter but her mind was too numb to think straight.
Often Carter had found Evelyn lost in thoughts while Ethan was at the verge of getting into serious danger. She couldn’t control her frustration due to minimal sleep. Ethan was a nocturnal baby who stayed up all night demanding feed and slept all day. She had given up her job to be a full-time mother but regretted her decision all the time. She tried to love Ethan the way a mother should love her child but failed miserably. Carter had grown worried about Evelyn’s behavior but didn’t say anything. He remained calm and patient. He had to be on the road a lot as both his jobs as a realtor and marketing executive kept him super occupied. Whenever he was away, he made sure his mother or Evelyn’s mother paid them a surprise visit. This pissed off Evelyn as she sensed his mistrust in her method of parenting. She didn’t protest but seethed on the inside. Every time Carter was home, he spent all his time with Ethan and Cleo. He was caring and courteous to Evelyn but she longed for his undivided attention which she had enjoyed before they had Ethan. They had a huge communication gap in their relationship but neither of them put any effort in bridging the same. Carter continued being polite while Evelyn continued being a reluctantly dutiful mother and wife.
All hell broke loose on Ethan’s second birthday. Carter had gotten Ethan ready for the cake smash while Evelyn was working with the catering folks and welcoming their guests. When they posed for a picture with Ethan smashing the cake, Ethan had pooped. In the hurry of getting him ready, Carter had forgotten to put on a diaper for Ethan. There was poop all over Evelyn, the cake, the table and also some on Carter. Evelyn had lost her mind and to the utter horror of bystanders, she had spanked Ethan so hard that he had passed out. She had realized the intensity of her doing when Ethan’s nose had started bleeding. All the way to the hospital she had begged apology to a senseless Ethan and promised him that she would never lose her calm again. The doctor had thankfully said that Ethan had passed out of shock and didn’t get any major injury. Evelyn had expected The Child Welfare Services to come knocking anytime soon and snatch her son away.
However, Ethan’s pediatrician had recognized the symptoms of PPD in Evelyn and recommended immediate therapy to her. It had helped Evelyn gain back her older self. Afterward, she had been the mom she had till now only dreamt of. Carter had dropped the real estate job and Evelyn had gotten the position of a receptionist at a nearby resort. Together they made sure Ethan always had company. Life was finally crawling back to normal. Around Ethan’s third birthday they had taken a family vacation to the Caribbean islands. Evelyn was thrilled to have overcome depression and become the kind of mother Ethan truly deserved.
Ethan was a brilliant kid, he filled their lives with happiness, he suffused their home with warmth. Ethan and Cleo were quite a duo. They could spend hours playing fetch in the park. Ethan started his playschool soon after their vacation. Evelyn and Carter swung back to their full-time jobs and even started discussing the possibility of a second child in the near future. They had always wanted two kids and a dog, that according to them was the definition of a perfect family. Even though the thought of another baby scared Evelyn, she was confident of being better prepared this time.
On a Sunday afternoon, Cleo and Ethan were playing in the backyard pool when disaster struck. While diving, Ethan’s leg had slipped and he hit his head on the pool boundary before falling into the pool. He had died instantly because of the impact. Evelyn had come running from the kitchen after hearing Cleo’s whines. She had screamed at the top of her lungs which had made Carter come running out of the house. That day had turned to be the worst day of their lives. Police had refused to accept it as an accident and taken Evelyn with them as the prime suspect for murder. They reasoned that she had hit Ethan in the past and was a victim of PPD, thus such people were prone to being natural suspects. A heartbroken Evelyn had been dismal at the police station. The questions she was subjected to made her wish she was dead. Even though Carter was at his worst mental state, still he hadn’t left any stones unturned to get Evelyn released at the quickest. He had hired a top lawyer who had presented a case that let Evelyn be released as a suspect. Later on, once the autopsy was done, Ethan’s death was ruled out as an accident.
The worst wasn’t yet over though. At Ethan’s funeral, there was a buzz in the air. All the guests who had come to support the grieving family had spoken about Evelyn in hushed tones. A lot of it had made its way to Evelyn’s ears too.
“Did you know she was suffering from PPD?”
“Oh, I remember the way she spanked her son on his second birthday! Poor boy had lost his consciousness.”
“What kind of mother cannot avert an accident? The police shouldn’t have released her. She is sure to be blamed. She should have been more cautious as a mom.”
“I have heard she often let the dog watch over the baby while she napped.”
“Did you know she was jealous of the baby stealing all of daddy’s attention?”
“She is a blotch in the name of motherhood.”
“God couldn’t see little Ethan suffering at the hands of a wicked evil and thus he called Ethan back.”
“Poor Carter has to pay the price for Evelyn’s cruelty.”
The malicious hearsay had multiplied to the extent that at a point almost everyone in the funeral was speaking against Evelyn, dissecting her character, questioning her motherhood. She was crestfallen.
As if her son’s untimely demise wasn’t devastating enough, now people she counted as friends and family were examining her motives and finding hidden agendas. Unable to take it anymore, she ran away to the graveyard in the mid of the pastor’s speech. She sat down near Ethan’s tombstone for a long time. Cleo had come over for offering a silent company. When the sun was about to set, Evelyn had held the tombstone in her arms and said “I have loved you Ethan with all my heart and soul. I know I have been unkind to you but can you forgive your mother’s mistakes. I haven’t loved anyone as I have loved you, my son. I wish I had gotten more time with you. I wish I hadn’t let you get into the pool on your own that day. I wish I hadn’t stopped looking over you assuming you were safe. I am truly sorry. Please accept your mother’s apology and come back to me if you can.”
Life had never been the same post that day. Carter had been distant, immersed himself in Church duties and spent all his free time with the Pastor. Evelyn had started wondering if their relationship had hit a rock bottom and if they would ever be back again the way they were. To her utter surprise, Carter had neither ever held her accountable for Ethan’s death nor questioned her motherhood. He had taught her to move on and look forward to the future instead of dwelling in the past. He had shown immense strength and showered her with unremitting care. In fact, he had convinced her for Mia, their next offspring. Together they spoke about Ethan as if he were there with them. They hoped and prayed for Ethan’s soul to find peace. The news of Evelyn’s second pregnancy had lighted up their lives. They had celebrated God’s kindness to bless them with the opportunity to be parents again.
“Evelyn, Evelyn can you hear me? Are you okay? Do you need me to call a doctor or Carter?”
Evelyn had opened her eyes to Debby hovering above her, splashing water on her face.
“No… No… I’m alright. Please help me back up.” She had extended her hand which Debby had squeezed and pulled. Deborah had stayed and made her eat the pie, heated up some leftovers from the refrigerator and served it as lunch, tucked Evelyn in the bed, took care of Cleo’s evening walk, insisted on staying until Cater got back home but had eventually left on Evelyn’s persistence that she was fine. She longed to be alone.
After Debby had left, Evelyn had called Carter’s phone and gotten the voicemail.
She left a message saying “If it’s possible could you come over home soon tonight?”
Soon after that Carter called to say he was on his way home.
Carter had come home to Evelyn sound asleep with Ethan’s photo frame clutched in her arms, wrapped tightly.
He decided to let her sleep.
((To be continued………))
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Gripping storyline !! Hoping for a happy ending….
A story must always have a happy ending, keep reading!
I love this idea, writing the story in separate posts like this! Gripping story, well written! Can’t wait for next installment!
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. Do read the upcoming parts and give your feedback. Thanks a lot.
These stories break my heart but I can’t stop reading! They are so real and raw. I tear up with every one. Beautifully written. You do such a great job of communicating the pain poor
Evelyn feels. I’ll definitely be reading the next installment!
I am sorry the story has a depressing tone to it, but it does get better in the end, is all I can say. Thank you for reading, supporting and the wonderful feedback. It means a lot to me. 🙂
What a gripping story!
Thanks a lot Sarah.