The Fate of Things Unknown

I saw her today, again, sitting beside the fountain, radiant as the rays of the setting sun, with that smile that could melt your heart in one go. She didn’t see me though, considering the fact that I was trying hard to be not seen. I just stood there looking at her and that little voice in my head told me to go up to her and talk to her, but I couldn’t, my feet just won’t move, however hard I tried.

But I was happy, just seeing her smile and look so happy. I loved that…

It had been days since I had talked to her. Almost two months since our last fight and I was desperate to talk to her again. She said she would meet me at our place, that little café down by the street from her house. They had pancakes that were to die for and she always ordered them. I remember her saying how she wanted to watch what she ate but at that place it didn’t matter to her. I loved that about her, the fact that she was always sure about what she wanted. No matter what, I never found her sad or depressed about tiny little things like this. She always saw the best in everything and I was glad that she was going to give me one more chance.

She was there, in the café, before I reached. She was wearing that old GAP t-shirt of hers. She said it was her brother’s but she liked it so much, that she kept it. She liked these small things and that made her even more special for me. She lighted up when she saw me; I know I was flustered and tense, not knowing what to tell her. But with her I didn’t need to say anything as she always sensed what I wanted to say.

“Come here Walt, I ordered pancakes for you too!” she said.

“Yeah, that was a wise decision, Kate!” I said.

We talked that day for hours. The waitress at the café was happy to refill our coffee for the umpteenth time, though I was not so sure about the other customers. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I remember her smiling now and then and then flicking her hair off her face again and again. I just thought to myself, “God! I could live out my life like this. Seeing her face every day for the rest of my life might not be a bad idea”.

It was two more months before we got married. Kate looked amazing that day and everyone I knew complimented me on finding her. I knew that I didn’t find her but it was fate that made us come together. I never knew I was so lucky until I had met her and I just couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her. I don’t know how long I was staring at her face until she gently nudged me and asked me to smile for the camera. I laughed, a little sheepishly, and then we both looked at the camera and smiled wide. Deep in my heart though, there was this small fear that maybe I wasn’t that lucky after all, but looking at her, made all those fears go away.

She was angry at me and I knew not why. I had never see her this angry and the fact that I didn’t know the reason made me feel even more helpless. I had done something to hurt her, but what I don’t know and she wasn’t helping. Kate had a habit of going on this silent protest where she would not talk to me on days and eventually she would come around and we would both celebrate. But this time it was different and it felt like it was not like other times. Something was amiss and I had no clue what to do. I tried talking to her but it did no good. So I did what I usually do in such situations, go out and come back later.

But that was a mistake I never should have made.

When I came back, the house was empty. Kate was gone and so was all her stuff. She didn’t even leave a note and there was nothing to indicate where she had gone. She had no family other than her brother and he was in India. I had no idea what to do and whom to ask and no clue what had happened.

I was devastated…

*click*

The doctor stopped the tape and looked up at me.

“He still doesn’t remember anything. It is always the same story, though the names keep changing. Walt or Sam or Tom, the story remains the same. He still doesn’t remember anything.”

“But he might be faking it all, you know. I mean, he killed his wife and for the last one year, we have been trying to get that one confession out of him. His story always ends at that moment when she supposedly left him. Maybe he doesn’t want to reveal the truth. Have you stopped to consider that, doctor?”

 “I have Detective. But all his tests indicate that he has lost all memory of what happened that night and he is officially and clinically insane. Until proven otherwise, he stays here and we all wait for him to tell us what happened that night on the 25^th of December.”

“I’ll tell you what happened. That man killed his wife of five years with a pick axe and sat by the body till the paramedics and the cops came in. We know he did it, but what we don’t know is why, and that is for you and your medical science to tell us doctor. Without a motive and without him being proven sane, we can’t get him on the stand for a trial.”

“Well, then we have to wait Detective.”

 I saw her today, again, sitting beside the fountain… my Lisa.