NOBODY 19

On Sunday night Robbie takes me back home. “Can I come in and spend the night? I really don’t wanna go back to the hotel”
I kiss him “I’m sorry but I don’t think it would be wise. What if Antigone and Howard decide to pay me a surprise visit?”
“They would need to learn how to use the phone and I would hide in the closet”
“You need to be patient” I kiss him again “I promise it will be over soon”
“I’ll call you tomorrow. We could go and see some houses. ”
“You mean mansions”
“I meant castles”
“It’s a date”

It is already late afternoon on Monday. Emily is sitting at her desk writing on her computer. Mark is walking up and down in the corridor, right in front of her door. He sighs, and moans trying to catch her attention.
It is almost impossible for her to concentrate, so Emily closes her laptop “What is it Mark, is there something bothering you? That would be sarcasm at its best, in case you’re too busy moaning to notice.”
He sticks his head in “Can I come in? Really? I don’t wanna bother you if you’re writing”
“I guess it is a little late for that, what is it?”
“I might have screwed up”
“So I guess we’re sticking to our daily routine ….”
He gets closer and shake his head “This time is different; I might have done something I was not supposed to”
“I’m bored” and she looks at him with her arm crossed.
“I might have accidentally said something that was supposed to be a secret instead”
“What did you do exactly? How accidental was it?”
“Accidental as in I couldn’t hold it anymore, you know how I hate mind games, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t get dance routines straight, so I got in the car and I went to see Howard and I told him” closes his eyes “mate-we-need-to-talk-there’s-something-I-believe-you-should-know-Emilia-is-having-an-affair-with-Robbie” and catches his breath.
She covers her eyes with her hands “When did it happen?”
“More than an hour ago”
“You are a bloody idiot!”
“Tell me something I don’t know. What do we do now?”
“You’ve done enough already. Let me call Emilia”
She picks her phone up and dials my number. My mobile is off. While she tries my office she mumbles “You are a little stupid man Mark Owen, you are a little, stupid man with a big mouth” and before he can say something back my secretary answers “Mrs. Donald’s office, may I help you?”
“Hi Jane, this Emily Foster, I need to talk to Emilia, it’s urgent”
“She’s in a meeting with the budget people”
“I don’t care, this is important”
“Her meeting is too, believe me. She gave me clear orders; I can interrupt her only if William Shakespeare himself calls because he wrote something new and he’s looking for a publisher”
“I don’t have time for this. I need to talk to her”
“You can leave a message if you want”
She rolls her eyes, “It’s not like a have a choice; tell her to call me as soon as she gets it. It’s important. It’s a matter of life or death”

She hangs up, “She’s in a meeting, she doesn’t know”
“Should I call Robbie?”
“No, you stay out of it.” walks to the window and she has a flash “You mean Robbie, as in your Robbie?”
“Yes”
“Oh GOD!” ……… “Could you please tell me what happen at Howard’s?”
He sits in a chair looking at her, “I felt so bad, I couldn’t take it any longer. I got to his house, still unsure whether to tell him or not. He was playing the piano. Antigone sitting on his lap hitting the DO key with her index finger. She saw me and her face lit up.
‘Uncle Mark look at me I can play!’
‘Yes you can little princess. Why don’t you go get your new doll, daddy needs to talk to uncle Mark’ and he gently places her on the floor. She goes up the stairs, dancing and singing. Howard looks at her, in a way I’ve never seen before, as he wants to protect her from all the pain life will cause her. He turns to me, brushing his hands against his legs ‘I knew this moment would come. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear it. By the look on your face it’s bad. Who is he?’
‘Howard I’m so sorry but I can’t …’
‘It’s not your fault. I really thought we still had a chance. But I saw it in her eyes. There’s someone else now. I just don’t understand how you know. I would expect Dawn to be standing right there with that concerned look on her face, not you’
He sits on the sofa, pouring some water in a glass, pretending to be cool and fine but I can see he’s exploding. His all life is crumbling to dust, again and so soon.
‘She’s just confused, it won’t last. She loves you’
‘She lies to me; she’s never done it before. Not even through our darkest times. Ever’
He drinks.
I get closer, not daring to sit down. He’s like a plane about to crash against a mountain. I’m the bloody pilot but the only thing I can do I scream May Day.
I take a deep breath and I tell him ‘It’s Robbie’
And he answers with a weak smile ‘I know, bloody Robert, that name is like a curse’
I put my hand over his shoulders ‘it’s Robbie Howard, Robbie’
I guess it takes him a few minutes to realize, but his expression does not change. He still has a hint of a smile on his face but his eyes are cold. He’s not moving.
Just silence around us, for the longest time until Antigone comes back ‘Look this is my new doll, her name’s Isa’
‘NOT NOW. GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM’
She freezes; I’ve never heard Howard raising her voice with her. She starts walking backwards and disappears up the stairs.
‘Robbie … you’re saying is Robbie. No, you’re wrong. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t’. He stands up, not knowing what do with his hands. He’s breathing is heavy. ‘She let that fucking druggie take care of my daughter? She let that fucking nutcase into our home?’ he’s walking back and forth, like a lion in a cage. ‘Robbie and my wife. ROBBIE AND MY WIFE’ and takes a vase from the table and smashes it against the wall.
‘Howard listen to me, he’s clean now, he cares about A’ but I cannot finish my sentence because he’s pinning me to the wall holding me by my throat. He’s out of his mind “How … can’t …breath…’
“Never talk to me like that again, you hear me? Don’t you dare defending him’ and lets me go.
I cough and try to catch my breath.
‘Where is he?’
‘Howard I can’t’
He slowly gets close to me again and grabs my jacket, his mouth close to my face ‘Mark I mean it. I’m this close to loosing control. And we will both regret it. I’ll ask you one more time. Where is he hiding?’
‘I can’t tell you. You need to calm down’
I’m still standing against the wall, he rests his forehead against it, few inches from my face. His voice is a hiss, low and scary. No emotion. ‘If you don’t tell me now I will find out by myself, but it will be too late. I’ll kill him. I promise. I’m going to kill him, and I’ll kill her too’
‘The Ritz, code words Sponge Bob’