Chapter 10
Most mornings in the park, a pretty woman would detour from her run over to say hello and pet his dogs. She was of a slender build, she struck Rob a quite fit. Her hair, at the dark end of blond, was in a high pony tail as she exercised, but looked shoulder length. She always had a smile on her face. Rob thought her very attractive. He guessed she was younger than himself, by a little. She was always nice to his dogs; they took an instant liking to her despite their reticence toward most people. Rob and she usually made some small talk for a bit before going back to what they were doing. Rob seemed to bump into her almost every day, they seemed to have longer conversations. There was something familiar about her, Rob learned her first name, Kate, but didn't ask for any more information.
On a Thursday morning in August, about three months after he had left Helena and Marion, his doorbell rang. He went to see who it was and saw a van from a well-known media shop in front of his house. Two men were unloading a large carton from the van. The man at his door asked him to to sign for the delivery. Rob had ordered nothing and was expecting nothing. He argued with the man from the shop for a few minutes. Then a man dressed in a dark suit approached him and asked the man from the shop to wait for a few minutes.
The man in the suit explained. "Rob, you don't know me, but you probably know we have you under surveillance, I or one of my colleagues. I imagine you understand, you've taken a good look at me a few times, sitting in the car. I realize this must seem pretty weird to you, but could you accept this telly and all that comes with it? Would you please sign and let them do their job? If you don't want it, you can give it to me; my children will be very pleased." He grinned. "I'm joking. Please, though, cooperate. There's also a new DVD player. You're being given this kit because I have a DVD to give to you in person and ask if you would please view it. When you're done with it, you can phone me and give me your answer. The DVD is a recorded message from Helena; she wants to apologize and tell you something important. That is what this is all about."
Rob shrugged. "I can watch a DVD using my computer." He had the impulse to give Helena something to worry about. "Since I'm about to move to Sweden I don't want any more stuff." The man's comment had gave him an idea, he went to the delivery van. He gave Helena's address to the driver, telling him to knock on the back door and tell whoever answered he'd been told to bring the cartons to the basement for storage.
When the delivery van was gone, he turned back to the security operative, who asked, "Sweden? What takes you to Sweden?"
Rob had just improvised a quick response, but the interest suited him. "I found a good position there," he replied casually. "I've decided to live outside of the U.K. for a while. Now, what about this DVD?"
The security man brought out a thin case from his coat pocket. Opening the case, Rob saw a DVD with no label on it, likely created on a computer. He lifted the DVD from the case. With a casual flip of his wrist he sailed the DVD out into the street, where it landed, bounced and rolled for a distance before stopping. "We're done here, I would say." Rob paused before he closed the door. "Oh, hey, wait. I want your supervisor to call me."
"Certainly sir, may I have your number?"
Rob chuckled. "I can't help but think your supervisor knows how to call me." He closed his door.
Within minutes his mobile rang, he answered. "Mr. Graham, this is Michael Haft, I supervise your security service. What can I do for you?"
"I want no security service. You are dismissed."
"I'm sorry, sir, it isn't your decision."
"Okay, Michael, know this. One day I will be so unhappy at seeing your car again that some of its glass will be broken."
"Sir, the best I can offer you is to be more discrete. Please do not violate the law. Do keep in mind the people in the car are quite capable of defending themselves."
"Michael, you tell Helena I resent being monitored. I no longer have anything to do with her and if she doesn't cancel you watching over me, it will soon turn unpleasant."
"Sorry, sir, who is Helena?"
"Well, I must admit you're good at your job." Rob ended the call. He paused to add Michael's phone number to the contacts in his phone.
The next day a middle-aged woman, who looked nothing like a security operative, handed him another copy of the DVD as he walked the dogs in the morning. Each day a copy of the DVD managed to reach him. It was left on his doorstep when he was out, it was dropped through the mail-slot on this door. On the fifth day of this persistence, he found it tied to his doorknob with a pretty ribbon. He shrugged, he had to give Helena credit for persistence and decided to watch the thing.
He put the DVD into his computer. The video started with Helena leaning against her desk in the library, arms folded. Marion stood beside her. Rob immediately noticed they didn't look so good, the dark areas under their eyes showed a lack of sleep. Their faces were solemn.
Helena looked to her left, beyond Marion, then turned to the camera and spoke. "Dear friend of mine, friend to both of us. First I want to apologize for what we did to you. We talked after you left and I realize our dreadful mistake. We couldn't reach you on your mobile, even after we dug out your old home phone number we couldn't reach you there. I knew just coming to your flat would be in vain.
"Your sudden departure was such a painful blow. You can see we look awful, we just aren't sleeping well at all. Each night I keep myself awake thinking about how I make you come back. I just feel miserable all the time without you.
"I know I was wrong, I understand your anger, but Rob, some of the things you said to us are nearly unforgivable. I need to see you again, I need to hold you again, but I also need to hear your apology. I propose we just say you spoke in the heat and anger of the moment."
She paused, looking down.
"I sent you a little surprise, trying to get your attention. I though it would show you I, we, are thinking about you. I understand it was a mistake, I should have known better. You must not hold the attempt against me, I was desperate to get in contact with you, I would have tried anything. You threw her out so quickly. Still she managed to leave my letter with you, giving me some hope. When it came back to me, unopened, I decided I had to contact you through more drastic measures.
"I remembered how it takes you time to get over things. Since it looks like you are not coming back anytime soon, it appears you still need time to work things out in your own mind, forgive us and decide how you will ask for our forgiveness. We've decided to follow your lead, a break will do us all good. In a few days we're going on holidays, Marion, Kim and I. We plan to be gone for about four weeks. Since I still intend to be your wife, I've decided if you don't want to live in my house, I will come to live in yours when we return. Marion and I have decided to live at your place; it will be much easier for us to make up and set things right."
Helena continued with a sad smile. "If you accept my idea I made some arrangements. Someone will call you soon for an appointment for a decorator to come to look at your flat. Since I'm moving in, I decided to give all your bedrooms a make-over. Please let me do this for us, Rob."
There was another pause with Helena looking down again. "Rob, there is one more thing, my sister has returned from Australia. She won't join us on our holiday; she has traveled quite enough recently, she just wants some quiet. She's not at all like me, but she has been hurt by a man and we have welcomed her as a member of our circle. You understand what I mean by this. You made a promise to me, Rob, a promise to every member of the circle, at the ceremony in my basement. I'm told you already see her almost daily, I suggested to her she introduce herself. If she chooses to make herself known to you, then you will fulfill your commitment to any member of the circle who has a need. She knows all about you, she told me she really wants to get in touch with you, get to know you better. She understands the promise you made to the circle. Like all your friends of the circle, you must be her friend. When she asks for it, you must be a lover for her. Please be gentle with her. She was abused, beaten, humiliated, you have no idea. The humiliation in the games we play is child's play compared to her experiences.
"Rob, we, every member of the circle, want you to know, we're waiting for you to return as you know you must." Helena smiled defiantly. "Prepare yourself, your flat as well, for an invasion of love as soon we come back from our holiday."
"Please think of me, think of Marion and Kim, we all love you very much. You can always reach me on my mobile, it has worldwide service. Be safe dear, I love you and we'll see you in four weeks. And hugs to your new children, I'm sure I'll like them, in fact, it took me all my self-control not to visit you right away and find out for myself." Marion and she blew him a kiss and the screen went black.
Rob was puzzled by the video. First, what did he have to apologize for? Of all the things he had thought about saying during that miserable night, he thought what he'd actually said in the morning quite tame. He wondered if she was upset he left instead of talking more. His decision to leave was because it was clear she was not going to understand if he simply talked about it.
Her plan to move into his flat was odd. At least it explained why her security was watching the neighborhood.
Then this sister and his "obligations"to the circle. He remembered the ceremony, he had been caught up in the moment, he'd made promises. Even so, he recalled Helena saying "All these women present. "Apparently she had the privilege of amending his commitments on her own. But in his defense, this took place in the playroom, such as it was. He had interpreted the ceremony as a game. Had he thought his words would come back to him later as a more universal commitment, he'd have been far more guarded in his promises. This sister wasn't even a member of the circle at the time of the ceremony. What if Helena takes in a dozen more?
He had the impulse to talk to Helena, she didn't deserve to be in isolation any more. He picked up his mobile, took Helena's mobile number off the blocked list and, for the first time in weeks, he touched the button to call her on speed-dial.
Within seconds he heard her voice: "Oh thank you for calling me! I am so glad to hear your voice again, dear. But we're in the car on the way to the airport as we speak."
"I'm just calling to wish you all a very good holiday. Where are you going?"
"We're going to Miami, then a cruise in the Caribbean, then shopping in New York."
"Okay, well, have a lot of fun. I wish you good weather and smooth sailing. No doubt you'll be faced with romantic opportunities on the cruise ship. Be careful around all those pretty boys."
"When we come back, Rob, we shall start all over again. We have a lot to discuss, you, Marion and I."
"You and I have matters to discuss," he agreed with an important change in phrasing. He made a note to think through how he would present the changes necessary to bring him back into her life. He might start with his so-called promise to the circle and how she'd invoked it in the video. "One last question, what about your sister? You said she's different, in what way?"
