My sincere thanks to Southern Crossfire for editing this figment of my imagination.
It improved considerably.
Thanks.
Also thanks for the directions from the moderators.
Chapter 1
Present
Thomas was savouring his solitude. He sat in his chair on the porch, overlooking the wet hills from Limburg. Rain was pouring down on the rolling landscape of shrubs, pastures, and the occasional typical homesteads of the region.
The pain from events leading to his divorce after 40 years of marriage was a dull roar in the back of his mind. Counseling helped some, but the emptiness of his life was getting at him.
In the nine months he'd been living here, he'd modernized the small, two bedroom cottage.
He'd installed a new kitchen, upgraded the old and tired bathroom, decorated, and painted, inside and outside.
Double glazing. New central heating.
The list was long and most of the work he'd done himself. He'd needed the work to keep his mind away from the gloom he felt.
He divided the big garden in two separate parts. One part was big enough for two pitches for stray campers, or when the local camping site was fully booked and someone needed a place for the night. They came with an electricity socket, a tap and a common bathroom with a shower. The other half was still a wilderness, yet to be cleared and planted.
He could only afford it at all because the family home in Amsterdam sold extremely well. This house came cheap because it was almost derelict, so he could afford it on his retirement money even after alimony. Luckily, his services as a consultant were well sought-after. He'd retired from his job as a fully licensed logistics expert for transportation of dangerous goods, whether by road, rail, water, or air transport, so he still took consulting jobs on occasion. The money from that work bought him the extras which made life more comfortable.
How this all came to be started eleven years ago and culminated in a divorce and, for Thomas de Vries, a very nasty break with his family.
Chapter 2
A year before
On a warm and humid day, Thomas walked into his garden after a 15-mile morning walk in the suburbs and countryside at the fringes of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Thomas was a wiry man, 6'-3" tall, and weighed about 180 pounds. He kept himself fit with long distance walking, usually Kennedy Walks, and a daily workout, but on this day, after starting very early, he cut this walk short. He went around to the back of their house because his shoes were muddy and he was sweaty.
In the garden while untying his shoes, he heard his wife, Nora, on the phone.
Nora was 5'-7" in height, tipping the scales at 154 pounds. She was a nice looking woman, a year younger than Thomas. During 40 years together, they had three children, Louisa, Matthew, and Roger, and a bunch of grandchildren.
Having been married so long, he normally ignored Nora's chatter when she talked to friends or her sister, but his curiosity was triggered by the tone of the conversation. He started to listen.
Nora giggled. "Of course not. He is completely unaware."
"Oh yes, I was very well fucked, and the man had a magic tongue as well. You really know how to choose them!"
"When are you planning your next little holiday from your wedding vows?"
"Oh, yeah! Count me in!"
"OK, bye."
Thomas walked unsteady to the shed before pulling out a chair and sitting down heavily.
"What did I hear just now? Again? Was everything she told me, everything for the last ten years, a lie?"
His thoughts went back to those awful weeks ten years before.
Chapter 3
Eleven years ago.
Thomas was sent abroad for an audit and assessment of a transport company. This was a rare occasion, because Thomas hated sleeping in hotels, but it went with the job. He planned two weeks for the audit, assessment, and reporting his findings and recommendations. He called Nora every night, but in the second week, she sounded distracted and strained. Her answers were curt and there was always a buzz in the background.
At the end of the second week, he received a phone call from the hospital nearby their home.
Nora was in the Emergency Room and she needed surgery. They needed his consent. He gave it and immediately wrapped up his business and went home.
When he arrived in the hospital, his wife was in bed and her sister Angela sat next to her looking very anxious.
"What happened? Is she alright? When can I see the doctor?" Thomas asked in one breath.
Angela answered, "She had a hemorrhage, but the doctors were able to stop it in time. I don't know much more but the doctor will be here soon."
Angela left immediately, leaving Thomas alone with his wife. He thought it was strange behavior on his sister-in-law's part, but at the moment, Thomas didn't dwell on it.
Nora whispered, "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help it."
"Shhh. Don't say anything. Just get better. I'm here now and I won't leave you," Thomas replied.
The painkillers made Nora go back to sleep and Thomas went in search of the doctor.
Seated in the doctor's office with a cup of coffee, the doctor explained. "Your wife was found in a hotel room by her sister; she was bleeding profusely from her vagina. In the ER, it was obvious that her vagina was lacerated extensively. It took major surgery, but in the end, we succeeded in saving her life. It was at a cost, though, and that will affect you too."
"What do you mean?"
"I have to be blunt. I can't have you misunderstanding what I am going to tell you. The result of these operations is that having sex will be next to impossible. With this, I mean penetration.
Her sensitivity in the whole area will be reduced because of the scarring and the implants we had to put in there to prevent a prolapse in the future.
