The Road to Redemption (23 page)

He thought about all that had happened. Alice screaming at him by the river saying..........” fuck off, you’re the last person I want to see,.....” “that’s your problem” and  Jane’s voice saying, .... “give her some time.” Things were definitely different than he had thought. But then, he thought about what Bill had yelled at him in his drunken state at the barbecue. He didn’t say, ..... “Alice had a mental breakdown”. He said .....“YOU" caused her to have a mental breakdown.” Wasn’t that really what, had also happened to him? Although Dr Rush had never used the word breakdown, in layman’s terms wasn’t that what had happened to him? Both he and Alice had, had mental breakdowns. The affair must have affected Alice, just as much as him. Alice’s mother had been looking after her in a way at Tyrone, just like Dr Rush had been looking after him, at the hospital.

Just as he was having this realization, Audry came out of the house and announced she was going to the supermarket, as she did every Friday afternoon.

“ Just sit there John and don’t go anywhere.”

He watched as Audry backed the BMW out of the driveway. He was not sure how long, but it had taken a while for the clouds in his mind to lift. It seemed to all come clear to him. I can’t go on like this he thought. I’ve got to get out of here. He was gripped by a sudden sense of panic, Audry would be back soon!

Into the house. Audry’s Mazda was in the garage but the keys were with her in her purse. Where did she keep that spare set? He started to rummage through her draws in the bedroom, throwing everything on the floor. No not in there, god she had a lot of clothes. Where the hell were those damn keys? Then he remembered, she had put them in the top of the closet. Everything out, handbags, shoes, you name it. Finally, there they were. A feeling of relief came over him. But it was short lived. Downstairs to grab a suitcase from the cupboard under the staircase. Then back into the bedroom, as he stuffed in whatever clothes he could lay his hands on.

Down to the garage. The battery was a bit flat, because Audry had taken over using the BMW lately, instead of using her own car. But luckily, after a few slow groans, with the engine struggling to turn over, it started. He automatically reached for the button to open the garage door. It wasn’t there. No, this was Audry’s car and she had the C-Bus remote control for the Mazda, in her handbag.

Out of the car, he could open the garage door from inside, by pulling the cord near the motor and lifting the door manually. He backed out of the garage and down the driveway. Oh no, he couldn’t open the gates manually. What the heck. Bang, he backed straight into them and they sprang open immediately. Some security gates they were, he thought. 

It was dusk when he turned of the main road and onto the dirt track. Past the spot where he had crashed the BMW. Jane had heard the car coming and was standing at the front door of the cottage.

“She’s in the kitchen.” She touched him on his upper arm as he walked past,

“ Take it easy with her, she’s been through a lot.”

Alice was sitting in a chair at the breakfast table reading a magazine. He sat down opposite her and put both hands on the table. They both just sat there for a while looking at each other, neither saying a word. That sense of calm seemed to come over both of them again. Alice put down her magazine and he slowly reached across the table for her. They sat facing each other and holding hands by the fingertips, looking closely at each other. It was as if they were reading, all they had been through, in each other’s eyes.

John got up from his chair and walked around the table as Alice rose to meet him. They stood there embracing each other. Tears were rolling down their cheeks. They had both been along the long hard road to redemption.

Yes he was home..... John was finally home and so was Alice.