Subj: Remember Chapter Three
Date: 2/3/00 12:20:35 PM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa
Remember
Chapter Three
When Quentin called Maggie to tell her that he wouldn’t be home that night, she barely said a word.
Quentin saw Daphne grow from a girl to a young woman over that night, he saw the years go by through the changes in fashions, her hair was at one time long then it was long again.
Daphne talked about books, that Quentin loved, but hadn’t thought of in years. She was growing into a beautiful young woman, and though more than fifty years separated them there was something that Quentin could feel between them.
More and more Quentin believed in her, and because he believed in her she had to have a reason to be here.
When Daphne was twenty years old she remembered a
time her father found her reading poetry. “It was Yeats, he believed it was
not something his daughter should be reading. There wasn’t much he thought I
could read. My mother would always take his side, when I would argue with him
about my books.” She grew quiet, a dark mood coming
upon her quickly, “What about you?”
“There’s not much to tell, what did your parents. . . ”
“Are you married?” she interrupted.
“Yes,” he said.
“Oh,” she said trying to hid her disappointment, “What’s her name?”
“Maggie,” Quentin replied.
“What’s she like?”
“She’s smart, funny, beautiful,” suddenly Quentin was thrown back to when he first met Maggie, “She was in one of my classes in college, she just came over to me and we began talking like we’ve known each other all our lives. We were married not long after that.”
Daphne smiled as he talked with mixed disappointment and happiness. “She’s very lucky.”
*******
Maggie Collins sat on the edge of the bed, watching Quentin pack a small suitcase. “Quentin I don’t know what you want me to do. You don’t come home anymore. You don’t even answer my calls.”
“I told you we took the phone out for security reasons.”
“Why do you have to sleep there then?”
“You’d think I was crazy if I told you.”
“You don’t think I could understand. . . ”
“Damn it Maggie, this won’t be long. I got things I need to do.”
“Do you mean about us or your project.” Quentin didn’t say anything he just dropped a shirt in the suitcase, “Are you leaving me?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he yelled, making her shrink away from him. He closed his suitcase, she couldn’t look at him, she didn’t want him to see her cry. Before he left the room he looked back, he wished that he could take back what he said. “I’ll call,” he said softly as he left.
To be continued. . .