Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Tilting my head, I asked, “Why would he have sent me?”
“Are you one of his other conquests?”
“No. I can safely say I am not.”
“He’s going to save me. He loves me even though I’m a mortal. Because I’m a talented musician.”
“Well, that’s great.”
“Did you know that operatic arias are the most beautiful pieces of music? That’s where my name comes from. Aria is synonymous with music.”
Jake had mentioned that Ivy used to play the guitar. That was one of the few things I knew about her. An amber-colored guitar leaning against the wall in the corner of the room caught my eye.
“So, you’re a musician. I see the guitar over there. Do you play?”
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. Ivy quickly put her cigarette out and sat down on the bed. She started to rock back and forth. The change was like a light switch had been turned off. She wrapped both of her hands around her head and started pulling her hair. Then, she burst into tears.
A flash of panic hit me. I felt helpless. The bed creaked as I sat down next to her.
“It’s okay, Aria. Whatever it is, you’ll be okay.”
The reality of how far gone Ivy’s condition was had never really registered with me before. Seeing it for myself gave me a clearer understanding of what Jake had been dealing with all of these years.
There was a knock at the door.
A woman walked in holding a small Dixie cup. “Ivy girl, I have your medicine.” She seemed unphased by Ivy’s wailing, which told me it happened a lot.
The worker didn’t question me. She simply walked over to Ivy, gave her two pills and watched as she drank every last drop of the water.
“Stick out your tongue,” the woman said, apparently needing to make sure Ivy actually swallowed the medicine.
Ivy did as she was told. “Ahh.”
I noticed for the first time that her teeth were quite stained.
The woman promptly left, shutting the door behind her.
Outside the window, snowflakes were falling. We sat in silence for several minutes. Thankfully, she’d calmed down. I couldn’t help staring at her, taking in every last detail as she towered over me on the bed. Subtle wrinkles were starting to form around her mouth, probably from all the years of smoking. It was hard to imagine that Jake had once been married to her, had made love to her over and over. I shuddered. The knowledge that my husband had been inside of her caused my stomach to turn. I really tried not to let my mind go there, but I couldn’t help it.
At one point, she wiped her nose with her sleeve. Her eyes were swollen and red when she slowly turned to me. “I’m Ivy.”
“Hi, Ivy.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m not sure,” I said honestly.
“Me, neither. I’m not sure why I’m here anymore most days.”
The deeper meaning of her statement made me overcome with sadness for her. I didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”
“No one ever stays. People come in here to give me medicine or check to make sure I’m alive then they leave. I’m usually alone. Just as well. I don’t know how to be around people anymore. Well, except Jake.” She laughed almost maniacally. “I haven’t scared him away yet.”
“Jake, huh…”
Ivy stood up, walked over to the bureau and picked up the very picture I’d been holding earlier. She brought it over to me. “That’s him.”
My poker face was getting harder and harder to maintain. I wasn’t going to pry or force her to label what he was to her in order to satisfy my own morbid curiosity. I knew the truth, and I knew it must have been painful for her to think about losing him. It was probably easier if she didn’t have to refer to him as anything specific anymore. Or maybe she didn’t always realize she’d lost him. It seemed impossible to know what she was really thinking.
She returned the frame to the bureau without saying anything else.
This situation was getting to be too much for me. I knew I really needed to get up and leave but wasn’t exactly sure how to approach it. She seemed to want me there, which was surprising and unsettling.
Ivy got up again, walked over to the television and shut it off. Sitting back down on the bed, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. She startled me when she grabbed my wrist for support then said, “Go over there and bring me the guitar.” When I hesitated, she yelled, “Go!”
The room suddenly felt hot. I was starting to perspire. I stood up and walked over to the guitar in the corner. It was a lot heavier than expected. I brought it over to her, and she reluctantly took it.
She rubbed her hand gently along the strings. “I don’t play anymore.”