10.
‘I wonder if you are ready for me now Jonathan.’ A deep voice echoed throughout his study.
Jonathan coughed and coughed trying to force his voice to work it only resulted in a sore throat.
‘If you remember last night in your car nod your head.’
Jonathan nodded feverishly.
‘Ah good! You will only recall this when I am in your presence. Now I wonder if you are ready to hear me yet.’ He held out what seemed to Jonathan as a hand, and a terrified Jonathan pushed himself backward into his chair tipping it over along with himself.
After a scramble and a scurry, he found his feet and stood up planting his back against the window. The hair on his neck stood on edge.
‘I guess not. Well, I will just have to come again. You will be ready for me the next time. I will be sure of that.’
Jonathan coughed as he stroked his sore throat. He rubbed his forehead, wiping the cold droplets onto his hand. He frowned looking at his hand and touching his sore throat with the other hand.
“I must be getting sick. Better get something for this immediately. Can’t afford to be sick now or ever.” He thought while he dug in the medicine chest for suitable medication.
After taking two pills he went back to bed, Cassia was sound asleep beautifully dreaming, and so he calmly lay down next to her, closing his eyes hoping sleep will come to him swiftly.
That lasted about half an hour until he was wide awake again. He was a morning person used to having to be up at the crack of dawn either at the studio or in his study. Naturally he assumed this was the reason. His body and mind were not geared to be sleeping late in the mornings.
Finally, he researched and typed away on his laptop until it was time to get ready for another day at the studio. He had not felt that nagging feeling for the last few hours and felt highly relieved. After he showered, shaved and groomed, he admired his appearance in the full-length mirror.
The weirdness of the last few hours did not reflect. He was his normal self again. He smiled at himself, ran his fingers through his hair, pulled at the length of his sleeves and straightened up once more. To his reflection, he said ‘You own the cameras, they love you, and the people love you. You are the greatest host ever. Make them love you, even more, today.’ He winked at himself and left for work.
Gertrude tapped on his studio room door and entered ‘Good morning boss.’ It was her usual greeting said by the way of acknowledging that she had seen him and not out of any concern or respect.
He replied likewise ‘Morning.’
She put his file on the desk with the days’ program and had highlighted any changes from the previous days mock-up program.
‘Gertrude.’ Jonathan called out to her as she was leaving the room ‘You got a minute?’
She hesitated unsure as to the sudden gentleness in his tone. A tone of voice he had never used with her before.
‘What’s up?’ Gertrude stopped and turned around. He was looking at her enquiringly – wanting her to hear him out -this was most unusual. It unnerved her.
‘Do you ever have that feeling that you should be doing something, or you should have done something, but you just cannot remember where or what it is?’
‘Everyone has that.’
‘I know, but this is different. It’s been for a few days now, and it's almost becoming an obsession. This morning I felt it was over, but once I was here, it started all over again.’
‘Probably just the stress and madness of this industry, I’m sure this kind of thing has happened to every person involved in TV in one way or another. Take a pill.’
‘I have. Yes, you probably right. Thanks, Gertrude, well let’s get the day started then.’ He rose from his chair and took his jacket off the coat stand. Gertrude had exited the room in a hurry before he decided to walk with her. The conversation they had just had was odd and so out of character, any more of that and she would call the doctor for them both.
The lights on the set were dark, Jonathan stood in the wings of the stage as the audience cried for a change in status. One single spotlight shone an oblong shape in the middle of the floor; the audience yelled, the theme song chimed slowly building up to a crescendo until the nerves of the audience were at their tethers in exhilaration and then and only then Jonathan walked into the spotlight. All else dissipated and he shone.
He welcomed the world to his feet, introduced the guests and tickled their interests with what was to be the gift the audience would receive.
The nagging, uneasy feeling that plagued him had gone into the backside of his subconscious and Jonathan presented himself to the universe as the altogether, good looking, religious, perfect family man. He believed this to be the truth.
A few hitches here and there but none detectable by anyone other than the crew in the editing room. The end of the show and the lights went down; the audience disappointed that it was over mingled out of the studio while Jonathan swanked his way back to his studio room. He felt on top of the world relishing the comments from the people as he passed them. “Great show.” “Fantastic show.” “Awesome performance.”
He sat smugly is his chair removing the makeup from his face watching himself in the mirror. ‘Now that was a huge show. Huge.’ He spoke to his mirrored image.
He fought his way into the large luxurious seats of the limo ‘Home please Mervin.’
‘Yes, sir. That was a brilliant show sir.’
‘Yes it was, wasn’t it?’ He switched off the intercom and poured himself a glass of whiskey – neat. He sighed as the flavour flowed down, enjoying the smoothness of the liquid slide down his throat that felt scratchy the last few days. He put his head against the backrest of the leather seat and shut his eyes. He was calm, relaxed and strangely eager to be at home with his wife and children.
‘That was an amazing show babe.’ Cassia said hugging her husband in a welcome home embrace.
The children too gave him the hugs he had subconsciously hungered to have. Instead of going to the kitchen for a glass of wine as he did every other night he went with the children to their lounge and watched their DVD with them. He asked questions about the movie and the characters, teased them and tickled them - a moment so rare in this household of Bale. Cassia stood behind the couch watching in utter amusement as the love of her life played so affectionately with their offspring. It had been a long, long time since she could even remember him sharing anytime, except when in public, with Willow and Zayn.
Totally out of breath Jonathan escaped the clutches of the children and left them to finish the rest of the movie.
He joined Cassia in their lounge and rested in his recliner sipping his wine. Cassia sat on his lap, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him gently on the forehead ‘Now where has this man been hiding in this body for so long?’
Jonathan chuckled, placed his fingers on her hips exactly on the spot he knew she was exceptionally ticklish and squeezed ‘Hmm, I think he is here.’
Cassia squealed laughing trying to wriggle out of his grip. Their laughter and giggles attracted Willow and Zayn, which were unable to resist the temptation not to join in. It was a free for all - four bodies running around a plush penthouse apartment, in designer clothes on lavish flooring having a natural way of life.
They collapsed on the floor in the middle of the lounge heaving in exuberated cheerfulness. Jonathan pulled them all up into his arms and held his family to his chest as a doting, loving father would do on any given day.
Willow and Zayn went to bed sure of pleasant dreams filled with laughter and the sunshine. Jonathan and Cassia shared an evening of such intense intimacy which was only ever equaled to when they were on their honeymoon.
As usual, Jonathan was awake in the wee hours of the morning while his family slept soundly. He looked at the clock as got his cup out of the cupboard for his usual cup of coffee and took out a rusk to munch on – one o’clock, much earlier than usual. He yawned, waiting for the water in the kettle to boil, tapping on the counter top hurrying it up.
With the cup in his hand and another rusk in the other he turned to start his day in the study.
As he turned the shadow stood before him – It jolted Jonathan into such a shock that he released his hold on the cup and sent it crashing. His favourite and also the only cup he used was shattered all over the kitchen floor.