Missing Martha

4

With tears streaming from his eyes, Martin drove as fast as he could back to his house where already there were police cars and borders surrounding his home.
Taking a deep breath, Martin ran out of his car to a police officer.
"She- she's my wife please.." he began,
"Martin McCafferson?" Said the officer,
He nodded, handing her his drivers license.
"I'm so sorry. She was seen through the window by neighbours about an hour ago.."
"I need to see her."
"She's dead, Martin."
"I just need to see her!" He yelled, his nose tensing with the tears and his lip curling with utter despair.
Then the body came along.
Martin was stunned when he saw her porcelain face carried on the tray. He remembered her during the long loving nights and every single waking day of his whole life.
"Hey." Said a voice from behind him.
Martin turned around to see Miss Flynn taking his hand. His mouth dropped slightly.
"I- I got your address from the school. I didn't want you to be alone." She said.
Martin nodded, "thank you." He managed to say, though still in pain,
"Do you need somewhere to stay?" She asked, "I- I've got a spare bedroom, I live just on the other side of town."
"A-are you sure?" He asked with as much thankfulness as he could muster,
"Of course." She replied, putting her hand on his back. "Come on you've seen enough today."
With her arm around Martin, Zoe made her way to her car.
Opening the passenger seat, she helped Martin into his seat before sitting in the drivers seat beside him.
Martin rested his elbow against the arm rests with his thumb and index finger in his tear ducts.
Zoë didn't know what to say to him, she didn't even know he had a wife. Although she had only known him for two days, she'd heard all about him from the band.
"What was her name?" She dared to ask him, seeing him cry.
"Emily." Said Martin, "She was mad." He said, shaking his head. "We were half way through a divorce before.. everything happened."
"How long had you known each other?" She asked,
"My whole life, thirty years. We grew up together." Said Martin,
"I'm so sorry.." said Zoe.
Martin covered his eyes, breaking down again.

When they arrived at Zoe's house, Zoë walked out of the car and helped Martin out.
She unlocked her door, turning on the lights, she opened the door to the guest bedroom.
"You have a lie down, I'll bring you something to eat." She told him, looking into his bloodshot eyes.
"Thank you." He told her, looking back into her green eyes.
She smiled at him before closing the door behind her.

Jemma, Ryan, Lucy, Cloda and Ollie sat in the music classroom in silence.
"Do you reckon his wife was the lady he was with yesterday?" Asked Cloda,
"Probably." Said Lucy. Looking down, "they were both in tears."
"He was in a bad way beforehand, what's he going to be like now his wife's dead." Sighed Ollie, "poor guy."
"We won't be going on that music tour ever will we?" Asked Ryan, sighing.
Everyone shook their heads as the final bell rang.
"Home time." Acknowledged Jemma, "have a good weekend you lot."
"You too Jem." Said Ollie, putting an arm around her. Jemma tensed, smiling at him.
"Are you okay Jemma?" He asked, looking into her eyes.
"Yeah." She said, "just shocked about sir."
"Yeah same." He said, taking his arms off her as they walked outside the school to get the bus home.

****

Zoe walked into the spare bedroom with a tray of food.
She looked into the bed where Martin lay fast asleep.
She put the tray down on the bedside table, not wanting to disturb him.
She closed the door behind her, walking back into the kitchen she pulled out a large bottle of red wine and lit the fire.
She was still feeling a bit shit. It was the first night she had spent single in over seven years. She had often thought that Alex would propose to her one day, but those days were over. She was back to square one.
Zoe pulled out a wine glass and filled it up, before sitting down beside the blazing fire.
"Hey." Said a voice,
She turned around to see Martin. The first four buttons of his white shirt were undone revealing a relatively muscular chest.
Zoe focused her eyes on his tired face.
"Glass of red?" She offered,
"Yes please." He sighed, following her over to the kitchen.
"Thanks for the food." He said, taking the glass, "you honestly don't have to do this."
"Couldn't just leave you," She said, "I've got some morals."
"More than me apparently." Sighed Martin, thinking of his ex.
Zoe looked down, not wanting to agitate him any further.
"Sorry.." he said, "it's been a long day for both of us."
He sat down on the sofa beside Zoe by the fire sipping the wine.
"You still going to live in this house?" Asked Martin, "I mean after you and your boyfriend.."
"Alex didn't pay for the house anyway. He was a stingy bastard. Just used me to keep him off the streets." Muttered Zoë.
"Why'd you stay with him?" Questioned Martin, sipping the wine again.
"Because I.. I guess I loved him." Said Zoe, feeling slightly tipsy, "about a year ago I found a beautiful ring in his drawer. I got so excited, thinking he was going to propose to me.. but then eight months past and nothing happened.. looked back and it was gone. Who knows who he gave that to."
"What a bastard, probably sold it." Sighed Martin.
Zoe looked down, taking a big chug of the wine.
"I don't know how I fell for him." She sighed, pouring herself and Martin another glass. "His taste in music was horrific as well."
"Oh yeah?"
"All he listened to was rap. Just people talking with no rhyme or rhythm," muttered Zoë.
"Bleh, rap. I remember when the band went through a rap phase about two years ago. Ryan trying to rap.." Martin gave a slight chuckle, "oh it was funny."
"You know who's a good singer?" Began Zoë, "Ollie."
"Ollie is great. But he's just too nervous to sing on his own. I had a recording of one of their songs, and I cancelled all the other microphones so that I could just hear Ollie's back up singing. He's phenomenal." Said Martin.
"He fancies the hell out of Jemma." Laughed Zoe.
"Oh yeah, he's always eyeing her up."
"If we do go on this tour with them we'll have to be careful, we don't want any pregnant sixteen year olds." Said Zoe.
"They're good kids." Acknowledged Martin, "they wouldn't go down on each other in the same room as a teacher."
"Well I hope not!" Exclaimed Zoë, a bit drunk. Martin was drunk too.
"This is their last year before they go to college." Explained Martin, "I'm gonna miss them."
"Any other bands in the year below?" Asked Zoë.
"Nope. Not an interest." Sighed Martin.
"Ryan's already seventeen? How did that happen?" Asked Zoë.
"He spent a year learning English. He's initially from Poland, doesn't sound it does he?" Complimented Martin,
"Woah, not at all! So he can drive?"
"Yeah. I might insure him to the bus for when we go on tour. He'll like that won't he?" Said Martin,
"He'd love that." Said Zoe.
Martin looked down, sipping the rest of his wine before they both fell asleep on the sofa by the fire.