Beyond Revenge

Chapter 1

“Ok thanks Edina” she said. “Thank you very much for taking the bread from my boy’s mouth, thank you for screwing it all, thank you for once offering the job and now taking it away. I’ve worked five years with you, I thought I deserved better. I’ve done everything the way you asked me to, now you don’t need me so you just ditch me. Thank you once more. I should’ve believed Angelina when she warned me about you. You did the same thing to her” Catherine said. She was furious but kept a calm tone as she picked up her purse from the floor and started for the door. 

She knew if she stayed longer she would explode. 

Edina watched her as Cathy walked fast throughout the house and out the door. She wasn’t going to give her another day of work. Not after she learnt that Cathy had been close to marrying the man she had so long wanted. She knew John still loved Cathy and she also knew where he was, what had happened after he left---but that was for her to know only. She had to fire Cathy this way. Maybe she would leave the country and find herself another man---stop waiting for John. 

Edina had visited John a few times and offered herself to him but he refused. That refusal had her furious at Cathy. She had known it was a woman in his past that had him so sad and what kept him back from loving someone else. Just recently had Edina learnt that the  woman was Cathy. 

She had met John through a mutual friend, at a bar where the three had some drinks together. He had had too many drinks and spilled out everything about his life. But he never mentioned Cathy’s name. Never. Until Edina had asked him because she started to get suspicious after analyzing Cathy’s life and comparing the little boy with blue eyes---to Johns’. 

It might have been cruel of her to fire Cathy but she thought of herself first. Always the selfish Edina. 

  

Cathy was in whatever shoes John had been once. 

 She felt like life was being sucked out of her. There were more jobs---of course---lower paying ones. She couldn’t afford to change Jason from his private school and send him to the public school where the worst criminals graduated. She wasn’t stereotyping everyone but if he wasn’t part of them, he’d be ridiculed and mistreated. She couldn’t afford it. That couldn’t happen to her boy. She would still have to move to the city—look for something worth leaving her home. 

Determined to move on and out of town she took a long deep breath as the chilly December breeze caressed her cheeks and she started walking home. She’d talk to her boy tonight. Hoping he’d agree to her decision happily and not fuss about the friends he’d leave behind. 

  

  

“Jason! Jason!” she cried out. 

“Coming soon Mom. I’m in the shower” 

“ Ok. Dinner’s ready sweetie” 

She filled the plates with her delicious Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. Jason’s favorite. 

As it had been for John. 

She turned the oven off and took out the Italian Dinner Rolls she’d baked. Filled cups with orange juice and sat down to wait on him. 

“ I’m here mom” he said. “yippee yeah! My favorite” he continued as he picked up the bread and soaked it with the Alfredo sauce. 

“Jason I got fired---sort of…” she began. 

Jason set down his fork with shock in his eyes. He may have been only five but his behavior was that of an adult’s. He understood most of what adults talked about—if not—then he’d question them. 

Catherine had tried her best to teach him not to interrupt adults, so he’d reserve his questions and ask when everyone was done. Sometimes people would laugh at his questions and curiosity, others would be amused at his listening ability. She’d done well as a mother. 

“ What are we going to do now Mommy? I can ask Freddy for a job at his mechanic shop or maybe offer to mow the neighbors lawn or----” 

“ You’re too young Jason. You don’t need to work as yet.” 

“ Then what should I do?” 

“ We’re moving to the city. I’ll look for a job there tomorrow. You’ll stay with the neighbors and Grandma will pick you up in the evening. I’ll be back soon. I know this is hard on you sweetie but we have to do it” she said softly when she saw his eyes were getting watery. 

“ Why not look for something here mom? I don’t wanna move” 

“ And I don’t want to clean houses because it doesn’t pay enough for your school and all the bills that I have to deal with every month. You know I want the best for you” 

“ Ok Mom. You know better” he said sadly “ but can I still come visit my friends on weekends and play soccer?” he asked hopeful. 

“ It’s a long drive but I think we can come. I need to make some more payments toward the SUV to Mr. Douglas and we can stay for the weekend at Granma’s. I’m thinking about selling the house so that will give us some money for an apartment and a bicycle for you too” she said faking an enthusiastic smile. 

“ Yes mommy! You are the best mommy” he said jumping to his feet. 

“ You’ll make lots of friends out there too Jason. You should look forward to that” she said happily “ now go brush your teeth and get into bed”. 

Why hadn’t John done the same thing? Sell the house and go out looking for a job even if it meant moving away from their people. She couldn’t understand. She’d never know what happened to him. 

“Maybe he left the country” she thought. Still it doesn’t explain why he never wrote a letter to her or called. He had the phone number that everyone used in town. Maybe he’d tried and never got through. Two years ago the owners had changed number and then she knew she’d lost him for good. 

She cleared the dishes and scrubbed the kitchen counters. Swept the floor and mopped. She was in the mood to clean. 

When her mind was busy thinking or planning her hands could go on forever working. She’d only realize how tired she got until she went to bed. That’s what happened tonight again. She’d let her thoughts go straight to John. She would always love him, she realized. 

Her mind wandered to places they’d been together. Heaven. That’s where he had taken her. She had traveled in a bubble and had fallen flat on her face to the reality of being a single mom.