Lemuria: The City of Mysts

Chapter 11: The End

“Go talk to you friend.”

“I can manage both. Please?”

Seconds later, James returned and said over the phone, “What is it you wanted to tell me?”

“Maybe this isn’t such a good time.” Fred was embarrassed. He had not only forgotten about their differing time zones, but also James recent change of status as a family man. Fred felt like he was the worst friend anybody could have.

“This is a good time. David’s wide awake and will be for an hour. We might as well talk.”

“How is Mrs. Hydleburgh?”

“Diana’s fine. We’re just happy to have the latest addition in the family. Diana’s more excited than me though. I think she had David’s future already planned. I saw several brochures about schools on her desk yesterday.” James paused. “Don’t think I know what you’re doing. Just answer my question.”

“It’s not important.” I shouldn’t have called, Fred thought. He could have hired a hacker to trace whoever uploaded the story.

“You barely kept in touch with us after high school. Calling me at this hour means it’s not a laughing matter.” There was no resentment in James’s tone which made Fred feel guiltier for calling.

“Out with it, Fred.”

“You aren’t going let this go, are you?”

“Does it have something to do with the Roucans?” James asked; the lightness in his voice had gone.

“Yes. And it had everything to do with us.” Fred sighed. “It could be a false alarm.” He didn’t want to drag James into his problems. His friend should be focusing on being a fulltime father.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Reluctantly, Fred said, “There’s this website. It has a story about us and – and Electra.”

“Send the web address to my phone. I’ll see what I can do.”

“James, what about Diana?”

“She’ll be relieved to see me not cooped up in my study. Anyway, Diana would love to have the baby all by herself. She keeps on about me spending more time with little David than she does.”

“Alright, I’ll send it later. Thank you, James.”

“No worries. Good night.”

“Good night.”

James padded towards the bedroom. The baby in his arms gazed at him with big brown eyes. The bottle had emptied before the phone call even ended. His son had been uncharacteristically quiet for the remainder of the conversation. It was as if the child knew about Fred’s troubles. Humming tunelessly, James rocked him gently to sleep.

A little while later, James placed the sleeping baby between him and his wife on the bed. Diana stirred and brushed a lock of red hair from their son’s forehead.

“How is he?” she asked.

“I think something spooked him. I promised I’d help.”

“He never called before.”

Fred never did. It was always the generic greeting cards and postcards with his personal signature they received occasionally by post. What James knew about his best friend’s activities came from the news. Fred had been through a lot in the past years. The most alarming had been four years ago: He had disappeared during a medical mission in Africa. It was assumed that a terrorist group had abducted him.

Thirteen weeks later, a picture of Fred in Moscow looking emaciated with over bright eyes had spread online. James had called him right after seeing it. They had talked about the weather and ordinary things. Fred spoke normally as if nothing bad had happened. He only confirmed that a terrorist group had indeed taken him. He didn’t name the organisation and never spoke about what he had suffered in their hands.

James had been disappointed with his reticence at first. The feeling soon dissipated when he discovered that Fred had lied to everyone. The official report only said that he had been cut off from his colleagues during a stampede in public market. Fred had declined to answer further questions on what had transpired afterwards and how and why he was in Russia.

Very little could scare Fred, James thought. It made him more curious about the source of his best friend’s agitation.

“I think he’s coming back”, he said.

“That’s good. Invite him to dinner, so he’ll get to meet his nephew”, his wife said in her semi-awake state.

“I will.”

That afternoon, glass crashed in the study. Diana looked in worriedly and saw James picking pieces of his favourite coffee mug off the floor.

“Are you alright?” she asked, helping him gather the glass shards.

“Yes, I’m fine”, he said absently.

Diana peered at him, seeing through the lie. She stole a glance at his computer. From her vantage point, she had seen the words “The End.”

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A/N: There seems to be no end to Fred's secrets. What else has he kept hidden from his family and friends?

Is that a good or a bad sign?

What do you think of the James's new family? Does he also have secrets no one knows about?