Chapter 9: Chain Letter by Stephen Simpson
Lisa leans back on the couch and then phones Stephen to let
him know they will be arriving the next morning.
*
Stephen and Adèle are waiting for them at the arrivals gate.
Although they last saw each other almost a year ago and they are now all happy
to see each other, happiness just seems wrong at a time like this.
Lisa rubs her brother's back consolingly, while he hugs her tightly to him.
Lisa is the eldest and Stephen was always remarkably close
to their mother, probably because their dad left when he was still so young.
Lisa had to grow up fast, while their mother protected and sheltered him.
They talk quietly amongst themselves as Stephen helps Peter
with all the bags and then they all walk out together towards Stephen's car in
the parking garage.
Lisa, Peter, E’lisa and Paul are all sandwiched into the
back of the car.
The car is silent, because nobody wants to be the first to
speak, to make this day seem normal, when in fact it is not.
They drive past a headline pasted onto a wall on the
sidewalk and Lisa notices the big bold letters,
DEATHS FROM HEART
ATTACKS RISE DRASTICALLY OVERNIGHT
A shiver runs down her spine. She leans a bit forward in her
seat, as far as she can with Paul sitting on her lap.
“Adèle?” She says.
“Hmm.” Adèle turns slightly in her seat.
“What's this about the cases of heart attacks rising?”
“It's scary, isn't it? They say perfectly healthy, robust
people, people who are in-shape, people without histories of heart problems are
dying from heart attacks all over the city. They are dying in front of their
computers, in front of their televisions, in bed.”
“But how is that possible? Are they at least discussing a
probable cause?”
“I wouldn't be able to say. I only know what the news people
tell us.”
Lisa leans back in her chair, hugging Paul closely for a
second. She closes her eyes tiredly, while Adèle turns forward again.
Lisa feels the beginning of a headache. The heat is starting
to get to her; she is not used to it anymore.
They stop in front of Stephen and Adèle’s home just about an
hour later.
As Adèle gets out of the car, her phone rings. “Hi, Carl,”
Lisa hears Adèle say as she walks away from them, the rest of her conversation
is barely audible.
Stephen and Peter carry the bags into the house, followed by
E’lisa and Paul.
Lisa decides to wait for Adèle. She looks out across the
street and towards the blue silhouette of the mountains in the distance.
Suddenly Adèle exclaims panicked, “No! How is it possible?
That is the fourth person I know, personally.”
This intrigues Lisa. She needs to know what is going on, why
so many people are suddenly dying from heart attacks and she needs to find out
how it affected her mother, why it has intruded into her own life.
“I have to go, you have me spooked now,” Adèle says
abruptly. She ends her conversation with Carl and then turns towards Lisa. “I
don't know what's going on,” she says panicked.
“What do you mean?” Lisa asks her, as she steps towards her.
“That was my friend and business partner, Carl. He says he
just heard Sean died from a massive coronary heart attack. What's going on
Lisa? Could it be a bug, or some kind of gas that was sprayed over us while we
were sleeping?” Adèle starts to sound alarmed, her face going pale and her
voice reaching a higher octave.
Lisa walks closer to Adèle and puts her arm around her
shoulder considerately, hoping she will calm down and not transfer her
hysterics to E’lisa and Paul. “I doubt it would be a poisonous gas and what
kind of bug causes heart attacks?”
“I don't know, but it is real, it is happening, and
something is causing it.”
“Let's go in,” Lisa suggests. “Maybe we can figure this out,
listen to the news and see what they are saying.”
Lisa walks through the door and immediately notices Paul
playing with Beth and Bobby. Fresh tears burn behind her eyelids. They sit down
in the lounge. The television is on the news channel and when they hear
something about the heart attacks, they stop to listen.
The only things they are reporting on are the growing
numbers of people dying, but the rest of the reports reveal no new information.
Nobody can really say what is going on, even the experts are uncertain.
They sadly think back on Marlene's life in between listening
to the news and an hour later, Adèle gets up from the couch.
She says apologetically, “I just have to check my emails.
Work never stops, even during a family tragedy.”
“Leave it,” Stephen insists.
“You know I can't, I'll only be a minute.”
Adèle leaves the room and then a while later Peter and
Stephen decide to go to the shop, taking Paul, E’lisa and the two dogs with
them.
Lisa stays and remains seated, waiting for Adèle to finish
what she is doing in her study. She is staring out of the window at nothing in
particular - contemplating the sadness and memories, which followed her here.
She always foolishly believed, no, had a definite notion this day would never
come.
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