The Cries of the Butterfly - A LOVE STORY (30 page)

“What about Robin?” she asked in a husky half-whisper.

“She is my existence, my everything,” he said. “But so are you. Together, you women saved my life. How can I forget that? Without you two, I wouldn’t have made it, despite Dad’s support. I owe you two my life and can desert neither of you. Moreover, I can’t live without either of you now. So please help me, Savannah.”

A sudden sob rose in Savannah’s throat. She didn’t know what to say. She merely nodded her head…nodded earnestly.

.

R
obin was ineffably sad.

The day had been such a disaster and Dad and Mom hadn’t even got married. In fact, from the moment she arrived at Butcher Garden, just past nine am (and it had been the chauffeur, not Dad, who had come to pick her up), it looked as if she had come to a funeral, not a wedding. Dad had been glum and she suspected he was weeping within. Grandma—it looked as if she was moving around in her sleep. Grandpa and Uncle Art—Robin hadn’t seen them at all. Aunt Olivia from America was half-angry, half dazed. Only Aunt Roch had been normal. In fact, with the rest of the place in mourning, Aunt Roch had taken full charge of the affairs of the house. It was Aunt Roch who had given Robin her meal. It was Aunt Roch who had brought lunch to Dad in his room (although, finally, Dad had not touched the food at all). It was Aunt Roch who had tried to make grandma and Aunt Olivia eat.

And when Robin had at last asked Dad when the wedding was and where Mom was, Dad had sat her beside him on the bed and said that Momma had to go away for a while and that the wedding had been postponed by a few days. That news had truly shocked her, but Dad’s cheerless face had stopped her from asking any more questions.

And then to make the day worse, she had been dropped off at the Home so early. By four pm. Again, it had been the chauffeur, not Dad. How much she had looked forward to this day, and it had all gone so rotten.

So, Robin was sad. Deeply sad.

But not shattered. For, Daddy had said the rest of the plans did not change. She would still be adopted tomorrow morning and then she could finally go home and be with him forever. As she thought about this now, her spirit began to soar again. So after all, things weren’t all that…

“There’s someone to see you, Robin,” a girl announced. It was Angela, one of the girls who she shared the dorm with.

“Who?”

“A big handsome man.”

Daddy!
her heart cried out and she rushed out of the room.

It
was
Dad and Robin leapt into his arms.

“Did my Butterfly have her meal? Let’s see…” He checked her belly. “Not yet.”

“Not yet,” she confirmed. “But soon… Did Momma come back?”

“Not yet,” he said. “But soon.”

“When soon?”

“Very soon.”

He took her out to the grounds. They sat on one stone bench, some thirty yards from the buildings, while Wolf’s police escort loitered around. For a while, they made small talk. Daddy’s mood seemed changed from what she had seen over the day and that made Robin glad. That meant Momma would be returning shortly and then there would finally be a wedding. In a way, Robin liked the idea—first
she
got adopted,
then
Dad and Mom married.
Very good…very nice.

“There is something I need to tell you,” Dad said and suddenly he became serious.

Robin raised her chin to him.
What?

He seemed awkward, as if he didn’t quite know how to say what he wanted to.

“What?” Robin said, aloud this time.

“You know you’re going to come home to me tomorrow, right?”

She nodded vigorously,
yes, yes, of course…of course I know, Daddy! How could I ever forget that...do you need to even remind me?

She saw him take a long breath. Then he added, “But it shall be delayed by a few days.”

Her eyes sprang with panic and she burst out, “WHY?!”

“Until Momma returns, Judge Cass cannot allow your adoption,” he said. “You know it takes a father and a mother for a child to come home, don’t you? A dad alone cannot bring her home, or you would’ve come to me a long time ago.”

She looked down. She could feel her heart beginning to sink. In desperation, she blurted, “But
where
is Momma?
Why
she left so suddenly?! She didn’t even tell me she was going away.”

“Well, Momma had to go to Florida urgently.”

“Why?!” she demanded agitatedly.

He sighed. “Because she suddenly discovered she had a grandfather and she received the news this morning that he had died. And as the grandfather had no one else besides her, she had to rush over.”

Robin felt silent. Oh, so
that
explained why everyone and everything was so gloomy all day. But
why
didn’t they tell her then? She would’ve understood. Wasn’t she a member of the family?

“Then why didn’t you go with Momma? She would’ve felt so good with you by her side.”

Wolf smiled and ran his fingers through her hair.

“So now when do I come home?” she asked.

“As soon as Momma returns, okay?”

She wanted to ask when exactly that would be, but then Daddy wouldn’t know, why burden him more. She was disappointed, but she understood. After all, someone dying was a big, big thing, more important than her going home. She could wait for a few days more, but Momma would never see her grandpa alive ever again. She bit her lip—poor Momma! She so itched to be by her side right now and hold her hand, to comfort her, to reassure her. She looked up at Daddy.

“Yes,” she nodded.
I understand.

When Daddy had left, Robin went back to her room. Angela was still there.

“Where is everyone?” Robin asked.

“To dinner. I’m also going now,” Angela said. Her eyes were twinkling. “So what happened? That man is not taking you to his house tomorrow, no?”

Robin was startled. How did she know? “Don’t call him
that man!
He is my daddy. And he will be taking me home very soon.”

“But not tomorrow as he had promised,” Angela said cheerfully. “I knew it. I’ll tell you something—he’ll
never
take you. Never ever! He just likes to play with you for some time, but he’ll never take you for always. Who’ll want a girl with just one hand?”

Robin glared at her. She could have boxed her nose. Instead, she abruptly laughed. She could clearly see the idiot was jealous…oh, just so jealous.
I’ll show her soon, very soon, when I finally leave with Daddy forever.
She marched out of the room and headed for the food hall, Stripey dancing on her shoulder.

The ultimatum had been crisp and cloudless: Give up the woman, or forget Robin forever. An ultimatum he simply couldn’t accept. Finally, death seemed the only way out.

WOLF
shambled out of his Gypsy and nearly stumbled on the soft soil. Somehow he corrected himself, then began tottering up the dune. In his right hand, he held a cloth bag, which contained nine 500 ml cans of ‘Predator Super Strong’ beer. Three cans worth had already gone down his gullet and now wafted awkwardly through his veins. He descended the dune, lurched again, but somehow reached the coconut palm. Savannah’s and his coconut palm, on ‘Sav and Wolf Beach’. He dropped down on the calm sand and his back went limp against the trunk of the tree. He looked at the gray scene before him and a twisted smile came to his mouth. Not long ago, he and Savannah had spent the happiest day of their lives on this exquisite beach. And now…well…
I am going to be even happier.

The sea seemed louder and closer to him than before. He dipped his hand in the bag and pulled out a can. Fumblingly, he ripped the metal tab off and put the aperture to his mouth. Half the liquid ran down the front of his shirt and Wolf cursed. He paused for a second, steadying himself, then with more precision, emptied the remains of the container down his throat. Crushing the tin in the center, he tossed it carelessly to his right. He threw his head back against the bark and for a long second shut his eyes. His throat simmered. But he didn’t care. It was nearing three am on this Sunday, a week since the aborted wedding and six days since the aborted adoption of Robin.

It was time for liberation. Time to put the agony behind him. He could take it no more. All he hoped for was it would be swift and painless.

He opened another can and took a sip. His head had begun to swim. He leaned to the left and poked his hand in his right trouser pocket. He pulled out a bottle. It contained fifty ‘Cedate’ pills.
Should be enough.
That and all the beer. Freedom forever.

He paused tiredly. Then he finished the beer from the opened can in one gulp. His throat hissed as the fluid went down his chest to his stomach. He thought he would sicken and fervently hoped he wouldn’t.
Shit, that’ll ruin everything.
The sounds and sights around him had begun to get fuzzy.
Don’t pass out,
he willed himself.
Not yet. Deliverance is at hand.

A sudden violent pang wrenched his heart. Tears flooded his eyes. Was this how it was all supposed to end?

‘Wolf Butcher, Hollywood’s sweetheart, New Halcyon’s darling, the most privileged man on the planet, ends his life in the most pathetic and disgraceful manner possible.’

Ha, like he cared anymore.
Up yours—the whole fucking world, right up yours!

Why live? Why live when even his Angel had deserted him. The one man who had single-handedly rescued him from his fate, who had time and time again taken him in his wide arms and protected him, inundated him with warmth and reassured him. Even his own mother had never made him feel so safe. The one man who had cried with him and laughed with him, anguished in his pain and rejoiced in his happiness. The one man he had depended on for his well-being—nay, for his very survival. And then suddenly one day, when he had needed him most, Grant Butcher, his Angel, had forsaken him. Just like that.

.

Dad
had discarded him since that last Sunday. No, that wasn’t quite true. For, Dad had come to his room the next day, Monday noon. He had wanted to talk. They had sat facing each other in the seating. Wolf could tell that although Dad’s face was stable and sturdy on the outside, there was a lot of hurt behind the façade.

“I understand how you must feel, son,” Dad said, then leaned forward and placed a hand on Wolf’s. His eyes were liquid and warm, like they always were when he looked at Wolf. “I also understand you are in love. While that is great under normal circumstances, these are not normal circumstances. We are confronted by an exceptional situation here. No, let me correct myself—we are faced with an incredible state of affairs. Our family has been dragged into a scenario that is quite simply unimaginable.” He inhaled. “It is time for us to rise above ourselves and show character. Our family’s reputation is at stake. The whole nation looks upon us as a model family. They literally worship us. They take inspiration from us. There is no way we can fail them. And the scenario we are faced with right now could not have been any worse.”

Wolf couldn’t agree more. But…

Perhaps Grant expected Wolf to say something, so he waited, but when Wolf remained quiet, he continued. “You made a bona fide mistake, son. … No, not quite true—
we
made a bona fide mistake.
All
of us collectively. In fact,
we,
especially
I
am more to blame. We were swept off our feet by what we then thought was the…the…woman’s—what shall I say…
quality.
Perhaps we were blinded by our eagerness to embrace a new member to our family and make her feel welcome. Let us not blame the person—
we
were the fools.”

Wolf pressed his lips. “She isn’t thrilled about her past, sir,” he said stiffly. “But so what? Everyone makes mistakes, even the best of the best. Besides, she did not kill anyone, she didn’t harm anyone. In any case, that chapter of her life is done and dusted.” He paused for a second. “Moreover, I don’t think we have any right to judge anyone.”

He heard Grant sigh. “I appreciate that, son. But look at what we are faced with. I would understand, nay even empathize, with a person who was, say…who had gone foul of the law in some way. A thief perhaps. A con person, perhaps. Perhaps an alcoholic or a drug user. But for God’s sake a…” He wasn’t able to complete it—he seemed to feel soiled even saying the word.

Wolf felt a little flush of anger rise in him. “How is a…what she did…any worse than what most of us do?” he blurted.

“Do you see? Even you cannot say
the
word, so demeaning it is. It is the worst thing a person can do and I will say even worse than a drug peddler. A person who sells her…you know…is the worst kind of…” Again he trailed off.

“The worst thing a person can do? Oh, really? And people who vend pain and suffering and wars and strife around the world, all so very legitimately, are in some way better?”

“No, they are not. But a pros…” His face wore an anguished expression, of a very moral man who was forced to utter things that revolted against his every fiber. “Wolf, please see things rightly. Ours is a distinguished family—the first family of this grand nation. People look to us, for direction, for inspiration…and not without reason. They look to me—for leadership, for moral guidance. We have a very important role to play in society. It is a crucial responsibility thrust on us, whether we like it or not.