THE BLANK CHEQUE
"Why is it so hard for anyone to do anything right around here?" Tyler's voice resonated through the hallways making the walls echo with tremor. The maid he was speaking to had her head bowed with her fingers crossed into another. She seemed shaky and sweaty and she refused to look at him. Apparently she had forgotten that he didn't like onions in his eggs and hated cream in his coffee. You could tell from the maids countenance that she was really sorry for what had happened. She was new and had just started working at the Sinead mansion a few days ago. No one gave her a heads up about the kind of boss she had, only that the maid, Ena whom she replaced, resigned because she couldn't cope with the harsh work environment. Tina, the new maid obviously did not not give much thought to the report from her co-workers. She just thought that it was something she would be able to work through. Tyler tried the sandwich on his plate and spat it out in irritation. He dropped the fork so hard on the plate that it made a guy wrenching noise. It was the noise Elena heard from the bedroom that woke her up. She had been discharged from the hospital three days ago and strangely Tyler had let her be. He didn't bother her and he didn't speak much with her except when he had asked if she had eaten or how she was feeling. Elena had been feeling really weird. She didn't know if she should trust that his new behaviour was going to last forever or it was just a hoax. Still frightened by the loud noise coming from the hallway, she stood up, wore her robe and made her way down to the dining room. On getting to the dining room, she was met with silence and the awkward stares of the housekeepers. She ignored their stares, tucked her robe firmly under her arms and made her way to where Tyler was seated. She looked into the plate that was before him and stared into his eyes. He was angry, irritated and frustrated. Elena never understood why Tyler had turned out to be the way he was, what his experiences as a child was and why he was so mean. He was never an open book. Somehow she always wanted to believe that there was some sort of humanity left in him but everytime she tried to see some good in him, he disappointed her gravely. His sudden change in behaviour made her try to reconsider her stance regarding their marriage. Was it worth fighting for? Was he worth fighting for? Elena was always of the opinion that love didn't have to be hard or difficult. She had seen soap operas and how they portrayed love to be without pain or difficulty. She had witnessed her parents' love in their marriage and she wanted the same for herself too. But what if fate had something different in store for her? She had married Tyler only to ensure that she got her father out of the mess he had thrown himself into but what if there was hope that they could still enjoy their marriage? What if she didn't have to consider Dane's offer?
The thought of discussing the issue with Tyler flooded her mind and even in her sleep she saw herself making an effort to talk to him about it. She had three months left to figure out how to get pregnant and clear her father's debt. But was the issue exactly? Was she the one with the problem or was it Tyler? Besides, she always wondered what his obsession with a child was. Did he have a secret child he didn't claim early on in his life or was he just so lonely and feared that he would have no one to take care of him? Was he just concerned about having someone to inherit all his wealth? He never told her anything about his personal life so there was really no way she would know all of these things. Maybe access to a little bit of information about his life would help her understand him or better still keep her from making the worst decision of her life. Since he had been a different person since she came back from the hospital, maybe it was time to get to know him and find out who he was at heart. She pulled the chair beside him and sat down. She tapped the maid and told her to leave. Every other maid standing by did the same as well. Tyler was on his phone and the room was again filled with awkward silence. She just sat there not sure of what to say to him so she just waited for him to speak and thankfully it was long before he did. "What are you staring at?" Tyler didn't look at her face as he spoke. "I just wanted to find out if you were okay. I heard the loud noise from the bedroom. I'm sorry about the maids but getting your breakfast right. Is there anything I can do to fix it?" Elena's heart thumped as she spoke to him. It was the first time they would have a real conversation or at least he would even try to speak with her. Usually, he always came home grumpy, never said anything to her, ate and simply went to bed. Most mornings before she was up, had already left. Anytime they made love, it was always on his terms and he never bothered to ask if she enjoyed it or not. So this moment for her was a deal breaker. Their relationship might work if she could just get to him. The idea of the relationship standing a chance to work was exciting to her. If only he would let her in. If only he would let her in on his darkest secrets, his deepest pain and his most overwhelming fears. " Don't bother. I'll just order something at the office" Tyler replied. Elena felt the urge to touch his hands but she restrained herself out of fear. What if she did and he flared up? So she simply kept her gaze fixed on his eyes and watched him be busy on his phone. "How do you feel today?" He asked, taking occasional glances at her as he pressed his phone. " I'm feeling much better, the wounds seem to be healing pretty well and I'm regaining my strength back. She noticed the look on his face when she told him that she was feeling much better. His eyelids looked like they were misty and his countenance showed a bit of regret and maybe a subtle hint of sadness. She felt as though he wanted to apologize so she eagerly awaited his next statement. "Well, I'm glad you feel better" At this point he had picked up his keys on the table and stood up to leave. Elena realized that his calm state was the best time to discuss the pregnancy issue with him. She knew she couldn't tell him that Dane offered to be the donor because he thought that Tyler was the problem and not Elena because that would mean Dane's sudden demise. So she resolved to just talk to him about where his head was at regarding her inability to bear him a child. She gently turned in her chair, stood up and leaned close to the wall. She made sure that there was sufficient distance between them both in case he lost his temper again. Her soft voice stopped Tyler in his tracks as he was about to make his way through the dinning doorway. She thought of the best way to start the conversation. Anything to make him remain calm enough to hear her out. She finally decided to just start with what felt comfortable and natural for her. "Hey, I was wondering if you had time. I wanted to discuss something with you" Elena was fondling her fingers as she spoke to him. Tyler took his keys out of his back pocket, walked a few metres back into the dining room and pulled out a chair. Elena wasn't quite sure what was happening because he didn't say anything to her after she spoke. His face had no cards that she could read, so she just hoped that he hadn't pushed the wrong button by asking for a conversation. She could feel the exhaustion in her shoulders from walking on eggshells around him and from fear of what he might do or say. Surprisingly, he simply sat down with his fingers intertwined and his phone on the table. He was willing to listen to her. Elena felt like she was dreaming. A smile almost crept through her lips threatening to expose the intense excitement that welled up in her stomach. But she snuffed it out because she knew that the worst hadn't passed yet. His reaction to what she had to say would determine if her excitement was going to last. She noticed that his gaze was fixed on her and his blue eyes kept staring right on at her like they were going to pierce through her soul. His lips had a beautiful pink lustre that made Elena's tingle every time she was close enough to get a look. If only this man seated before her would give them a chance, she could love him. She wasn't sure whether she should sit or stand as she spoke to him so she just stood there pleading with her brain and mouth to cooperate as she tried to make sense of the thumping in her heart. Finally, she summoned the courage to speak to him. " I'm sorry for taking your time. I do know that you have work and business. But I just wanted to know where your head is regarding giving you a child. I noticed that we are already Nine months into our marriage and the contract stated that I must get pregnant within a year. So uhm, I'm already getting worked up about it and I just wanted to know what all of this means for me and my father". Elena's hands were already sweaty from all the fondling so she stylishly wiped them on her dress while she waited for him to speak. She didn't realize how sweaty her hands were until she wiped them on her dress. Thankfully, it was cotton material so it absorbed the sweat from her palms quite well. "Elena" His voice was still calm but its tone was hoarse. It had become darker and thicker. It sounded like a bass voice echoing through empty rooms, like one of these scary movies that one would hear in horror movies. But interestingly, nothing about his outward countenance had changed. His hands were still tucked into one another with his hands resting firmly on his thighs and back leaning forward. He looked at her for a few seconds then motioned with his hands for her to move towards him a bit. Elena's stomach tightened with fear and she found it hard to swallow her saliva. Flashes of the last time he hit her swept through her mind like a hurricane and the memory of that experience sent shivers down her legs. The look on his face told her that he wasn't going to change his mind about her moving forward a bit. Elena knew that every second counted. The more she delayed, the quicker the chances of the beast within Tyler showing up. So against every scared nerve in her body, she took slow baby steps towards him and stopped at about five metres from him. He leaned his back into the chair, let his hands loose and ran his right fingers through his hair. He sighed, as though he was tired of hearing or talking about something. He took deep breaths,inhaled and exhaled then let a smile escape through his pursed lips. "I do know that it's nine months now and yes I am expecting a child from you. I haven't gotten one and yes I haven't changed my mind about the terms of our contract. You knew too well what you were getting yourself into and a deal is a deal. If by the twelfth month, you're not yet pregnant, I am well within my rights to do as the contract states Elena" Tyler's gaze was fixated on her as he spoke. Elena felt her heart sink within her. She thought he had softened up and maybe he was even beginning to think of giving their relationship a chance but she was wrong. He had not changed his mind and she wasn't off the hook yet. " Uhm, I was wondering if we could try other alternative methods to have a child since we've both been trying" Elena noticed that her right side, where he had hit her, had begun to hurt. She had been standing for more than ten minutes. She tried soothing the stitches with her hands but they didn't offer her any relief so she leaned into the wall so that it would take the pressure off her side. It worked. "If you're talking about adoption, that's never going to happen. If I wanted to adopt a child, I wouldn't have married you" Elena could sense from his voice that Tyler was getting impatient with her. " No. I wasn't suggesting adoption. I was thinking about IVF. All the doctors require are my eggs and your sperm. I think we would have a better chance of having a baby that way. Tyler, it could work". Her heart skipped a beat because she had never called his name out loud before. Not while he was standing right in front of her. Tyler's response to her suggestion made her cringe. He confirmed her fears. His laughter at her suggestion made it clear to her that Tyler was never going to consent to an IVF. " The answer is no Elena. If you can't bear me a child within a year, that's it. You and your father would face the music. I sincerely hope you both can dance." He took his keys, placed them into his pocket and left the room. She could see one of the maids hurriedly carrying his briefcase and running after him, hoping to catch up with him before he got to the car. She sat gently in a chair, relieved that her hurting side would finally get some rest. She looked at it and realized that it was bleeding. Blood had stained that part of her dress and she hoped that the stitches hadn't torn open. She looked at the huge painting on the wall of the dining room, it was his mother staring down at her. The portrait looked beautiful maybe because of the woman in it but it seemed to Elena like she was looking at her. She felt like she could hear his mother comforting her of some sort as she stared at the portrait. If any woman would understand what she was going through, it would be Tyler's mother. She was married to his father who was no different, so she would know. "I don't know what to do. If you're truly looking down from heaven, help me not make a terrible mistake". Elena sighed and stood from the table, clutching her side gently as she made her way to the bedroom. Who knew that a simple conversation with one's husband could be so exhausting?. Only a man like Tyler was capable of draining all happiness and joy from a young and enthusiastic woman like her.