From Russia, With Love...Part 3
Tragedy Strikes
It felt like an eternity later when they were moving back in together. They were unpacking Vladimir’s suitcases and Renae pulled her red sweater out.
“So this is where this went….”
Suddenly, Vladimir awoke with a start. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
He was alone. In John’s apartment. It was the early morning. Her sweater was next to him and he realized that the night that he had fallen asleep after he had gotten the text message…everything had been a dream…
All of it.
The harsh reality hit him in the face.
Slowly, he pulled his phone out from under the pillow and he hit her number on his speed dial. She answered.
“Vladimir…I asked you…please, don’t call me anymore…”
“Renae…please…reconsider…”
“Vladimir, I told you last time you called that I have started dating again, and I asked you not to call me anymore. I’m sending you the divorce papers.”
“No, Renae, no…please…just let me see you. I promise we can work this out. I’m getting help, I’m getting better…”
“I’m glad. Maybe you can find happiness with someone else.”
“No, I can’t. I love only you. Please. Please. Take me back. I won’t hurt you no more. I love you.”
“I can’t listen to this.” She hung up. He fell back onto his bed.
In desperation…
He found himself staring at the bottle he had kept on his side table for months. He poured the small capsules out of the bottle into his hand and one by one popped them into his mouth.
He waited.
And waited. He felt like he was at the bottom of a never ending pit of despair with no way out. Everything was gone. She was gone, and she’d never be back. She didn’t even know the depth of his feelings, and she just didn’t care about how much he loved her. Or how much he had wanted her from the moment he had first seen her. She couldn’t see everything he was trying to do, and he felt so ashamed of himself for fucking the good thing he had up in the first place because of his petty anger. His son was gone, growing up without him.
He wished he could hold her one last time. Look into those beautiful, sparkling eyes. Watch her smile at him the way she used to. Hear her laugh, and talk to her about nothing.
And then he went to sleep.
THE END