Jealousy Makes Fools Chapter 1
Written By Brother Ralph
Ralph half-walked half-stumbled through the door to the Raccoondominium. In the darkness he tried to move around the furniture stubbing his toes on no less than two occasions. He didn't want to turn the light on in case he woke anyone up at this ungodly hour. It was bad enough that he was suffering from sleepless nights without forcing the others to suffer too. The recent influx of work at The Evergreen Standard was taking all his time and these late nights had become a regular routine. Reaching the kitchen table he found a pot of cold peanut butter stew and a note written in Melissa's ordered hand writing.
He couldn't make out most of the words without turning the light on but he got the idea that she was annoyed at him missing dinner again. Ralph didn't much like peanut butter stew anyway, it was more one of Bert's favourites. Despite this he hadn't eaten since he had left the dominium this morning, before Melissa was even up, so he ate the cold stew wincing slightly at the lingering taste.
As he sat perfectly still in the dark he contemplated the last few weeks. Getting up and going to work early, coming home late, he'd hardly seen his loving wife at all. He'd make it up to her soon, once all the work died down.
He crept up the stairs towards their bedroom. As he entered he stopped, allowing his eyes to adjust to the deeper darkness of the room, listening to his sleeping wife's breathing. She was in the far side of the bed turned away from him with the sheets tucked up tightly around herself and only the end of her tail hanging over the edge of the bed. Her pink tank top lay across a chair where it had been discarded and she was in a similar but thinner nightshirt that clung tightly to her shape. Ralph silently removed his scarf and eased himself carefully onto the bed, careful not to move her in any way. He swung his legs up and lay still for a few moments.
He tried to resist the impulse to gather her in his arms. She was so close to him and her deep breathing seemed to entice him more, but she was asleep and would surely be annoyed if he were to wake her just for a quick cuddle before he slept. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to think of other things, but then she moved slightly beside him and her leg touched his. It was too much for his will power to hold against.
Carefully he moved onto his side and shuffled over the short distance to her. He aligned himself to her, holding her body within the curve of his own. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her gently into himself. Her fur was soft and warm and he savoured the touch of it on him as he breathed out a sigh of released tension.
She twitched slightly under him, the influence of some dream, and the movement made Ralph ever more sensitised to her touch. She turned over in her sleep within the circle of his arms to face him with lidded eyes. Ralph's arm around her waist slid easily round as she turned moving from her flat tummy to the small of her back. As she snuggled her head into his shoulder she let out a quiet 'mmm' of pleasure followed by 'Bert…'
Ralph froze. Silence drowned out all other sound and the world seemed to well up and seize him. His whole body tensed, and he held as still as death itself, not daring to even breathe. The rise and fall of her breathing pressed against him as he lay motionless. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to escape from her. He snatched at breath in a stifled gasping as a heavy weight descended on his chest. He removed his paw from on top of her rounded hip and rolled clear onto his back leaving one arm trapped beneath her. The irony of the way the situation had changed from just one minute ago hit the hurt raccoon like a slap in the face. The implied meanings of that one word sank into him as he lay staring at the ceiling and in the darkness his eyes widened as shock was replaced by a dull ache in his chest.
Sunlight arose and streamed through the airy Raccoondominium. Melissa woke and opened heavy eyes to gaze longingly at the empty bed where her husband should have been. She stretched out into the space where he had lain for a fraction of the night, hoping to find some residual trace of his warmth there. She found his scent and closed her eyes, burying her face into it and allowing herself to have a few moments with this poor substitute. She wished he would wake her when he arrived home, she couldn't bear these long weeks of barely seeing him. Then she pulled herself to reality and forced herself to get up as there was much to get done today, for one thing there was the white water rafting competition. She knew Ralph wouldn't have time to report on it himself so she decided she would go alone with her camera and then perhaps she could steal some time with him while she showed him the prints.
Melissa came down the stairs to the kitchen where Bert was already up and having his breakfast.
'Good morning Bert,' she said with a false cheeriness.
'Yeah…I guess…' Bert replied in a sulky tone.
'What's wrong?' she asked, concerned that the usually energetic raccoon was going to have one of his occasional depression crashes. Bert was positive and resistant most of the time but when he crashes he crashes badly.
'Aww nothin…just Lisa never seems to notice me. I'm not even sure if she is interested in a fool like me. I mean, it's not like anyone else has ever been interested in me is it? I'm just Bert Raccoon, always up for a good time but not much else. It's just as well I guess, settling down wouldn't suit me.'
Melissa had become tolerant of Bert moping over Lisa. With Ralph working so hard and Bentley on his summer vacation Bert was spending a lot of time with her. She had to admit she was grateful for his company, and had been tending to fall into the routine of cooking and doing his other chores for him.
'Come on now Bert, things always look bad when you think like this. You've got to try and see the good in the situation. I don't think Lisa is looking to settle down either, not yet at least.'
'Well sure…' Bert hesitated 'We match each other well. But what do I have that she would like? What can I do to attract her that another raccoon couldn't?'
It was at this unfortunate moment that Ralph happened to arrive back to the old tree home, carrying with him a bundle of roses and a good prepared speech to apologise to his wife about being away so much. He stopped at the front door just as Melissa continued her conversation.
'Oh Bert, there are lots of things a girl can find to love about you. You're spirited, you stand up for your friends and family with a passion that's almost scary, and you're an attractive guy. Best of all you love adventure, you're not afraid of anything in the world, that's a very attractive quality to a woman.'
'It is?' he asked surprised
'Of course.' She said sincerely 'Now let me make you a cup of tea and we'll go down to the water rafting together.'
Ralph felt as though he'd been stabbed for the second time. Last night she had been asleep, not knowing what she was saying, but there could be no doubt of her meaning with this. He threw the roses into the dirt in front of the door and stormed of down the path.
Inside the house, oblivious to what had happened outside an idea formed within Bert's mind.
'That's it! Melissa you're a genius! I'll sail in the white water rafting competition!' He exclaimed jumping out of his seat. Melissa nearly choked and dropped the cup she had just washed up.
'The water rafting? No Bert I don't think that's a good idea, it's renowned for being dangerous. Cyril has only entered because he thinks he has an indestructible boat. But I hear he's not feeling confident about that claim, so unconfident he's not even prepared to risk the pigs in the race! And you know how expendable he thinks the pigs are!'
'Exactly! It's just the kind of danger you just said girls like you love! I gotta go get ready!' Bert bounded out of the room before Melissa could complain any further. She hadn't told him that although his adventurous side could be attractive that it could also be very scary and that she found it scary more often than attractive.
Ralph threw paper across the printing room. He couldn't concentrate to work with his mind wandering as it was. He was angry with himself, but wounded badly that Melissa and Bert, his wife and his best friend, could have done this to him. Just because he'd been away for a while, he wondered how long it had taken for them to betray all those years of loyalty. Perhaps this wasn't even a recent thing, perhaps that's why Bert seemed to be a continual houseguest never looking for a place of his own. If so this could have been going on for years. Perhaps Bert didn't always sleep in the guest bedroom when he was away…perhaps they'd…perhaps they'd…no. He refused to think about it, but still the thought was there.
Voices coming down the path snapped him out of his reverie. It was Bert and Cedric, what on earth were they doing here? Ralph sat at his desk pretending to work but he needn't have as they walked past the printing house and down to the waters edge where their raft was moored.
'You know Bert, we never designed this raft for the white water rapids, are you sure that it'll hold up?' Cedric whined.
'Don't worry Cedric my old matey. With Bert Raccoon, Ace sailor at the wheel nothing could go wrong.' Bert chimed with confidence that sickened Ralph.
'And you're sure she'll like this?'
'Ah…she'll love it. Cedric trust me I know what the lady wants, a little bit of danger, something that scares her a little. You know what she's like; she's always waiting for something exciting to happen!'
'I don't know Bert. Maybe you should ask Ralph about this…' Cedric said.
'Ha! Ask Ralph? What does Ralph know about being dangerous!?' Bert laughed in a condescending way. Within the cabin Ralph boiled in his anger for a moment longer then rushed out, hurrying down the path.
Fate would have it that had Ralph stayed just a moment longer the whole situation might have been avoided, but as it was Ralph was just out of earshot when Cedric said.
'I meant ask Ralph if this is what Lisa might like. She is his niece and he's known her since she was born.'
'Oh…right, I get ya. Yeah maybe I will ask Ralph that.' Bert opened the door to the printing room. 'Ralph?' he called to the empty room. 'Oh...I guess he's gone to do some reporting or something. No time to find him though Cedric, we'll have to go ahead with the plan. And anyway, what could go wrong with a raft as good as ours and a captain like me?' Cedric gulped back his fear at this concept.