This story is somewhat based on a play I read many years back. I don't remember the details but I used the theme.
Disclaimer: I really see no point in saying this but I don't own the characters in this fiction. If I owned it I would not be here after all.
The Towels
"Tyson! " A shrill voice echoed in the living quarters of the dojo. The startled blunette of that name, dropped the glass, he was holding.
"Is the sky falling?" He said annoyed at being yelled at like that.
"No. This." Hillary dangled a towel before his eyes, tapping the floor with her toes.
"What about this?" Tyson returned in the same irritated tone. He picked up the glass. Surprisingly it had survived the fall. Putting it back on the table, he waited for Hillary to answer.
"You used this towel to dry your hands. It was Daichi's."
"It was a fresh towel and we both just washed our hands and dried that on it. It's not that big a deal."
"There are plenty of towels in the cupboard near the basin. Why do you have to use a dirty one? Plus you put it on the laundry basket. How many times I have to tell you to put it inside?" Hillary said as if she was correcting a child of the class she taught in her school.
Tyson threw his hands upwards in mock surrender and huffed. "You and your obsession with towels! That was not even dirty. I was in a hurry as Daichi was already leaving and I had something to say to him. So I left it on the laundry basket. Why do you need to use so many towels in the first place? One for the face, one for hands, one for … "
"Unlike you, I prefer clean and fresh towels. I like to keep things neat and tidy. Is it too much to ask?"
"I really have no time for this Hillary." Tyson resigned the never-ending argument.
Hillary raised her eyebrows. " Why don't you just admit that you were at fault?"
"Whatever," Tyson muttered. " Father called. He and Hiro have made some astounding discoveries at the site they are. It can be of major archaeological importance. They have asked me to join them. They need more help there and Hiro said it would be good for my own research work too."
"Oh." Hillary breathed, suddenly deflated. " How long will you be gone?"
Tyson sat down on the chair. "I don't know. It may be a week or two," he said pouring some water in the glass for himself. "It depends on how long the digging goes on and they need me."
"That long?" Hillary sat down too following his example. So this was what that call was about, half an hour ago.
She didn't know what to say. They have been married a little over a year. But she had never been alone by herself, till now. Not in the dojo at least. But since their marriage Gramps had left it to the care of the couple. He retired himself to realize his long time desire to travel the world. Currently he was somewhere in Tibet.
"I told Daichi," Tyson said as she looked in to his blue eyes. "That's why I had hurried after him."
"He has promised to be around and help you if you need something. He'll even come over to stay here if you want. If you want some company or feel afraid of anything, just call him."
Hillary nodded slowly. "So when are you leaving?"
"I have to leave now. Next flight is in three hours."
Hillary blanched. "Now!"
.Tyson looked at her apologetically.
"Yes. Father wanted me to join as soon as possible. Don't worry you will be fine. I have called Kenny too and he will tell Ray and Mariah. They will watch out for you. You can even call Kai in case of emergency. He may not be very social but will be there if you need him."
" I'm going to get my things ready." The blunette left the kitchen.
"I'll be there in a minute," Hillary said distractedly. Putting the offensive towel back in the laundry basket, she went to their room and helped her husband in packing his suitcase.
Hillary watched the raindrops tapping harshly on the windowpane. It had been a month since Tyson had left. One measly short letter, telling her that he was too busy, was all she had received. He had called twice- at least Daichi claimed that he did, but both the times Tyson had chosen an odd hour, when she was out with Mariah.
Even her students had started to get that something was wrong with their class teacher. One day she sat there completely silent, then next day they got load of homework, large enough to keep them busy for a month to be completed in two days.
Depression was fast catching on the brunette, as she wondered why Tyson had not been more in contact with her. Had he been intentionally avoiding her? What if he had practically left her and was waiting for her to get the message?
"Oh Tyson!"
She had really been too harsh with him that day when he left her. Why did she lose her cool over a towel? If Tyson did not like to make a fuss over it, maybe she should have left it at that.
"Yes."
She was obsessed with towels. He did fold them and hanged them neatly on the stand after all; she reminded herself. So what, if he folded it only in two layers? The world was not going to end if it wasn't folded in three layers, as she preferred it.
What, if he thought that a towel could be used more than once, before adding it to dirty laundry? At least he didn't ask her to use it repeatedly…. Tyson wouldn't leave him for such a small thing as a fight over towels.
"Would he… What've I done?"
A small tear fell from her eye and made its way down her face. She tried to wipe it away but soon more followed and she stopped holding them back for the moment…
He would forgive her one silly obsession.
Wouldn't he?
Hillary silently prayed that Tyson was not that angry at her outburst. He had always maintained that he loved her. She sighed as the raindrops were now fewer and the clouds were starting to scatter off.
There was a knock on the door and she got up to check, who was there at this time. It was too early for Daichi's return; he had been living here for past two weeks.
Hillary had lived alone at first. But third day of her second week alone, she heard some drunk knocking at the door at midnight. She ignored him and he went away after a while. The very next morning, she had called Daichi to live in the Dojo till Tyson's return. It was better this way and she was less lonely on weekends.
Daichi was like a little brother to her, even if an annoying one. Mariah also regularly called or visited her, but still she wanted her husband back now.
Hillary was surprised to see a drenched Kai in front of her door as she opened. "Hi, it's you."
"You were expecting someone else?"
"Weather was clear when I left my home," Kai explained as she handed him another towel. Leaving him to dry himself, Hillary reached for the laundry basket and put the earlier one in. He handed back the last towel with thanks on her return. She just threw this one back on the holder absently.
"So, how have the two of you been? Is Daichi still annoying you?" Kai asked her following her to the kitchen.
"No," Hillary smiled, "he has been quite nice past two weeks."
A few minutes were passed quietly as Kai sat down and Hillary prepared some coffee.
Kai accepted the hot cup of the drink offered by his hostess. "Any news about when Tyson is returning?"
"No," she said, noiselessly getting a chair herself.
"Hn." Kai gave a nod in acknowledgement. "Don't worry," he said after a few sips. "He should be back soon."
Hillary gave him a questing look.
"He told me when he called last week."
"He called you?" Hillary asked him but it was more of a statement. Kai was surprised at the tinge of bitterness in her words.
Hillary was feeling even more depressed than before. Tyson had called even Kai. She was sure that Tyson was in touch with everybody else too. She was the only one who didn't know one thing about him. She concentrated at her coffee in an attempt to hide her disappointment. But she could still feel Kai's eye at her.
"OK," she said in a quite tone and looked up.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Didn't he tell you?"
Hillary shook her head in negative. She seemed ready to cry any moment now.
"Don't worry Hillary," Kai managed to say. He didn't want her to get more distressed. He wouldn't know what to do if she started crying. He was simply not equipped to handle such moments.
"He would have told you. Maybe it slipped his mind. Something might have come up."
Hillary controlled herself and forced a week smile.
"He loves you. But he is Tyson. Out of sight, out of mind," Kai added hastily taking the advantage. He was relieved that Hillary had recovered. "He probably forgot to call because his brother had dug out some 2500 year old cooking pot."
Hillary smiled a bit more. "Thank you. I wonder, if others will believe me if I tell them that you actually came and cheered me up."
Kai shrugged carelessly. "You have changed," he commented after a while.
"Why do you say that?" Hillary asked with a mild surprise.
Kai smirked. " The Hillary, I knew a month ago, would have been ranting loudly how inconsiderate Tyson was, for not keeping in touch with his own wife. Tyson would be surprise to see you this calm."
For some odd reason Hillary seemed please to hear it.
"Do you think I have changed Daichi?" Hillary asked the red head boy later that night at dinner.
Daichi gave her slightly bewildered look. " I don't know-why do you ask?"
"Kai had come today," Hillary told him. " He said I'd changed since last time we'd met."
Daichi thought for sometime as he chewed on his food. "Maybe; he is observant. Then people who see us after a gap sometimes notice the changes quicker. I'm living in dojo with you so I may have missed gradual change. "
"It's not something bad, is it? Are you all right?" He asked anxiously
"No, it's nothing bad," Hillary murmured. "I hope Tyson notices it too. I don't want to lose him."
The doorbell rang again later that night. Hillary woke up blinking at the blaring noise it made. When she reached the front door, Daichi had already opened it. Tyson was pulling his luggage inside. The younger boy was helping him out.
The blunette gave her a small smile as their eyes met. " Hi."
Hillary just stood there taking everything in. Tyson didn't look at his best. He barely smiled when he looked at her. Not the way one would expect a loving husband to look at his wife, who sees her after a month.
"Hey!"
She blinked. Tyson had snapped his fingers lightly in front of her eyes.
"Looks like I woke you up – go back to bed."
"No," Hillary said. "It's fine. I was just surprised. How have you been?"
"You sure don't want to sleep right now?" Tyson asked again. "Man, I won't be able to sleep yet, though I'm dead tired. Jet lag..."
Hillary smiled softly. "Yes. I'm really fine." She watched as Tyson slumped on the couch in the living room.
"I really won't mind. You look more tired than me. Go rest," Tyson insisted. "I'll make Daichi take care of me. Daichi, go get some coffee and toast for me." He ordered the teen in his usual playful tone and gave him a wink.
Daichi made a face but went to kitchen laughing. " Only because Hillary was nice to me in your absence. So I'm doing it for her," he said before leaving.
Tyson looked amused. "It seems you two went along just fine in my absence. I was worried that the poor boy would be dead, when I returned."
To his surprise Hillary didn't scowl at his comment, as he had expected.
"I'm sorry," she said softly- her head hanging down, a toe scratching the floor.
"Huh?" Tyson was surprised again. "What for?" He asked puzzled, confusion written all over his face.
Hillary was not listening though. "I'm really sorry. Please never leave me again like that."
"Hillary!"
She looked up.
" I didn't leave you. I had to go because of my work," Tyson said urgently. "I don't understand…"
Hillary latched herself to his shoulders finally. " You are not angry with me any more, are you?"
"No.." Tyson was still bewildered. "Wait, what made you think I was angry at you?" He said trying to comfort her, returning her embrace.
"You didn't call or wrote to me for the whole month, …I thought…" Her voice was hitched.
"I wrote once."
"It was a postcard."
"I was lucky that I could post even that. I' m sorry, but we were traveling through the interiors most of the time. I saw a letterbox in one village and hurriedly wrote a few lines so I could drop it, before the bus left."
Hillary blinked. "You could have e-mailed."
"How? When basic things, like post offices, were absent there, do you think they had net connections? Do you ever think, why months pass by, before we get any call or messages from my father or brother?" Tyson tried to reason with her.
"You could have called," she persisted.
"I tried Hillary," Tyson sighed. "but it was a war ridden third world country. In the interior areas, networks were either not working or were absent in the first place. I managed to phone you twice though. You weren't at home."
"Our time zones didn't match either. I couldn't chose when to call if there was a booth at times. Plus I have been extremely busy. Most days I just dropped on the bed once I returned to the camp," he added.
"So you weren't angry and you weren't going to leave me?" Hillary asked with some hesitation .
"No dear. Why would I do that?" Tyson said softly patting her back. Finally Hillary was assured that her husband had not been ignoring her on purpose. He didn't even remember their big fight over towels. She snuggled to him, a happy smile playing at her lips.
Daichi announced from the kitchen door that the coffee was ready. " I made your favourite sandwiches with it."
Tyson grinned. "Thanks Daichi. You're the best."
"I know. It's good that you finally accepted the truth. Just don't get used to it. Next time you'll have to get your coffee yourself," he said laughing. "Now, I'm going back to sleep. I've morning classes. Goodnight both of you." The red head yawned, retiring to his room.
Tyson detangled himself from Hillary with a little smile in apology. " I should go and wash up before my coffee gets cold. Man! I can eat a horse right now." He headed straight to the bathroom.
"You can do that any given time." Hillary called out. She could hear a short but hearty laugh from the bathroom. She picked his coat thrown at the nearby sofa and hanged it in the closet.
Tyson chuckled some more at his image in the mirror. He was home finally. Cold water felt nice again his skin as he proceeded to wash his face and hands. Keeping the soap back he washed the remaining residue of it from his fingers.
He reached for the nearest towel hanging beside the basin. Picking it up, he had just started to dry his hands when…
"Tyson! " A shrill voice echoed in the living quarters of the dojo startling the blunette of that name.
"Is the sky falling?" He said annoyed at being yelled at like that.
"No. This." Hillary snatched the towel from his hands and dangled it before his eyes, tapping her foot.
"What about this?" Tyson asked in the same irritated tone.
"You could have at least asked me, if you were too lazy to get a clean towel from the cupboard here."
"It looks clean to me and I picked it from the towel stand."
"It was Kai's-he used it in the afternoon."
"So? How would I know that? Don't you throw the used towels in the laundry immediately?"
"I… I was distracted," Hillary admitted reluctantly. But that did not mean she was going to back down just for a trifle like that. "Still… It must have been a little bit wet. You should be careful."
"I am really in no mood for this Hillary. I'm too tired!" Tyson groaned resigned.
Hillary raised her eyebrows. "Then why don't you just admit that you were at fault?"
Owari
Author's note: I hope you enjoy this one-shot fiction. Any suggestions? Constructive criticism is welcome. Please review.