JASON & MARIA
Note to the reader: The story is seperated into two parts - representing Jason and Maria's differing points of view of the same moments in time. Enjoy,
Michael Harrison 2006
Jason
Jason shut his eyes and absorbed the jet of cold water running down his back washing away the five k's worth of sweat. He didn't need to check his Aqualand II diver's watch for the time; he knew it was 6:50am. It always was.
Sighing, Jason turned the tap off, leaving his naked body exposed to the humidity that already hung in the air. He counted backward in his mind: five… four… three… two…one… the faint sounds of music came to life from his bedroom, cutting through the silence.
Draping the towel around his waste and stepped out of the shower and faced the mirror. Staring intensely, he saw past his dishevelled exterior and into the numbness that was within. Thoughts of a shave and an attempt to tidy his curly black hair were forced into his mind's background noise. Only the question remained. Why?
He could smell her coming. Or rather, not her but the coffee she brought with her. Three… two…one…
Knock, knock!
"Coffee's ready honey," Maria called.
"Thank you," he replied.
Are going through the motions of life enough? he asked himself as thoughts of shaving returned to the foreground of his mind. "Argh, forget it!" he said, leaving the razor where it sat.
Jason flung his towel over the rail and slipped on his Jack Daniel's robe and walked to the kitchen of his 3 bedroom city apartment. He sighed as he picked up his lukewarm coffee and placed it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and lazily walked to the balcony. The ocean swells were alive with constant motion. Unlike his life.
"What time are you heading to work today?" Maria asked, planting a tender kiss on his cheek and handing him is warmed-up coffee.
"About ten," he replied, savouring his 'elixir of life'.
Maria took Jason's hand and joined him in admiring the view. The silence that followed was more common these days. Proof that his elixir wasn't working as well as it should. It hadn't been for some time now.
And it was all her fault.
While jogging this morning he saw her again, in the park with his sister. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, with her olive skin and the deep brown eyes that would make any man weak at the knees.
Maria glanced at her watch; she had to be at work at 8:00. Hell, she always had to be there for the most part of the day. The word 'delegation' was clearly not in her vocabulary.
Jason sipped his again-lukewarm coffee and glanced over at his wife of eight years and thought back to the beginning.
At 19, Maria had been stunning. Her midnight-black hair flowed down past her shoulders to halfway down her back; her olive skin radiated the glory that belonged to royalty, as she may as well have been.
Her father, Carlos Araujo, immigrated to Australia from South America and worked hard all his life until he practically owned half of Queensland. It had been on one of the family's 'weekend's away' that Jason first laid eyes on her.
Her hair was shorter now - more practical. So was she. As General Manager of Carla Mansion she had to be.
Jason still cursed the day Carlos had given her the position. It had been the road block to their plans for a family, and their marriage had been on a downward spiral ever since.
Which made seeing her everyday more heartbreaking. At 8 pounds 11 ounces, his little niece Catalina was the only source of his joy; yet everyday she reminded him of what Carlos had stopped him having by turning his wife into a workaholic.
Jason fiddled with his wedding ring. Only this morning, Catalina had firmly grasped that very finger.
Damn Maria's devotion to that hotel!
Jason tuned to Maria and let go of her hand.
"What is it?" she asked, meeting his gaze.
When he spoke, his voice was croaky, "I think we should separate."
Maria
Maria smiled and opened her eyes. It was a beautiful day. She rose from the cream coloured sheets, donned a black silk robe with the initials: M.A stencilled in gold and gracefully walked through the apartment to the kitchen.
Maria switched the kettle on and grinned to herself as she heard her husband cut the water to his shower. She counted backwards in her mind: five… four… three…two…one… and immediately her alarm clock hummed to life from the bedroom.
Maria Araujo-Tilman, for the most part, was content with her life – it was stable and secure. Things moved at a pace of familiarity.
But recently, things were changing in a way that she had no longer had control over. Her life was changing, and Maria wasn't sure she would be able to cope. But she had Jason!
After filling Jason's mug with the "elixir of life" as he called it, along with two spoons of sugar and a dash of milk, Maria walked towards the bathroom and her husband.
Knock, knock!
"Coffee's ready honey," she called.
"Thank you," Jason replied.
Maria loved the predictability of her life, - you could set a watch to our morning routine – she thought to herself, heading to the bedroom to dress for work. But how that would soon change!
Jason constantly reassured her that her figure was still stunning, but looking in her full length mirror, Maria disagreed, she'd definitely put on weight since they were first married. Maria sighed and walked to the kitchen.
Jason was on the balcony, staring as he did often these days. She grabbed his coffee from the microwave and joined him outside.
"What time are you heading to work today?" she asked, kissing his unshaven face as gently as she dared before handing him his coffee.
"About ten," Jason replied, savouring his coffee.
Maria took his hand and followed his stare out over the ocean. She watched him from the corner of her eye; he was in one of his moods: deep meditation about something. She could only assume it had something to do with the Scuba-Diving School he ran with his brother Danny.
Why he couldn't confide in her about work matters she'd never understand.
But she had news that was sure to take his mind away from work.
News that was to change their lives forever. As long as they'd been together Jason had always wanted this, but she's always put it off.
She glanced at her watch out of nervousness, and her thoughts turned to the past…
…back to the beginning.
She was 19 and on holiday with her family, cruising the waters of the Australian east coast. Jason was the last-minute replacement captain of the boat they'd chartered. His curly black hair sparkled with water droplets, as did his lightly haired, muscular chest.
Jason gave her a polite nod and continued with his work of preparing the dive gear for their decent into the shallow waters of the reef.
The romance blossomed over the months much to the distaste of her overbearing father, and he never really gave his blessing to their marriage soon afterwards. His only consolation had been that Jason was already wealthy with his own business and not after the family fortune.
She missed those days; the days when they stayed up till sunrise just talking. Now she barely had time to sleep. Running a hotel tends to do that to you.
But that was all behind her now. Her days of being a slave to her job were over, she resigned from her position when she first found out nearly two months ago. And today was her last day.
Very soon she would be up all night again. Seven months; seven months left and their world would change forever.
Maria's face radiated with joy and longed to tell him the news: she was almost two months pregnant! Little Catalina would have a cousin.
The hotel be damned! - she was having a family!
Jason let go of her hand, and Maria turned to face him. Something in his eyes startled her.
"What is it?" she asked, concerned.When he spoke, his voice was croaky, "I think we should separate."
Michael Harrison 14 November 2006