At the Bottom of Stairs
…
"No, Rhett!" Her voice was choked in horror, buried in the tumbling sound of his fall.
Helplessly standing on the stairs, she was looking at him rolling down the flight. She closed her eyes and wished the night of horrid would disappear.
Until all was quiet again, she opened her eyes. Her husband was lying still at the bottom, and she was frozen in fear on the stairs. Both were motionless.
Oh, no, Rhett! Oh, my God, I slapped him, he fell down, I hurt him! Oh, I didn't mean it, oh, no!
Her mind was running, spinning, faster than her feet. Shakenly, she slowly walked down the stairs, one step at a time. Her eyes remained focusing on him. And he still didn't move.
Oh, my God, why doesn't he move? Is he dead? I killed him! I killed him! I truly killed my husband this time!
Slowly she reached the bottom of the flight and knelt down before him. He was lying on his back, his eyes were closed. No blood from his head, but she couldn't tell if he was breathing.
He can't be dead! Rhett Butler has nine lives, he can't be dead yet! But why doesn't he move? Why doesn't he scream? Why does he lie so still?
She stared at him for a moment. Then her trembling hand gently touched his cheek, smoothed his mustache, and tenderly rubbed his full lips. He was warm, but not moving. Slowly, gingerly, she touched the tip of his nose.
Suddenly he sneezed. His black eyes opened in one blink, his gaze followed her retreating hand, and then locked on hers. He grinned devilishly, "Hello, Scarlett, sorry to disappoint you, I am not dead yet!"
"Oh, my God, Rhett!" She screamed. In a shock, she landed backward on her bottom. Her right leg flexed forward and kicked him right into his ribs.
"Ouch!" It was his turn to scream. His left hand instantly covered his right ribs. "Scarlett," he hissed in pain, "you hurt me again! You are killing me!"
"Oh, Rhett, Rhett, I am sorry, I am so sorry!" She sat up, almost cried. "I didn't mean to hurt you, please believe me." Her hand gently touched his hand.
"Yes, I know," he hissed again. His eyebrows slanted on one side, his black eyes scanned her face again, "You don't have to kill me, even you can't wait to be rid of me."
She looked at him incredulously. How could he still joke even though he has just fallen down the stairs? I almost cried for him. No, never, I am not going to cry for him!
"You cad, Rhett Butler! I did not want to kill you! It was an accident!"
"Yes, I know, Scarlett, I know." After a moment, he said quietly, "it WAS an accident, I am sorry too, Scarlett!"
Looking at him, not sure what he meant, this accident or the one two years ago, she didn't know what to say. He remained silent.
He said nothing further. He turned away from her, scanning around the hall, then looking up the stairs, from the bottom to the top and then back down, finally his glance landed on her again. He grinned at her, said slowly, "Scarlett, you may be comfortable sitting on the floor staring at me. But I am in pain, and it is getting worse. So the next order of action you shall take is to call Dr. Meade."
"But…but…why...why didn't you say something? You lie so still, it seems, as if you are enjoying lying on the floor." She stammered.
"Well, I am admiring the monstrous staircase of your glorious mansion, and appreciating how far a mighty has fallen!" He said coolly.
"How you do run on, Rhett? How far has a mighty fallen? My feet! You fell, right under my feet!" She huffed, irritated by his coolness. She stood up, stomped on her feet. He deserved what he got, she thought.
He pulled her skirt hem, stopped her. "You are going to call Dr. Meade, aren't you, Scarlett?"
"Yes, of course. Let go of me, Rhett. I'll go get Pork."
She turned after he loosed her skirt. His eyes were still following her watchfully. A few steps away, she stopped, looking back at her husband, lying on the floor powerlessly.
Her green eyes lightened up wickedly, her concerned face broke into a devious smile. She turned to him, "Wait, let me check you first, Rhett!"
He looked at her suspiciously, unsure why a sudden change of her mood. But he said nothing.
"I shall exam you first, make sure Dr. Meade is indeed needed tonight. We don't want to drag the good old doctor out of his warm bed in this hour of the day for nothing, do we?" She said airily.
"No, go get Dr. Meade. I am injured." Waving his hand, he said cynically, "How do you know how to exam me? I won't let you exam me, or allow you to hurt me again."
"Hush, Rhett, you forget I was a nurse during the war. As for now, you only have me here at this moment. I believe you know the situation well," she said devilishly.
"I will call Pork! Go get Dr. Meade!" He clenched his fists, worrying whether his little wife was going to hurt him again.
"Pork can't hear you. By the way, you shall not scream if you truly broke your ribs." She shrugged her shoulders as if she was talking to a child and waiting for him to calm down. "Either you let me exam you, or you can stay on the floor till the morning. Your choice?"
When she didn't hear his response, she said, "Let me check your legs first."
"Should you check my head first, which is more important, my ignorant nurse wife?" He said mockingly.
"You cad! Nothing wrong with your head. No blood, no bruises, no bumps for whatever I can see. You are still talking nonsense as usual. A mighty fallen, hush, just a low down scoundrel! I hope you hit your head hard, so you can talk like a normal person!" She shouted.
"Ouch, Scarlett!" He hissed again, as she bent his left ankle.
"Easy, easy, Rhett! I just check your ankle. Don't be a ninny, crying so loud! You only sprained your ankle," said she gleefully.
"It hurts! What have you done, Scarlett? It hurts so much more!"
"Nothing," she said grumpily as if she felt remorseful, "I just twisted it a bit, to see if anything is broken. No broken bones I am sure." She touched his swollen ankle again.
"Scarlett, stop!" He screamed through his teeth.
"Oh, Rhett, you are worse than Wade. He didn't cry this much when he sprained his ankle last year. While be quiet, you don't have broken legs, but with your sprained ankle, you can't walk for a while," she said glibly. "Now, let me check your chest, Rhett."
"No, I won't let you do it, you heartless creature! Go get Pork!" He crossed his arms, waving off her hands that were trying to open his shirt.
"Alright, I am heartless as you know, but I am not a creature," she said scornfully. She crossed her arms too and sat back on the floor, "I can wait until you let me check. Your injury is rather mild comparing what I had."
The two were staring at each other, his guilty gaze ran into her stony glare. They stayed in this impasse for a few minutes, scrutinizing at each other, waiting for the other to surrender.
The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway finally broke the stalemate.
"Pork, Pork, is that you? Go get Dr. Meade!" He yelled, and he tried to sit up.
"Pork, stay where you are. There is nothing wrong here. I will call you what to do later," she said loudly and then pushed Rhett back down to the floor again. "Go back where you were, Pork," she ordered without looking who was coming.
The footsteps were backing away slowly. The house was quiet again.
He sighed, "Alright, Scarlett, I surrender. I am in your hands now. What do you want to do with me? Touch my chest again?"
Narrowing her eyes, a smile emerged from the corner of her pursed lips, she said devilishly, "Well, I don't think I want to exam your chest if you don't trust me. I am sure you broke a couple of ribs, or maybe just bruised them. Who knows, it doesn't matter now."
"It doesn't matter if my ribs are broken? How kind my nurse wife is, I have no doubt now!" He felt a bit disappointed or more angry for she gave up so easily.
"Oh, no, Rhett, don't be childish, those minor injuries won't hurt you as much," she said in a false calmness. "I just realize that I wanted to ask you some questions."
Instantly he knew she had something coming. "What questions do you have, my devious little wife?"
"Before you fell down the stairs, you said you are going away. Are you still planning to go away?" She asked lightly.
He knew where she was going. But except his injury, in the last ten minutes, nothing had changed his perspective about their relationship. He needed to get away to clear his head, even though he may come back eventually. But he didn't want to tell his wife yet. For now, in the current situation, she had an upper hand. She was standing tall, while he was lying down on the floor.
"Scarlett, let us not talk about it now. With my injury, you know very well this is out of the question. I can't go anywhere," he responded calmly.
"So I get it, you still want to leave after your recovery," she huffed. "Well, you can't walk, but you can ride, can't you? Pork can saddle up your horse in a few minutes. And I, as a good wife, will send you on your merry way."
"Scarlett, I am in pain, I can't ride. You can't throw me out, you heartless creature!" He said angrily. He wasn't sure what his wife was going to do with him now. He remembered what he had said to her after she ran back home and told him she loved him. Oh, nothing nice! He knew there would be consequences, but how could he ever expect they were coming so soon!
"Am I heartless? My dear, I don't give a damn! Just like you!" she snapped. She tapped her toes angrily.
He stiffened, preparing himself for another attack from his irrational wife. But she just snuffed, "Regret you said too much, huh, Rhett?"
He knew, and she knew as well, he had said too much in his previous conversation. Too much rhetoric from him and too few heartfelt feelings for her.
"Well, I don't mind to be heartless, I know you don't want my heart," she shrugged, "however, you mustn't cry like a ninny, for such a mild injury. You can leave now, you can easily get to that creature of yours without any help. I believe that you could ride there with your eyes closed, couldn't you?"
She remembered what he had said about how he had lived with Belle. It infuriated her so much, her calmness was gone, her temper was fired up again. "Let that creature soothe you, a kind-hearted whore! Huh? You would like it, wouldn't you? You don't need a wife or a doctor. Anyway, no decent doctors would visit a whore house at this hour of the day. You are going to suffer in that creature's house, you have earned it!"
He didn't respond. Closing his eyes, he knew he was trapped by his wife who was more than a bit crazy at this moment. All was his fault, why did he have to taunt her after she had declared her love for him? He had played his card all wrong. Looking what a situation he got himself in now!
"Do you want to go there, Rhett? Or not!" Looking down at her silent husband, she asked again as if she didn't care anymore. "Oh, yes I remember now, you plan to go back to Charleston, to make peace with your decent people. I assume a liaison with a whore won't do you any good. You don't care about my reputation, but you do care about your mother's, don't you? You won't bring that creature to Charleston like you did in Atlanta years ago, would you?!"
Her rage fired up more, she kicked him once again, at his left leg. She forgot that he just fell down the stairs and he was in pain.
"Oh, ouch! Scarlett, stop! You are a cruel woman! I didn't bring Belle to Atlanta. She never was mine to bring anywhere!" He said with his teeth clenched. "You were in love with that wooden-headed gentleman. What was I supposed to do?"
"What were you supposed to do? Huh, telling your wife you love her, would it be too much to ask from a husband?" She screamed as if all her faults and all their failures were rooted in his failure of truthfulness. "I am done with you, I hate you, I hate you! You scoundrel! You low-down cad! You can go to Charleston or Halifax I don't care."
Looking at his blank face, she continued hatefully, "I could whip you right now, you know, Rhett Butler? You are helpless lying on the floor, while I am standing tall! I can whip you just like you told me so. It doesn't matter whether you love me or not!" She tapped her foot, only barely withholding the urge to kick her husband again.
"Yes, you could. Are you going to do it?" His voice was calm without emotion as if he was going to accept his fate. He was staring at her silently.
She clenched her fists, curled her toes, and grounded her jaw, for a moment, she wanted to kick him so, but she couldn't. Then she turned on her heel, walked away from her silent husband.
"Wait, Scarlett!" Suddenly, he became alive, his right hand quickly pulled her skirt hem stopping her.
"God's nightgown! Where did you get the habit to pull a lady's skirt, Rhett? You almost tore my dress, you scoundrel!" She turned back and hissed at her husband again.
"Right on this floor, since I have been lying down here for a while now," he grinned. "Don't leave, Scarlett."
"I am not leaving. I am going to get Pork."
"For whipping me, or for saddling up my horse, or for getting Dr. Meade?" He asked quickly.
"Getting Dr. Meade! I am not as heartless as you are, Rhett Butler!"
He looked at his irrational wife, knowing his destination was sealed for him. As a skilled gambler, he knew he had no more trump card to play. It was the time for him to fold. Whether he won or lost, it didn't matter much now, he could figure it out later. As an opportunistic soldier, dying for the cause was never in his book. His mind was made up.
"Don't go, Scarlett. It is my turn to ask you a few questions!"
She turned to her husband, whose black eyes came alive.
"First, are you going to whip me?" His dark eyes gazed at her.
She shook her head lightly, not ready to give a verbal promise yet.
"Alright. Probably not now, I assume. Then why do you want me to stay, Scarlett? I am injured and may be crippled for the rest of my life."
"I want you to stay because you are my husband," she said in an uncertain low voice. Then she sniffed again, "you are not going to be crippled!"
"I may, a crippled older man, sitting around the house, drinking till the day ends. Scarlett, think again, do you still want me to stay?" He chuckled, even pitied himself such a gloomy ending.
"Yes, I do, I will nurse your wound, and I won't let you drink yourself to death." Her voice gradually trailed off, as her husband glanced at her without any response.
After a while, he spoke calmly, "Scarlett, sit down. I don't like the feeling that I have to look up to you and rely on you for the rest of my life."
She smiled warily and sat down beside him, uncertain about his intention.
"The reason I wanted to leave was because I have felt empty for a long time. Our life was not the one I envisioned when we started six years ago. And Bonnie..." He choked but collected himself again. "Even you want me to stay, I am not sure what I can offer to you." He waved his hand to stop her interruption, "And we have hurt each other so much, you to me, and I to you too. Do you believe we can forgive each other for all we have done wrong?"
"Rhett, I am sorry for all of the hurt I have caused you, I was a fool. But we can, Rhett, we can start over, I will make it up to you!" She said eagerly, like a stubborn little girl who had made up her mind to get what she wanted. "Everything will be alright, Rhett. You know my feelings."
"What if you change your mind?" His dark eyes leap with a dancing light that she had not seen for a long time.
"No I won't," she insisted, shaking her head passionately again. "No, I will not change. I…I…love you because I know you, you are strong and unscrupulous, passionate and earthy, just like me."
His hand reached out to hers as if he tried to calm her down. She grabbed his hand, "I love you, Rhett, please stay, please let me be your wife in a real sense." She blushed as she realized the meaning.
He caressed her hand lightly. After a moment, he said, "Scarlett, call Pork now, he has to get Dr. Meade. I believe he is nearby."
As if she just remembered her husband had rolled down the stairs, she said, "Rhett, are you in pain? Pork, Pork, where are you?"
Pork's heavy steps came from the hallway. "Yes, Ma'am?"
"Go bring Dr. Meade here, tell him Mr. Butler is injured."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Wait, Pork," Rhett asked, "why you didn't answer me when I called you? But answer to Miss Scarlett?"
"Err, Mister Butler, you are lying on the floor, can't move. Miss Scarlett is standing, she could run me out of the house in a second," Pork answered jovially.
"Alright, I know where your loyalty lies," Rhett said teasingly.
"Pork's loyalty lies with the O'Hara's!" She huffed. "Pork, go on now, go get Dr. Meade!"
Once Pork's steps faded, she turned to him, "Rhett, are you sure you want to stay? Not because you are lying on the floor and can't go anywhere, aren't you?" She became a bit more suspicious as Pork just stated the situation precisely.
Rhett smiled, pulling her closer, "Come here, Scarlett!"
Gazing at her attentively, he pulled her down, and then, he kissed her, a long, tender and leisure kiss. After he finished, he looked at her blushing face fondly. He smiled again, a happy relaxed smile. "I should have done this a long time ago." This was not too bad of an option, not at all, he thought. "Trust me, darling, I am not going to go anywhere."
"Really, Rhett, you do love me, don't you?" She was elated.
He sighed, it was time being honest, he assured himself once again. "Yes, Scarlett! I guess I can never stop loving you, even though I tried, for an hour? Even after you pushed me down the stairs."
"Oh, Rhett, be serious! It was an accident!" She patted his cheek indulgently. "When did you change your mind? Why didn't you tell me earlier? You enjoy getting my temper up, don't you?"
"Yes, a little bit, my pet. Your temper is your most alluring charm. I believe it was when you told me to go to Halifax. It reminded me of that sixteen-year-old girl who I have known for twelve years. I can't let her go, no matter how hurt I have been for all these years."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, Rhett! I will forever love you, darling. We will be so happy!" Her hands held his tightly.
Everything would be alright, she felt happy and strong. Though she was not fully convinced of his true intention for staying, she had time to persuade him and love him, and allow him to love her back. She must have Rhett with her in the future. She had to.
She moved closer to him, to kiss him.
"Ouch, Scarlett! You hurt me again!" He yelped again. But he didn't let her move away. Looking at his wife's remorseful expression, he grinned and whispered, "I wish Dr. Meade would get here before you kill me!"
His left arm moved to protect his ribs against her knee, and his right hand held his wife steady and wouldn't let her go.
They kissed again…
Both knew they had been through enough. They had hurt each other too much and too many times. With his fall, his guilt had been retaliated, and her bitterness had been reciprocated. They scored even, while too painful to continue the fight. It was the time to end this twelve-year war. His bitterness and her guilt would be resolved eventually if they were ready to turn a new page.
And if they truly loved each other.
They believed they do.
And they believed they had God on his or her side.
...
The End