Crystal was at the primary school for her weekly environmental protection class and just had left the classroom when another teacher called her: "I have someone on the phone for you! A Margaret Parker!"
"Thank you!" She followed him into the office and took the phone.
Sniffing, her friend Margie's voice reached her. "Crystal, is that you? I could not reach you... Norman said you've left him, and so I tried it at the school."
"Yes, that's right. We broke up. But what about you? Where are you?"
"At the airport," her friend sobbed. "Jay walked out on me after I told him I was pregnant. And my credit card has been blocked. I thought there was still enough money, but Jay must've taken more than he said..."
A fourth child in addition to the others Crystal could hear the bickering in the background! Why for Christ's sake, Margie could not make certain provisions?! Well, it was of no use ranting now; her friend was already desperate enough.
"I only need a little bit of money to pay the flight to Washington for me, and the kids! I'm going to live with my aunt Mary for a while. Can you help me? Please, I don't know where else to go. And Gordon seems to get sick on top of all… I'll pay you back, believe me."
"I'll see what I can do, just stay calm, okay? I'm coming to the airport as fast as I can. It could take a while, though. But please, calm down, don't worry right now, okay, Margie?"
She hung up and grabbed her bag again. On her way out, she almost collided with her friend Kate, who made some extra bucks working in the cleaning staff at the school. "Hi, Crys! Long time no see! I read you've pulled off the big one?!" She padded on the 'National Enquirer' lying in her basket.
Crystal sighed. "Oh don't read that stuff!"
"So it's true? You did move in with that gorgeous looking famous artist guy? You HAVE to tell me ALL about it!"
"Yes, it's true. And we're going to be married! But right now, I have no time. Margie called. She is sitting at the airport with her kids and no money." "That's horrible. Poor girl."
"Well, I'll see what I can do to help her. I'll call you, Kate!"
"Absolutely! You know I'm dying out of curiosity!"
...
Coming home, Crystal heard the unmistakable sounds of ongoing work from the studio and so went straight to that door. Mikael was busy grinding a metal sheet. When he saw her, he switched off the machine and pulled the breathing mask from his face. "You are back already. Everything ok?"
"My friend Margie called. You know, the one with the three kids and the lover out on parole?" He nodded and she continued, not feeling comfortable to ask for money. Moreover, as she was sure, Margie would never be able to pay anything back.
"How much is it you think she will need? 2000 Dollars?" Mikael asked, wiping his hands at a towel, "I'm going to write you an American Express."
"Thank you! That's very kind of you!"
"I don't want to see you worried about your friend!" They walked over to the living room, and he searched for the form. "You can take my car, of course. But make sure you'll come back soon." He placed the check into her hands and went for the car keys. "You know how fast I miss you, my love!"
"Do you think I do NOT miss you?"
He pulled her in his arms. "I can't stand it very long without you." The gentle little goodbye-kiss became a long, deep one.
"You think this may keep you alive until I come back?" She teased, not wanting to go anymore.
"I'll bury myself in work. Maybe I can finish that second part of the statue until you come back."
"I'll call you when I'm on my way!" She finally promised, taking her sunglasses from the table.
...
Two hours later, Crystal was at the airport in Hilo. As she had expected, her friend Margie was in a miserable state. Maybe her ex-lover had mistreated her as well. Some bruises were visible on her arms.
"Thank you so much you could come, Hon!" she said under tears, trying to calm her coughing son. "I'm sorry! I just didn't know where to go, and whom to ask!"
"It's okay! Do you have looked for a flight yet? Here is some money for tickets, and some more for whatsoever!"
"I don't know how I shall thank you! I'll return you every cent, believe me! I just have to find a job!" She remembered her pregnancy and finished sobbing: "That is… now… I mean… I'm such a dumb chick! How could I believe Jay meant serious business… how could I ?!"
"Don't stress yourself out now, Margie!" Crystal lifted her friend's little daughter on her knees. The girl's trousers were dirty and her hair needed some shampoo, too. The twin sister immediately started to cry for attention. "You have to take care of your children, okay? Don't worry about the money!"
Margie wiped her face and looked up. "I should've left that bastard! You told me, everyone told me! But I just did not want to see it, I was so in love with that goddamn motherfucker!" Her outburst made a few passengers threw glances, but Margie did not care.
"Come on, let's look for the next possible flight to Washington. And maybe the kids would love a few snacks..."
...
Mikael had spent the afternoon working; however, he had stopped, feeling increasingly uneasy and anxious. He could not name the source of this emotion, though. It was just numb unpleasant anxiety as if something nasty was awaiting him. Maybe the weather was changing, as they had told in the forecast for two days now. The more time passed, the more nervous he got. He decided to go for a walk through Keawaeli Beach. Maybe some fresh air would help against the headache, and this strange tension torturing him. It rained, but not that much it would make a stroll unpleasant. A little bit of rain could be quite inspirational, on the contrary, because everything mirrored strangely twisted in the puddles and drops of water. He enjoyed watching the world this way. Considering the hurrying pedestrians, he was the only one – except some children jumping through the puddles, of course.
Mikael's thoughts were with Crystal, while he stared into a shop window with more or less dressed manikins. He did not notice that he stood in the rain without moving. Someone asked him if he needed a lift, but he did not hear him at all. I should go home. Perhaps she is back already… But somehow, he could not turn the thought into action. He only stared into the window, while lightning flashed through the thick dark clouds.
...
The next plane on schedule to Washington was delayed because of the worsening weather conditions, and finally, the flight was canceled. The rain smashing against the waiting lounge windows didn't leave much hope for an improvement of the situation within the following hours.
Margie's children slept exhausted on the chairs, and Margie herself sat slumped down, very badly in need of rest the same. Crystal decided to check them in at the Airport hotel. She tried twice to call Mikael, but first, all lines very busy because of the agitated stranded passengers attempting to reach their families or business partners, and then, the phones were dead! Probably, the storm had knocked over a telephone pole! The airport staff promised to have it running as soon as possible. Nonetheless, the damage was outside their reach, and AT&T could only do so much.
…
The loud music and the disturbing pattern of lights waved with hypnotic strength around the people in the club, who celebrated Friday night ore were refugees from the storm. Mikael leaned at the bar and watched them. He did not know exactly how he had ended up here, but at the moment, the surroundings left him no time to explore this strange sensation of amnesia. He remembered being in a similar place, however not this one… it had been some time ago… or not? He frowned and stared into his glass, feeling that he was missing something important.
A female voice reached him. "Hey – alone and sad?"
He turned around and discovered a young woman who seemed strangely familiar. "Have I seen you before?"
The woman laughed, not quite sober anymore. "It's me, Janet! Remember? I asked you some weeks ago if you'd search for a model."
Mikael's eyes wandered over her appealing body – but his memory was a black hole letting nothing escape at the moment.
"You search for one, now?" She asked, putting her hand on his chest. "Or… do you want something else?"
"Perfection," he whispered, tracing the outlines of her face and neck.
"Do you want to test if I'm perfect enough?" She giggled.
…
It was way past midnight when the storm settled just enough for Crystal to risk the way back. The streets of Hilo and the freeway were a mess, of course. Overthrown garbage cans rolled over the roads, accompanied by tails of loose junk. There were several traffic accidents, too. And the telephones in the area were still out of business. Crystal wanted only to arrive home and rest in Mikael's arms.
…
The elderly couple driving slowly through the smashing rain in the early morning near Keawaeli Beach didn't even notice the running young woman at first. Only when she almost stumbled in front of the car, they stopped with squeaking breaks - and were shocked. The woman was barefoot and scarcely dressed. Blood was on her body and her face, she was crying and in obvious panic.
"Help… me! Oh my God! Help!"
The driver's first thought was a car crash not far away. He tried to see something through the curtain of rain, while his wife cared for the frightened young woman, who despite the look, wasn't injured at all. Whatever had happened - the blood on her was not her own!
It was hard to make sense from the words she uttered in between sobs and chattering teeth. Was she the victim of domestic violence, or a derailed junkie? She smelled after alcohol, at least!
"Calm down, you're safe," the elderly lady repeated, again and again, putting her jacket around the woman's shoulders and helping her into the car.
"We'll get you to the police! Calm down! - Joe, turn around, I've seen a public phone at the last corner!" As the car started moving again, the driver's wife did her best to soothe the hysterical human bundle in the rear.
….
Crystal drove as fast as she could, given the circumstances. Blinking red and blue lights at the next crossroad stopped her, though. A tree had fallen across the street, hit another car. The police and a rescue team were already there and no one seemed seriously hurt - the street was blocked of course.
Crystal cursed, stared some moments out into the not changing situation and onto the growing line of vehicles. Then she made her decision. She was only a few streets away from home! Carefully, she veered out and parked at the nearest possible place, not caring for any restrictions. Then she grabbed her bag and was out of the car. The storm almost swept her off her feet and she slipped out of her shoes to get a better footing. Soaked within seconds, she struggled forward. Maybe, it hadn't been such a good idea after all! Thank God, there was a shopping passage nearby, allowing her to cross some space sheltered from rain and storm and catch her breath.
Finally, the familiar flat-roofed house in between the now battered trees showed up. There was even light in the studio! Out of breath, Crystal conquered the final meters toward the house, wondering why the door wasn't closed in this weather so it was ripped wide open and smashed again with every new gust of wind. But maybe Mikael was that buried in his work, he didn't pay attention to these 'minor distractions'! Crystal shut the door tightly, and still, the storm rattled on it.
"Mikael?"
She couldn't see him anywhere, so she stepped further, leaving a rivulet of water on the floor. "I'm back!"
A sound, like the clanking of a tool mixed with a moan, came from the left side of the studio. "Mikael?"
She started to feel a pang of sudden worry clasping inside her, while she turned in the direction. The blink of an eye later, the pang became something ice-cold, squeezing the air out of her lungs and letting her knees buckle. He laid there, the right arm clasped around the workbench's leg, the left hand pressed against his side, from where blood spread over his once-white working clothes, over his fingers, on the floor.
"Oh God…" She stumbled at his side; put her arms around him in an instinctive reaction. "What happened?"
"I don't… know…" he gasped, staring at her with pain shrouded eyes. "Someone… tried… to kill me."
Now, reason superseded the shock almost paralyzing Crystal. "Lay back!"
Hastily, she shoved the next best things – a toolbox and some cloths – under his head and then got to her feet again. There was a telephone in the rear of the studio! She had trouble dialing 911 because she was that shaky. Hopefully, this line wasn't destroyed! It cracked and sizzled awfully in the connection! After some seconds of panic, someone answered the call, and she tried to give the necessary information in a halfway understandable mode, her eyes always on Mikael.
"Please hurry!" she shouted into the phone. "Please!"
Then she ran back to him. Mikael was barely conscious by now, and Crystal was cold with fear. She pressed her jacket against the wound in his side, without much luck trying to stop the flow of blood somehow.
"I love … you …" he murmured, "Love you… Crystal…"
"Don't speak! Save your strength! Help will be here in a minute!" Her hands clasped around his shoulders. She felt like choking. Her lips formed the letters but no sound escaped her. Mikael, my love… Don't leave me…don't leave me…