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NSL Jewelles

Chapter Four – What has and will come to Pass

Persia 1875

Erik

"If it satisfies you, Daroga, I'll buy a goddamn ring!" I growl at Nadir. We stand at the side of a bustling street at a jewelry cart. For near a quarter of an hour we have been arguing over the purchasing of a ring for Christine. "That's not to say that I'll give it to her immediately, so don't get any ideas." The Daroga shrugs jokingly. I scan the rows of rings, trying to find one that stands out; exceptional beauty deserves an equally beautiful gem. Muttering curses to myself, I point out one that looks intriguing and the vendor pulls it from its case.

"The diamond is just over a carat, as are the rubies combined," he says, placing the cool metal and stone in my palm. "The gold is the highest quality available." I pinch the metal band in my fingers and hold it up to my eye level. It is truly exquisite, a perfect diamond solitaire surrounded by four blood red rubies. Images invade my mind of Christine, the ring brilliantly sparkling on her finger and a perfect smile on her face.

"This is the one," I state, handing the ring to the vendor to package.

"No," Nadir says, placing a hand on my arm. "She is the one," and I know who he is referring to.

Christine

"Christine! Are you coming or not?" I hear Erik's voice from down the stairs as I grab my last few belongings and hurry to meet him. "Christine, I can't wait all…" but I appear at the top of the stairs and he stops talking immediately. Nadir, Reza, Lalitha and Lakhi all wait by the door to see us out, and I can't help but feel like I miss them already.

I reach the lower landing and Erik takes one of my bags from me, his hand brushing mine as he grips the handle. "I'm sorry I took so long," I apologize, but Erik motions to the others, a silent reminder to say my farewells.

Gently I embrace the Daroga, thanking him kindly for his hospitality and care. I move away and Reza lifts me up in his arms and holds me tightly. "I will miss you, Christine," he says sadly, kissing my forehead. "Promise to write?" he adds, placing me on the ground.

"Of course," I reply, gripping his arm amicably as Erik and Nadir embrace; I can hear them conversing in hushed tones, though I cannot even begin to imagine what they could be discussing.

Throwing myself frantically into Lalitha and Lakhi's conjoined embrace, the three of us becoming a weepy mass of limbs. "Christine, please don't go," one of them whimpers. "We'll miss you too much!" another voice says. I feel Erik's hand on my shoulder, silently telling me that it's time.

Pulling away from Lalitha and Lakhi, I kiss them each on the cheek before picking up one of my bags; Erik has his and my second. "I'll never forget any of you," I say, then revise my statement. "We won't forget any of you." I look up at Erik and he nods in agreement.

"We will see each other again," Reza says comfortingly, and the foursome ushers us out the door with well-wishes and teary farewells.

"Good luck, my friends," Nadir adds, placing an arm around his son's shoulders. "Our hearts are with you." Erik and I walk slowly away from the house, loading our bags into the cart Erik and Nadir have purchased. I turn and look up into Erik's eyes and he smiles at me, as if to tell me that everything will work out for the better. Smiling back, I feel him take my hand, helping me up onto the seat of the cart before walking around to the other site and stepping up himself, taking his place at my side.

I wave to the four figures in the doorway as Erik jerks the reins to make the horse pulling the cart move. Tears well up in my eyes as we begin to drive away, and I rest my body against Erik's, my head on his shoulder. "You're all right?" he asks me.

"I will be," I murmur, pressing closer still. "But I'm anxious too."

"You and me both," Erik replies, turning to kiss the top of my head gently. As we drive away, I glance backward and see the door closing, no figures remaining outdoors. Think of what awaits you! This is a new start, and this time it is for the better. You and Erik have each other; nothing could possibly be that awful now. I once again think about Lalitha and Lakhi's questions about the status of my relationship with Erik, and I find myself wondering if something like marriage will come to pass. Surely Erik is not interested in married life? But if he is…

Erik

We stop the first evening at a little inn, a small but cheery establishment. As I arrange for a room, Christine busies herself with a street vendor, purchasing some provisions and a few extra foods for us to eat for dinner. We meet at the entrance to the corridor leading to our room and she locks her free arm around mine. "Our room is ready?"

"Only just," I say as a set of two maids walk past us from the hall, dirty towels and brooms in their hands. "Come." We walk along the darkened hallway, gently illuminated by the light of a few small candles. Upon reaching the room, Christine takes the key and turns it in the lock, opening the door and moving inside to allow me in.

Dropping our bags just past the door, I close it behind me and walk in after Christine. I catch sight of her standing by the window, looking out onto the night. My feet make soft sounds on the floor as I move to her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her back against my chest. "The stars remind me of Paris," Christine says with a sigh, leaning into me. "It's the only other place where I've seen them all spread out so perfectly." I hear her sniffle and turn her around in my arms to see her crying.

"Christine, if you want to go back…"

"No," she interjects, putting a finger to my lips. "I want to see the world. I want to see the world with you, Erik, and maybe, one day, we will go home." Christine leans up and presses a gentle kiss to my lips. "We should eat, no?" I nod and we turn to the food, sitting down upon the bed to eat.

Later…

It is late in the evening, the moon high above and the sky black as pitch. Christine sleeps soundly beside me, her body inches away from mine, her face towards me. I watch her as she sleeps, her lips slightly parted, her eyes shut gently and her chest rising and falling when she breathes. Her hair is around her like a curled, dark halo and her hands rest entangled by her head. I cannot help but smile at the sight of her near me; it astounds me that such a heavenly creature should be mine!

And mine she will be with time, I can hope. As I look upon her, I remember the first night we were truly a couple, how she lay sleeping against me, her body close to mine as she slept in the aftermath of her confrontation with her fears of men. I think on how close we were to being together in the most intimate ways, in ways I have yet to experience myself though I am not unfamiliar with them. I know that I could have taken her, that she would not have resisted, but to do that to my angel, to bring back such horrid memories of the man who violated her in such a cruel way?

Looking upon her now and thinking on the past, I feel my body shiver with desire; Christine has not been so close to me since that night and I cannot help but will it that she will awaken so we may explore one another, join ourselves as any couple would. Though I know that it is still hard for her to think of intimacy, my body abandons me, passion and desire flooding my veins for the woman beside me.

No. Honor Christine and go to sleep. I roll over, facing away from Christine and closing my eyes. In time. In time. My body still painfully tense with longing, I fall into a fitful sleep, plagued with images of deep brown eyes and hair and porcelain skin.

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