Chapter 14: The Conflict
Thanks for all supports. You know who you are
Here's the story, enjoy =)
The group reached the destination two days after. "Shall we race again?" she challenged him. "I'm not going to lose again" he said. "Dee dee tak tak" she said and the camel ran at full speed. "Hey, I haven't said start yet" he said and chased his wife. George looked at the couple in confused. He couldn't understand their happiness. Why would a librarian like Evy find camel riding is a fun? Evy reached the temple moments before her husband. She dismounted from her camel and rested her back at the camel, waiting her husband. "You lose again" she said and laughed. "Yeah... yeah... I hadn't said start and you already gone. That wasn't fair" he said as he dismounted from the camel. "Hmm... I'm a lady and you are a gentleman. There is no fair in the equation" she said. "Sounds right but you know what? I'm still far to be a gentleman. You are married to a scoundrel, remember?" Rick said, again using her words. "Mr. O'Connell, you don't have to bring it up all the time" she said. "I'm not implying anything here. Just to show you I'm a scoundrel" he said and kissed her. She stood on her tip toes and wrapped both arms around his neck. The couple broke away when they heard the sounds of footsteps. "Scoundrel... but I love you" she said and smiled. "Erhemm..." Jonathan approached the couple. "Shall we start the digging? I can't wait to discover the treasure buried underneath this sand" Jonathan said. "Ok. You start the dig and I set up the tent" Rick said. "I'll follow you Jon" she said and Jonathan looked at Rick. "Evy, you stay here with me" he said. "Darling, he doesn't know where to start. He needs me to read the inscriptions" she said. "George can do it. I want you at my side. You promised me you will stay with me all the time" he said. "He's right, old mum. George can do it. Besides, you look tired. You need to rest" Jonathan said. 'Now I know. You two against me. There must be something between you two' she mentally said. "Alright. Anything you want, sir" she said and looked for a place to sit. She was reading book when the men were busy doing their works. When the tents are ready, Rick walked to where his wife sat. "All done" he said. But she didn't make a response, not even raise her head to look at him. And it meant something that she wasn't happy about the arrangement. He knew it. "Evy" he called. "Honey" he called again. "Look, I know you want to be in there but I want you to be safe. And that's why you have to stay with me all the time. I thought we had a deal in this?" he said. "Are you expecting me ride camel for few days, all the way to Thebes just to sit at here but not allow to explore the city?" she said. In fact, she was angry about the arrangement. "Evy" he said as he squad down and held her hands in his. "I wasn't saying that you have to sit at here all the time. What I meant was that you have to stay with me. Now, I have done the tent setting. I'm going to join Jonathan" he said. Her eyes widen. "Are you coming with me?" he said as he peek at her from the bottom since she lower her head to avoid his gaze. She smiled as she couldn't hold herself from smiling, hearing him said those words. "Come on" he said and pulled her up to feet. He kissed her gently and they walked hand in hand to join Jonathan.
It was a month after they started the archaeology dig and the couple was having a fight. It was started by Evy who having mood swing during her pregnancy. And of course, Rick who was an over-protective husband insisted to send his wife back to civilisation. "Evy, you look exhausted. You should rest" he said while his wife brushed off the dust on the wall in order to gain a better look at the inscriptions. "I'm fine" she assured him million times in that month without turning her head to him. "Your lips are dry and you sweat a lot. I don't want you to get dehydration" he said. She picked up her canteen bottle and took a swig. She put down her canteen and focused on her work again, getting annoyed by her husband comments. He didn't push it further, simply sat down on a stone nearby and rested his elbows on his laps. The couple kept on having fights for the same and only reason. Jonathan sensed the tenseness between the couple and decided to lend his hand to Rick. The men looked at each other but never said a word, somehow the unspoken words were transmitted in between their mind. "Why don't you have some rest, old mum?" Jonathan said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'm not tired" she said. "Yes, but don't you think the little one need to rest?" Jonathan said, reminding her that she was carrying a baby. "It needs food and water as well. If you don't get enough of rest, food and water, you will get sick Evy. It needs your strength" Jonathan said. He was good in convincing his sister and in fact, she was starting to change her mind. "Now be a good girl for Rick" Jonathan said. "Are you two hiding something?" she asked. "I know. You must have a deal with him. Don't think I don't know what it is. You must have threatened Jonathan to stand on your side" she said. "It's not what you think" Jonathan said. "Yeah yeah… of course I threatened him. I threatened him to ask you rest. I threatened him to ask you eat. I threatened him to ask you drink that god damn water" Rick said as he was angry at his wife. "Don't you dare to speak to me like that" she said. "Evy, you are pregnant. Rick and I are worried about your health. We don't have any deal in this. It's you and the baby. We care about you" Jonathan came in between the couple to prevent the situation gone worst. "But I love archaeology" she said. "I know and you have waited so long for this. But sometimes we have to change to cope with the current situation. You still can do what you like but the baby comes first" Jonathan said as Rick was impressed by his brother-in-law, the first time Jonathan stopped playing around and be serious like an elder brother. Jonathan left the couple for themselves after he successfully convinced his sister to come out from the temple. "I'm sorry for shouting at you" Rick apologized. "Promise me that you will never speak foul language to me whenever we have a fight" she said. "You have my word" he said.
One morning he woke up and realised his wife was up. He went out from the tent and searched for her. "Hey, do you see my wife?" he asked one of the diggers. "Yes, she went to the temple" the digger said and pointed at the direction where she went. "Was her brother with her?" he asked. "No, her brother wasn't with her but George followed her inside" the digger said. "What?!" he yelled. He ran into the temple and searched for his wife. He was going to tell her that he wanted her back to London. He was done. He had enough of tolerance because she broke their agreement. And he would make sure that she understood his decision, after all she was the one who broke the agreement and so, he didn't want to let them stayed in the middle of nowhere anymore. "Evy!" he yelled. She jumped a little and turned her back. She narrowed her eyes once she realised the yelling was her husband. "Please don't shout!" she said. "We are going back to London" he said without further explanation. "I beg your pardon" she said. "We are going back to London. That's it" he said. "We haven't finished yet" she said. "I don't care. You and I are leaving" he said. "And who do you think you are, Mr. O'Connell? Charging me around" she argued. "Why are you here?" he asked. "You promised me that you will stay with me all the time. And look at you now, who is breaking the rule?" he said. "We don't have any rules" she said. "Yeah but you promised me that you won't go into this god damn place without me" he said. "Don't speak with me using such language" she yelled. "I don't care. I will say whatever the fuck I want" he said. "Ohhh... I said stop-" she said but "Listen, whether you like it or not, we are going back. Don't make me tie you up" he said. "You wouldn't dare" she said as she was holding her tears from falling. "I would if I have to" he said. "I say, the girl doesn't want to leave-" George said. "Keep your mouth shut" he said and glared at George to make this clear. "So, where are we?" he said after he turned his gaze back to his wife. "I'm not leaving. If you want to leave, perhaps you will be alone all the way back to London" she insisted. "You want to stay? At here?" he said and turned his gaze to George. "Think he can protect you? I was the one who drag you out from the god damn Hamunaptra" he said. 'Hamunaptra?' George thought. "I don't need your protection. I can do well with my own" she said. "Oh... really? Remember who raised up the mummy? Are you going to get yourself killed again?" he asked. "Are you blaming me for that?" she asked. One more push, she couldn't hold her tears from falling anymore. "I didn't say that" he said. "But you meant it" she said. "I was saying the truth" he said. She pushed passed him and ran away before anyone could see her tears rolling down her cheeks.
Well I guess it's more like a conflict between the nature of Evy and Rick. She was stubborn as he was. She was keen to explore the city and it was obvious that she loved archaeology. He was keen to protect her from danger and it was obvious that he was afraid to lose her. Let's see how they solve this. And please review and let me know what do you think