Illusions That Confine Us
Chapter Eleven
When his current wife had told him that she was in love with him, he didn't really believe it. But now, as it seemed that she dropped him more and more hints that she really was, he was starting to believe it.
He couldn't sleep after she left, he couldn't stop thinking… thinking of how he had to get out.
Underneath of that tough and eminently practical woman lurked a haunting melancholy, the yearning of a woman in love with an unreachable man. A man whose idea of a love song was a passionate serenade to his silver friends.
She would never have him, although it seemed that she already did.
Their relationship was just an illusion that was confining them to stand still, preventing it from evolving to something more.
It didn't matter how many times she kissed him, how many times she said 'I love you', or even how many times she continued to care or shower him with affection. For he would never love her. He couldn't.
She couldn't hurt the feelings he didn't have and it wouldn't break the heart that she had tried so desperately to find.
A week or so later Mr. Todd was back on his feet and was doing much better. He wasn't able to pace, much to his displeasure, but at least he could get up and move around.
Mrs. Lovett wondered why it had bothered him so much when he couldn't really get up and move. It wasn't like he ever left that room of his anyways. Maybe it just comforted him to know that he could run away whenever he found it necessesary. And that was why Mrs. Lovett wished she could just cut his legs off, then she would never have to worry about him leaving her in the night…
It was now evening and Mrs. Lovett was sleeping uneasily in her bed when she was awaken by an abrupt crash coming from the kitchen.
She sat up and looked around before lying back down figuring that it was probably Alfred.
When suddenly, the thought occurred to her-
Mr. Todd… He's leaving… He's gone… I know it.
Mrs. Lovett quickly got out of bed and hurried to his room, he wasn't there.
She ran to the kitchen, poking her head into the parlor on her way out before making her way to the porch-
And that's where she found him.
He was sitting there, staring sadly out into the rain. "Mista T?" She whispered quietly.
He said nothing and merely turned his head to glance at her quickly before returning his gaze to the ocean.
"I really don't think ya should be out 'ere when it's rainin' like this, ya might catch a chill…" She said, trying to convince him to come inside.
"I'm fine." He grumbled under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear him.
Mrs. Lovett walked over to him and sat beside him as she sighed. "Alright then, but don't be waking me up in the middle of the night with your bloody coughing."
And after a moment of silence she started up again, "'Sides, the weather startin' to get nice around 'ere, I think it'll do ya some good to be out in the sunshine."
Sometimes she felt as if she was talking to a brick wall.
She looked out at the sea. The rain had died down some and it was now a light sprinkle, the waves were now calming down and they now hit the shore softly, and the moon's reflection was glistening on the water. It was beautiful.
It was then the idea occurred to her, fishing.
Mr. Todd had always scoffed at her every time she made one of her weekly trips to the fish market. Even though she was always careful not to talk to hardly anybody and to keep her head down under her shawl.
Now she felt silly and wondered why she didn't even think of it before. The answers were right out their front door.
"Well," Mrs. Lovett smiled as she got up, "I guess I'll see ya tomorrow." She finished before patting his leg and heading back inside.
Afterall she did have to rest up, she was going to be catching some fish tomorrow.
The next morning at the very crack of dawn, Mrs. Lovett was up and in the kitchen.
The teakettle hissed as she went over to it, turning the burner off and picking up the pot. She hummed to herself excitedly, pouring the water into a teacup before sticking a teabag in it and stirring it.
Today Mrs. Lovett was going to go fishing. Which excited her because for the last few weeks Mrs. Lovett had never been so bored.
She had cleaned the house from top to bottom, organized what little books she had, thought of different ways to rerange the parlor and to top all of that off she had a husband that pretty much refused to even talk to her and Alfred wasn't much of a conversationist.
Not to mention Mrs. Lovett hadn't been fishing since her Aunt Nettie took her to the docks when she was just a little girl.
It was then the thought occurred to her. Mrs. Lovett needed a net.
Luckily she remembered about the trunk that was in the parlor when her and Mr. Todd had found this place. Inside was filled with many different things. An ivory comb, some old pieces of cork, an aged tablecloth, a rusted spoon, and most importantly, a fishing net. The trunk had some more things in it but the most peculiar thing in the trunk, however, was a piece of string with a stone attached to the end of it.
There was also an old, unframed picture of a rather happy looking couple. The man was handsome and tall, with a shy smile and small lips, the woman looked heavenly pregnant with flowing long hair. They stood in front of what looked to be the sea, the woman leaned affectionately against who Mrs. Lovett figured to be her husband, as the woman grinned widely at the camera.
Mrs. Lovett couldn't help but wonder who the people were, when they were here, if they were still alive, if their child was a boy or girl, if they were still together… She wished she knew the answers to her many questions, she also wondered if she would ever be as happy as the couple appeared to be in the photograph. But right now, Mrs. Lovett was going to catch some fish.
Later on in the morning, Mr. Todd was looking around for his wife, when he heard muffled curses coming from outside.
He peered out the window and almost grinned when he saw her.
She was standing knee-deep in the water, her dress was soaked from the waist down, and she had a rather annoyed look on her face each time she cast the net out into the water and pulled it in to find that all she caught was sea weed.
"Come on you lazy fish! Get in the net!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed angrily.
"Mrs. Lovett." Mr. Todd called from behind her.
She nearly lost her balance and almost fell over until Mr. Todd caught her from behind, not even noticing when his trousers and shoes got soaked.
"Oh Mista T!" Mrs. Lovett said with little embarrassment, "What are you doing out 'ere?"
He let go of her when she regained her balance and stepped out of the water, taking her with him.
"You're soaked." He began.
"Well of course I am!" She replied, "I've been out 'ere all mornin' and I haven't even caught one lousy fish."
"You're not going to catch one with the way you're fishing." He answered back.
"Well how do you suggest I catch one then?"
Mr. Todd didn't answer and went on with rolling his sleeves up. He had spent fifteen years in Botany Bay, surely he would know how to fish.
"You have to wait until a tide comes in." He said as he picked up the net and got back into the water.
When a good tide came in, he through the net in, pulling it out as soon as the tide left.
"Look at that." Mrs. Lovett mumbled as he pulled the net out onto the sand to reveal a few fishes flopping around.
"Now you try." He said as he picked up the net and through the fish back in the water.
"What'd you do that for! Those were perfectly good fish." Mrs. Lovett scoffed with her hands on her hips.
"There are plenty more fish in the sea, my pet." He replied as he walked back into the water.
She thought about what his words meant and knew that his meaning meant nothing to what they meant to her. He just meant that she could easily catch some more fish, when all she wanted to do was ask him when she was going to catch him.
Mrs. Lovett then followed him before taking the net, "Are ya sure ya should be getting ya bandages wet dear?" She shouted so he could hear her over the now heavy waves.
She didn't quite catch his response, but a tide came a few seconds later and Mrs. Lovett through the net in after Mr. Todd yelled a quick 'now' before helping her pull the net back in.
They were too slow to get out of the water, because just when they were pulling the net out, a big wave came by and almost knocked the two of them off of their feet.
Mrs. Lovett's eyes widened as she stalked out of the water and onto the sand with Mr. Todd following after her.
"Bloody 'ell! Look at me! I'm drenched!" She exclaimed as she squeezed the bottom of her dress out.
Mr. Todd frowned, still pulling the net out of the water.
"At least we got some fish." He grumbled.
Mrs. Lovett looked up and her frown was suddenly changed into a playful grin. "Oh Mista T… You're soakin' wet!"
"So aren't you." Replied Mr. Todd annoyingly, though he couldn't help but shoot her a small grin when he saw how ridiculous she looked.
Mrs. Lovett smiled before walking over to him and pecking him playfully on the cheek.
"Thanks for helping me catch some fish, love."
It was times like this when she realized that maybe someday she would be happy like the couple in the photograph.
Do any of you guys like the show LOST? If so, do any of you read LOST fanfictions?
Just incase you were wondering-
I have been (am) banned from the computer for a while because my mother says that I have a 'bitch mouth' xDDD Ha ha ha…
So the other day my mom was rolling some dough (cause she was making a strawberry rhubarb pie) and my three year old brother looks at her and says, "Mommy you look like Mrs. Lovett." lmao xDDD
I luvvles that kid! I trained him well ^,^
I hope you liked this chapter, it's nice to find that Mrs. Lovett is finagling smiling and having a good time. :D Bye now(: