The rains-drops beat against the window-panes. The howling winds battered the walls of the dingy room. A harsh clap of thunder elicited a soft cry from a room nearby but he remained unpertrubed.His physical stilness was compensated by the thoughts whirring and churning in his mind. The rocking chair made small creaks every now and then.
A soft knocking on the door brought him back from his reverie. After checking into the seedy hotel under a false name and in partial disguise, he had instructed the staff to prevent anyone from visiting him; everyone was barred .... except for the two individuals he was specifically waiting for. So even before the door opened he knew who to expect but ironically time had somehow rubbed away their faces from his memory a little. The duo walked in. The black scarf hid her face partially but he could recognize her almond-shaped, brown eyes though age had produced creases under them. Her once-black hair had greyed considerable and he resisted the urge to run his fingers through them like he used too. Huddled next to her, was however a small raincoat-clad figure whose face he had seen ten years ago. Now that the child had grown up, he could see some amount of resemblance. As he kept staring it became more and more apparent so much so that he could not take his eyes of the child's face. Slowly it almost felt like staring at the mirror; the only difference being that the reflection was that of a much younger him. Eight years. A long gap. His one and only child; his son. Gazing at him only made his heart heavier and made him realize the enormity of the deed that he was about to commit.
She cleared her throat to catch his attention. It achieved its purpose. He looked at her and said " .. Life has brought you and me face-to-face again Tabitha ... How are you two ? My my ... has he grown !Hope you two did not find any problems in trying to meet me..and yes .. of course, the turbulent weather must not have helped matters for you two too .... "
Shaking the drops from her umbrella, she said " We are fine Gerard .. he looks like you completely .. its a shame is'nt it ... that people have not put two and two together .... ?" She let of a small chuckle " Do not worry.. I have been pretty discreet .. after all your career is at stake. A child born out of wed-lock could strike a death blow to your political ambitions ... " The words were enough to fling him into a torrential whirlpool of memories . Ten years back. A young, ambitious him . A turbulent, passionate affair with a head-strong woman. A rough break-up. She had later informed him via letter that she was pregnant . A child was the last thing that he wanted at such an early stage of his political career. She chose to keep the child and he his independent life. Neither parties kept in touch with each other as a part of an unspoken pact.
Now ..twelve years on .. he knew the stakes were higher. The Senatorial elections were due two months on and within a few years he will be running for President. He could not take the risk. Too much was in jeopardy. In fact everything was. Years of hard-work. Money. Power. Reputation. He motioned the child to come closer to him and she gave the child an encouraging nudge. The kid shyly walked towards him and placed a small neat package in his hand. She said " Ohh .. its a bracelet .. he made it for you when I told him that he was going to meet you soon" He took out the charm bracelet. Simple. Hand-made. Though he never really liked accessories, he wore it.The child gave him a shy smile.
Looking at his son's face, the revolver in his pocket seemed to get heavier. A tinge of guilt spread in his heart but it had to be done. Two lives could be sacrificed. As the child grows bigger, so will the risks. He could not risk so much. Could not. Could not . Could not....... An intense, searing pain suddenly shot through his wrist. His hand and feet went cold and clammy. His vision became dimmer and dimmer until complete black.
******
The headlines of next day's newspaper " GERARD SUTHERLAND FOUND MURDERED IN A LOCAL HOTEL ROOM. ---> Promising Senatorial candidate, Gerard Sutherland was found murdered in extremely mysterious cirumstances in a discreet hotel. Post-mortem reports confirmed death by poisoning . Doctors found a hand-made bracelet on his wrist which contained an exceptionally unique variety of hemlock that instantly reacted with his skin and caused his death in minutes. The hotel staff had not recognized Sutherland when he had checked into the hotel as he was in partial disguise. The only two visitors who came to meet him were an unknown woman and a child, both of whom came and left discreetly. The police is now investigating the whereabouts of the mysterious visitors . A possible angle of political rivalry is being looked into ..
******
She had truly tried every subtle trick in the book to hold on to him. She did not doubt whether he had really loved her; her only regret was that it had not lasted for long.She had even cooked up the story of her pregnancy but it had no effect on him . Though she had to let him go, finally, she could not forget. Neither could she forgive. She had always been good with children so she could easily take her friend's son on a 'trip' to play a 'secret game'. She had instructed him well and he had complied. The best part was that he did not ask any unnecessary questions too. Perfect. It was funny how easily he accepted him as his son. The mind always believes what it wants to. She did felt a tinge of regret on extinguishing his life when he was on the threshold of success... but certain things just cannot be helped.
She looked outside the window and into the woods outside. Her eyes caught sight of the hemlock plants and she let out a cold sigh.
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