Saturday, April 18, 2015

The Lady Under the Bridge

“Wanda the Binuquot, she lives in Wednesday dear,” the old woman’s voice crackled.

“Wednesday Street? Where is it? What street is this?” Keanna looked around to see if there were street signs, or if she can see the address of the place.  Anything where something is written.  But she found none.  She looked at the old lady in puzzlement.  The old woman’s cataract-filled eyes trained on her.  Keanna wondered if the crone can feel her stare.

"No dear, Wednesday…the day."

"How can someone live west of Wednesday?" She thought and voiced it out loud.

“Well, dearie, today is a Wednesday. Wanda lives west of Wednesday.” The crone replied patiently. Keanna felt as if she was being treated like as if she cannot understand anything.

“But there is no west of Wednesday. Wednesday is a day. A day has no directions.” She rolled her eyes.

“Who said so dear? Days have directions.. Like tomorrow will be east of Wednesday. And don’t roll your eyes at me.” The crone admonished.

“I didn’t…” Keanna started.  The crone shook her head and raised a finger at her.

“I can hear it in your voice dear.”

“Ok, so you mean she lives on Tuesday? So where is Tuesday?” Waste of time here, she thought.

The crone looked at her askance.  “Before Wednesday.  What is with you young people? She does not live today.”

“Is she going to die today? Do you have a premonition or something? Are you going to kill her?” Keanna tried patiently, wishing to understand. So what now that Wanda is dead? How can Keanna find the stone?

“No.” The crone chortled.  “She is very much alive.”

Okayyyyyy…. Fast forward button please. 

“She lives in the past. She does not live today.”

Keanna’s body slumped. There is obviously no way she can find Wanda. She took out the cellphone from her pocket.  The message was understandable to her: blind lady 2 d Bnqt.

“But I can bring you to her.” The crone offered.

For a while, Keanna saw something dark flicker in the crone’s eyes but it immediately disappeared.  The blank blind look returned. Keanna felt a sense of dread but what can a blind woman do? A blind woman who sits in the chair with a cane beside her and who obviously needed somebody to assist her in walking about.

“I can bring you to her. And you will find what you are looking for.”

Keanna felt a whisper of a shiver envelope her but she tamped it down.

“Then help me,” she said.

“Only if you say please.”  It was a hiss: sharp, cold, and hard. An icy hand seemed to brush her heart.  But her desire to find the stone overwhelmed the feeling and she surrendered to the call.

Please…Keanna was surprised to hear herself sounding helpless and weak.  No, it was not only her voice that sounded weak. Her knees…and legs…felt. Weak. And then everything went black.