Chapter 26 Maybe She'll Be Back at Dawn
"Hello, is this Timothy?" "Yeah."
"This is Gallerfield police station. Your wife, Queenie Jackson, has been lost for 23 years, right?" "Yes."
"When 321 tunnel was opened, the remains of a minibus were found at the bottom of the cliff. It was the same vehicle reported missing back then. The 20 people are all in it, your wife included. When you're free, come and claim her remains."
"Okay."
Beep... The heart monitor let out a faint sound. Sitting by the sickbed, Albert looked at his senile father. The rims of his eyes were red, and he remained quiet.
The man on the bed was thin. His hair was gray, and his eyes were tightly shut. His withered arms were stuck with various tubes.
The door to the ward opened. A doctor came in and asked, "How is your dad today?" Albert shook his head and replied, "Same."
"I'll give him a check-up." The doctor came to the bed, did a series of examinations, and said, "The old man is too weak. It's no longer necessary for him to stay in the hospital."
Albert looked at the doctor in despair. The doctor patted him on the shoulder and said, "Be prepared!"
"Okay." Albert nodded.
The doctor went out. He looked at the old man on the bed and felt a stabbing pain in his heart. All along, Albert knew that his dad was not happy. In fact, Timothy was a bit depressed. His health had been poor due to the surgery on his head, but he was generally fine.
Many years ago, Timothy received a phone call. He was told to claim the remains of Queenie. Timothy went there but came back like a lost soul. Holding an urn, the old man went to their old house, which was also the wedding house of his wife and him.
Too young back then, Albert didn't know how sad his dad was. Everyone believed that Queenie couldn't possibly be alive. After all, 23 years had passed. However sad Timothy was, he should have got psychologically prepared!
Albert had the same thought. Then his dad was found behaving weirdly as he often talked to the air as if someone was hidden in it.
The condition of his dad was getting worse, and even Nathanael advised him to take Timothy to see a doctor. Timothy, however, asked Nathanael to take care of Queenie.
Timothy suddenly called Ursula. The latter was warned against hankering after the impossible and disturbing Queenie. Timothy stated that he would never like her.
His dad carried his mother's urn to her hometown and buried her in the cemetery he had bought a long time ago. When his father came back, however, he stated that Quira was coming to live with them.
Timothy told Albert gently that even though he had got Quira, he would continue to treat him well. He hoped that Albert would not object to them being together.
It was not until that moment Albert realized that his dad was ill. Timothy's condition was serious.
His dad couldn't accept the death of his mother. In Timothy's mind, Queenie was back and looked the same as she was 23 years ago.
According to the psychiatrist, Timothy loved Queenie so much that he didn't want her to grow old or suffer. In his imagination, Queenie forever stayed in the moment she went missing. She remained 24 years old and pretty. Timothy was torn because of his old age. He was afraid that Queenie would no longer love him and wondered if he should give up staying with the young woman.
Albert saw the dilemma, contradictions, and sadness of his dad. The old man even secretly cried in his room. He found his dad so silly. Timothy was such a good man and so devoted. If Queenie really came back, how could she possibly dislike him?
Except for imagining things about his mother, his dad was normal. Timothy was normal at work and on interpersonal occasions. He was weird only when he talked to the air from time to time.
Nathanael advised Albert to let his dad stop working and receive treatment.
Albert held a different opinion. It was not bad for Timothy to indulge in his imagination because he became gentler and tended to smile more often. Even his eyes were filled with happiness.
In his imagination, Timothy was with Queenie again. He was immersed in happiness every day and even bought a lot of baby stuff. Timothy told him that his mother got pregnant and asked him if he wanted to have a little brother or sister.
With tears in his eyes, Albert replied, "Sister."
Timothy said with a joyful look, "Me too."
Then he looked at the air and said indulgently, "Boys will be fine too. I like both."
At home, Albert did his best to accommodate his dad and acted as if his mother was really there.
Nathanael accommodated Timothy outside and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll take care of Queenie in the office."
Timothy was relieved and went to work. In his lab, Ursula was angry about his flat rejection but felt sorry for him. She did her best to play along. She apologized for undermining their relationship and said that she would bless Queenie and him.
Even Timothy's classmates played along and pretended that Queenie was there when they had dinner together. They were still the perfect couple admired by everyone in the class.
Living in a lie, Timothy was happy and often smiled during those years.
Timothy's acquaintances shared the feeling and acted as if Queenie was really back! Timothy was happy, and that was what mattered.
Somehow, Timothy suddenly woke up from his dream this year. Everything was gone. He spent most of his time sitting in the old house, neither speaking nor crying. He just sat there dully as if he had recovered from his illness and dream.
His dad softly reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've got over it."
Albert knew that Timothy was lying and could feel the loss of his vitality. In less than a year, he ended up in the intensive care unit.
The doctor told him that Timothy hadn't recovered properly from his brain surgery and that his condition was getting worse. He fell into a long coma just like a hibernation. Albert was afraid that Timothy would never wake up again and that he would depart the world without saying goodbye.
Albert cried bitterly. He didn't know how many times he had cried. When he was tired, he slept in the sickbed. Maybe his dad would wake up at dawn.
This was something Timothy used to say, "Maybe she'll be back at dawn." Albert fell asleep, but the old man on the bed opened his eyes. In front of him, it was all white. A pretty girl came over. Her smooth hair was combed into a ponytail. Her bangs were naturally curly and crooked. She was vibrant and cute. The red coat she was wearing was bought by him. Back then, he hadn't graduated from graduate school. His income wasn't high, and the coat only cost him 20 dollars. The design was fine though.
The slinky red dress was found when they were strolling through the Zoo wholesale clothing market in Buena City. There were rings of white rabbit fur around the sleeves and collar. At first, Queenie liked it very much despite its cheap price. Every day she wore it and a pair of black knee-high leather boots. She looked so stunning and confident that the men on the road kept looking back at her.
With a content smile, she held onto his arm, riding the subway, going to the supermarket, and watching TV on the couch with him.
The white rabbit fur on that cheap coat fell off with her movement. Sometimes, he found some sticking to his coat when he was at work.
He called her and laughed at her, "Look, your fur fell on me again." She yelled at the other end of the phone, "That's not my fur. It's from the coat. Its quality is so poor!"
Timothy thought for a moment and said, "How about I buy you a new one when I receive my salary?" Queenie shook her hand and said, "Never mind, I'm going back to my hometown. Buy it for me when I come back. Remember that you owe me a coat!" "Okay, will do."
Then she went back to her hometown in the red coat that lost its fur. For the rest of his life, Timothy remembered that he owed her a beautiful coat.
Timothy's eyes reddened as he reached out to the girl. With a smile, the girl held his hand and pulled him up from the bed. "Timmi, get up. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
After the senile man was pulled up, he returned to the young age of 22. Tears were streaking across his pretty face. He gazed at her and grumbled, "Where did you go? I couldn't find you."
"I'm always by your side." Queenie smiled, stroked his cheek, and gently wiped his tears that silently fell.
"Is that so? Everyone says that you're a figment of my imagination." Timothy got more aggrieved and asked, "Are you?"
"No," Queenie sulked, stood on tiptoe, pressed her forehead against his, and did her best to comfort him, "I'm not in your imagination. I'm really back! Old man, how many times do I have to tell you this?"
The young Timothy finally smiled. He was as handsome as ever. "I'm sorry, Quira. Don't get mad. I'm just scared. You know, I'm too old and muddle-headed to tell the difference."
"There you come again. You're not old." Queenie unhappily got out of his arms and continued in a sweet voice, "I like you even if you're old!"
"Okay, I won't say it again." Timothy hurriedly took her back into his arms, "Say it to me again that you're back."
"Look at you, as clingy as ever." Queenie mischievously pulled his ear, "Timothy, I'm back! I'm back! I'm back! Is it enough that I say it a thousand times?"
"No, it isn't." "Ten thousand times?" "Not enough."
"Argh, you're so annoying." Annoyed by his request, Queenie stood on tiptoe, nibbled hard at Timothy's mouth like a puppy, and asked, "How about this?"
"Keep going," Timothy said.
Queenie dropped more kisses on him and said, "Okay, Timmi, my sweetheart." Timothy closed his eyes, kneaded her into his arms, and said, "Let's not separate again, okay?" "Yeah, we'll be together forever!"
Beep...