Short Story

The Confrontation

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Weekly Prompts – The One-Day Prompt (6)
and The Sunday Whirl – Wordle 673 incorporating the
twelve required words shown below. Here’s my story.

“Secrets, lies, glimpses at your messages, the way you jump for the phone every time it rings. You’re living a secret life, Kenneth, and it’s destroying us.” June’s lips quivered, her eyelashes were wet with tears. She walked across the living room to stoke the slowly dying fire …. an ironic symbol of their languishing nine year marriage.

Kenneth stood by the window looking down at the street below. As much as he tried to avoid talking about it, he knew one day it would come to this.

June wondered if he was even listening.

“You had another dream last night, Kenneth; the bed was soaked with sweat. Don’t you think I have a right to know?”

Slowly Kenneth turned to face June; he let out a ragged breath. “Yes, darling. It’s time you knew the truth. Come, sit with me.”

They sat together on the couch for a few moments in silence. Finally Kenneth turned to June and took her hand in his.

“I’m leaving, June. I’m going back to the Congo.”

June was stunned; of all the things Kenneth could have said, she never expected that. “And back to the arms of your lover Sunda, no doubt” she spat out bitterly. “How could you, Kenneth!”

“Sunda’s dead, June. The fevers returned with greater intensity and frequency. She didn’t make it.”

“Dead?! Then what other reason could you possibly have for going back?” June asked, bewildered.

“The messages I’ve been getting .… they’re all from my doctor. Twelve years ago Sunda and I nearly died from the plague in the Congo while doing research. We both miraculously survived. Now she’s dead and I also have the fevers. I’m dying. The doctor confirmed my fears.”

“No! It can’t be true! I don’t understand, Kenneth. Why must you return to the Congo? Stay here with me. We’ll find the best doctors and fight this together!” June sobbed.

“Oh, darling June. If only it were that easy. There’s just one cure and it lies in the Cinchona plant hidden deep in the western swamp forests of the Congo. I refuse to expose you to the danger. I leave tonight.”

NAR©2024

wet, jump, secret, dream, bed, breath, secrets, lashes, fire, plague, glimpses, lies
Wordle 673
Weekly Prompts -The One-Day Prompt (6)

This is “Jungle Fever” by Stevie Wonder

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