Nine

Chris sits down and quickly signs the spaces Joshua points out to him. Effe feels the emotions building up uncontrollably within her as Chris' hand flies over the sheets as he appends his signature quickly. This is it then, finally. He is signing the divorce papers, cutting off the ties, collapsing the bonds of their marriage. She has signed her portion with anger and resolute determination five years previously.

But now, watching him and realizing that it is all over between them, she is filled with a pain she has not expected. She notices that as he signs the final page his hand shakes, and his jaws are clenched tightly.

She knows these signs, because she knows him that well. It tells her that he is greatly in pain, and as he puts the pen down and stands up, a single teardrop from his eye splatters on the divorce papers. Effe almost gasps with the acute pain she feels, because that teardrop reminded her uncannily of a wax seal, indicating that finally, the ties are severed completely.

He turns away from her as he throws up his head sharply in an attempt to stop his tears from spilling down his face. Effe is not so lucky; although her lips are solidly shut, her tears slowly roll down her face. Seeing him in torment still has the ability to bring out the strongest emotions from her untrustworthy heart.

Chris heads for the door without a word. Joshua speaks then, his voice calm.

"Listen, Chris. There's the question of alimony to address. Seeing you're currently unemployment, you're entitled to a little money from Effe."

Chris pauses at the door and speaks without turning.

"I don't want anything from her," he says coldly.

He opens the door, and Effe moves suddenly and touches his arm. He flinches sharply from her, as if her hands are burning coals, and for a moment as he looks at her, she sees a dislike so strong, a hatred so putrid, that she freezes with complete shock.

"I don't want us to be enemies, Chris, please. You know I tried, and gave you my all, my soul and my very breath. You hurt me as I've never been hurt before, and you gave me love as I've never been loved before...and you're the father of my son. I don't want hatred between us."

Slowly the hatred fades from the depths of his eyes, and what creeps into his eyes is the little-boy-lost expression she knows so well, and which mostly had been cured, in the past, by holding his hand and leading him to bed, holding him gently and speaking tenderly to him as she made sweet love to him.

"My things. My clothes. If they're still in the house, I'm going to need them," he says softly. Effe hesitates, and for a tick she wishes he has not asked her that, of all things. She wishes she does not have to answer him. She wishes there was a way of minimizing the pain, because she knows her answer will hurt him deeply.

"I packed them, Chris, everything that belonged to you, and I took them to your new house at Haatso."

"I see. The new house I built. You knew I was jailed for ten years and you took my stuff to unoccupied house? That's quite a statement, Effe, quite a statement."

She reaches out blindly to take his hand, but he takes a step back from her. She hesitates for an instant, and slowly drops her hand.

"I'm sorry, Chris, but you must understand that I was very angry and very hurt then. I was shattered by your betrayal, Chris, and I reacted with that pain."

"Okay. At least you didn't dump them outside. And the house, you still have the keys?"

Effe hangs her head and takes a deep breath. Once again, she wishes she can spare him the pain, and resents the sudden feeling of acute guilt assailing her.

He is making her feel like a heartless bitter wife, and she hates that so much. He just cannot absolve himself from blame. He has to understand how it is for her, the bitterness she had had to endure. She speaks harshly with tears in her eyes.

"Oh for God's sake, Chris! Stop judging me! How do you think I felt dealing with so many of your atrocities at the same time? You raped my best friend, someone I considered a sister! You beat a poor old man almost to the point of death! You sniffed your damn cocaine and almost killed an innocent little girl when you hit her with your car! She lost a leg, Chris! I was at the crest of my career, making a name for myself in a prestigious law firm! And suddenly my name is all over television, the wife of the crazy GojuFist coach! My career suffered, my life suffered, your son suffered! Do you think it was a bed of roses for me, damn you?"

Chris stares at her without moving. He just nods and runs a hand through his hair.

"I just asked for the keys to my house, Effe. I have nowhere else to go."

She wraps her hands around her upper arms and takes a deep shuddering breath.

Yes, the keys to his house, a house he had built with every cedi he had earned as a coach for the professionals of the deadly kick-boxing sport known as GojuFist.

He had built it for them, and just when it was completed life had taken a cruel twist, and he had been arrested. Out of pain she had taken all his stuff to that house, locked it up, and given the keys to Chris' father.

Oh, how she has come to regret that single act! Oh, how she wishes she wasn't the one to give him the terrible news. His words reverberate in her head over and over again!

I have nowhere else to go, I have nowhere else to go!

How can she tell him about what his father had done when he got the keys and documents to the house? How can she continue to hurt this boy who is suddenly out of prison and facing the hatred of a lot of people?

"I gave the keys to your father, Chris," she murmurs finally.

He just looks at her for almost a full minute. He tries to speak, but no sound comes out again. He silently walks out of the door and shuts it behind him. Effe stares at the closed door with a sharp pain in her heart. She puts a hand to her lips and sinks helplessly into a chair. She makes no sound as her tears fall hard, and her shoulders shake.

"It's okay, Effe, my sweet. It's okay. It's over now. He signed the papers. It's over now," Joshua says kindly.

Allan Davidson shakes his head sadly, and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand as if he has tears in them.

"Is it really over, Josh? Divorces are always nasty. Remember, matters of the heart are always a bitch...sorry for my language, madam," Allan Davidson says, obviously flustered.