Suspense Story – Claremont 1- Adderly
Photo credit: mxruben from morguefile.com
Chapter 1
Adderly
1970, Western Australia
‘Hey, taxi.’ I shout. The taxi stops. The taxi driver comes out and keeps my bag in boot space. I sit in and tell him while looking at the map.
‘Drive to house number 40, Adderly Street, Mount’ he interrupts me and says.
‘Can you give me that map?’
‘Ok, drive to this place.’ I show him the place in the map.
He sees it and gives it back to me. He asks me.
‘Are you new in Australia?’
‘No, I lived in South Australia before I came here; I am new in Western Australia.’
‘Why are you here, because of job or?’
‘Just for change.’
‘Just for change, really?’
‘Actually, my family died 4 months ago. I can’t live there. With every room and everything, there is a connection to them. I cried for months sitting inside that house. Later my doctor suggested, getting out from there. He said I should sell that house. I decided to change my house, but I didn’t sell my old house. I was not able to. I will live here on rent.’
‘Sorry.’
‘No, it is ok.’
Then he drives there. I come out of the taxi. I see the house. The house is the much same as I was told by the owner. The house is locked.
The taxi driver gives my bags to me, sits inside the taxi. He smiled and said.
‘Good luck in Claremont.’
‘Thanks.’
When I last talked to the owner of the house on the telephone, he told me that he will be here at 6 pm. It was already 6:15 pm.
I wait for him for a long time. The month was June and there was a lot of cold. I sit on the bench near the road.
I looked at the watch. The time was 7 pm. When I read Bulova on my watch I remember my wife. She bought this watch to me on my last birthday which was on 11 October. I wanted that watch from a long time, but I was not able to buy it as I have been not having enough money to buy an expensive watch. On my birthday, she changed that watch with my old watch. I was very happy that day. I take her and my son to Grossi Florentino. Grossi Florentino is a popular restaurant in Australia.
I was very tired. The way was of 2 and half thousand kilometers. It took me almost a day to come here. I was sitting on the bench waiting for him. I lie down on the bench. First there was cold and second I was very tired. I don’t know when I sleep there.
I get up. I check the time. It was 5:45 am. I stand up.
I was hungry. I thought to go to my neighbors, but it was too early.
Then I take out a water bottle from my bag. It was covered by a cloth. I thought that it can keep the water hot. I drink it, but the water was cold. I keep it in my bag.
I remove my gloves and start searching in my bag for something to eat. Then I found a packet of cookies.
I open it and eat. The dustbin was at the side of the bench. I throw the packet in it. Then I see a taxi coming there. Taxi stops in front of that house. A man comes out of the taxi. That man pays taxi driver money and goes to the house. He takes out a key from his jacket and opens the house. I understand that he is the owner of the house. I leave my bag there and go to him. I ask him.
‘Are you Dorian Johnston?’
‘Yes.’
‘You are 12 hours late.’
He sees me and say.
‘Are you Ronald Morris?’
‘Yes.’
‘Hey, I am really sorry I am late. You know I went through an accident. See this.’ He shows me his hand. ‘I was coming from taxi and then a truck driver hits our car from back. The taxi loses his balance and bumps into a pole. I was in hospital last night.’
‘It’s ok then.’
Then he opens the door and enters inside. He asks me.
‘So how is it?’
‘I just want to look for more time.’
I go ahead and check the kitchen. The kitchen was of medium size. There was a room at the side, a washroom inside the room and a small drawing room. There was a gate at the back of the house which leads to another street. I said him on the phone to bring the heater.
I ask him.
‘Did you bring the heater?’
‘Yes, there is a Nova heater, telephone, and radio. If you want a television, I will bring you a zenith company’s 25 inches color television.’
‘No, it’s ok.’
‘Well then, what about payment?’
‘If you want it now, I can pay you.’
‘Ok, if you have money this time you can give me.’
‘Ok, wait for a sec.’
I open my bag. I take out my clothes. Then at last there was a old wallet. I take it out. I give him 60 dollars as we decided on telephone.
‘Ok, I think I should leave now.’
‘Ok. Bye.’
Then he goes out. I come out, say him bye and see him. He walks at the end of the street. Then he stops a taxi and sit in it. Then I come back to my house. I decide to take rest as I slept on the bench last night and it was not comfortable. I switch on the heater.
I slept for an hour. Then I woke up. I decide to go outside and bring thing to eat. I wear my jacket and take my wallet.
I lock my house and go out. There was a small store nearby named ‘Daily Needs’. I go there and buy noodles, eggs, coffee, and bread and peanut butter. I pay him money and come back home.
I boiled the eggs and eat them. Then I open my bag and start setting my clothes and everything in the almirah. The almirah was small, but I fit everything.
Then I see the diary. There were phone numbers of important people.
I called Rupert Collins by telephone. He was the reason I was in Western Australia. He said that there is a hospital, in which I can get a job. He picks up. I said.
‘Hello.’
‘Yes, who’s there?’
‘Hey Rupert, I am Morris.’
‘Hey, how are you?’
‘I am good.’
‘Where are you, this is not your number?’
‘I am in Adderly Street.’
‘Hey, that is in Mount Claremont.’
‘Yeah.’
‘You are here. Why don’t you told me? Tell me your house number. I will come there.’
‘My house number is 40.’
‘Alright, I will come there in evening.’
‘Ok.’
I sit there. I switch on the radio. I heard music for some time. Then it was around 4 pm. I was hungry. I eat bread and peanut butter.
In evening, I thought to go to my neighbors and introduce myself. I wear my jacket. I went out of the house. I go and check if they are at home or not and found that they are in their home. I lock my house and move there.
There was a board at the side. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Janet.’
I ring the bell. An old woman comes there. She asks me.
‘Who are you?’
‘I am your new neighbor.’
‘Oh, come in then.’
I enter in the house. The house was really good. Everything is at its best place. I said her.
‘Your house is beautiful.’
‘All because of my son, he has thought of everything.’
‘Where is he, at job?’
‘No, he has gone to his friend’s party. Rick was saying that his all school friends are going to come there.’
‘So his name is Rick.’
‘Yes.’
‘Good.’
‘That house on the left was on rent right?’
‘Yes, that is where I am living.’
‘Do you know who lived there before you?’ She asked me.
‘No, who.’
‘A mental.’
‘What?’
‘Yeah. And now you are psychatrist. What a co incidence.’
‘ Yeah but what was his name?’
‘I don’t remember clearly. I told you, he was mental. He never talked much to us, I think not even once.’
I don’t said her anything and was thinking about him.
I sit there for some time. We don’t talk much. Then I say.
‘I think I should leave now, I will come later. My friend is going to come to my house.’
‘Ok, but you should take some carrot cakes. I made them this morning.’
‘No, it is ok.’
‘No, you have to take it. They are really tasty. You will come here again for them’
I smiled and say.
‘Alright then, can’t say no to cakes, especially carrot.’
She goes to her kitchen. I started exploring her house. There were many paintings in her house. Then I see a photo. I see that aunt in the photo. She was looking young. There was a man and boy with her. I asked her.
‘Who are this man and boy with you?’
‘He is my husband and that is Rick.’
‘Where is your husband?’
‘He is no more.’
‘Oh sorry.’
She was looking sad. I said.
‘I think I should leave now.’
She gives me a box and said.
‘Take this.’
‘Thanks.’ I said and go out of the house.
I said bye and move towards my house.
I go to my house, I sit there; keep my coat on the sofa. I switch on the radio. I hear music for some time. I was thinking about the neighbor. I was feeling bad for her, but was feeling good that I have such good neighbor. Then I remember about the gate at the back of the house. I go there. It was locked. The owner gave me the keys of the house. I looked in the drawer. There was the bunch of keys. I tried all the three keys but no one opened it. I go backand sit on sofa.
Later I thought that I should make dinner. I go in the kitchen. There were noodles. I open the packet, add them in a pan and keep on boiling.
Then the bell rings. I go and open the door. There was Rupert. I open the gate and tell him to come inside. He come inside and takes off his coat. He usually wears long coats. He sits on the sofa. I bring the heater outside.
I sit with him. He said.
‘I was really sad when I know about your family.’ He takes a pause and say. ‘And sorry that I missed the funeral. But that is good that you are joining back to your job.’
‘Why did you come here for the job? Was everything good in Albury?’
Albury is a place in South Australia where we worked earlier.
‘Yes, everything was good but those people won’t increase my salary. I was just fed up by it. So I decide to come here. There is a mental hospital here named Claremont.
They are giving me more salary than those people. This hospital is much bigger than that hospital. There are around 1500 people.’
‘That is good. When I will join?’
‘See, the day after tomorrow is 30th June. You can come tomorrow for meeting the head doctor. You have to take your degrees. If he will agree, you can join from 1st July.’
‘And what if he says no?’
‘Then you will go back.’
‘What?’
‘I am just joking, he will say yes. I have told him about you. When he will see your degrees, there is no chance of no. You have more degrees than me.’
‘Ok. So when should I come there.’
‘Around 12, he will be free.’
‘Ok.’
He sees his watch and say.
‘I am going now, I am getting late.’
‘Hey, I was making noodles.’
‘Sorry, not this time but I will surely come here later.’
‘Ok.’
Then he say bye and move out. He goes little ahead and waves his hand. I wave too.
Then he goes ahead. I come back. Then I remember about noodles. I go there. And see that they were boiled. I add it in a bowl and goes to my room. The heater was on and I was in a blanket with hot noodles. I was feeling warm. What can be better than this in winters?
I eat noodles. After eating it, I keep the bowl it at the side table and sleep there thinking of the hospital.
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