Eyes Of Muniz

Chapter 33

Michael finished work a bit later than he had expected. He wanted to hurry up and make it to the doctor's appointment with Marisa. The closing meeting took forever and when it was finished Michael drove like a bat out of hell to get to the hospital in time for the appointment. He was told that Marisa had left two hours ago. He had missed the appointment. Michael drove to the ranch house cursing himself for missing the appointment.
    Marisa was not in the room when he got there. There was an envelope on the dresser and he took it and tore it open. He saw an ultrasound picture. Michael embraced the picture as he held it in his hands. Marisa had given him a chance to have a child and be a better father to the child. It hurt he had missed the appointment. He knew Marisa was disappointed when he did not show and she believed he missed it on purpose. He put back the picture into the envelope and sank into the bed. It was difficult to believe that he had achieved so much in a little time. He had to be in Italy for  three more weeks and then he'd go back to L.A. It was when he was alone that he thought of his father. He wrote to him but Michael had never opened any of this letters. Herbert had started writing when Michael had not bothered to take any calls from him. Michael had only wanted his father to love him. He had longed for the man to just love him as much a he loved him too. He felt tempted to call him. This had never happened to him ever since his father had been incarcerated. Marisa had told him it was worth a try. Why would he listen to her anyways? She knew how to put talk to him and he liked it. Where was she?
  Michael jumped off the bed and took off his jacket. He got out of the room and went to the kitchen. Marisa was not there but Sofia sat on one of the stools having lunch.
  "Mr Howard, good afternoon" Sofia greeted him with a startled voice.
   "Hello Sofia. Have you seen my wife?" Michael felt the confident when he said the word 'wife', like he believed it.
"She is at the stables, sir" Sofia replied him. Michael felt his anger build up inside his. Luca Alfino. Was she with him? If she was, why would that bother him? That woman is my wife! Well, technically she is not my wife. But he doesn't know that so he has to respect that. What about Marisa? Why would she go and hang out with him? She was pregnant and stable activity was strenuous. I hate her for putting my child at risk. Michael was lost in his thoughts that he had not realized he had arrived at the stables. He couldn't see her. Michael heard voices from the stables and followed them.
   He saw Luca holding horses' blinkers walking to a horse and Marisa was riding another horse around the small field in front of the stables. Michael approached Luca.
"Luca" Michael started. He wanted to punch him for letting Marisa on that horse but he knew it was not smart.
   "Howard, what brings you to my turf?" Luca asked mockingly.
"My wife is here and I want her off that horse, now" Michael said to the other man.
  "Well, she looks like she is having a good time" Luca replied with a smile. Michael saw Marisa wave at him from where she was. He signalled her to come to him. She was pulling the reigns when the horse went berserk and started galloping in circles.
 "Something is wrong with that horse!" Michael yelled at Luca. He ran straight where Marisa was. He watched he fell from the horse.and hit the dusty ground. The horse steadied when Luca got there. Michael hurried and knelt beside Marisa. He checked for any visible physical injuries and found out there were no serious injuries but just bruises.
"I'm fine I'm not hurt. It's just the bruises" Marisa assured them.
  "Are you out of your damn mind?" Michael fumed at her.
"Don't talk to her like that, she could be hurt" Luca said to Michael.
   "Stay out of this I am talking to my wife" Michael shouted at Luca.
"But I brought her here and it's not here fault" Luca defended Marisa and it only made Michael angrier.
   "You could have gotten yourself killed. How can you be this careless, Marisa?"
"I didn't know..." Marisa felt tears gather in her eyes.
   "You know better than to put yourself at risk like this. What if you have internal injuries? What were you thinking coming here?"
"How can she not come here when her husband spends most of his time working. I know this place and it gets lonely" Luca said to Michael.
  "Again, do you mind? I don't need your opinion" Michael said picking Marisa up from the dusty ground. He carried her and started walking away.
"Are you sure you're okay, Marisa?" Luca asked her ruefully as Michael carried her away.
    "I am okay, Luca. Thank you for the afternoon. I'm sorry I mad your Lily mad" Marisa said. She knew Michael felt enraged with every word she uttered to Luca.
"I'll see what's wrong with her, she neve gets like that. Mr Howard, I'm sorry" Luca called back.

Michael put Marisa on the bed. She wanted to sit up but failed. There was an uncomfortable silence.
  "You're hurt. I told you" Michael said.
"You didn't have to fume at me in front of Luca" Marisa said when she finally managed to sit up.
  "Why did you go there?"
" I wanted to hang out at the stables. Do you know how boring it his here?
   "You need to relax. You want to put yourself and the baby at risk because you're bored here?"
"You mean I put your baby at risk" Marisa said looking straight at him.
   "I meant both of you" Michael replied her.
"Both of us? You don't care about me, you said I am just the package. You didn't even show up at the doctor's appointment" Marisa said and sank into her bed. She covered her head with a blanket.
   "I ran late and I even drove to the hospital" Michael said. He hated how the story had quickly turned on him. Marisa did not reply him. It made him even more agitated. He also knew that he wanted to apologise for not showing up but he couldn't.
Michael went to the bed and sat beside her. He took off the the blanket from her face.
"I am sorry for messing this day up, blue eyes. Can we talk?" Michael said. He did not regret saying those words because he meant it and they were liberating.