In Honour of the Heart

Chapter 32 : You are still in my heart.

“At some point, we have each said through our tears, “I'm suffering for a love that's not worth it.” We suffer because we feel we are giving more than we receive. We suffer because our love is going unrecognized. We suffer because we are unable to impose our own rules. But ultimately there is no good reason for our suffering, for in every love lies the seed of growth.

~ Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

**

Isabelle stirred. Where was she? She rubbed her eyes and tried to see. She was in her bed, near her daughter. She had not recognized when she went to sleep. The room was dark. Her daughter's silhouette was rising up with each breath she took. Isabelle touched her forehead and breathed in relief when Suzan's body temperature was normal.

She sat and stretched her tired limbs. Isabelle had thought that the pain will subside but it was so difficult to accept that she had woken up with the same aching.

Tears had dried on her cheeks leaving streaks. She laid a hand on her face. Ah God, her own body was hot. The fire which was burning her from inside had taken possession in the flesh but it didn’t worry her. She will take care of it later.

First, she had to think what she was going to do now.

A large thud came from the outside. Was it Isaac? What was he doing? Did he break something?

She got up from the bed, tied her loose hair into a knot and went out.

Few Vegetables were lying on a kitchen top, a knife sat closely with a chopping board. Oil had been spilled. Her neat kitchen was a complete mess. Isaac was sitting on the floor, clutching his leg which was bleeding profusely. Tiny pieces of glass bowl were scattered on the floor. A big piece of the same was stuck in his feet and the man was in pain.

“Isaac, what were you doing? Look at your leg. You are injured.”

“Belle. You were sleeping. I thought I will enter the kitchen and make a soup. I am hungry and Suzan will get up any time.”

For a minute, Isabelle didn't want to see this man who had delivered such news to her before few hours. She stood at the same place but then she couldn't take it any more.

She went in the bathroom and got cotton and antiseptic.

“Huh, soup? Do you even know how to make a simple sandwich?”

He smiled.

“I saw you making it so many times so I thought, it would be easy.”

She bent and took out the stuck glass. Isaac winced in agony but didn't say a word.

She was silent as she kept on cleaning his wound. When she applied disinfectant, his face contorted with pain.

“Ouch, Belle. It hurts. But, this injury is nothing. You are fussing too much.”

Isabelle concentrated on cut and applied an ointment. Her eyes were sad and burning. She was tired of crying. By now, she had exhausted her tears.

Isaac took her hand and stopped her.

“Belle, you have a fever. Wait. I will clean up everything. You better go and rest.”

She removed her hand from his and moved far. A fake smile came on her face. This guy had broken her up and she was dying from inside. And still she cared for him?

But instead of letting him know that, she said.

“I will manage. I don't want your sympathy Isaac. Just tell me what did I do wrong? Where did I falter? What does Ashlee have that I don't have? I had never imagined that you could stop loving me.”