13April
I received a suitcase full of my wife’s belongings today. Dont say any foolish things, she warned, and then, out of the blue, Elizabethmy pregnant partnerstarted thinking about putting a video camera in every room. She didnt tell me at the time; she said it would be a surprise, and indeed it turned out to be one.
She often mused, How lucky I am to have married Vinny instead of that clumsy Shane Cole! She imagined herself living in a council flat beyond the M25 if shed ended up with him. In her mind, Shane could never manage anything more than a simple job. Nobody would ever call a great military leader Shane the Macedonian, just as no one would nickname Lenin Vova. Yet Shane Cole did sound oddly fitting.
Shane and Victor had been friends since school, both hopelessly infatuated with the pretty Elizabeth. The three of them were inseparable, though Shane always lost to the witty Victor. He didnt seem to notice, and the loss never scarred their friendshipShane knew how to keep a mate.
When, after the graduation ceremony, Elizabeth finally chose Vinny, the third wheelShanehad to step aside. Three months later, after starting university, Vinny dumped her for a fellow student. Desperate, she called Shane, this time addressing him as Sam. He rushed over, brightening her loneliness and pulling her out of a low mood. Nothing ever happened between them; he was content just being near his beloved.
By early spring Elizabeth fell for someone else. Victor was finally out of her heart, replaced by a senior student from her university, Arthur, whom she met in the dusty stacks of the libraryyes, some books are still bound in paper. All thoughts of Shane faded as Arthur occupied her mind.
Shanes path had taken him to a college of architecture and town planning, where he spent his days polishing metal and humming with the machines. Just a year more and Ill have a profession, he would say, proud of his large familys emphasis on money. Then I might go to university if I wish. Elizabeth found him dull and tightly wound, craving affection and warmth that he could not provide.
Arthur, a little older and more experienced, opened a door to feelings Elizabeth had never known. They fell in love quickly, even entertaining thoughts of marriage after a year together as Arthur finished his degree and Liz was in her second year.
One day Shane called, reminding Elizabeth of the upcoming reunion for their schools graduating class. Will you come, Liz? he asked. She agreed, thinking, Why not? Let Vinny see what hes missing. She imagined boasting to her former suitor about her impending wedding.
Shane had begun working for a respectable construction firm and earned a decent salary, while Vinny remained a friend. Shane told her that Vinny was now single again and also planning to attend the reunion. The event was set for the first Saturday of February. Liz chose a cute dress, a fur stole, and Shane drove her home in his own car.
Seeing Vinny again, she realized she had been fooling herself; nothing had ever truly passed between them. Yet a small spark lingered, waiting for its moment. Vinny was pleased to see her looking radiant after a year and a half, and he didnt mention Shane at all. For Shane, Elizabeth would always be the most beautiful, even if she already possessed that beauty.
They exchanged glances, walked out together, and headed straight to Vinnys place, where they finally made up for lost time. Shane, once more, was the third wheel.
Meanwhile, the wedding with Arthur fell through. By August, a pregnant Liz had married Vinny after Victor proposed. She was now expecting a baby girl, as the ultrasound confirmed.
Victor proved a decent husband. After the wedding he moved to night shifts and worked as a couriera job in demand and reasonably wellpaid. Liz completed her thirdyear exams externally, with her parents financial help. It was an ordinary, happy life for an ordinary family.
Soon their daughter, Lily, arrived on schedule. Time passed and Lily grew, eventually beginning to walk. The couple decided not to send her to a nursery, fearing what might happen there, and chose a nanny instead, since the grandparents were still working and the grandparents demand for diapers was, frankly, not a royal concern.
After careful interviews, they hired a 22yearold nanny named Agnes. She studied parttime and had solid references, though Liz thought she wasnt particularly prettyexactly what she wanted, no beauty contest in the house. Agnes even asked for a slightly lower wage, which fit their budget perfectly.
Agnes proved diligent, quickly bonding with Lily. The little girl loved to sit on the nannys lap and would run to her by the hand when she wanted attention. One afternoon, while bathing Lily, Liz noticed a mild rash that shouldnt have been there. Modern diapers are easy to change, so she chose not to mention it to Agnes, handling it herself with the many creams on the market.
Later the rash worsened, prompting a pediatricians visit. It turned out Lily had an allergic dermatitis. Agnes swore she hadnt fed Lily anything she was allergic to, insisting she only knew nursing basics and had taken a short firstaid course. The husband, skeptical, replied, Dont jump to conclusionslets run allergy tests before we blame anyone.
Coincidentally, the first time Liz thought about installing a video camera, she did so, covering every corner of the house. She kept it a secret from Victor, promising a surprise, which indeed arrived.
When Liz was away at university, Victor and Agnes spent evenings together in the bedroom, while Lily roamed the house, wandering from the living room to the bedroom, the only two rooms besides the kitchen. The house was littered with snack packetsmostly crisps, Victors favouriteplus a few for Agnes, which Lily happily nibbled. By the time Liz returned, everything was tidy.
It also emerged that Agnes had once been Victors university romance during his first year, the same girl he left Liz for. After breaking up, Agnes took her documents and became a nanny. How those lives tangled remained a mystery, perhaps mere coincidence, perhaps a subtle hint from their mutual friends.
Because the flat belonged to Lizs parents, Vinnys family could not stay there, and the couple eventually left with a packed suitcase, taking everything they owned. Vinny made no attempt to apologise, perhaps seeing nothing wrong with his actionsjust Gods will.
Liz felt sick, as if the same old mistakes kept striking her. In that moment she remembered the clumsy but loyal Shane, thinking he would bail her out with his characteristic jokes and awkward humour. He called, saying, Im heading to the maternity ward; my son was born, so I cant make it, sorry! and hung up.
She was stunned. A son? What son? Which wife? He loves you, Liz! she muttered. But the fact stood: Shanes classmate Cole had just become a father. The friend had no time for her.
She wondered what she truly wantedan old man leaping around her till retirement? Vinny had recently mentioned a promotion, now leading a department. The betrayal cut deep: everyone she trusted had walked awayher husband, her friend, even Shane, who seemed to have moved on.
In the end I realised that people change, plans shift, and happiness is rarely a straight line. The lesson I carry forward is simple: expect the unexpected, cherish the steady ones, and never rely on anyone to fill the gaps you must learn to walk through yourself.
