advertising-for-love by Rakhibul hasan (fb2 epub reader .TXT) 📖

alone. I hope I am not intruding.” Tizzy felt embarrassed.

“Not at all, my child, Peter has spoken so much about you that I feel I already know you. And we would love the company.” Betty spoke, looking intently at Tizzy.

Peter had gone and let the dogs out and they ran wildly about on the lawn. A butler appeared and took the suitcases. Peter opened the back gate and let the dogs into the yard. He then shut the gate again. “They’ll be safe there.” he told Tizzy.

“Why don’t we take you to your room first and then we can have some morning tea.”

Betty directed Tizzy up the steps.

“It’s the first room to the right. Yes the purple one.” Betty and Peter followed closely

Tizzy entered the room and let out a small gasp. It was the loveliest room she had ever seen. It was as though Betty had recreated another era. The furniture had to be antique. “It’s just

beautiful. I think the most beautiful room that I have ever seen.”

Tizzy said with sincerity.

“This was our daughter’s room.” Peter added

“Your daughter, are you sure it’s alright for me to use it. I mean the memories.”

“Tizzy, that’s our daughter, there on that wall.” Betty pointed out

The next moment, Tizzy swayed. Peter and Betty rushed to her.

“Mum, th..hats my m.u.um.” Tizzy stuttered Then she looked at Peter “ You are Grandpa? And Grandee? You are not dead? When did you know? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“The first time I saw you gasping for breath. Your mother had that problem too. Every time I saw you, another piece fit into the puzzle. After leaving your home that evening I went over to Becky’s place. The stories matched up. Tizzy, apart from your eyes and hair, you have inherited another trait from your mother - the desire to run. I had to ensure I did not make you do that too. I came back and rang Betty.” Peter said

“And I flew down straight away. Trizella, there is so much we need to say, to hear, but first won’t you tell us about today. What made you ring Peter?”

Tizzy related everything, to the very last detail.

“You should have trusted Grant. Not every man wants everything. And Grant loves you dearly. I saw that in him at the restaurant.” seeing Tizzy’s raised eyebrows “yes it was all a set up. Becky and Roger were to bring Grant there. Peter had already told them where you both were dining, and I had been told, ‘if you want to see your grandchild, come to the restaurant and a table would be reserved’ She smiled at her husband “At sixty four my husband was quite a match maker.” Then she became serious “Tizzy, we lost a lifetime with Cynthia and you, because she ran. Don’t lose a lifetime with Grant, doing the same thing.”

“But I will be half a wife, is that fair to him. I am not much help to him at work. And I will be even less at home. That’s not what I want for Grant.” Tizzy tried to make them understand how she felt.

“He must be sick with worry. At least let him know that you are safe.” Peter said

“I will let Becky know. Pete..Grandpa, no more match making. Don’t tell them where I am.” She again pleaded

“OK I promise,” he said

Grant looked at the house and knew something was wrong. He rang the bell, but Tizzy did not open the door. Neither did the dogs bark. He hesitated a moment. If he opened the door and the dogs were there, they could very likely pounce on him. Yet if Tizzy had fallen and needed help, he did not have a moment to lose. He turned the key and the door swung open. Before he could step in, Pammy came running across

“Mr. Mallaby. Tizzy left this note for you. I am sorry but I have left a room full of customers. I better rush back. It was nice seeing you. I am Pammy, by the way.”

Before he could utter a word, Pammy was gone.

Grant stood at the door and ripped open the envelope. Tizzy’s note unfolded in his hands.

‘Grant, I should never have said yes. I got carried away with the moment and all that talk of love,

that I forgot the two most important things. You deserve your own children. I may never be able

to have them. I don’t know if Becky told you, that the two stab wounds were both in my

abdomen. I took one in the uterus and the other in my left ovary. Only a miracle can see your

dream coming true with me.

Secondly, even you saw me freeze this morning. I have been like that since the attack. A platonic love affair is no basis for a marriage. I won’t do that to you. I won’t let myself, be that selfish.

I am leaving Sydney. I don’t know when I will return, if I ever do. I have taken the last of the

files I had to complete, with me, and I will courier them to you when they are ready.

Take care of yourself. I am sorry for running away. It’s a family trait. When the going gets tough, we keep going.

I don’t know how else to say how sorry I am nor do I know how else to end this letter.

Tizzy

While Grant was reading her letter, Becky had opened her email.

‘Becky, I am fine. Tell Grant I have left a letter with the florist. He will know which one. I don’t know when I will be back. Take care of yourselves and that little baby. I would have rung but that detective in you would have traced the call back to me. I could not risk that.

Love Tizzy

After that she had sent Grant an email too. It basically repeated what she had said in the letter, just in case he did not get it.

Chapter 14

Grant went over Tizzy’s note several times. At the end of which, he had come no closer to knowing where she was. But the note did clarify one important point. She was no longer running from him, rather, because of her love for him. ‘Tizzy, you should have spoken to me. You should have had faith in me, instead of leaving like this’ Grant thought aloud.

Of course he would have liked to have children someday, but if for some reason destiny was not going to grant them their own child, then they could have looked at other options, adopting, fostering, or just doing what she was already doing. As far as sex went, he knew enough of Tizzy to now know, that she was not frigid, only scared. He was prepared to give her all the time in the world. Love was far more important to him. He knew with time everything else would fall into place.

Grant rang Becky, only to find that she was just as anxious as him. She told him of the e-mail she had received. There too, Tizzy had not revealed anything about her whereabouts.

“Becky if you have got an e-mail, I might email her too?”

“Of course, but she won’t reply Grant. I have sent her five messages already asking her to contact me, but she has not rung.” Becky said

“If she is not speaking to you, then she most definitely will not contact me, but I feel I must at least get my message across.” Grant spokes despondently

Becky promised to ring back if there was any news. Grant informed her that he would stay on at Tizzy’s for another hour or so and then would head back to work. After his conversation with Becky, Grant went to the car and returned with his laptop.

He clicked the inbox, and saw the copy of the letter she had emailed to him. Then he began banging the keyboard.

My beautiful Tizzy,

I am sending this email in the hope that you will open and read this message. Hell, where are you Tizzy? Please let me know that you are ok. I am sorry that things scared you last night. Ever since last week, the only thing that I have wanted was to be with you, to love you, to marry you. All that I see around me, are your blue eyes, all that I feel is your presence. Having known that, I cannot just walk away. Nor will I let you do that either and force us both to live half an existence.

Where children are concerned, I am asking you this - if I could not father a child would you have left me for that? So what if we cannot have our own child, there are a millions of babies out there, who need a home and loving parents. We can be that, together. And if, even that is not possible we can do what you are already doing. We can be there for any child that needs us.

All I ask is for you to give me and our future together, a chance. Please don’t run from me. I know now, I cannot live without you. I have always organised other people advertising for them, this time I am doing it for myself. Tizzy I am advertising for love. Your love!

I am at your place. Ring me, or e-mail back. I need to know that you are ok

Yours in whatever form you want,

Grant

He pressed the send button. And then he waited. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes, He looked into the history. The mail had been opened which meant she had read it. So why had she not contacted him back?

He rang Becky again. She too, was waiting for a response from Tizzy.

“I don’t understand this. Where can she have gone? Grant she must have left town. She could not have gone to a hotel, because of the dogs. And she really does not know anyone else here

except ...Oh hell, why did I not think of him before? Grant look hang in there, I am going to call someone and ring you back.” Becky was excited

“Who did you think of? Please, tell me, where do you think she is?” Grant implored

“Look Grant I am not even sure if my guess is correct, you see he is not in Tizzy’s good books at the moment, so I may be totally wrong. Let me ring Peter.” A click followed “Grant,...Grant are you still there?” Becky asked, but there was no reply.

At the sound of Peter’s name, he momentarily lost his sanity. Grant hung up and dashed out of the door. What a fool he had been. He should have guessed that. Once in the car he realised that he should have asked Becky about her comment that Peter was no longer in her good books.

What had Peter done? He dialed Becky’s number as he drove. But her line remained busy.

Grant raced through the streets keeping just within the speed limits. Seven minutes later, Grant was parked outside Peter’s home. Tizzy’s car was not there. Somehow that too was disappointing. He had thought his search had ended. Then he saw the dogs. They were Tizzy’s. If the dogs were there, she had to be there too. He rang the buzzer.

“Yes?” a ladies voice came through

“I am here to see Tizzy.” Grant spoke nearing the microphone.

“Er . I am sorry but there is no Tizzy here.” The