After The Rain

After The Rain

chapter 01: Tracing Back

*****


         It must be the day after the rain. I can still remember the fresh air, the one you smell among the moist grasses and plants after you watered them. I can also remember the cold seeping in my feet when my Nike sport shoes crashed the puddles on the street. My black cotton pants and navy blue jacket were a bit damp. The tip of my ears and fingers were cold as a gust of wind blew over me. My left hand was carrying a 7/11 plastic bag; chocolate milk
(couldn't remember the size, did I buy the big one and put it inside the fridge?), potato chips with barbeque flavor, and if my memory's still intact, there was a fruit of some kind as well. I remember putting a knife in the sink (and the only knife I have is that of a fruit knife)though I don't think I've washed it just yet then. And my right hand was grasping a black umbrella, not that vinyl transparent one (I think I still keep that). I couldn't remember any weight on my right shoulder, so probably I didn't bring any bag with me; most probably just a small coin wallet my mother gave me. I have no idea about the day; it could be Monday or Friday; nor the time (though I'm pretty sure it couldn't be in the morning since I'm not a morning person). But it might be autumn; because I remember there was a new menu in that lunch box shop I always went to.

         So I was wearing a jacket and pants, my hands were loaded with the task of handling an umbrella and a plastic bag, and I was tracing the
paths I always took to my apartment. Yes, it must still be drizzling then.

         It must be after I reached the shelter of my home. I knew I took off my drenched shoes and jacket and put away the umbrella to dry. Then I
unlocked the door of my room, hung the jacket, changed clothes--or did I put the milk in the fridge first? I couldn't remember. I knew I changed clothes though, because the room was warmer so I must have changed the light sweater and damp pants. The light was on, so it was probably dark outside (but it's hard to tell since it was raining). I felt a bit sleepy but I don't think I went to sleep then.

         Funny, I didn't remember eating anything. Now that I think about it, was it really a fruit that I bought? I remember opening the wardrobe to take out the knife from my third rack--but what did I do with it? I usually eat bananas and oranges, but none of them require a knife. I gave up on apples since that incident with a knife that resulted in leaving a scar on my left palm. And since then I hadn't used the knife at all and I avoided things that require cutting. So what did I do with the knife? I remember putting it into the sink, so it should at least be dirty enough to be washed. But I can't remember washing it.

         So I didn't eat anything but I think I drank some water. I remember the taste of fresh water on my lips as I drained the mug in one gulp. I knew it was my favorite mug though. I remember the pattern of daisy on the base inside the mug, and no other mug has that pattern. Funny, how you remember these trivial details
when you can't even decide whether it was Monday or Friday, or was it Tuesday?

         I don't think I went out to the veranda; I remember those clothes I washed the day before was still hanging outside because I couldn't view the apartment across the river very clearly (just so you know, my veranda faces the river). I could hear the sound of the trains clearly though (my apartment is located near the station, it's very convenient) so the rain must have stopped. After I changed my clothes, what was it that I do? I don't have TV and I can't remember the laptop being on the table. There was a mug of course, which I drank later on. But I didn't touch the books since I already read most of them and I don't think I felt like reading then. What did I do then?

         Drawing should be out of the choices since I didn't remember holding a pencil--but yes, I did hold something with my right hand. But it was not at that time. Wait, the sound of train seemed louder and it was colder--did I actually go to the veranda? But I don't remember looking at the apartment nor opening the window. It should be the door then, I should have gone outside again. But I couldn't remember when or why.

         I remember taking the jacket and wearing it. Ah, now it's starting to make sense again, yes, I remember changing the pants again--that black cotton one, and the jacket was not the navy blue one, it was black as well--a bit thinner if I'm not mistaken, and there was a cape as well. Now I was putting on a pair of socks. I could hear the jingling of metals--I must be taking the keys. Hey, I felt a weight on my right shoulder; I must be carrying a bag now. But it was quite light, what did I bring with me?

         Now I was locking the door, walking pass the fridge and small kitchen, putting on shoes--no, it was not the previous Nike; it was converse, black and white converse. Why was I wearing all black and white? Yes, I had finished tying the laces--I was opening the door now; I felt a chill as a gust of wind greeted me again. Was it still raining? I didn't remember pushing a lift button so I must be using the stairs--I was only in the 3rd floor anyway. I remember passing some cars and the big recycle bin--so I must have taken the backside through the car park. Yes, the sound of train was getting clearer now, I must have been right. Where was I going to though?

         I can't remember feeling hungry so it was not lunch box shop. And since I did go to 7/11 before, that's also out. Did I pass the railway? Why do I seem to remember a scream among the sound of trains? Now, why there was red
everywhere on my palms?


*****


         "So that's all you can remember, Ms.
Alice Hayes?"

         Inspector Davis Gray was staring incredulously and skeptically at the said girl sitting across him. Alice Hayes was but an eighteen year old university student living alone in the 5th Avenue apartment on the 3rd floor room 344. A wavy long haired brunette with pale complexion and rosy pink cheeks, clear big hazel eyes currently covered by golden trimmed pair of minus glasses, all in all she was just an ordinary healthy and a quite attractive girl
under twenty. No record of drugs or any criminal violations. Known as a bright and active girl with a good number of friends in St. Joseph Art University...anyhow, it seemed almost impossible to suspect her of committing murders of five boys occurring just a week ago.

         But then, the scene of crime had been near her apartment--around 5-minute walk. And there were several witnesses reported to the police about a suspicious person in black attire walking in the 3rd floor of this apartment not long after the bodies have been found. The entire
occupants on 3rd floor had been checked. Some had good alibis, some had gone out at that time but that had been confirmed with the friends and restaurant they had been to. All that left was this girl, this Alice Hayes who said that she couldn't remember what she did a week ago. Now, that was not the reason she was here in the police station. After all, a real murderer must have prepared a convincing and detailed alibi. No, if it was just that, we could just ask the tenants or her roommates about what she did that day. It was the fact that we found a bloody knife in the sink of her apartment room that apparently matched the blood of the victims and the only fingerprints we could identify was that of Ms. Hayes and she had admitted that it was her knife. Okay, that meant she was the murderer all right. But it was just the fact that she had no
relationship whatsoever with all the victims and there was this possibility that she had been tricked--which brought us to the present condition here--interrogating her.

         Again, confusion filled the mind of Inspector Gray. From what Alice Hayes remembered--which was only fragments of activities with disorder timeline, really--it seemed very likely that she was the killer. But at the same time there were gaps, yes, gaps between her
memories and she did seem rather honest that that was all she could remember. According to her medical record, it seemed that she was not gifted with a good memory skill and after questioning her families and friends, she had the tendency to forget things easily. But murder was definitely not something you could forget easily. Especially if you were the one who did it. But then, again this case was different; Alice Hayes was not your typical mass murderer. In fact, it was not likely that she could handle knife very well. This fact was confirmed by the scar on her left hand when she cut herself when she peeled off the skins of apple.

         So we're back to the question: who is the murderer?

to be continued...

Diana Lesmana
September 29, 2004