Mutual Stares
Nishat Tasnim
The same things everyday, a crowded marketplace; bickering, brawls, such hassles. He stares at the moving people for so long that they go blurry, and he is in deep thought. “This is not for me. I must touch the elegance out there so I long to fly, to live my dream.” Suddenly, he loudly asked his friend Emil, “Do you think it will rain today?” Emil ignored him, he was busy dealing with customers. Emil dropped out of college and opened a fruit shop. Dan Homer comes here almost everyday to pass time. Dan asked again, “Why are you even doing this? You should not have dropped out of college.”
Emil: Your grandfather has a secret fortune so you have nothing to worry about in life. I need to support my family.
Dan: Secret fortune, yes, it’s such a mystery. Grandfather said I don’t need to know. I believe it belonged to my parents. After they passed away, he is using it the way he wants. That old man only knew how to give advice, so annoying he is. He never talked about my parents.
Dan stopped because a customer came. This mysterious lady visited again today. The way she looked at Dan bothered him. Today, he decided to secretly follow that lady. As he followed her, Dan found himself in a surprise state, seeing the lady climbing up the wall of Lawrence’s house. She had to be praised for her bravery, if the annoying Lawrence found out, he might even kill her. Dan thought she might be a maid of this house. Lawrence had literally prohibited everyone in the house to go outside. As Evelyn is not allowed to come outside, Dan is unable to see his love.
A thought came to his mind that the maid might suspect that he is trying to seduce Evelyn! In reality, the maid was Evelyn. In disguise, she climbed up to her room, and after checking outside if someone saw her or not, she closed her window. The actual maid, who was waiting, wearing Evelyn’s dress, asked anxiously, “Finally you are back, my lady. I beg of you to not do this to me, the result of this frightened me to death”. Evelyn replied, “This taste of freedom of mine is worth more than your life. Stop nagging. I cannot sit still all day, in this house, as my father wants. You may leave now.” The maid leaves the room after changing her clothes. Evelyn, angrily exclaimed alone, “That boy, Dan, who does he think he is? Sitting lazily all day long. Actually, what could he do? Living off of my father’s money is all he can do. I cannot believe he does not know a single thing yet is living carefree. It ridicules me how easy a lowlife can be. Once or twice I smiled at him and he went mad.”
Meanwhile, Dan tries to see through the window of her room. Evelyn noticed Dan was behind the tree in front of her house, which concerned her that Dan might figure out she goes outside in disguise. Dan has come into this house a few times. Lawrence invites him from time to time. Though Dan thought of Lawrence as rude and annoying, he could also be kind and smart. From the first time he saw Evelyn, he fell for her. He could not stop thinking about how his life would change if he could get married to Lawrence’s daughter.
Suddenly, someone throws a letter from the window. Dan was overjoyed to see that it was from Evelyn. The next day, she wanted to meet at the market at the same time. Though it confused Dan about what she meant by “ the same time”, he was excited thinking that he finally had a chance to propose to his love.
The following day in the market, Evelyn approached Dan and realised he did not currently recognize her disguise as a maid. Pretending to be a maid, she tells Dan that her lady Evelyn sent a letter to him.
Dear Dan Homer,
I know you will be in extreme shock to know that the secret fortune you are so proud of is my father’s. And your father, Mourice Homer, is alive. He is a convict rotting in jail. Our fathers were friends. By your recent behaviour, I thought you need to know the place of a criminal’s son who lives life in someone’s pity.
While reading the letter, Dan felt all the lights in the world seem to go off one by one as he stood alone. It was like a tsunami broke inside his body and numbed him from head to toe. After a little while, Dan decided to go to Lawrence to know the truth. Meanwhile, when Evelyn returned to the mansion, she saw Dan’s Grandfather visiting his father. Evelyn could not ignore it and rushed inside the room.
Evelyn: I cannot believe how shameless some lowlives can be! Father, did they blackmail you? Why are you so involved with this criminal family?
Lawrence: Stop, you fool! Look at your manners. What nonsense are you doing here! Leave!
Evelyn: I have told Dan everything. These lowlives should know their place instead of living off of others’ money.
Grandfather: You told Dan?!
Dan’s grandfather became so angry that he stood up while Lawrence tried to calm him down. Finally, Dan entered the mansion in a very messy and hesitant state. He just stared at his grandfather’s face.
Grandfather: Lawrence, I cannot hold it in anymore. Dan, your father did not commit any crime. He just tried to give you a normal life. We were so poor that we had to starve for days when you were little. He sacrificed his freedom and took responsibility for Lawrence’s crime.
Evelyn: Father! How dare he! Don’t tell me he is telling the truth?!
Lawrence remained silent and kept his head down. Looking at her father, Evelyn sat on the floor like she was going to collapse. She felt like everything she hated was coming back to grasp her and she was losing her mind. She looked at Dan, and he looked back. Their stares connected deeply, with an equality that had never been felt before.