Blessed Lands Egypt Chapter Ten
Blessed Lands Egypt
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Honute waited patiently for Theoris to show up. It was nearly ten o’clock when she finally did. Honute earlier, worried, had called the University. The campus operator recognized his voice and said that Dr. Hypatia had not arrived yet. Honute thought it strange but dismissed it. He remembered she told him that she would be sleeping at the University. It was a large place and maybe she was doing whatever she did somewhere else within the University. He thanked the operator and asked to be transferred to Dr. Theoris’ office. The phone rang a half dozen times. Akila answered it and said Theoris wasn’t in. She said she would call the Doctor’s home number – “maybe she overslept?”
Maybe? Honute replied that he would wait by the phone, just in case. About an hour later, Theoris called and apologized for being late. She said that something unexpected came up and that she would be there as quickly as possibly. Another hour passed by the time the car pulled up to the cub in front of the apartment complex. Theoris blew the horn several times. To Honute she put a little too much into the horn. It sounded impatient and intense. Honute stepped out onto the balcony and waved at her. Theoris waved back and backed off the horn. He made his final check of the apartment, locked up, and went down the stairs. When Honute reached the car, the door thrust open. He stopped momentarily and peered inside. Theoris looked back with a serious look on her face. He stepped in and before he could close the door and put on his seatbelt she pulled away into traffic. He watched her from the corner of his eye. She remained mostly quiet but he sensed something wrong. It was as if today she was a different person or she had a different attitude toward him. “How are you doing this morning?”
Theoris was lost in thought when Honute asked her how she was doing. Her stomach knotted up for a brief moment. She answered with her jaw clinched tight. “Fine, why?”
Honute cocked his head to one side. “I was worried. I just wanted to know if you are doing well.”
She nodded and stared out the windshield. “I am well. I just had a long night.”
Honute nodded and remained quiet for the rest of the trip.
Hypatia was looking out the window when she saw Theoris pulled the car into the stall next to her's. She had been waiting anxiously. After their morning love making Hypatia felt a little guilty. She betrayed Honute and neither said much during the time it took for both to get ready for work. The silence was only really broken after they showered together and gotten dressed. Theoris asked what Hypatia wanted to do. Hypatia said she needed to think about this. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen, but since it did happen she needed to make a decision. Theoris kissed her on the forehead and asked would she be staying the night again. Hypatia surprised herself and nodded. They kissed each other and left – Theoris to pick up Honute, Hypatia to work.
When the car pulled into the stall Hypatia’s stomach knotted up and a lump formed in her throat. She watched as her husband of many years and her new lover of just as many hours walk into the building. She shook her head and thought about the mess she just got herself into.
Theoris pulled into the stall and suddenly her face grew dark.
Honute felt more than saw the sudden change and decided that he didn’t want to know what was going on. His gut told him to let it lie, he wouldn’t like the answer anyway.
Theoris sat for a moment before turning off the engine. She noticed Honute watching patiently. He only made a move for the door when she did. She stepped out he stepped out. She closed the door he closed the door. He stared back, grinned, and followed her inside. He remained silent but kept a distance from the time they entered the building all the way to the time they both walked through the door to the main office.
Akila had been pacing impatiently when Theoris and Honute walked in. She looked up and simply said, “Dr. Theoris, good afternoon. Hello Priest Honute.”
Theoris nodded and walked by. “I’ll be in my office, give me about ten minutes.”
“Yes, Dr. Theoris.” Akila said to the receding Doctor. She turned to Honute who had been standing just inside the doorway. “May I get you something to drink, Honute? Bark tea?”
“Akila, that would be nice, thank you.” Honute said and found his way to the couch.
Hypatia nearly jumped when the phone rang. She answered it on the fourth ring. “Hypatia speaking, hello?” She heard Theoris’ voice and grinned.
“Hypatia, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay. It is good to hear your voice.”
“What are you doing right now?”
Hypatia giggled. “Waiting for you to get to work and let me know you were in.”
Theoris laughed at herself. Hypatia made her feel twenty years younger. She hadn’t been this happy in a while. Then she thought about Honute.
Hypatia heard the laugh and felt good, and then she heard nothing and nearly panicked. “What’s the matter?”
Theoris sighed. “Nothing. What are you doing at two?”
Hypatia leafed through her calendar. “Nothing, however, I got a meeting at 3:30. You want to come over?”
Theoris nodded and said, “Yeah, I do. I’ll bring us something to eat. Will you be able to hold out that long?”
“I will. See you in a few hours.”
Both said their good-byes.
Theoris walked out her office and saw Honute and Akila sitting on the couch chatting.
Akila sat leaning back on the armrest, sipping tea, smiling at Honute.
He said something that apparently amused her and she reached out and touched him on the arm. He blushed, took a sip of tea and said something else.
Akila laughed and then noticed Theoris.
Theoris frowned and said, “Are you two quite enjoying yourselves?”
Akila looked at Theoris for several seconds. “Is there something the matter Dr. Theoris? You wanted us to wait for you? Correct?”
Theoris thought about saying something to her assistant but decided not to. Her mood just turned bad and she didn’t know why. She was going to have lunch with her new lover, which ought to have kept her happy. She stared at Honute. He stared back with the same intensity, then she realized why she was in a foul mood. She lightened her expression and forced a smile. Honute smoothly smiled back, but kept his eyes even. Theoris was screwing his wife and the man didn’t have a clue. She then realized that she was mad at herself. She seduced Hypatia. Now their affair would eventually complicate things because things like sleeping with another person’s spouse never stayed a secret forever. She sighed, “I am sorry, Akila, Honute. I am just in a bad mood. Please forgive me.”
Honute nodded. “You don’t seem to be a religious person, Theoris. Otherwise I would offer you prayer to ease your mind.”
Theoris was nearly mortified. The thought of her being blessed sounded ridiculous at best. “No, thank you. It is okay.” She hoped that it came out civil.
“Okay,” Honute said nodding, “Then maybe someone to talk too. I am licensed as a Listener.”
Theoris paused for a moment. Listeners had to go through years of schooling, nearly a decade. And Honute offered to ‘listen.’ Just one more thing about him that made him likable. Theoris cursed her gonads for being the dominant brain. “Um, thank you, Honute, maybe I will consider it. I guess that the offer has been presented makes me feel better.” It didn’t but as a Listener he would have to set aside all prejudices and she figured it would be her ‘get out of jail card’ when the time came to confess.
Honute bowed.
Theoris cleared her throat. “Okay, I suppose we should get started. Akila, Honute, follow me to my office. I’ll outline everything from there.”
Akila nodded and followed Honute and Theoris into her office.
Theoris gave Honute a clipboard with a small thick stack of papers. “I’ll need you to read through each sheet and initial at the bottom. Three of the forms require signatures.”
Honute took the clipboard and sat in an upholstered chair in front of the desk. The first form was a non-disclosure agreement. He was supposed to keep quiet on how Theoris achieved her goal. He initialed it. The second form was an agreement that he would not sue the Doctor or the University in the event that something unforeseen happened. Like him losing eyes, limbs, or the function of any appendage including the all important penile one. He initialed that one too. He did this with every form. Some amused him. Like the one that read he was of sound mind and body and that Theoris, her staff, and the University waived all claims to erroneous visions that may or may not result in some of the medication he may or may not receive. He initialed them all and signed the three forms he had to. He handed the clipboard back to Theoris.
She took the board and placed it in a drawer in her desk. “Excellent.” She said and leaned back in her chair. “The first thing we are going to do today is get a baseline of your physiological and psychological properties. Akila will handle the physiological part.”
Honute nodded. So far he understood.
Theoris continued, “Once that is done we’ll start the program. Hopefully this time tomorrow you’ll be hooked up to a bunch of wires, attached to a dozen machines, resting in a bed.”
“How long will all this take?” Honute asked.
“Maybe a month, maybe two, three and four at the most. I very seriously doubt longer than that. If we get no results by that time then my reasoning and all the data collected is wrong.”
“Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t care, but since pay was mentioned, how much will I receive?”
Theoris smiled. She possibly had an ‘advance to go’ card. “For the moment, one hundred fifty a week.”
Honute frowned. “I suppose I should be thankful I’m getting that much. May I have an advance, say two months worth?”
Theoris’ eyebrows drew together
“I only ask for the advance because my pay will not cover next month’s rent. Hypatia’s income alone paid the rent. I’ll have to figure something out about the utilities. A prayer to Thoth might help, but you can imagine the landlord probably not accepting blessings for rent.” Honute smiled.
Akila nodded and smiled.
Theoris tried to conceal her discomfort. The pay was actually five hundred a week, but for some reason she told him one hundred fifty. Anger? She shook her head. Jealousy maybe.
“Maybe half then.” Honute said.
Theoris realized he took her head shaking as a denial to his request.
“I’m sorry, Honute, I wasn’t shaking my head to your request, I was . . . it doesn’t matter. I’ll see what I can do.” She was finding it difficult to hate Honute. Basically, he seemed to be a victim of circumstances. He lost his wife and will probably lose his shelter. The irony of it all was that she was sleeping with his wife who just happened to receive a thirty percent increase in pay. Money and shelter were the least of Hypatia’s concerns. Theoris re-iterated. “I’ll see what I can do.” The knot in her stomach got harder and bigger.