The Lady in black, part 1 ...

When Sam moved into his new house with his wife Elizabeth and five year old daughter Sandra; he was looking forward to lead a quiet and peaceful life for the years to come. Why would he not? The last few years had been truly hectic but equally fruitful. This house that he got for cheap seemed to be a dream come true and a just reward. The house was quite big and in the heart of the city yet away from the common din.

Sam's House. Image credit: ethics.tamu.edu/guest/InTheBox/Houses/Houses.htm

He just wanted to relax and peacefully continue to work at the position he had attained after working so hard. He never knew what he was about to face.

That day was rather eventful. Sam had thrown a party for all of us, his wife also wanted to celebrate their moving into a new house so the caterers had been all over his place since the morning.

He called me over the phone, “Sudip¹ you got to be here today in the evening, man. I don’t want you to miss this party...”

I am working full time in a software company to earn my bread and part time as a paranormal investigator to pursue my research fuelled by my interest in the field of paranormal and the occult, hence free time was an unaffordable luxury but that day was different. I had taken leave from work and cancelled all my other appointments.

“Definitely my friend... I would surely come...” I said. But I did not tell him that I had already purchased a rare fifty year old scotch. It was branded Black Knight. Sam rarely drank; he was a social drinker and a very modest one.

I proudly drove my SUV² to Sam’s house. I fell in love with the house at the first sight. Indeed it was really big. The party had already started. Only close friends and family had been invited and the house seemed to bustle in a festive mood.

The ladies giggled, men burst in roars of laughter and the children ran around the house, playing and screaming with childish delight while the caterers saw to every one’s needs . It was great.

Like always I had a little I spilled a little of the scotch on my shirt and wanted to wash it quickly. “Hey buddy, where is your wash room?”

Sam laughed, “Ha ha ha, you never stopped spilling drinks, Sudip.”

The wash room on the ground floor was occupied so I had to rush to the one upstairs. I did not want to miss the conversations, laughter or any moment of this get together at all, so I ran up the flight of stairs. Just at the end of the steps, I was startled to see a woman perhaps in her mid twenties or younger, in old fashioned clothes flaunting an elegant black coloured fan in her hand. Perhaps it was a Victorian dress she was wearing.

I stammered an apology as I would have surely bumped into her. She said nothing, she simply gave me a glance, I could not help but notice her eyes carried an elite gravity that seems to acknowledge the fact that she would attract stares from men. She gracefully walked down the steps. I could not take my eyes off her.

Her beautiful long shiny black hair was done neatly on her head in voluminous coiffeurs. In different circumstance her dress would have appeared out of date or I would have assumed that she is in a costume party with a retro theme but this dress on her seemed so perfect. They say bell bottoms are back and may be the Victorian dresses too. Perhaps my sense of fashion is out of date.

After the party was over, I sheepishly asked , “Hey, Sam we have common friends but you did not introduced me to that beautiful lady...”

“Who?”

“That lady wearing a black dress...”

“Ha ha ha ha... the only ‘lady’ wearing black is Ileana she is just six years old, not yet to be described as a young lady by an eligible bachelor like you, she is just a little girl, not a lady yet...  ha ha ha... you are drunk man, are you sure you can drive?”

I said, “Yes, I think so.”

“Elle, give Sudip his coat”, Sam always addressed his wife Elizabeth as Elle and not Lisa, Liz or Eliza.

I was already introduced to Ileana’s parents, the Smiths; Sam’s new neighbour.  I looked at house the while boarding my SUV, and I am sure I saw that same Lady, I met on the stairs, in a window of the top floor. Sam and Elle had been at the porch seeing me off. I tried to concentrate on other things because I needed to drive. ³

I came home still thinking about that lovely lady in black, in a different reality, if she was single I would have definitely proposed her; and I surely wanted to meet her again... and find out.

Continued to part 2

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