5 DAYS(英文原版)

　　Day 5

　　I woke up late in the afternoon feeling like I had a late night of heavy drinking and now was facing the severe hangover.  The hangover was mainly about me being dehydrated and still physically exhausted.  I headed over to a corner store to get some bottled water and food to bring back with me to the hotel room.

　　I finished the first bottle of water pretty quick, savoring every last drop in my parched mouth.  My body started to feel a little more alive after drinking water.  The food also helped to restore clarity to my mind and gave me some energy.  I sat for a while in the hotel room chair thinking about the events of the past few days.  I was pretty amazed that I survived it all and I was thankful that it appeared to be over for now.

　　But in my sitting there I knew I was delaying the inevitable.  I was delaying the call I had to make to my wife.  Would I tell her about everything that happened?  Would I tell her about the blood money I now possessed?  What would she think of me?  Doubts swirled through my head.  I had to tell her something though to let her know I was still alive.

　　I picked up the cell phone and dialed her number.

　　“Hello?” she answered.

　　“It’s me,” I said.

　　“Where have you been?  Are you alright?” she said.

　　“Yes I am fine, . . . it’s been a rough couple of days,” I said.

　　And with that I began telling the story of what had happened and where I was.  I left out the bloody details, but I laid everything else out for her to hear about how far over the line I crossed.  There was no sense of pride in my telling her what I did, no bragging or bravado about anything I did.  I did what I had to do.

　　There was a silence on the phone after I had finished.  I was left without anything to say and she probably was probably in shock at all that I did say.

　　“What should we do next?  Should we come down there to you?” she said.

　　I almost cried at the sound of her saying “we”.  For after all I did, she still wanted to keep our family together.  Not only is this woman brave, but she is strong too.  For strength was going to be needed.  Not just for her, but for me as well.  I have to live with what I did the rest of my life.  Maybe, just maybe she could help out with that if I let her.

　　With that I told her to wait few days and I would tell her the details of how I would arrange for us to be together again.  I had to find a place for us to live down here, a safe place for her and a good place to raise a child.

　　After a few weeks I found that place eventually and was able to get a house there.  We would live on the coast in Mexico.  I called my wife and told her I was sending a boat to pick her and my son up in California.   A few days later my wife and son arrived.  It was an intense reunion, as if we had been apart for a much longer time than really was.  I finally had a feeling of tranquility and calmness that I had been seeking for some time . . .