The pharmacist was looking at Rupert when he removed the booklet and put it on the counter clumsily. Rupert was looking for his papers, because he had to take notes on what the pharmacist told him. He wrote down how the birth control pills had to be used, how the other pills worked the next day if they forgot to use the others, warnings about excessive usage of the spray and numbing condoms etc.
He was confused when the pharmacist asked him about the size for condom. He didn't know there was such a thing, he understood that he wasn't small but he thought all sizes were in some similar range. When he tried to estimate and show his penis size to the woman separating his both hands, she blushed and smiled unintentionally. She said "This is our largest size; I believe it will fit."
When he found the papers and finished taking his notes, he saw the pharmacist's expression, then noticed that she was looking at his booklet. His face turned red, put his notes in the booklet and rolled the booklet to put in his inner pocket of his jacket. The pharmacist probably thought that he was on a mission of trying everything on that booklet. With his big tool. He was very ashamed.
He quickly paid and left the store after he put the package of drugs and other things he bought in his bag, near the big package he bought from the bookstore, the things that kind head master of the school suggested him to buy. The headmaster showed him how he could start teaching his wife and gave him a list of books and other stuff to buy.
He went to the boutique with Anita's note in his hand.
Meanwhile, Margaret's door was being knocked loudly. She opened the door mumbling angrily, to see her cousin Clara.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you trying to break my door?"
But Clara wasn't in the mood to argue with Margaret. She whispered "Come outside, we have to talk. Close the door behind you." Margaret went out and they sat at the porch to talk.
When they were talking two girls were bringing some fruits to Greta, to chat her up. After she got married and after they saw how Rupert was looking at her, she was the center of attention among girls in her age. They never saw that look before, so, she had to be someone special that could make a guy drool like that, she had to be someone to learn from. They also envied her, seeing someone else happier than themselves made most girls unhappy.
When they were passing near Clara and Margaret, one of the girls heard something like "Are you sure? Rupert? He wouldn't do such a thing." Then, they noticed the girls and stopped talking. They looked concerned. One of the girls, the one who heard what they were talking about, Emma, moved to the room that had a window near the porch and kept on listening.
Rupert was getting close to the village, his bag full of presents, books, drugs etc. He was smiling wondering how he came to a point to feel like that. He couldn't believe how he became like that, not seeing Greta a few hours made him unstable. He was walking as fast as he could, trying to run for a few steps and walking fast again. He was running funny.
He was also trying to plan their night. He thought about not giving all of her presents that night, leaving some for the next morning and night.
He wanted to see her happiness more than once. She was being happy better than everyone he saw. Her face was changing, her body was doing some movements, showing she couldn't decide to jump or clap or stand still. She deserved to be happy more than anyone.
He remembered her first day, unpacking her few, old and cheap things. How timid and shy she was. He never wanted her to feel like that again. Greta was his now, as he was hers. How did life get so perfect so fast?
Margaret said "Rupert is not that kind of a person, when I was talking to Anna, she said something and I thought he was a virgin too. Such a guy wouldn't be a virgin up to his 40s."
Clara said "I didn't know he brought Greta here, he has to have a very cold heart to leave his wife here, to go to a brothel."
"How do you know that place is a brothel?" Margaret asked curiously.
"You know that Alfred? He got caught leaving there once, just as Rupert did; he confessed to his wife Marry after the witness told her. I was surprised to learn that half of the village knew that place.
"How didn't I hear about that? What did Marry do?"
"She made us promise not to tell anyone. She forgave him. They're happy now."
"Greta wouldn't do that, how did that happen? What will we do?"
"I say we try to be sure ourselves first, you go talk to Anna, then we'll ask Rupert. She doesn't have to learn until then."
"You're right. But promise not to tell anyone."
"Of course not, how can you even..." Clara noticed how Margaret looked at her and stopped talking.
They both left, Clara went home, Margaret scurried to Anna's house.
Anna was shouting "Who is it? Why are you trying to break my door?" before she opened the door to Margaret. Seeing her face, Anna was very worried "What happened? Are you OK?"
"Oh, Anna, I don't know how this happened to us, the world is falling apart, I feel like that!"
"Come, sit here. COLMAN! Bring some water to Margaret!"
When Margaret calmed down, she started to tell Anna what was going on. Colman was sitting inside, listening to them.
"Clara came to my house, she saw Rupert in town."
"So? He is in town. He was going to buy stuff for Greta. Oh, that can be a surprise, don't tell her!"
"I know what he was planning, don't worry. But Clara saw him when he was leaving that hotel."
"What hotel?"
Colman broke out in cold sweat when he heard that, thinking "Is that Rupert stupid? I told him to go to the hospital, he preferred to practice instead. If Anna hears that she will blame me putting ideas in his head!"
Anna, on the other hand, didn't reflect what she was feeling inside, after Margaret explained her about the hotel and Alfred's story, adding how Mary forgave him. She felt heartbroken but she acted as if there was nothing wrong with that.
She wanted to protect Rupert and their marriage if he did such a bad thing. Her mind was saying that it wasn't possible for Rupert to do that.
"You know he sells stuff in town. Who buys fruit? The hotel. How didn't you think about that?"
"Oh, it never occurred to me. You're right. He could be selling stuff. I hope that's it. I didn't tell Greta and I won't until we talk to Rupert."
While Margaret was talking to Anna, Emma already told the other girl about the conversation she heard and they decided that Greta had a right to know. It wasn't possible to know their intention. Were they empathizing Greta or did they unconsciously desire to end her dreamlike happiness, so that they were going to feel less unhappy?
Greta wasn't understanding anything, so they started to tell her as if they were playing charades. They showed her wedding ring and made a moustache on their faces until Greta shouted "Rupert!" They were too carried away playing the game at that moment, they forgot to say "Yes!" as if they weren't allowed to speak, as if their goal was really to play that game; so, they made a "Correct" gesture, showed her one finger and put that first word in their pockets.
They worked hard to make her understand the word hotel, then the other girl finally came to her senses and said "Hotel", Greta knew that word. It was used almost in every language.
One made moustache, the other acted girly and sexy. The moustache one gave the girly one money and they did a kissing act. When they noticed Greta's eyes, red and full of tears, they knew they exaggerated this nonsense too much. She was looking at them without any expression in her face.
She felt disrespected, betrayed, powerless, sad and lonely again. How could this be possible? How could he do that to her? Especially after a night like that?
Margaret was getting ready to leave Anna's. They made a plan to talk to Rupert first and to be honest to each other. Anna promised to be honest to Margaret but she couldn't be sure how she was going to act if she learned that Rupert had done what they suspected.
