by Marine Chappuis
“Marry James, thirty-five years old has been found dead, killed by seven shots of knife. Do you recognize her, Mister James ?
“Yes your honor, she was my wife.”
“And you denied having assassinated her ?”
“Yes, I did not assassinate her. I loved her very much.”
The irony in this situation ? It was actually true, I loved her more than the world.
Marry and I were married for three years. She was fabulously beautiful, she was intelligent and she was mine. We met at a restaurant. I can remember that day in details : she was wearing a blue dress, with her hair attached in a bun and she had a white neckless. She was a waitress in the restaurant where I used to diner after my daywork. I was a truck driver and I used to eat very late at night, just after having finished a delivery. We used to finish our service at the same time, so one night, I proposed to escort her to her house, and from that moment, we have never left each other.
I like drinking a beer with my meal, but I am not an alcoholic. My father was one, so I know how to recognize them. He used to come back at home totally drunk with this particular smell of alcohol. I never came back at home with that smell. But I do confess that I drink a bottle of wine once or twice in a week, just to relax my nerves in front of the TV. I consider myself a healthy man. I don’t smoke, I eat meet and vegetables and I go for a walk every Sunday with my perfect wife.
We were so happy.
Once we were married, I asked her to stop working, because as I was her husband, it was my duty to take care of her. She was happy of that solution and she became a perfect housewife. Her cooking was delicious and her lemon-pie was the most marvelous thing I have never eaten. We were as happy as a couple could be.
Then I started to have to work further from home and sometimes I had to sleep the night away from home. It was really exhausting, but when it happened, we were calling each other at night and we were spoken for an hour or two.
One night, while I had to sleep away from home, I called Marry, but she did not answer me. I tried a second time and a third time and a fourth time. She did not answer me. I was worried for her and I started to have a bad feeling. So, I jumped into my truck and I drove back to see if nothing has happened to her. When I arrived at home, it was around midnight and there was no light in the house. I opened the front door and I screamed her name. I ran to the first floor. She was not in our room. She was not at home. I started to think about a kidnaping. I started to fell so angry, that when she passed the door, I was not myself anymore. I jumped on her and I shake her shoulders while asking where she was. To a friend’s house, she told me. I had been so afraid for her that I hit her on the cheek. Then I hugged her and I started to cry.
She was mine and I would never allow somebody to harm her. She had to stay safe at home.
I stayed that night with her to be sure that nobody will come and kidnap her. The next morning, she made me an amazing breakfast and tied a scarf around her neck. She felt pain in her spine.
“Well, tonight when I come back, I will buy you another blanket. You have surely caught a cool yesterday night” I told her.
With a sleepy voice she thanked me and I went back to work with a big smile. Everything was fine.
After that night, Marry never went back to her friend’s house. I asked her to stay at home to be sure that nothing will happen to her and she understood. She was even happy to be safe with me. Then months started to pass when a happy news came.
Marry was pregnant.
I wanted to call him Jacob – like me – if it was a boy and Sophie if it was a girl. Marry had the same opinion and the first five months, I took care of her by staying at home. I made an arrangement with my boss and I took a five-months holiday. It was the best time of my life. There was only Marry, the baby and me. I didn’t want her to go out of the house and have an accident, so I went shopping for her, I went to the doctor with her, I made everything for her. She only had to cook and take care of the house.
Unfortunately, the five months passed so rapidly that I had to start working again. The second week of work, I had to sleep away from home for the second time. I was worried for Marry, so I called her in the evening. She answered me rapidly and we spoke for an hour. Then I was so exhausted that I went to bed. But I started to have a bad feeling for Marry again. It was around eight at night when I called her back.
But she did not answer me.
Something was happening, I was persuaded of that. Marry was in a bad situation, this is why she didn’t answer me the second time, no doubt. I jumped in my truck again and I drove back home as fast as I could. Once I was home, the light was on and there was a car in front of the house with the trunk opened. Marry’s stuff was in it. I ran into the house and I saw Marry finishing to pack her clothes in a suitcase.
I asked her what she was doing. Leaving, she told me. Going somewhere else.
I was very afraid for her. What was she thinking of ? There was no safer place than home for her.
I took her suitcase and I threw it away. I explained her why she cannot leave me, but she did not listen and ran downstairs. I ran after her, trying to explain her how dangerous it was outside. But she took a knife from the kitchen and reached it. I begged her to calm down and put the knife down but she was still not listening. She tried to escape but I stopped her by taking her arm and I took the knife. I explained her again what was waiting her outside : kidnapers, rapists, hustlers. But she was screaming and screaming again and she tried to escape for a second time.
I couldn’t let her go, she had to stay safe with me.
I took the knife and I shanked her seven times while I was screaming her name.
It was for her own safety. I loved her so much, I knew better what was waiting her outside.
The judge removes his glasses, pushes his finger on his nose and sighs.
“Mister Jacob James, do you understand what you did to Miss Marry James?”
“Yes, your honour, I saved her.”