Episode 8- The Rejected Gifts

Zari had a couple of hours before they would discharge her from the hospital. With a smile on his face, the beautiful stranger kissed her hand. “I’ll be right back.” 

Devon left the hospital to go shopping for Zari. He knew her style and taste. He purchased a dress in her favorite color, purple, a lavender pair of two-hundred-dollar silk panties, and a matching bra for her to wear home. A couple of silver high heels, and he put her 24-carat white diamond wedding ring on a platinum chain for her to wear around her neck, along with platinum diamond earrings. Devon had the salespeople wrap all her presents in a large gift box.

An hour later, Zari looked at the tall, slender, handsome guy as he entered the hospital room, giving her the gift box. She wondered why he cared or why he bothered to do the things he did for her. She could not place him anywhere in the shadowy figure of her past or even within her present. Each time her heart beat a little faster.

"These are for you? How are you feeling right now?"

So as not to be bad-mannered, she responded in a depressed tone.

 "Thank you, I am ok. I just still feel very exhausted."  She then looked at him after opening the box and then looked back down toward the opened box.

"I brought these for you to wear home. Do you want to go home?"

"Well...I want to get out of here. I don't have anywhere else to go. I don't have a home of my own." She again answered, looking at the expensive clothing he had purchased for her. These items weren't to her taste or liking. 

Then Devon saw the expression on her face as she lifted the clothing from the box once more.

"What's wrong?" 

"Did I used to wear clothing like this?" She asked with a slight frown on her face, looking at the box.

"Yes, you dressed up most times, even when around the house," Devon replied, realizing something about his wife was different.

"I can just put back on the clothes I came in?"

"Uhmm. Those things are not clean. Please wear the dress." Devon nicely requested of her. His eyes spoke with gentle tenderness and a persuasive aura of sweet kindness.

Zari's eyes were getting watery. He didn't like seeing her sad and wondered what had happened to his beautiful, elegant, fun-loving wife.

"Okay, you don't have to wear them if you really don't want to." He responded sadly, attempting to close the box and take it away.

"No, it's okay. After all, you are right. My clothing is dirty. I'll wear them today." 

"Are you sad about coming home with me? I can arrange for the mother-in-law to pick you up, and you can stay with your family if that is more comfortable?" 

"No, even though I've talked to the woman who says she’s my parent, I don't know her either, or the girl who says she’s my sister, they seemed to be real judgemental. When I asked them about my marriage.

“What did they say?” Devon asked reluctantly.

“They spoke highly of you. And told me I need to be more grateful.”

Zari tells him with a soft broken expression. "I know this is crazy, but I wish you could leave me at the hospital. However, I want to get out of here too. But at least I don’t have to pretend." 

"Well, I hope you don't think I'm a crazy person. I would like it if you came with me. I promise, no pressure, and you will be safe with me. I just want to make sure you are safe."

Zari looked at him and thought about it for a second before she noticed the ring on his finger. 

"Sure, but are you sure your wife would mind." She shook her head in confusion. "That's right. I’m supposed to be your wife. I don’t know why I keep thinking you are married to someone else." She said, looking at the ring on his finger. I'm supposed to be your wife." Zari repeated.

"I can take it off and wear it on my chain around my neck until you get your memory back, and then we can put our rings back on each other's finger." 

The beautiful stranger was as if the word perfection and beauty had come together and produced him.  He was a magnificent man to look at. Zari looked at him, then the ring he put around his neck on a chain, and she started crying. It confused him. 

"What's wrong? don't cry." He said, cleaning her tears with his finger. 

"Thank you," she said as he cleaned the tears off her cheeks. She moved his hand away after he wiped her tears. He understood why she was a little uncomfortable with him. After all, she had no idea, not even a clue, who he was, and it frustrated him, but Devon contained himself.

"Well, we better get prepared to leave."  He went into the bathroom with the hospital basin full of warm soapy water and a towel. 

"What are you doing?"  she asked as he took the towel and cleaned her face and hands. Then he wiped her neck and moved her gown off her shoulder.  He noticed she had scars and bruises on her lovely skin. The sight of the scars made steam rose to his head. He got angry but had to bite it back.  "He wanted to ask who did this to her?" Zari pulled the gown from his hand and up to her shoulder again, covering herself.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I can do the rest. Excuse me. I’ll go change in the bathroom."

 She stood up, closing her hospital gown around her body tightly. He could see she had lost some weight in the past few days. But her body still filled out that hospital gown nicely. He could see her round hips and plump tush. 

Devon waited patiently for her to come out, and his mouth fell open when she did. She looked lovely, almost like the Zari he always knew. 

"Why are you staring?"

Devon smiled a little. "You are a pretty girl. And I see you put the necklace on too. The ring is your wedding ring. I put it on this necklace so you won't feel pressured. You can put it back on your finger when you are ready. Please allow me to do little things at least to help bring your memory back."

She reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.

" Now we can be on our way." 

It was a silent drive for almost an hour. It was killing him inside. He had to break the silence. 

"So, what happened before you were brought to the hospital? Do you remember anything?" he asked, hoping she would tell him something. 

"I really don't think I should tell you. I don't want to..."

He cut her off, knowing what she wanted to say. "I totally understand. You can tell me when you are comfortable... and when you trust me." 

She was momentarily scared of what he would think or say back. The man she had a short burst of memories of as her husband. He wasn't a kind man when she refused to answer his questions.

Zari laid her head back in confusion, only wanting to rest and close her eyes. She could tell this man wanted to make her happy, but she couldn't clearly remember her past with him, and the little she did remember, she wanted to forget.

"Thank you for understanding. Tell me your name again?" 

"Oh, it is Devon or Dev."

"Devon,  Devon."

"I like Dev. Is it okay if I call you Dev?" 

"Dev?" He hesitates because Susie always calls him Dev. Then he laughs at the irony that they now had something in common." 

"Why are you laughing?" She asked, smiling because she liked looking at his face while he laughed. He looked even more handsome.

"Seriously, what did I say?"

"I'm...laughing because you used to say Dev reminds you of Devil, and you would never call me that." He said, trying to catch his breath. 

She was startled. "I can't believe that. Why would you say or feel that way?" 

Devon looked away, wanting to change the subject.

"Tell me, I want to know. Why would I feel that way?"