Dr. Alex Fernandez was working alone in his laboratory, and the clock was about to strike eleven when suddenly he exclaimed, “Yes! It’s done. It’s finished. Ha! Ha!”
His laughter indicated his boundless happiness.[break] He had held the flask containing the red chemical, Chemical X, for it was the first of its kind and not yet named. Yet he was high in the air as if to let the world know about his discovery, his triumph.
Dr. Fernandez had been working alone, for no other scientists believed in the discovery of such a chemical. Necessity is the mother of invention, and his necessity was money, for he was in absolute debts. His house and all other assets were to be reclaimed in the following week for he had taken loan from a bank for his project.
Dr. Fernandez fitted a cork in the flask containing the chemical and carefully placed it in his briefcase. Then he got into his car and rushed home. As usual, his wife Suzanne was eagerly waiting for him. He came out of his car and straightaway kissed her. She was glad that he did what he did as she had missed his affection for the past four years.
Then Dr. Alex declared, “Suzanne, I did it. Now our dark days are over. Tomorrow onwards, you and I are going to be free, free from debts, and be rich, very rich indeed. I love you, darling. It’s you who should get the credit for this.”
“I knew you would make this possible. I always knew.” Suzanne exclaimed.
She was the woman behind his success. She always believed in him and loved him. For the last four years, they had spent little time together. Yet she was always with him, always.
“Suzy, make all the preparations ‘cause we’re going to get rich. But I’m also going to die tonight itself.” Dr. Fernandez said.
He had made a life insurance of US$100 million, and he somehow had to get it. And the only way out was to die. Because he had discovered Chemical X. This splendid invention could make people temporarily die for; with it, one could control the cardiac muscle. He had planned to die for just one day, then get his insurance claim, and flee the country and settle somewhere in Spain with his beautiful wife.
“But darling, isn’t it too fast?” Suzanne said. “I still think we should wait for a few more days.”
“Oh! Come on, don’t ask me to wait any longer, sweetheart,” he replied. “My fate has played a lot with me. But I reconstructed my fate, and now I want to control it as soon as possible.”
“But…” she stopped in the middle. She knew about the stubborn nature of her husband.
Dr. Fernandez then instructed her all the things and then opened the cork of the flask. She kissed him for the last time before his temporary death. He quickly drank the liquid and closed his eyes.
She applied some glycerin on her eyes and it made tears roll down her face while she rushed him to the hospital. He was immediately admitted to the emergency ward. A doctor emerged after some minutes.
“We’re extremely sorry. Your husband had already died on the way to the hospital. We couldn’t do anything,” the doctor told her.
She promptly fainted, and the doctor immediately sprinkled some water and brought her to consciousness.
She then called the insurance company and informed them of her husband’s demise. They were bewildered by the news and came rushing to the hospital to confirm it. They questioned the doctor who certified his death. Then they told her to collect his insurance the next day. They felt sorry for her, and she felt the same for them.
She asked the doctor if she could take the body of her husband, and he suggested that she better go home and get some sleep and get the remains of her husband in the morning. She realized that if she insisted more, there might be speculations. So she decided to wait as per the hospital rules.
She went home and got into bed. She dreamt of her future. She dreamt of her luxurious life and was very happy about it. She got up early in the morning before the rooster crowed, and took a bath, freshened herself up and went to the hospital.
The doctor was still there. She greeted him, and he too wished her. “Good to see you, Mrs. Fernandez.”
Though she tried not to show her happiness, her sparkling eyes could not be hidden. She asked, “Can I take my husband now? I mean his body, with me?”
“Yes, sure. But wouldn’t you like to know the cause of your husband’s death?” he asked.
She frowned. Does the doctor know?, she wondered.
The doctor continued, “The actual cause is still unknown. Even the post-mortem reports ……………..”
She interrupted, “Wait a minute……..POST MORTEM………..” and she fainted.
The doctor tried his best to revive her. But all in vain – she died of heart failure.
The doctor was shocked. Why did she have heart failure? Did she know beforehand of her husband’s death?
Well, the mystery remained unsolved, and their fate remained as it was written: Unchanged!
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