Keeping Him

"Listen, I'll talk to Celine tonight and I'll let her know."

Nancy's green eyes widened. "Really? Please tell me you're not lying."

Victor kissed her forehead. "No I'm not. I will talk to her tonight. I don't love Celine the way I used to. Ever since I met you, you're all I can think about."

Nancy felt her heart flutter. She wanted Victor ever since she first laid eyes of him and she wasn't going to stop until he became hers.

* * *

"Was there a lot of traffic? Is that why you're late?" Celine asked as Victor walked in.

Victor groaned. "Oh please Celine don't start now. I just got in after a long days of work."

Celine moved closer to her husband. "I know I'm sorry. I just worry you know."

He sat down on the kitchen table and looked up at his wife. "Stop worrying about me Celine. Listen we have to talk."

Celine didn't feel good about the conversation she was about to have with her husband. She sat down with him on the table. She looked at him full of concern.

"Celine I'm leaving you," Victor said flat out.

Celine didn't moved. She felt frozen. "W-what?"

"I'm leaving you. I can't be with you anymore. This marriage is nothing but you always checking up on me and acting so jealous."

Celine stood up angrily. "Of course I'm jealous! You're always flirting or talking to some other woman instead of me!"

Victor stood up and paced the room. "That may be and that's why I can't stay with you."

Celine felt tears swelling in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled. "You can't do this to me. I've given you 12 years of my life and this is how you repay me?"

Victor felt his heartache but he had to do this. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you it's jut that I'm in love with someone else."

"Who? That Nancy bitch?"

Victor almost felt like slapping her but he didn't. He'd never hurt a woman physically. "That's enough Celine. But if you must know then yes it is Nancy. I'm in love with Nancy."

Celine laughed as tears fell down her face. "Oh you think youlove her? You only fuck her and that's all. Was she there for you when you were sick? Was she there for you when you're mother died? Does she wash, clean, and cook for you? I don't think so!"

Victor felt angrier now. He walked out the room and rushed upstairs. Celine followed him. Victor had to get out of the house immediately.

"Where do you think you're going?" Celine asked watching him get a suitcase out of their closet.

"I'm leaving Celine. I already told you."

Celine's tears were making her almost see blurry. "Victor please! Stay!" Celine begged grabbing his arm.

He pulled away and continued to pack his clothes. "No! I'm leaving! That's final Celine!"

She sobbed and knew she had no power to stop him. She just sat back and watched him pack his things and walk out the room. Before he left, he looked back and saw her sitting there staring at him.

"I'll be back for the rest of my things tomorrow. I'm sorry Celine."

With that, he left leaving her with a broken heart.

* * *

"If I were you, I'd be celebrating Celine!" Jackie said to her sister.

Celine sobbed as her sister held her. "Jackie he's such an asshole but I love him! He is my husband!"

Jackie felt so enraged with Victor. He shouldn't have done that to her sister. He was so heartless!

"Sis, just let it go. Let him go."

Celine pulled back from her sister's embrace and wiped her tears. "No. I won't. I told you I'm not losing him. He's my husband! Not my lover, or a boyfriend, my husband! Don't you see how much that means to me?"

Jackie nodded. "Yes I do. I'm sorry but I just figure it's for the better to let him go."

"No way. I'm keeping him not only because I'm still married to him but also because this woman isn't going to do anything for him. I already know how he likes his food cooked or what TV shows to record for him. This other woman doesn't!"

Jackie hated to see her sister in pain. "Listen Celine. I've got an idea to help you since I hate seeing you this way. I know a woman. Her name is Lourdes and she is a….well…she is a witch doctor."

Celine frowned. "I'm not doing voodoo on him!"

Jackie laughed. "No not that. She might be able to give you something to make him stay."

"Oh? Like what?"

Jackie sighed. "Well, remember Steve?"

Celine nodded. Steve had been one of Jackie's boyfriends.

"Well for a while, he wasn't performing as good as I wanted him to in bed if you know what I mean? I went to her and she gave me this sort of potion to pour on the bed. That same night Steve and I made love and wow! Let me tell you it was the best fuck I had ever had!"

Celine looked edgy. "I don't know Jackie. That sounds a bit too extreme."

Jackie shrugged. "Oh well then I guess you'll have to say goodbye to your husband."

Celine thought about it and kept trying to push the idea out of her mind. Finally she came up with her conclusion.

* * *

"You're Lourdes right?" Celine asked the tall skinny 50 something year old woman.

The woman nodded slowly and never took her eyes off Celine. "Yes that's right. Who gave you my information?"

"My sister did. I really need your help."

The woman offered Celine a seat on a soft green velvet couch. Celine looked around and saw tons of candles being burnt. The woman left the room temporarily and came back carrying a small bag with blue powder.

Celine looked puzzled. "Do you know why I'm here? Did my sister tell you?"

The woman's brown eyes met with Celine's. "I don't even know who you're sister is. I see different people each day asking me to help them. I can't keep track of everyone's name."

Celine laughed nervously. "Of course not. I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies. The one that needs to apologize is your husband for leaving you."

Celine felt shocked that this woman knew this about her. "How did you-"

"I know it all honey," The woman interrupted.

Celine was amazed. "Wow you must be good."

The woman handed her the small back of the blue powder. "Here now take this powder and mix it with liquid, milk preferably or orange juice but not water because it can be seen."

Celine stared at the blue powder. "How much do I put?"

"Just put about two pinches worth and you'll see the results that same day I guarantee it."

Celine felt excited. "Thank you so much!"

The woman never smiled. "You're welcome but please just be careful with that and keep feeding it to him slowly over time. Once the bag is finished he'll be all yours and never leave you again."

Celine left that night carrying the bag. She knew she was going overboard with all this witch stuff but she had to do what she had to do to keep her husband. He'd be back the next day and that's where she would get her chance.

* * *

Victor walked into his house the next day feeling somewhat frightened. He expected to see Celine with red puffy eyes and looking really dressed down, but instead she was sitting in the living room smoking a cigarette and dressed in a short green and white dress with matching strap shoes.

"I came to get the rest of my things," Victor began slowly.

Celine smiled. "Victor before you leave can we talk? Please?"

Victor seemed baffled. "Talk? About what?"

Celine stood up slowly walking towards her husband. "About us."

"There's nothing to talk about Celine I already told you that I'm leaving. I'm sorry."

"Look here have a seat and let me get you something to drink. I just want you to hear me out OK? Please can I at least have that?"

Victor hesitated at first but gave in. "Fine." He took a seat and looked up at Celine.

Celine grinned. "Thank you. Let me get you something to drink. What would you like?"

"Just water is fine."

"No. Not water, I mean wouldn't you rather have milk or orange juice?"

"Celine, come on now no games!" Victor said frustrated.

"Well I mean it's just that I think milk or orange juice would be better since it's early in the morning."

"Fine orange juice. You know I don't like milk."

She nodded and rushed to the kitchen. She could see him in the living room constantly checking his watch as if he was in a hurry to leave.

After this drink, you won't want to leave. You'll be mine the way you were meant to be, Celine said to herself.

"Celine could you hurry up I need to go soon. Nancy will be waiting," Victor called out.

Celine felt angry just hearing that woman's name. She grabbed the bag of powder and did the two pinches as she was instructed and watched it dissolve in the orange juice. She was about to go out and give Victor the orange juice, when she realized she needed this stuff to work fast. She smiled deviously and poured two large spoonfuls of the powder.

"Here you go," she said cheerfully handing him his juice.

Victor sighed and took a long hard gulp. Celine watched and her smile grew bigger as Victor began to lay his head back looking so relaxed.

"Honey? Are you OK?" Celine asked.

Victor moaned. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm kind of sleepy though."

"I'll be right back," Celine said getting up and rushed to her room to make sure her makeup and hair was still in tact. She was going to make love to her husband. She needed him.

She dabbed some perfume on her neck and was about to reapply her lipstick when she heard screaming. It was Victor.

She ran out her room and her eyes widened as she saw Victor laying on the ground screaming his head off.

"Victor! What's wrong?" Celine yelled out paranoid.

"I'm burning up! I'm going to fry!" Victor continued to scream.

Celine panicked she had no clue what was going on. She got on her knees trying to make him stop kicking. His arms were waving in the air as if he was trying to put out a fire.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" He shrilled.

"Make what stop? Victor what's wrong?" Celine felt tears coming out of her eyes.

"Ahhrrrhhhhhhh!" Victor cried out. He wouldn't stop shaking.

"I'm calling 911," Celine said and rushed to the phone.

* * *

It was a few hours until Celine finally saw Victor's doctor come out to tell her what was going on. Jackie stood with her sister holding her hand through this hard time.

"Mrs. Beckman?" The doctor called out.

"Yes! That's me! What's wrong with my husband?" Celine asked in a shaky voice.

The doctor looked at Jackie. "Can you excuse us for a minute?"

Jackie agreed and left. The doctor turned back to look at Celine. His face didn't look as if he had good news.

"Mrs. Beckman, you're husband has suffered some serious brain damage."

Celine looked confused. "B-brain damage? How?"

"Does your husband do drugs?"

Celine frowned. "No, of course not. He's a police officer."

"Yes I know he is but that still doesn't make him a saint. I've know officer Beckman a few years now and I know he's probably not the type of person to use drugs. I also know that he's been sleeping with my niece Nancy."

Celine gulped. "She's you're niece?"

"That's right. Now if he didn't take the drugs then you probably gave him drugs."

"D-drugs? N-no not me! Why are you accusing me?"

"Because the drug you gave him is Toloache. It comes from a plant in Central America, which is used to make one hallucinate. It is often used as a sort of mind control drug. I know Nancy had mentioned to my wife that she was going to be living with your husband and I know you, as a wife could not be so calm about it. Plus it shows that the drug was taken in a large amount not too long ago."

Celine thought about the blue powder that Lourdes had given her. It was drugs not some love potion like her naïve mind had thought.

"It shows he's been drinking orange juice too which were what the paramedics saw on the coffee table of your home. Now Mrs. Beckman you know you can go to jail for attempted murder?"

Celine looked frightened. "No doctor I can't go to jail. Who would take care of my husband?"

The doctor crossed his arms and stared at Celine. "That's what I thought too. I'm not going to have my niece taking care of someone who can't care for her. Now I'm going to keep all this behind closed doors but you have to take care of your husband. If you don't you are going to jail is that understood?"

"Y-yes. I will take care of him. How bad is the brain damage?"

The doctor shrugged. "Very severe. He will need help being fed, changed, and you would need to keep an eye on him almost every single minute. He's like a child now. He's completely helpless. He cannot be without you."

Celine closed her eyes and wanted to die. Now she would have to suffer the rest of her life taking care of her husband who could no longer do anything for himself. She wanted to report Lourdes to the authorities but she knew she couldn't. She was too embarrassed to have sunk as low as she did. She had to take responsibility for her own actions. She had her mind on keeping Victor and she did. The hard way.