The nightmares were back. The first one had come two weeks ago, but it wasn’t as bad as this one. Nono was kicking and trying to scream but her voice wouldn’t come out. Her husband, Phillip, had to shake her to wake her up. When he told her that she had had a nightmare, she knew exactly what he was talking about; she could still hear her own muffled cries for help echoing in her head.

In the dream she couldn’t move; she was pinned down with her hands and legs spread far apart from her body, like she was being crucified on concrete-hard ground. Just thinking about it made her tremble.

Phillip suggested that maybe she shouldn’t go in to work; that she should call in sick. But Nono assured him she was alright; that she just needed some rest. Phillip let the issue go because she would get plenty of it – rest – soon. She had seven days’ time off due, and then her leave would kick in after that for another week.

Phillip was taking her to a surprise getaway; a retreat somewhere. Nono didn’t have the heart to tell him that she already knew he had booked them in at Club Mykonos, on the Cape West Coast. That was about two hours’ drive from where they lived, an hour and half if one anticipated no traffic. They lived in the quiet suburb of Muizenberg; a safe haven for Nono. It was relatively crime-free which meant some peace of mind for Phillip.

Nono didn’t like surprises. So when she was off one morning and Phillip was at work, she ransacked the house. She found the brochure, the confirmation letter of booking and the proof of payment he had sent them. He had paid from his personal account to keep the surprise a surprise. He knew that if he used their joint savings account, Nono would have known and objected to the trip. But now she couldn’t, especially now that the nightmares were back.

She sat at the breakfast counter and looked lovingly at her husband as he handed her a cup of soothing chamomile tea.

“Drink up!” he ordered. “We still have three more hours of sleep to get in tonight.” Nono glanced at the digital clock on the oven and it read 02:27. She rubbed her eyes to relieve them of the headache that she could already feel coming on. Phillip, being a kind and loving man, mistook this once again as a need for sleep.

He came up behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders and neck. He remarked that she was all tensed up, that she should relax. Nono slowly took a deep breath, held it, and counted down from five as she exhaled. She took a sip of the tea and allowed herself to relax.

“Just picture the ocean as your morning view. Feel the light morning breeze and let it carry you off to paradise. Relax. Breathe. Ahh…” Phillip’s voice was soothing. It was one of the reasons Nono married him. That, and his love for children. He was a teacher at a nearby primary school and Nono a doctor at Groote Schuur Hospital.

He massaged her mid back and it felt good. Her eyes closed and slowly she began to relax. In her mind’s eye she could see the ocean and could hear the seabirds. She could feel the breeze gently caressing her skin. She was now calm. She was at peace. She could face the coming day.

She put her cup down, its contents half drunk, and they headed back to bed. Phillip was still talking about the trip and Nono was glad she hadn’t ruined the surprise. He was happy. For the first time in two years, two years, four months and twenty-six days to be exact, Nono’s husband was once again happy.

She woke up a few hours later feeling refreshed. They got ready for work and at the door, they kissed. They shared a long embrace. “I love you, Nono. I love you with all my heart,” Phillip said, as he kissed her on the forehead, but Nono didn’t respond.

Phillip now always insisted on driving Nono to the train station before he drove on to work. They travelled in silence with Phillip silently wishing he could go with her or, even better, that she wasn’t going in at all. Her nightmare had shaken him more than he was letting on.

Phillip was protective of his wife and would do anything to protect her. What worried Nono was that he was overprotective because he blamed himself for not being there when she was attacked. Even though Nono had assured him countless times that there was nothing he could’ve done, even going as far as saying that if he were there, things could’ve turned out worse, Phillip still blamed himself.

He parked in the parking lot; he never simply pulled up at the drop-and-go. He walked her to the platform to wait for her train. When the train pulled up they kissed and Phillip told her once again that he loved her. She got into the train and watched him standing there as it pulled off.

It was a tedious routine for Nono, but she understood that it was necessary for her husband. “Make every day count. Live and love like there is no tomorrow.” His words echoed in her head as she took out her Jeffery Archer book.

***

Tell us what you think: What happened to Nono two years ago? Why is she having nightmares again?