The Karma Contract

It was a warm evening. Everyone was immaculately dressed, and John West kept beaming with joy. He had helped himself to several rounds of dessert, and his loud belch subtly reminded him that the metabolism of the ice-cream in his stomach wasn't over, and he would do well to stop the intake. John ignored the warning and went for more, who could resist strawberry flavor? His Dad, Oliver West was sitting at the dining table along with the rest of his family as they celebrated. He could hear their laughter and metallic cling of clashing glassware.

He did not know what they were celebrating, neither did he care. He had all the ice-cream he wanted, and that was all that mattered. Nana, his maid should have been watching him, but she was too busy cooking.

With his parents outside welcoming guests, his maid in the kitchen and the butler putting the finishing touches around the house, there was no one to watch him, and he roamed free.

Three minutes of a ninja-like walk brought him to the kitchen, his favorite spot in the house. A mild groan from his stomach reiterated the warning that his body had had enough of ice-cream, but he went on undeterred. He was fantasizing about the yummy, gelatinous goodness about to grace his mouth when a deep voice from behind him disrupted his reverie.

"Hmm, hmm. John, don't you think you've had enough ice-cream?"

John looked back and looked into the deep blue eyes of their butler. He started to explain, but the butler cut him short with a finger to his mouth.

"Yes, I know you love ice-cream, but you have to take it easy so you don't get sick. OK?" A nod from John sufficed for him.

"Good. Just take one more, and....." His words were drowned by a barrage of fireworks (or so it seemed) and a loud explosion. His ice-cream tumbled in slow motion and everything suddenly went dark.

He woke up with a start and a mild headache. He had had that dream that haunted him almost every night without warning. He could not decode what the dream meant, but it always made him feel like he had lost something so precious to him. He took one look at the figure sleeping peacefully beside him, and he smiled. When he remembered that the beauty beside him could soon be taken away from him, his smile turned into a frown.

Sarah Lance was his two month old wife. He had promised her many things while they were dating, but sadly their lives had been filled with the opposite of his promises. He had promised her a life of joy and happiness, but their marriage was constantly plagued by sadness and despair.