“You weren’t supposed to find that,” he said.
I took Emily in my arms and immediately left the room.
That night I could barely sleep. Daniel insisted that we should talk to his father before drawing conclusions, but I no longer trusted any explanation Robert could give me.
The next morning I installed a small hidden camera in the living room. It was facing the hallway and the door closed of the room of bath. I needed to know what was going on while I was away.
At work I watched the camera transmission from my phone all day long. At 3:40 p.m., Robert took Emily home after school. She didn’t run like she used to. He walked slowly, holding a hand resting on one side.
Robert knelt in front of her and asked anxiously:
“Has it started again?”
Emily nodded.
Do we tell Mom?
“No,” Robert replied. I have to make sure first.
I couldn’t stand it anymore. I ran out of work and came home twenty minutes later.
As soon as I opened the front door, I heard the water running in the bathroom. I ran down the hall and opened the door.
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Robert was fully dressed by the bathtub. Emily was also wearing all her clothes; only his feet were submerged in the warm water. Grandfather wore protective gloves and carefully examined the red spots that had appeared on the girl’s legs.
Above the sink was a special pharmacy soap, clean towels and a notebook.
In the notebook, Robert had recorded when each rash appeared, what clothes Emily had worn, and what she had eaten that day.
Clothing
“What does all this mean?” I asked.
Robert sat down and covered his face with his hands.
“I think Emily has the same illness her grandmother had.
It turned out that Robert’s wife had suffered for years from a strange allergic skin condition. Certain fabrics, laundry detergents and even common soaps caused painful inflammations.
Over the past few days, Robert had observed the same symptoms in Emily.
That’s why the clothes.
That’s why he washed the clothes separately and by hand.
And every time she offered to bathe her, her intention was to use a special product and check if new spots had appeared on her skin.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” I shouted, feeling angry and relieved at the same time.
Robert’s eyes filled with tears.
I made a mistake. First I wanted to be completely sure. Daniel’s mother suffered greatly from this disease. I was afraid you’d think I was exaggerating. I asked Emily not to say anything until she got a doctor’s appointment. Now I understand how terrifying my behavior must have seemed.
That same night we took Emily to the doctor.
Robert was right.
