I cradled her in my arms and rested my head against hers. I knew from experience that the tears would probably be a good release for whatever demons were tormenting her.
Eventually, she quieted down. When she shuffled, and tried to pull out of my arms, I immediately let her go. Sitting up, I watched her.
She got off the bed and headed over to her ch*st of toys by the windows. She brought out a photograph in a gold frame.
I waited patiently.
She came over to me with it. I knew I was being shown into the world inside her head. This was very important to her.
With a great show respect, I took the framed photograph from her and looked at it. It was the image of a man who bore some resemblance to Gabriel, but there was something weak about his jaw, his mouth or his eyes. I didn’t know what it was. I only knew he wasn’t Gabriel.
He however wasn’t what held my attention. It was the woman by his side. Michele was the exact replica of her. The wind was in her hair. She was laughing, carefree. My heart took a dive into my stomach. I’d never seen Michele laugh. Not once.
I was so engrossed by the photo that it was only when Michele nudged me with her notepad, did I turn around to gaze into her eyes. I looked down at what she had scribbled down and the words seized my heart.
Mama and Papa were murdered.
“What do you mean?” I asked, shocked.
She opened her mouth as though she might speak, but suddenly she shook her head as if reminding herself not to. She took the photograph from me and returned it to its original place. Then she climbed into bed beside me and shut her eyes.
I understood what she was doing. She was deliberately closing the cruel world out. I could see tears sl*pping out of her closed lids. I let her cry. She needed it.
I waited until she was so exhausted that she fell asleep. I wished I too, could fall asleep and forget the world around me, but my mind wouldn’t slow down. Then, I got up and called Charlotte.
Davina
“Michele showed me a photo of her Mom and Dad,” I said the moment she picked up.
“What?” she asked, her voice groggy with sleep.
“The poor child cried herself to sleep,” I added sadly.
Charlotte yawned, and it was only then that I realized that she’d been asleep. My eyes darted to the clock on Michele’s wall. It was past three in the afternoon. “What’s going on? Why are you sleeping at this time?”
“I’ll tell you later,” she croaked.
“Are you okay?”
“I am,” she responded. “You’re the one who sounds like you have the weight of the whole world on your shoulders.”
“It’s nothing. Call me back when you’re awake, okay?”
“No, let’s talk now,” she said, alertness coming into her voice. “I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.”
My heart swelled at her boundless selflessness whenever it came to me. After what had happened with Gabriel, it was just the warmth my bruised soul needed. She’d been this way with me from the first day we met. Inseparable friends.
I went straight for it. “I slept with Gabriel last night.”
Silence.
“Are you asleep or just stunned?”
“Umm…”
I could almost picture her r*bbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“You actually did it?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. A part of me thought you wouldn’t. You tend to run away from things that are too threatening to your peace of mind.”
“Well, you’re not too far wrong. I packed up my stuff. Right now, my suitcase is in a closet in the foyer.”
“As expected. Does that mean he was a disappointment?”
“The opposite. I’m still sore.”
“Damn. A good f**k. So why the hell are you leaving?”
I gave her a half-truth. “He’s dangerous Charlotte. I was at his company yesterday, and there were guns everywhere. I think I even saw a dead body too.”
She was silent for a moment. “And?”
Her reaction shocked me. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah. You saw a dead body.”
“Exactly.”
“What does that have to do with you? Your only business is with his niece. Are you that scared you’ll fall for him?”
“I’m not going to fall for him.”
“Okkkkay.”
“You know what? It’s fine.”
“By the way, I did more research on your boss. He owns a conglomerate, according to good ole Google. Construction, Manufacturing, Real estate, investing. Cyber security. A whole host of other things and now, you tell me he can f**k well too. What I wouldn’t give to be you right now.”
“Uh, well is putting it lightly.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply