CHAPTER FOUR

      

       GUNS AND ROSES

         CHAPTER FOUR

          MARIA PAUL'S POV

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"This is most amazing meal, I've eaten in a long time." I  praised my mom, rubbing my stomach in satisfaction. 

My mother smiled as Bianca came over and took away our plates.

 I moved to help her, but she  shook her head, with a small smile on her lips. Bianca barely spoke most times,she seemed like a reserve but well brought up young lady. 

 I guess you could say she was a house help, but I could tell that she meant so much more to  the family.

My parents doted on her and did most things on their  own anyway, in fact, it seemed like they kept her here as more of a  companion than a help.

"So, who lives next door?" I questioned as we waited for some parfait, curiosity of the man I had seen earlier getting to me.

"Next door?" My mother looked at me confused for a second before her eyes lit up in  realization.

 "Is that Damon Anderson? Yes, well a young man by name of Damon crowther Anderson he visits here once in a while, he lives next door."

"Well I've never seen his face but truth is i was  worried seeing him,clenching his hands yesterday kilometers from here.Thought he could be dangerous, or perhaps he ain't the one i saw" I explained to my mother.

"Well am sure the young man you saw was Damon.The house by the left towards, the far end belongs to his family" she further narrated.

"That house is his late grand parent's house, perhaps he didn't want to leave it, people cope in different ways."my mother concluded and drank from her glass, a cup of cold water. 

"You guys could end up to be friends,who knows? My father butt in,always hitting the nail at the end.

"Friends? I don't need anybody else, I've got you." I joked,hoping to change the subject.I dont trust myself around anyone with my present state.

"Darling, you live here  now, you'll have to go out and meet people eventually. Besides, you have to find a job sooner or later and i will contact your best friend beatrice and tell her your in town.

She has missed you a lot and cant wait to see you. She stops by every now and then to check up on me and get any information on your return." My mom replied.

Bianca emerged from the kitchen, placing a tray of cakes on the table  before heading towards the door.

"Mother , I've only been  here for less than a week. We can talk about this another time or we fix a day." Finally succeeding in changing the subject, we began eating dessert but my glory  was short lived.

 All of a sudden, a young, beautiful girl came  sauntering in to the room. She had blond hair and emerald eyes and  wore a small, innocent smile on her lips.

"Hi!" She exclaimed  going up to my parents and kissing them on the cheek. They began conversing, her voice was pretty low and so I could only pick up a few words. So  I just sat there,lost.It was almost they were whispering and my mom understood her perfectly.

"Oh, susan, I'm so sorry. Honey, this is susan crowther Anderson. The relative of our neighbour that we were just talking about." My mother explained.

"All good things I  hope." Susan joked as she reached over for a dessert. I stared at her,  unsure of what to do and what was expected of me.

"Maria, why don't the  two of you, go out for a walk. Talk, get to know each other and perhaps become friends." My mother  suggested, beaming sweetly at me and i stared at her increduously.

"But, mom,it not been long that i just got here. Perhaps, we could do this another time." I argued softly, hoping that susan couldn't hear me.

"Maria, I know you just got here. But, I promise I can make this place fun for you." She butt  in. Her voice was cool and she sounded very friendly  just like everyone else I've met around here.

"It's ok, susan, I'm not in a friend-making mood right now."

"You can call me susu,  please let us just go for a walk get to know each other. If you still  aren't in a friend-making mood by then, I will leave you alone."

She  begged, she grabbed onto my hand causing me to flinch a little but it  went unnoticed by her and my grandparents.

"Come on, Maria, just  let it go.Bring poodle along with you." My mother said, I sighed and saw poodle raising her head,standing up and i just went over to the hanger,grabbing a jacket and people's dog leash. 

Poodle was my parent's dog, she  was an European hunting dog, having heavy curly coat in a solid color.

She was an husky dog that they had adopted from a woman in the village that was sick with paralysis."Fine, I'll see you  later."

I muttered already heading out the door, poodle following along  behind me. Susan squealed excitedly before kissing my parents at their cheeks and caught up with me.

She seemed like a happy girl,and i could see my younger years in her.

"So, how old are you?" She asked, and I could sense this was the beginning of an array of questions.

"Twenty five." I replied getting bored of the question and answer so soon.

"Cool, I'm seventeen but I  turn eighteen in a few weeks." I gave her a small smile but it was probably unnoticable in the darkness of the night sky. "Favourite  colour?"

" Sky Blue."

"Like the ocean or like The Smurfs?"

"Sure the ocean, why not." I  responded quietly not really answering her question, from the corner of  my eyes I could feel her looking at me. Probably annoyed at my lack of  enthusiasm.

"Do you work out?"

"Sometimes."

"Well,you can come with  me to the gym whenever you want. I have a dual membership and then we  could go explore some part of town. It's only an two hours away from here, you  know."

Again, I just gave her a small smile. We stopped at a small field  where I freed poodle from her leash allowing her to run around.i was cert protective of her and watched as she ran few metres away.

"So, why would you decide to  come here? I can't understand ever wanting to be here, in this village,  over the city ." My head snapped towards here, for the first time my  eyes made contact with her emerald ones and she stood there, slightly  surprised at my sudden movement.

"There's a lot of things  you don't and you won't understand." I said darkly taking a menacing  step towards her. My sudden change in demeanor, shocked her but shocked  me even more. I took a step back,quickly apologizing.

"It's ok, I overstepped."

There was only silence  after that as we watched poodle roam the field. Eventually, susan started  on the topic of some celebrity new clothing line, however, I was barely  listening. For a second there, I lost myself. I behaved like him, like  Peter.

He was a beast and i was horrified, repulsed at myself and I felt bland bile rise up in my  throat.  I closed my eyes taking a deep breath, trying to control myself.

"Hey, are you ok?" She  asked, placing a comforting hand on my back. Again, her touched caused  me to flinch but this time it didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a  bit rockheaded and jetlagged." She nodded,a look of concern still etched on her face, calling poodle back. I put on her leash and we began walking again.

"So do you have a  boyfriend? I bet you do you're so pretty." She trailed off not even  allowing me to answer. Not that I even knew the answer to that question.  

Did I have a boyfriend? In my eyes, I didn't. He was gone, kilometres and  miles away from me. Peter had no idea where I was, and thank God for  that. As long as he was away from me, he had no control over me and I  hoped it would stay that way.

"So do you?" Susan inquired again, bringing me away from my thoughts. I looked at her hesitantly, what was I to say?

"No." I said eventually,  "I don't have a boyfriend." Saying those words was like ripping off a  band aid. A part of Peter's hold fading away.

"Well, you know what?"  She began, linking her arm through mine and smiling." We are young,independant women. We don't need a man, and besides, they wouldn't  be able to handle our super awesomeness."

Her words warmed my heart and I  found myself letting out a laugh, followed by another and another.  Before I knew it, we were both doubled over with laughter. Laughing,  it's something I hadn't done in a while.