Andrew “All I ever hear you say is how much you love that lady. But, I’ve never heard her return the gesture. Don’t you think it’s a one-sided love?” My dad asked from where he sat behind his oak table. “She wouldn’t care for me the way she did if she hadn’t feelings for me, dad. She was with me, throughout the time I made my music for the golden studios. She pushed me to keep going. She chastised me when I slacked. She gave me her honest and brutal opinion about the way I do things. She practically molded me into a better person. Who does that to a total stranger?” “She, apparently,” my dad replied, with a shrug of his shoulders. “Yes! Dad. She did. It can only mean one thing. She cares for me.” I impassioned. “Why then is she with your brother instead of you?” my dad interrogated. “Vincent brainwashed her. He went behind my back and wooed her. We all know women fall for his cool and collectedness. Plus, he has a way with words. I strongly believe Anny has been misled. She has f
Vincent I turned the key to my door and entered. I didn’t get to close the door behind me when suddenly something ran into me, the force of which almost sent me right back to where I came from. I held onto the door frame to steady myself and with my right hand, secured her soft body against mine. “I could perceive you from a mile away,” she said with a beautiful smile on her cute face. “Hmm… someone’s been watching way too much Vampire movies,” I said, feeling a bubble of joy slowly creep into me at the sight and feel of her. “That’s not true,” she said with a frown, hitting me lightly on the chest. I chuckled, then gently pushed her back and closed the door behind me. “What have you been up to then,” I said, wrapping my other hand around her lower waist. “Well, I’d gone back to school to start the process of securing a hostel for the new semester, then went straight to my department to submit my internship report,” she said whilst twirling my shirt’s button in her fingers. I w
Andrew I signaled the bartender for another shot of vodka as I downed the last one, scrunching up my face as the fierce liquid burned my throat. I was angry at everyone and myself. How are they all right and I’m always wrong? How could it be possible that Anny never had feelings for me? After all the lovely times we spent together? Does it mean I’m unlovable? The lady I invested my time, effort, and love for, did not do the same for me. These thoughts melted the soothing effects of the vodka. It made me furious. I came here to forget but the more I drank, the more pain I felt. “Why!” I yelled out, earning myself curious stares from all sides. I didn’t care one bit. My behavior wasn’t abnormal in a place like this. A lot of people have done worse. In fact, half of the people here wanted to forget or drown horrible memories, pain, or problems. I guess they were only curious to know who had been added to the list. After seven extra shots, I was certain that my stomach couldn’t take a
Andrew I’d initial forgotten why I’d gotten into the fight in the first place till someone hugged me. I had thought it was one of those nauseating females in the bar, but when her scent whiffed into my nose, I remembered I had heard and saw someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. After a while of hugging the life out of me, she loosened her hold, allowing me to turn and face her. Her eyes were brimming with tears and her lips quivering, as she looked at me with the same yearning I saw more than 8 months ago. The first thing that entered my head was why? Why was she craving for a disaster like me? I wasn’t worthy of her love. I’ve hurt everyone around me with my reckless behavior and actions. Why was she pining after me? “What are you doing here..” “Why are you working here…” We had begun at once, but I signaled with a wave of my hand for her to continue. “Nothing really. I needed the extra cash for stuff,” she said, looking bashfully at the floor. “Pam, have you been doing this?
Andrew I stepped into the small empty circle of her tiny apartment, the size of one-fourth of my bathroom, and looked around. The place, aside from the cramped-up space, looked decent enough. She had a tiny bed, a reading table with books piled on it, a tiny wardrobe, a door leading to a tiny kitchen, another door leading to what I believe should be a tiny restroom. Yes. Everything was tiny. I turned and looked at her still leaning on the door, taking in deep, calming breaths. Pam was the same girl I knew. She hadn’t changed. She was just adapting to her environment, from what I saw. I was supposed to be having a headache, but the thought of my current surroundings made me disregard it. The increase in its intensity brought my focus back to it. I held onto my head and stared at Pamela. She read my mind almost immediately and quickly leaped off the door. She went to one of the drawers of her tiny table and brought out aspirin, went to the kitchen and fetched water in a glass cup, th
Andrew “Your hot water is ready,” she said awkwardly, moving away from me. I blinked my eyes severally to conceal the actual effect of that hug and peck on the cheek. That was undoubtedly what I needed. Asides from the care my mum showed me this period, no one else had bothered to make me feel the way Pam made me feel now. Loved. Silly me wanted to grab her and kiss the hell out of her but I refrained from such, because one, I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression, then secondly, I didn’t want her hurting my arm or any part of my body a second time. I’d carried my battered body into the bathroom and poured the soothing hot water down it. It was heavenly! All my body ached, but the water dampened the pain. Of course, there in the bathroom, alone with my thoughts, Anne’s face resurfaced in my mind’s eye and taunted me brutally. If not for those disturbing thoughts, I would have stayed longer, and enjoyed the hot water, instead, I poured the remaining water I had in the bucket
Andrew Surprisingly, I didn’t feel severe headaches when I woke up. My head was just giving out a dull ache, but it was as if all the pain I was supposed to feel moved down my body. I couldn’t even lift a finger from the bed. I know yesterday was rough and all, but I doubted it was the sole reason for the body pain. The tiny flatbed had a huge hand in it. Exerting the little energy I had, I managed to agonizingly move my limps and slide off the bed. I didn’t get far due to the dizziness that came as soon as I stood. It sent me right back on the bed, the force of which increase my headache. I groaned, then began looking around for any sign of human life in the room. There were shuffling and human activities actively going on outside the door but the room was dead silent. Pam couldn’t have left so soon, could she? Speaking of soon, I didn’t even know the time of the day. I grumpily stretched my hand and grabbed my phone on the table. The time read 8 am. Pamela must have gone for lec
Anne I was contemplating whether to open the door or not. The person I saw through the peephole was an unwelcome guest. The bell had been rung loudly and at a stretch. It couldn’t have been Vincent because he had a key. Even if he had misplaced it, he wouldn’t have been ringing the bell obnoxiously. So, my best guess was Andrew, or… My other guess was answered when I looked through the peephole and saw Fiona tapping her foot off on the porch. Vincent wasn’t home. I was sure she didn’t come to see me. She didn’t even know I was here in the first place. Was there any need to open the door and get verbally harassed by her? I had opted to ignore her. I had no business with her, and I hadn’t the strength for unnecessary confrontations, but the persistent ringing irked me out. My eye twitched uncontrollably as I tried to stand it out. She would go away if I did, I thought. The witch didn’t. I’ve never seen this degree of wasted determination. From her ringing, she was certain Vincent
Anne I felt a hand slip into my PJs and began walking its magic there. A moan escaped my lips as sensual pressure built in my core. I was lying on our king-sized bed with white sheets and a duvet, in our large bedroom. I’m too sleepy or maybe lazy to describe it. Just take this though, the walls are white. The side tables holding up the bedside lamps are also white but with golden designs along the edges, matching that of the bed frame, which has extra huge golden spirals on the tall headrest just above my pillow. By the corner, a long wooden cabinet that holds several drawers is attached to the wall. On top of the cabinet are different figurines and sculptures, then close to it is a magnificent white dressing table that houses my very few beauty products, and an equally magnificent mirror with the same golden design on its edges. There are two walk-in closets on opposite sides of the room. One is for Vincent and the other, mine. A second door closer to my closet lead to the bathroo
Vincent The heavens grumbled like an old giant before I began feeling splatters of droplets on me. I glanced up at the skies and smiled. It was as if it knew how I felt inside. It was a thunderous feeling. I sped past cars on Andrew’s bike, squinting to see clearly as the rain had begun pouring with reckless abandon. How didn’t I see it? How could one be so close, yet so far away?! I felt what I felt, but I just couldn’t see what I was supposed to see, simply because of amnesia. Now it’s all coming back to me! Like a waterfall crashing against the oceans, my memories came flooding in. “I’m coming, Anne. Just wait, okay? I’m coming,” I breathed, maneuvering through the impending hold-up that the rain caused. ‘Slow down you dumb-a**’ my mind warned. I listened to it and went slower till I was off the traffic and onto the small road leading to Anny’s. My heart pounded against my chest as I neared her apartment. The gate that’d had been there when I rented the place for her was un
Vincent Arya made it sound like I had the best of times with her. She may be right because the feelings I had for her couldn’t have been created by mere moments. We must have gone through thick and thin for me to have realized what I had and cherish it. Arya made me to almost desire to stay back and savage the little I could from all we had left. I couldn’t. Because I was hurt. I lost my memory. I couldn’t remember any of my time with her, or even her face, yet I couldn’t get myself to make love to any other woman. She had all the knowledge. She knew all the bits and pieces of our trials and tribulations, but the moment I step out of the picture, she finds solace in the arms of my brother. Now, she has a baby for him. I couldn’t live with that. Her love for me didn’t nearly match the way I felt for her. I couldn’t fight when she’d already given up a year ago. Why didn’t she come after me? Why didn’t she make plans to make me remember slowly? She only comfortably devised plans
Anne The knock on the door made me jerk and involuntarily drop the scissors outside the bathtub. Andrew couldn’t have been back so early, and definitely won’t be knocking gently. Pamela wouldn’t too. Who could be knocking? My dead heart arose and, like a diver, dipped into the pit of my stomach as the thought of Vincent being the one at the door entered my head. It couldn’t be, could it? He should be in the airport now if he wasn’t on the plane already. I didn’t really care to check the time since Andrew left. Is It possible that Andrew had talked Vincent out of leaving? That’ll be if he saw him on time. I didn’t want to ignite my hope only to watch it explode in my face yet again. I’d wanted to wait a bit to see if the caller would go away, but then the knocking would wake Lucia, who’d begin crying and wake my mother. That thought made me hurriedly step out of the bathtub. My legs were wobbly from all the fear and trepidation of what I’d decided to do. I gingerly put one foot i
Anne I carefully carried sleeping Lucia and placed her on the duplicate cot in my mum’s room. I slowly and noiselessly stepped back and out of a room, throwing a glance at my mum, who was snoring lightly on her bed. I then switched off the light and shut the door behind me. Finally, the time has come. I made sure I locked all the doors for the night before heading to my room. Pamela had come earlier and suggested staying with me till Andrew comes or calls. Andrew must have called her to come. Well, I refused all her persistence and almost got angry at her stubbornness. She’d grudgingly accepted to leave. In my room, I took out a pen and scribbled down a few thoughts of mine. I hadn’t time to write a full epistle because I was hurting badly. If I did have the time, I would have written long notes to every one of the people I know who would be hurt by my actions. I’d wanted to live for Lucia, but seeing her face, eyes and long hair reminded me so much of him. One would think that wo
Vincent “We need to talk, Arya,” I said, watching her enter the parlor. She stretched her mouth into a thin line, nodding her head in agreement. “We’re finally having the talk,” she said, removing her jacket and dropping it on the couch alongside her bag. “Alright, I’m ready,” she said, after sitting down on the couch opposite mine. Silence engulfed us for minutes. It was as if we both knew where all this was headed. “Arya, I’m sorry,” I began. “I thought I could do it, but I can’t. It would be a total mess marrying me in this state. You guys were right, I’ve not healed entirely, and I shouldn’t have come back here…” I had my eyes on her the entire time, gauging her reaction. She simply looked back at me without a flinch. “Arya, let’s call off the wedding,” I conferred. She didn’t respond or divulge any emotion that showed how she felt about what I said. After what felt like ages, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, then cleared her throat. “It’s sad. Honestly, I prayed it w
Andrew My brother has been ignoring me ever since I took him to see Anne a day ago. I don’t know what he was thinking, but for him to be acting this way, his thoughts weren’t in our favor. Anne had gone there to meet with him that same day while I’d gone straight to the studio. I was going to call Anne and ask how it transpired, but we finished so late at night and I was so exhausted that I passed out immediately my head touched my pillow back at our family house. The next day, I called Anne, but she didn’t answer. I called Vincent, but he, too, ignored my calls. So, after my recording session, I’d gone to Vincent’s but when I saw my mum’s car parked in front of the house, I made a U-turn and headed for Anne’s apartment instead. It was a sunny afternoon. I got there and met her coiled up on her bed, crying her eyes out once again. Racheal and Pam were there trying to make her eat her food. “You’ll make Rachael miss her doctor’s appointment, Anne,” Pam had warned. That was the only
Vincent Mum had threatened to take Anne’s baby away from her. She’d told me how she'd contacted her lawyers and had every paperwork done so that once Arya and I leave, the real work starts. “No, mum,” I’d refused. “Son, that our grandchild there. She cannot live in the slums,” she’d argued. “I’ve been there, mum. It’s not a slum, and Andrew is more than capable of caring for that child,” I countered. I was hurting real bad. I felt like I was drowning… it was overwhelming. Having these massive conflicting emotions, then having to stick up for what I believed was right, was slowly killing me. “Son, she has to pay for what she’d done to us! She cannot go scot-free. My husband and I, for over a year, have had no meaningful conversation because of her. He’d gone rigid around me,” she said in tears. “He’d not touched me for over a year because of that witch, Vincent,” she divulged bitterly. “She created a rift between your brother and yourself in the past, now, a much bigger one by hav
Vincent ‘Anne.’ I guess that’s her real name. It actually rang a bell. I remember pronouncing that name, and it must have meant so much to me because whenever I called it out, which I was doing often since that time with Arya in the kitchen, I felt a cacophony of emotions attack me. There was peace, followed by fear, then agitation, trepidation, fury, and what have you? It was strange. Her name held so much power, yet I couldn’t still remember. It was frustrating! “Have you booked the tickets, Vin?” mum asked from where she sat on the couch. She’d come around right after Arya left the house. Arya has been giving me the silent treatment ever since I mistakenly called her the name that tormented my subconscious, the day before. “Yes, mum,” I replied grudgingly from the dining table where I was getting some reading done. “Have you heard from dad?” I asked. “No, hun, but don’t you worry, he would be available for the wedding. I just received his clothes from his tailor. We’ll be tr