Chapitre 15: 15. Memories
After having some rest or rolling on the bed to be precise. I went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, forgot that Lady Anna wasn't here. When hash browns and apple pancakes were prepared, I went to Adam's room to call him. He was sitting on the floor near the window with his back facing me.
"What are you doing?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows while he cocked his head in alarm.
"N-nothing, why did you come here?" His voice showed there was something.
"What are you hiding?" I asked in a clipped tone.
"Nothing, knock before you enter someone's room." He stood with his hands folded back, trying to hide something behind him.
"What is it, Adam?" With each of my questions, I was taking a step towards him.
"I don't have anything, now leave." He panicked when I get closer.
I bend above him to look at what was he hiding behind him and saw a little bird wrapped in bandages. I started scolding him whilst he was defending himself. He always brings one or the other animal to the home. First was a rabbit which I gave to a pet shop, he wasn't taking care of it. Next was three chicks which became the food of a stray cat and now a bird.
"Where did you get it? And what's with all those bandages?" I asked.
"I found it injured in our garden." He said still holding the bird in his hands. I looked at the bird carefully, he tied those bandages too tight that its lungs may burst out of the air. I asked him to remove them and without any question, he did what I asked.
Now he'll please me to keep it.
"I'll put it back in its nest when it's fine. But where will it stay till then? You know how dangerous the outside world is." He was saying each word dramatically.
"The bird won't be accepted if you put it back in its nest. You can keep it." I don't like animals.
"But why will it not be accepted?" He was happy though.
"They can sense human smell. For their safety, they'll not allow any bird who has been touched by a human." I said and turned to leave. "Come for dinner and do not bring it in my room."
We had our dinner and went to sleep. There was one thing in my mind 'The party'. I don't know how it's going to be, who will be coming, with whom I am going to meet. With these thoughts, I slept.
~~~~~~~~
The next day, the college went on as usual. Jeal asked if we can meet at Jacob's place today for practice, neither his mother nor I was free. I didn't mention my 'busyness'. His mother was enough to postpone this meeting. I felt a little bad, she asked something for the first time but we're not able to accept it. So, I made a promise to practice tomorrow.
I picked Adam from school on time and we got home. When I asked uncle Willson about the party he said one of our business partner's company reached its goal. He's throwing the party to express his gratitude. He'll be coming to pick me up at 9'O clock. I am not allowed to go alone. Pondering on the question of what clothes to wear to the party and found none. I don't have any party wear. My wardrobe was filled with all casuals. I ordered a black silk dress covering my knees with full sleeves of net reaching fingers and a hole for the thumb. I clicked on quick delivery which says it will be delivered in 2 hours and went for a bath. After having a long bath, I dressed in shorts and a shirt. Our doorbell rang. Who might be at this time? When I opened the door saw Lady Anna. She always arrives at the right time. I was worried about Adam, where to drop him until I attend the party and here she is. When I asked the reason behind her going, she said her sister was moving her house so she went to help her.
At 8, I went to get ready. Wore a navy blue silk dress, barely reaching my knees. Cut sleeves with three-inch broad shoulder straps and a net cape with buttons on one side, covering my bare upper hands.
A wrong dress was delivered to me!
It's too exposing.
It wasn't looking bad though. Thankfully, I have blue shoes, a pointed one with high heels. It was a gift from the brother on my last birthday. Every year he conveys gifts to us on our birthday. Toys or whatever Adam demands and typical girly gifts for me. He doesn't know my choice. I put on the shoes and a masquerade mask to hide my identity brother asked me to do so. I pinned my hair on one side while another side was freely falling. Mother use to make my hair this way.
I miss her.
At 10 to 9 uncle arrived and we made our way to the party.
Our car halted in front of a tall building. We entered through a large door into a huge hall. Uncle by my side with my arm crossed in his.
If father was alive today he would be the one standing next to me instead of him. I don't know why all of a sudden he clicked in. I know nothing about him, neither his name nor his image. I didn't even have a picture of him anywhere. I never saw my own dad.
Taking a deep breath, I tilted my head towards uncle with a smile.
Chandeliers hanging with shiny lights, falling all over the room making everything bright. Women in gowns and men in tuxedos.
Later, uncle introduced me to almost everyone. I never left his side, being insecure about the surrounding. I don't like crowds and this place was crowded with strangers. A smile crept across my face as soon as I saw cakes. Though I am not a foodie person, cakes and pastries hold a different place. I walked to a roundtable took an orange piece of cake and began to eat. Pineapple would have been better.
A good book with a cup of coffee and a plate of pastry will make my day.
While I was busy eating my cake, I saw Mrs. Jaffary. Is Loren here? It will be fun if he is, what if she called him a baby in front of everyone. I internally laughed at my thoughts, then sensed someone's staring at me. You can sense a stare even in your sleep. I turned my head around to see who? And I saw Rob- the one who studies in my college. Slowly keeping the plate on the table, I began to walk to increase the distance between us.
Is he following me? I wanted to glance back but, couldn't do so. I went close to a woman to see the reflection in her eyes. Was anyone was behind me and saw a figure was getting close. I kept walking letting my feet take me where it goes and finally reached a staircase. Following its way, I landed on the first floor. Took a relieving deep breath thinking that I was out of his reach, but no. Soon the sound of footsteps reached my ears and I dashed into the corridor. I kept running until a hand pulls me by my wrist on the right side of the corridor. My back collided with its torso. I looked up to see. "Loren!" He hushed me placing his finger on my lips and I nodded on his action.
"Who's he?" He whispered in my ear.
"Rob," I answered.
"Rob who?" He asked again.
"Who has a girlfriend with no name." I was answering without contemplating.
"What?" He was confused now.
"I mean, a classmate of Jeal."
"Again, Jeal who?"
"The one who has hair with red ends."
"Okay, fine." He said to end my senseless answers.
I leaned my head back on his shoulder with my hands covering my face. I am wearing a mask, did he recognize me? or not?
"Loren, will you sneak a little to see where he is?" I asked, hands still on my face.
"I can't a thick head is blocking my way." The moment his words registered my head, I agonized my position. I was completely leaning back on him. His hand resting on my stomach.
I quickly raised my head from his shoulder and took a step away from him, Realizing how close we were, my heart raced in this instance.
"No one's there." He said and walked to the balcony on right.
I mirrored his action and asked. "Why are you here?"
"Hiding from my aunt." He said nonchalantly and stood on its end resting his hands on the railing.
We were silent for a while. I was capturing every beauty of the night, gazing at the stars.
"How long have you been in the kinder academy?" He asked, looking at the glass in his hand.
"How do you know that I was in the kinder academy?" I turned to face him, surprised by his question.
"One should keep information about their business partner."
"I was 6 when I was brought home," I replied and those memories flashed up.
As long as I remembered, I was in the academy. When I was brought home, I was never close to my mother. I had always been with brother, he was 10 at that time. After a few months, Adam was born. He was like a toy to me. Because of him, I began to interact with the mother but she never told me anything about father. As I grew up, I interpreted that there was no trace of our father.
I was lost in my thoughts until Loren's voice broke my pictured memory.
"Like watching stars." Though he didn't ask it as a question, I answered.
"Huh?" I again cocked my head towards him. "Yes, do you?" I asked, amused.
This time he turned towards me before answering and said: "I like moon rather than stars."
"You know a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you," I said. He's my partner, so I should know about him.
"Your fault." He said and again his eyes were back on the glass.
"I know something," I said mischievously.
"And what's that?"
"You're a baby of your aunt," I said between my laughter. As soon as I said that, he caught my face in between his fingers and thumb, making my lips look like a mouth of fish. My heart raced at his action and I blinked. He took a step forward whilst pulled my face close to his.
"Say that again and I'll shut your mouth in my ways." He let go of me, my heart was beating audibly. I kept quiet after those words. There was an eerie silence for about ten minutes until we heard some music from the ground floor.
"What will you reply, if I ask you for a dance." He said listening to music.
"If you want to sacrifice your feet under my heels, you can have a pleasure of a dance with me," I said pointing to my shoes.
He chuckled at my words. "I prefer my feet alive."
We both giggled. My legs were painful due to my heel. So, I sat on the edge of the railing with my legs hanging out and hands on the side for support. Loren suddenly circled his hands around my waist. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"My legs are hurting."
"Just get down, you may fall." He panicked.
"I won't, I always used to sit this way, now let go of me."
He didn't. Until I was back on my feet, he'll not. Reluctantly, I agreed. I started to remove my shoes. "We can go and sit inside." He offered.
"No, I'll rather stand here with you." I don't want to go inside. I said and stood at the railing with my stretched hands holding the shoes in the air. He stood behind me placing his hands on either side of the railing, afraid I may climb again.
"I'll not sit again," I said, looking up at him. A shoe fell from my hand, I quickly moved back and turned to face him. "I dropped my shoe." He laughed at my words and bend his head above me to look.
"Let's go." He said, turning around.
"I cannot walk barefoot."
"Want me to carry you?" He quirked his brows.
"No," I said and followed him tiptoed with a shoe in my hand. Uncle caught us while we were slowing leaving through the door. After hearing the shoe incident, he sighed in disbelief and asked Loren to drop me home. Drive to home was silent. When we arrived, he walked me to the door. Before I could turn to say bye, he pulled me close and whispered something in my ear.
"Leat breathnú anocht álainn."
[You look beautiful tonight]
Then he gave a quick kiss on my cheek along with a 'good night'.
I tried to contemplate his action but my frozen mind was not with me. Grasping my thoughts, I wandered around but Loren was gone, leaving me alone with my intellection.
What language was that?
•••••••••••••••••••
LOCKHART.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone