C15 Chapter 15

I layed on my bed and I faced the ceiling. I felt like the space in my chest where emotions resided in, was lit, on fire.

I was restless, but I was still, I couldn't move, myriads of thoughts ran wild in my head, how could it fucking be.

I was trying to piece the whole thing, I was literally trying to piece my life.

When I was a boy, I was all alone, locked up in a gigantic house, I got home school till I was ten and I was sent to boarding school in another continent, just because my parents were too busy to take care of me. And they rarely visited me, they just spent a fortune paying for my education.

Rain falling outside reminded me of a movie I'd once seen, a sad and quiet movie, that bore a strong dark emotion to it and now, it didn't want to let me go.

I stood up from my bed and I walked to the closet, I used to do this as a child, when I was upset, I would go to the closet and lay on the floor, holding my knees to my chest and eventually I would sleep off, I was a grown man now, I didn't run away from feelings, I stood in front of the dressing mirror and I remembered what my mum had told me some years ago.

“When I see you, I see your father."

I hissed at the memory, memories always found the worse way to come into play.

Fuck Ará, fuck Robert, fuck Hensley, fuck my dad, fuck my mum, fuck Hensley's mum, fuck them all.

I remembered Ará words, it was fakez me and you. The memories we made together, everything we shared, everything we did.

Life had a way of turning it's back on people.

I walked back to my bedroom, I went to the sound studio and I put on jazz, I lowered the sound until it sounded distant and drowsy.

I walked to the window and I looked from it, I saw her, Ará, her beautiful body in her beautiful pool, swimming as if she owned it, she always did that, dominate things. she drew people in and they orbited around her.

I went to my bed and I layed down, I heard the lyrics.

“Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars..."

Eventually I went to sleep.

And I had a dream, in my dream, I was walking, down a barely lit alley, and I saw Mandeline's mom, she was wearing a bright yellow apron and she was holding a tray of pie, I looked at her and I asked her, “Are you Mandy's mom” and she replied " yes, have you seen her?."

“She's playing in the park." I told her and then I saw a man, walk up to her.

" Hey, get in the house." He said, his voice was rough and edgy.

Her grabbed her by the hair and her pie fell from her hands, he grabbed her neck, and he squeezed the life out of her.

" I relieved you of your misery. “ he said as her kicked her.

She didn't move, she layed there, life had been wrung from inside her, suddenly her eyes flew open and she stared wide at me, the motion threw me out of sleep.

I breathed heavily, clutching my pillow to my chest, I looked to the clock, it was 3:06 am.

I went to the bathroom, to take a cold shower, my legs could barely support me.

I couldn't go back to sleep, when I was driving to work, I stopped for a cup of coffee, it was one of the best coffees I ever had.

Immediately I saw Mandeline smiling at me from her desk, all my troubles went away and I felt fulfilled and at ease.

If only she knew how she had helped me.

I vould Concentrate at work, I was almost too focused.

“Sir, I brought some documents you could sign." I heard someone say from the door.

“Thank you." I told her, it was Mandeline.

“Do you like our receptionist?." She asked me.

“What do you mean."

“Our receptionist, I'm asking if you like her, they're two people trying to apply for the same spot and the both of them are credible, but our receptionist is more smart and she's lovely, so I'm asking whether or not you like her, it's your company, your say."

" I mean, I don't know. How about you, do you like her?. “

" Leticia is good, yes, I like her. “

" Okay then, we have our answer. “

" Yes sir. “

" Are you busy?. “

" Not really sir, but I have a few things to take care of. “

" Can I steal you for a moment, just a moment and please, call me Darwin. “

" Okay, sir. “

" Darwin. “

" Darwin... “ She said testing my name.

" It feels odd. “

" What, you don't like my name?. “

" No, not that, your name is lovely, what is weird is calling my boss by his first name. “ She laughed, her laughter was light and engulfing, like that of a child.

“After a while, it would be good, but please, I don't like being too formal."

“Aye aye captain."

“Please, would you be kind as to complete your story."

“Sure, I'd love to."

“Thanks."

“Where was I?."

" You were working in a convenient store, I wouldn't lie, Mandeline, you don't seem to me like someone that would have ever worked in a convenient store, you don't look like someone that ever knew pain, you look like the girls from Princeton.“

I watched her laugh.

" You're very funny, thank you. “

" So, tell me. “

" A day came when I was going home from work, it began raining, pouring down cat and mice and then I saw a car that stopped to let me in. “