Beauty and the Pharaoh

Chapter 19 - [The Photograph and the Pharaoh]

Once that was done, I would eat my breakfast and then check to see if May was awake.

She never was, since she wasn't an early riser. She was like everyone else in this world, gloomy and tired and lifeless in the mornings. But nonetheless I would open her bedroom door and peek in.

May would always be asleep either with her hands over her head or curled up into a ball. She was covered with thick blankets and she had three pillows, one under her head and the other two at both sides of her.

But again, she was asleep.

So I walked into the living room, sat at the couch and read.

Mornings were so lonely in this world.

Even with the windows open, I could hear nothing. Not a single soul. And the cold weather made it worse because I could not even hear the chirps of a single bird.

It was six in the morning now, and at my balcony in Egypt, by this time you could hear the markets bustling with people, kids beginning their day of play in the courtyard and the sounds of animals everywhere.

Here, there was nothing.

Occasionally I would hear a loud whistle-like sound and when I questioned May about it she said it might have been a train.

Another strange contraption that I didn't think I would ever understand.

My point being, mornings were quiet and I didn't like it.

At a little bit before seven on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I would get ready to go and exercise with Blake.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing that. It made up for all the time I spent cooped up in this small home of May's and Blake, like me, was a morning person which made my mornings a little less lonely.

Since today was Monday, I got ready quickly and made my way out of the building.

Blake was never late.

He arrived in his car either early or just as I exited the building. And I would enter his car and he would drive me to the gym.

Normally, most of the talking was done in the car. We wouldn't talk at the gym. And today, he seemed really eager to talk to me.

So the second I stepped into his car, he spoke up, "May's brother called me last night."

I looked at him and waited for him to continue.

That was neither a question nor a statement worth responding to, so I didn't say anything. I just waited for him to continue.

"He mentioned that her father was over the other day?"

A question. "Yes. He was."

Blake shook his head, "Marv's furious that May didn't call him. He's flying here now."

Flying? That's ridiculous. So I assumed it was some sort of saying. Similar to how May says 'I'm going to run to the store.'

It was quite obvious that she was not running anywhere.

May was horrible in all forms of athletics.

"What is her brother going to do?" I asked, "how did he find out?"

"Their dad called to tell Marv to cancel the cable and Wi-Fi plans at the apartment," Blake said, using terms I didn't understand, "but Marv got upset and now he's fighting with his dad too."

"Well, I think it might be good for May to know that her brother is on her side."

"Yeah," Blake said, "she must be freaking out, huh?"