“Go away, Bill.” Ring… Ring… Ring…
“Stop it… Go away.” Ring… Ring… Ring…
I groaned and groggily awoke from my non-beneficial slumber. My eyes felt heavy and I rubbed at them with my knuckles to force them open. Ring… Ring… Ring…
I looked around with an unnerved front as the room was dark, yet. Was that my phone ringing?
I felt my way through, towards the light switch, while knocking over a couple of furniture in the interim. Finally I switched it on and shut my eyes immediately with the impact of the bright fluorescent light shining directly at them. Ring… Ring… Ring…
After a couple more rounds of blinking, I looked around for my phone.I snatched it hastily from underneath the pillow – the sudden noise was bothersome at this time of the hour. I wondered who the caller might be, although the effect that tolled upon instant acknowledgment was of pure grief and pity. Yes, I pitied my pathetic circumstances.
“Yeah Miranda,” my voice came out very strangely.
“Were you asleep? I’m sorry…” I ignored the premonition that Miranda had never afore apologized for having disturbed my sleep. Perhaps she was tossing in her bed all night.
“That’s alright. What is it, Miranda?” Stop being harsh to her, my mind silently called out but I ignored those instincts again.
She hesitated for a moment and spoke after warily selecting her words, “We need to talk and it’s impossible to do so at school…”
“Mm…Hmm… I’m listening.”
“What- … No, never mind,” she took a deep intake of breath, “we’re bunking school today. Okay?”
“Yeah okay, wait - what? Why…?”
“I asked Granny to get permission. In view of that, I have caught a bad flu and you are yet recovering from yesterday’s prolonged illness. Could we meet at the park, instead?” Miranda seemed nervous.
I gave her suggestion a quiet minute’s thought. “Okay, I’ll see you there.”
“Okay…”
“Err… Bye, then,” I told her.
“Linds?” she called out in haste.
“Yeah Miranda,” This conversation could have been labelled as the most awkward one between us. Even the atmosphere seemed to confirm it.
“Thanks and… Please do come. Bye Linds.” The line was disconnected and a quarter of an hour may have lapsed while I remained in that position – staring at the screen where the call simply ended.
This is wrong, my heart finally distressingly conceded. I had just hurt her feelings with my indifference attitude. And simply for selfish reasons with life being a jumbled ball of chaos and insanity. I wetted my lips and promised myself to make it up to her. I would not ruin our sisterly-friendship for the world.
I had a wash and changed into my uniform attire. The table clock read 04:20 a.m. I had plenty of time before me but I opted to recline on bed and stare at the ceiling while correspondingly avoiding thoughts of anything in particular.
The foremost beams of sun-rays began to shine through the windows and I took that as the initiative to prepare for flight. I emptied the contents of my school bag and paused in mid-air. I shook my head and re-packed them, not bothering to arrange it per se today’s timetable. My bag had to pass without detection or suspicion and that was sufficient. I grabbed my phone in the process and inserted into one of the pockets.
While I donned my socks and shoes at the hallway, though, Henry’s bedroom door opened and a strange tension grew in the air. He advanced forth but I had no emotion to counter him.
“Come inside for a minute, Linnie.” His face was serious and his eyes searched mine for an answer.
“I’ve to leave for school now, Henry. Maybe another time,” I told him and made an attempt at side-tracking him. The hallway was too narrow for an escape though.
He clutched my wrist and literally dragged me into his room and my eyes puffed out in outrageous bewilderment.
He closed the door after him following a click. I raised a brow; definitely, I was not up for any demanding discussion in my current emotionless state.
“I’m not here to converse about the day-before. I consulted Paul on that matter and obtained every necessary detail.
“I’m here to inform you of our scheme.” He was alarming me by the second and my forehead creased in speculation. Perhaps Paul exaggerated on those events, coated with positive hatred towards both of them?
“What scheme…?” I dragged. My mind failed critically in conjuring assumptions to whatever he had planned.
He paused and his lips were set in a straight line. It was a common sight when he was bothered and deeply stressed. Out of nowhere I suddenly realized that I would miss him after the ‘big event’, should the latter have been the cause for any scheme even when the moments that we had spent together were lacking. I controlled myself at the onslaught of tears brimming on the rim of my eyes.
He seemed to have noticed the change of my demeanour and swiftly walked forth. I was momentarily startled when he pulled me into an embrace. Control, Linda… Control… But I could not compose myself and the tears began rolling down one after the other.
“Hush. Hush. It’s okay.” He pulled back and lifted my chin and I refused to look up. There was a knock at the door at that very moment and we stared wide at each other. I pointed my thumb behind the door and he understood.
While I remained concealed behind, Henry opened the door. It was after he had closed it that Paul’s view came in plain sight. He seemed to have known by instinct of my hidden whereabouts for he was looking directly at me.
“Have you confided in her, yet?” he rotated sideway upon which Henry shook his head in denial.
Now both of my brothers were regarding me and their looks stirred thoughts for the worst
“We’re going to call this marriage off, Linnie,” said Henry and my heart stopped beating. What were they indicating…?
“He’s not the right match for you. A menace and a worthless freak along with his sidekick companion, you don’t have to worry about it though. Leave it to us.” said Paul. Had they lost their minds?
“No,” I stated bluntly and reached for the door when I remembered it was locked. I frowned and crossed my arms over my bosom. This conversation was leading nowhere.
“Henry, Paul – I love you both and that’s why I ask of you to drop the topic. You can never change Sir Francis’ mind that’s set on the wedding and should he locate your antagonism towards it… Just picture the chaos he would create.” I looked from one face to the other and they were quiet for a miniature moment.
“We know who we’re dealing with, Linnie. Your reminders are absolutely un-necessary. Just be prepared while we stage out each phase of our plot, gradually – commencing today.” Having said that, Paul walked out of the door and Henry followed after.
He paused at the door frame, though and smiled this time. “You never asked me who she was,” he told me with a large grin. Involuntarily a small smile crept to my lips at his mirth with the mention of the mysterious, secret girl.
“Do you mean your girlfriend?” I asked with untainted laughter.
He nodded and his head swayed to the sides. “Yeah…” he dragged, “my girlfriend – Rachael. She’s my boss’s daughter.”
My mouth instantly opened wide at the revelation and then everything seemed to make perfect sordid sense, from his employer’s present in the form of a white car and the late night shifts. I beamed at him, “That’s great, Henry. I’m happy for you.”
“And I want you to be happy too, Linnie. Paul and I have discovered other reasons than him being a mere perverted jerk. Those details are significantly confidential, though and we’re rounding for more evidences. We’re aiming for our best, Linnie, with your welfare in heart. Anyway, let’s set off now, shall we?”
I heaved deeply and nodded, walking after him. Silently, breakfast was offered to the four of us. I could tell that mom would resume her silent-treatment for a week in the least. She usually did and this time, it too did not affect me.
I climbed onto the bus and whispered my destination to the driver. Although he had his portion of suspicion and curiosity, he did not voice them out and I was glad.
Almost every student got off at Tower-crest High. After the engine whirred to a start, the bus drove away and it procured almost fifteen minutes to reach Bridge Bailey. I spotted Miranda promptly but she was walking away with slumped shoulders and I paid my fare with haste; she must have been very hurt to decide against my trusted response.
“Miranda,” I shouted after her and she spun on her heels, a huge smile of relief on her face. Next, we were running towards each other and began spinning in circles. The laughter that followed after lasted for quite a while and it felt extremely good, like a remedy to my presently aching heart.
There were none to be spotted around; simply the ducks that swam in their own bliss being oblivious to us. We lied on our backs with arms underneath and I confessed to her, “I’m sorry Miranda. It’s not only you to whom I was a jerk. I’ve been behaving badly to Mom, Dad and… and even to Samuel the other day.”
His name aroused her interest and she sat up immediately. “What happened, Linds? I did not want to be there with him in the same room so I fled.” She added sheepishly, “I’m sorry, too. But tell me what happened.”
I stared at the clouds and played with my fingers while slowly unfolding every minute of yesterday’s rather heated argument to her.
She did not respond and an hour must have passed while we gazed at the ducks that occasionally goofed around. One drop after the other, I mustered my strength to bottle those soundless tears.
Miranda was too silent for my liking, though and I spared a glance at her direction. I rushed to her side consecutively: Miranda never cried to my acknowledgement. She was curled into a ball and her wet cheeks betrayed any lie that she could form upon inquisition.
“Miranda, hey buddy,” I forced her to look at me. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m always yours truly forever. I can’t run away, Miranda, as that would only tarnish Dad’s reputation. Henry and Paul may instigate plans of some sort but they’re fool proof and would never work.” I grasped her palm tightly and spoke directly looking into her eyes, “I haven’t another option but to be their puppet for now. Just one week Miranda and Dad had refused to let me out thereafter; I’m stuck and lost…”
She nodded but did not respond once again. This time, I was speechless and did not know how she could be comforted. Outside school, we had only each other and even family did not count as a means of emotional support.
“You’d keep in touch, wouldn’t you?” she asked in a murmur while chucking a pebble at a distance, away from the lake.
“Sure, anytime and always – at your service,” I jested lightly.
She shuffled through her back-pack and retrieved some printed documents. “Here,” she handed them over to me, “I… err… I did some research on a couple’s first night moments – mainly on what to expect. I was certain you’d be unconcerned, hence why I took up the task. There are articles on marriage pros and cons, etcetera…” She avoided my gaze once her cheeks began to highlight the tinge of embarrassment seeping through and I hesitated for a moment’s pause, contemplating.
“Thanks Miranda but I guess I’ll pass over the intimacy facts. I’d rather keep those… matters at bay.”
She shrugged and chuckled and I could not stop myself from joining in with my thoughts certainly elsewhere. Perhaps I was born into this world to make the rest happy. Perhaps in that, I was supposed to discover my own happiness and remain content. For now, I held onto that belief.
It was almost mid-afternoon when I reached home. Henry and Paul were nowhere in sight while Mom plainly ignored my presence. Bill, however, had grown silent over the past weeks; I mused and wondered how I had missed that apparent fact. As of now, he was rapidly changing channels on the television. I had never seen him glued to one spot as he was always in the open.
I shook my head and retreated to my room: this would be my haven for the remaining weeks and I was filled with silent qualms on how life would dramatically evolve afterwards.
For the left over days of my liberal week, I resorted to constantly meeting Miranda at the park. There were no complaints from school with regards to our absence and I was almost sure that my brothers were the cause for it.
As much as I was grateful, every now and then I would ponder over what they were doing. Still, I had not even seen so much of a glimpse of either Henry or Paul. Where were they? I kept asking myself and Miranda assured me that she would attempt to find out.
On Friday, Miranda wished me just after midnight on my birth-day and thereby, we were connected over the call till the sky announced the crack of dawn.
I hoped and prayed that my older brothers reached home early, at least today.
When I climbed downstairs, though, the house was eerily quiet. I headed towards the kitchen with a frown and upon a once over the place, I spotted a small sheet on the fridge held by a fruit-magnet. It read:
WE’VE GONE TO TOWN FOR WEDDING PURCHASES.
I crumpled it with frustration and stomped out of the house. They could have wished me but the wedding seemed more prominent to them. Did they not realize that such simple gestures construed to my happiness?
My tears had dried up and it was absolutely in-vain to shed them for a matter that was beyond my aptitude of control. I was walking mindlessly and reached a paddy field. I decided to linger therein without intervention for a day, in the least. Come the succeeding week, my life sentence would be pronounced and my heart kept hiccoughing at that fact.
The grass was inviting and I opted for a nap. Slumber was my only footpath to evade those disastrous blues.
Ring… Ring… Ring…
Shoot! I woke up instantly and grabbed my phone that was located on the lush grass. The fading brightness allowed me to hastily acknowledge the time being fairly mid-afternoon.
“Hello?” I spoke and kept the phone at a distance, for a second, to clear my throat; it was groggy from sleep.
“Linda?” There was silence for a while. I looked at the screen and the number was anonymous. Why was ‘he’ calling me? There was no mistaking in his voice that was thus far unique to him alone.
“Yes?” I asked Samuel with a deep set frown on my face.
“I’m outside your house. Aren’t you at home?”
I had a sudden intake of breath. “Why?” I asked with a hazed mind.
“Just tell me where you are.” He seemed edgy and I decided to give in.
“I’ll be there but Mom and Dad are in town…” Should I alert Henry to arrive home, soon? I silently wondered as an after-thought.
“That’s alright; I’m here to see you.” I rolled my eyes in disapproval and told him that I would be present soon.
There he stood, clearly visible even at a distance, leaning on his red Porsche. I paused in my tracks and contemplated. How was I supposed to handle him? Perhaps he wanted to wish me and would scurry away afterwards? Was he mad over yesterday's events?
By some means he turned and my heart skipped a beat. Neither he nor I made a move and we seemed to have been rooted to the spot – spellbound.
He raked a hand through his hair and visually beckoned for me to open the door. I bit into my upper-lip and obeyed. Rather than wait for him, I rushed my pace and stood at a corner, defending myself. What could he want?
He stepped into the threshold while his gaze continued to linger upon mine. After almost an eternity he declared, “Happy Birthday, Linda.”
I merely nodded. “Would you like a drink?”
“No, err… Actually I have to be on my way. And…” he dragged and undid a button of his white shirt beneath the leather jacket. What was he doing?-! I took two steps behind and eyed the stairway for an abrupt get away.
However, he procured a small, wrapped box and enclosed the some-what mammoth distance between us. Right at that moment, though, my phone rang again. I was stunned and stared wide at him.
“Answer it.” He told me. Grudgingly, I salvaged it from my pocket and stifled any reaction that may have betrayed me. The display clearly stated that the caller was Zach.
“H…Hello,” I almost stuttered.
“Linda, where are you?” His voice was extremely panicky and my senses were immediately alerted.
“I’m at home – why do you ask?”
“Ah, okay. Bye then.” Did he just sound relieved?
“Okay… Bye -” I was cut mid-sentence.
“-happy birthday, Linda!” he suddenly shouted into the phone. Samuel raised a brow – Did he hear that?
“Yeah… Okay, thank-you.” I fidgeted with my lips in discomfort. Samuel seemed suspicious. Would he believe me when I mentioned that this was Zach’s first call to my number? Why was I caught in between their dilemma?
“Bye.” He stated and disconnected the call. My first intuition was dishonesty to Samuel. Zach had never dialled my number before and it seemed that something was the matter; clearly something very wrong.
“Who was it?” he asked with a stiff jaw.
“Paul.” I stated emotionlessly. Please let him believe me.
His brows were drawn together and it was as though he perceived right through that lie. However, the door knob was moving, indicating that some-one had arrived home. Phew!
The door opened and in entered Henry and Paul, sweaty and composed in clear fatigue. All four of us seemed to mirror one another’s shock. Paul was the first to react. Henry tugged hard at his arm, though and kept him in place.
“What are you doing here?” he blared at Samuel and I was a-far from surprised at his behaviour. Samuel shared a confused look with me and then seethed hard at him.
“Mind your words, Paul. Henry – you’d best tame that mouth of your brother’s.”
I knew my brother as far as history went and it was apparent as clear water that Henry was failing desolately to contain his ill vigour over Samuel’s words. He resorted to a sheer nod and dragged Paul upstairs after having passed me a meaningful look. I associated it to relate to his and Paul’s ‘scheme’. Was that what kept them busy all the time?
“Linda.” Samuel called for my attention. I realized that I was staring after their retreating forms. When I turned to confront him, he grasped my wrist tight.
“Never – ever – lie to me, again! Do I make myself clear?-!” I nodded feverishly, wishing that I had conjured an improved version of my falsehood.
He thrust the gift into my palm and left in quite a turmoil. I dropped onto a couch and massaged my temples. This was too much drama to be handled. Why me? I sighed and debated on ringing Zach.
No – my mind reasoned. Had Samuel figured his voice through the speaker then surely, unnecessary associations would be created and linked. I was definitely not up for tainting Dad’s reputation.
Apart from Zach’s recent call, there were other missed rings from Miranda. I sent her a brief text message and thereafter hunted for my brothers. I knocked at Henry’s door, yet there was not a single response nor had there been any hint of their presence in the other rooms. This is strange – I rubbed at my neck.
The front door opened and I quickly shifted to my room. To be in league with any stage of the wedding propaganda was not even the least of my intentions. I was certain that Dad had arrived along-with Mom and Bill.
More to that, Henry and Paul were behaving much out of the ordinary and with my mind stressing for answers, I finally sent each of them a message.
<Where are you?-!>
I waited and arranged my room in the interim. Beep. There was a message from Henry.
<Where’s Samuel? Has he gone?>
<Yes> I replied.
<’Kay, maintain much distance with him. > Seriously? They seemed extremely intent on cancelling the wedding and it caused shivers of tremor to take its course through my spine.
<Fine, but tell me where you are, now.> I speedily typed.
<We’re out – Paul and I. Don’t question us of the scheme. It’s for your best, Linnie. Happy b'day from both of us. Bye. Hugs> Huh? I witnessed them having gone upstairs with my naked eye!
<Wait! How did you leave? When?> I must have waited for almost an hour and even my room was clearly organized and kempt yet there was not a single response from either of them. Deep breaths… Deep breaths…
Urgh! I screamed out my pent up frustration and hurled my phone away.
Uh-oh! I searched for it and immediately located on a further end of the bed. I whistled out a relieved sigh. My recklessness could have cost me great lack of companionship in being connected with Miranda.
That night, I did not proceed downstairs for dinner. Hunger eluded my thoughts and as of late, I slept throughout the night while the atmosphere surrounding me was crying out in unduly crisis.
I could not sleep in tranquil, though and awoke in the mid of night - all sweaty and panting, having witnessed a nightmare; I was walking down the aisle and was thrust, then, into Samuel's arms.
A/N -
Hi there - beloved readers,
I hope you had enjoyed this chapter. Within almost every update of a new chapter, I have included hidden hints and clues that would gradually unfold at a later stage – they are most prominent in moulding Linda’s future.
Are there any guesses of what the upcoming chapter may include? Any estimates at all?
Well, I’ll save the rest who are still confused – it’s her BIG DAY – THE WEDDING! What do you propose would happen?
And as each of you can realize, here-forth every chapter would construe as important and I need every single of your feedback to be encouraged in this endeavour.
Please leave behind your views and support me in this story/novel. Vote if you feel that this story is worth doing so.
[Question: - Which male character do you like so far?]
Thank-you,
Much love,
Surviving Heart.