This wasn’t the first time I’ve been inside Josephine’s apartment. The first time was when I first met Winston, that night I discovered the passageway in the mirror. I was panicking that time, so I didn’t get to see the surroundings.
However, this time, I took the time to look at my surroundings. There were no pictures that normally hang on the wall. There was a fifty-inch flat screen TV, though. There were stacks of CDs and DVDs lying beside that. There was also a large armchair, a red loveseat and a pink couch.
Josephine sat down on the armchair and I plopped down on the loveseat. She smiled at me, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Do you like something to eat? It’s almost dinnertime, you must be hungry.”
“No, I’m not,” I replied, which was weird because at times like this, I’m getting hungry. “Wait! How about Simon and Gina? They might get home—”
“I’ve already prepared dinner for them,” she said dismissively. “Are you really sure you want to know about Winston’s… situation? You might not believe it and you’d call me crazy.”
Deep inside, I know I would surely call her crazy. Though she hasn’t told me his situation yet, I have a feeling that it would be unbelievable. Nonetheless, I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure I want to know. Please, I need to know.”
Josephine sighed. “Okay,” she said. “You know that Winston’s mother is my friend, right? We were childhood friends. My mother worked for their family too. That’s how we met. Her name was Rachel Andrews. Ever since we were kids, she loves to play the piano. It’s her dream to be in New York, play in some theatre. She also sings pretty well. Mr. Andrews taught her.”
Now I know where Winston got his talents. “No wonder Winston is so good. It’s in his blood.”
The housekeeper nodded. “We were about eighteen, I think, when she left home so she could pursue her dreams. Mr. Andrews supported her, but not Mrs. Andrews. She was against her dreams of playing music. She said it’s a hobby, not a job. But she could not do anything. Rachel didn’t listen to her and she left. We never heard of her for so many years, we thought she was dead. And then Mr. Andrews died. His wife was devastated, of course, and tried to reach Rachel so that she would know her father died. But she was not found.”
“Where was she?” I asked, frowning.
“I’m getting there,” she said. “Years passed and then Rachel came back, with a child. Mrs. Andrews was happy that her daughter returned but she was furious that she got herself with a child. But their family is rich; they could do something about that. Mrs. Andrews tried asking her where she has been, but Rachel doesn’t want to say. Her mother, fearing she would leave again if she makes her angry, decided not to ask her anymore. But Rachel told me. Ah yes, she told me her story.”
Josephine stood up from her seat and then went over to a table with a drawer. She opened the drawer and took something from inside it. She walked back to the armchair and handed me the portrait. It was a picture of a girl with black hair and startling blue eyes. She exactly looked like Winston, minus the mask.
“That’s Rachel, by the way.”
“She’s… she’s beautiful.”
Josephine nodded. “That’s why lots of guys tried to ask her out when she was in New York. She worked in this diner, trying to save up for her career.”
“But I thought their family was rich?”
“She doesn’t want it. Rachel was a prideful girl, Erin. She wants to rise to her feet on her own, not with anyone’s help – not even in her family. Anyway, she met this certain guy. She never told me his name, and she fell in love with him. She thought the man loved her too but all he ever wants to do is to get inside her pants,” Josephine said spitefully. “He got her pregnant and when he learned, he ran away like a coward, leaving Rachel all alone. Rachel wanted to go back to her parents, but she doesn’t have any money anymore. The diner where she worked… It closed. It got bankrupt, you see. Rachel was left in her dirty apartment. Then she asked this woman for some money to spend for food. The woman helped her and gave her money that would last for a month, but she had to pay her back someday.”
“Who is this woman?”
“I don’t know. Rachel never gave me some details. I just know it was a woman. Anyway, after a month, the money was gone and the woman came back to have her money back. Rachel told her she doesn’t have any yet, but she promised she would pay back. The woman got angry and cursed her child to be ugly. She didn’t know whether to believe this woman or not. She thought magic and all those nonsense aren’t real. But when she gave birth to Winston, she… she realized the woman was saying the truth.”
I frowned, not getting the story at all. “I-I don’t get it,” I stammered. “Winston’s cursed? Like all those bad people in fairy tales, books and movies?”
Josephine sighed. “I don’t know too, but that’s what Rachel told me. The only person who could break his curse if somebody would love him for who he is and then kiss him.”
“Excuse me?”
“The curse would break if somebody would kiss him.”
“This is getting weird,” I decided and stood up from my seat. I handed her Rachel’s photograph back. “This was a mistake. I think I should just go back to my room.”
Josephine stood up from her seat too. She didn’t take her photo and gave me a cold look. “You might think I’m talking nonsense, Erin. I also thought Rachel had gone crazy when she told me this story. But I believed her, because she’s my friend. If you have seen Winston’s face, then you would know no illness could cause that! You would know that he’s cursed, not sick!”
“But he won’t let me see his face! How am I supposed to believe this?” I demanded.
“Then you should just trust me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. She then sat down on her seat once again. “Sit down if you want to know more. But if you truly don’t want to know what happened next, then leave.”
Reluctantly, I sat down on my seat again.
“For weeks, Winston thought that you are going to be the one who will uplift his curse,” Josephine continued. “I can’t blame him. I thought you’re going to be the one too, because you’re the only person who knows him. That’s why he kissed you, because he thought his curse would be gone.”
“But it didn’t,” I deadpanned.
She nodded. “It means you’re not the one.”
“I’m not?” I can’t help but feel disappointed, like I have failed Winston.
“No,” she agreed. “Anyway, Rachel died when Winston was ten years old. Mrs. Andrews was devastated, naturally. But she didn’t want anything to do with her grandson who is sickeningly angry. She planned to bring him to an orphanage but Rachel found out about that when she was in the hospital. She immediately told me that if she dies, I have to take Winston to her special room in the house and keep him there forever. I agreed to her plan, even though I knew it was absurd. While suffering in her cancer, Rachel sewed the mask Winston is wearing right now. It was her final gift for him. She died, and then Mrs. Andrews sold the house, forgetting about her grandson.”
“She’s a cold-hearted woman,” I muttered.
Josephine nodded. “True. That’s when I started to take care of Winston inside Rachel’s secret room. When Mrs. Andrews sold the house, a lot of people wanted to buy it. But they were driven away by Winston’s voice to leave. They thought the house was haunted.”
“Wow.”
“So I guess that’s the whole story,” Josephine said and exhaled deeply. “Thank goodness I let that out. I never told anyone about that story. Winston knows about his history, his mother have told him. But I never got the chance to tell a living person about this big secret that I’m keeping.”
“But who would uplift the curse?” I asked slowly.
The housekeeper shrugged. “I do not know. I also fear that nobody would love Winston for who he is. I mean… just look at him.” Then she looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Do you love him?”
“Huh?” I said, surprised.
“Do you love Winston?”
“Well, I care for him…”
“That’s not the same.”
“We’re not that close,” I replied at last. “I can’t say that I truly love him because I don’t know him that well.”
“Maybe that’s why the curse didn’t work,” Josephine said. “Because you don’t love him yet! What if you fall in love for him and then kiss him?”
I gave her a look. “Josephine, it’s not easy to fall in love with someone forcefully.”
“You could teach yourself.”
“But he’s such a secretive person! How can I fall in love with somebody who keeps secret from me?”
“Open up to him,” she suggested. “If you open up to him, then he would learn to open up to you too.”
“He knows a lot of stuff about me,” I shot back. “But I don’t know a single thing about him.”
“You know now, Erin. You know a lot now.”
“I know… But that’s his past. I want to know his personality, his thoughts, his views…”
“Just be close to him,” Josephine said, nodding vigorously. “Winston is like a son to me. I never got the chance to marry and start a family of my own because of him. But I don’t blame him or anything. I’m fine acting like a mother for him. I love him as a son, Erin, and I want him to be happy.”
“Maybe he would be happy with someone different. Maybe I’m not that girl.”
“Who then?” Josephine inquired.
“Maybe I could bring one of my girl friends and then introduce them to Winston?”
Josephine sighed sharply. “That’s not going to work. It worked for you, because you’re different.”
“How am I different?”
“You’re just different,” she insisted.
“I can’t promise that I will fall in love with him,” I said, finally giving in.
Josephine beamed brightly. “But you will try, okay?”
“I will.”
“That’s perfect,” she said and leaned over to hug me. She smelled like soap and very home-y. “You will surely make Winston happy.”
“You make sound like I’m getting married with him,” I said, smiling lamely.
“Just imagine Winston’s face when the curse would be gone,” she said. “He would be completely handsome.”
“I’m not after the looks,” I told her hurriedly.
“Of course,” Josephine said. “You’re a girl who could see the beauty underneath. Always remember that, Erin. True beauty lies underneath, not above.”
I nodded. “Yes, I will remember that.”
“With that thought inside your mind, it’ll be easier for you to accept Winston for who he is.”
I nodded again. “Winston’s a good person, Josephine. I could see that…”
“He is,” she said wistfully. “Though he’s not my blood and flesh, I know I have a part of me living in him.”
“Well, you brought him up.”
“That’s true,” she said and smiled softly.
I gave her Rachel’s photograph and this time, she took it back. I bade her goodbye and good night and walked back to the house. Gina and Simon were eating dinner in the kitchen at that time. They invited me to join them, but I refused, saying I’m not really hunger. I went back to my room and saw Winston about to go in my room.
He looked up at me and our eyes met. For one fleeting moment, I felt sorry for the way his life turned out but then internally shook my head. I smiled at him awkwardly. “You okay now?” I asked.
Winston nodded slowly. “Listen, I’m sorry I kissed you, that I took your first kiss. I never wanted to.” He considered his choice of words and then shook his head. “No, it’s not like I don’t like—”
“It’s okay,” I interrupted. “It’s not really a big deal.”
“Really?” he said, surprised. “You’re not mad that I took your first kiss?”
“Well, at least, I have an experience now.”
“Me too,” he said and looked away. “I like kissing you, Erin.”
I fumbled with the ends of my shirt. “Um, me too. I like kissing you too, Winston,” I shyly said, which was true. He was a good kisser. But there’s no competition since he’s the only guy I’ve kissed.
“You want to try it again?” he said hopefully.
I studied his face. Okay, I’m not really good at reading people’s expression, but I could see that he’s eager to do it again. I don’t know if he’s eager to kiss me because he still has a little hope that I’m ‘the one’ who could uplift the curse or because he just wanted to.
Either way, I shook my head.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, even though I really want to kiss him. “But… it would be too weird. I mean—”
“You don’t have to explain,” Winston interrupted, shooting me a smile. “I… I was just hoping that…” He sighed, rolling his eyes. “Never mind.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated lamely.
“It’s okay,” he said, smiling at me once again.
“Uhh…” I said awkwardly, thinking for a topic to talk about. “Wait! You can help me with practicing with my lines!”
“For your musical?”
I nodded vigorously. “Yes!”
“Okay, fine,” Winston said, smiling at me. He sat down on the edge of my bed and then nodded. “Go, sing something.”
I cleared my throat, as if two minutes ago he didn’t ask me if it’s okay for him to kiss me.
***
“…Now that I’ve seen her there’s no way to hide, she is not some fling from long ago… Now that I’ve seen her I know why he lied, and I think it was better when I didn’t know…” I sang, “In her eyes… in her voice… In the heat that filled the air, part of him still lingers there… I know what pain…” I paused, thinking hard. “I know what pain… Shit! I forgot.”
Winston frowned. “I think the next line would be ‘her life must be.’”
I sighed and slumped down on my seat. “I give up. I hate acting and singing at the same time! It’s total bullshit.”
“Well, that’s why you’re practicing, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been practicing for three hours!”
“You shouldn’t give up that easily,” he scolded me.
“You know what, I think I should stop with this Broadway dream of mine,” I muttered under my breath, taking a deep breath. “It’s stupid. I know I can sing, but hell, I can’t act.”
“Keep it positive, Erin,” he said and winked.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Was that sarcasm?”
“Is it obvious?” he said, feigning innocence.
“Don’t give up on your dream,” Winston said, nodding. “You have the chance to fulfil your dream, while others couldn’t. That’s why you should grab this opportunity.”
“Okay, fine,” I said, sighing.
“Now start where you left…”
I smiled and then began to sing, “I know what pain her life must be, but if it all comes down to her or me… I don’t care, I swear, I’ll fight… Now that I’ve seen her, she’s more than a name… I don’t hate this girl even so, now that I’ve seen her, I can’t stay the same… Who’s this man that I always trusted? Now I have to know!”
When I was done, Winston stood up and clapped. “See? You could do it!”
I smiled shyly and shrugged. “Well.”
“Now from the top!”
I groaned. “I’m tired, Winston.”
“Well, I’m a ruthless tutor.”
I rolled my eyes but there was still a smile on my face.
____
Sorry for the late update, but here it is!