After taking a look of the 1st floor, I go downstairs where I see Annie working with the staffs in the kitchen area, maybe they were preparing for the dinner.
"Hi Annie", I wave at her.
"Hey . Aaaa.. actually I have seen you but I don't know your name", she smiles as I approach near. I know, we didn't go for a proper introduction then.
"I'm Eila." I introduce.
"That's a nice name and you are too cute", there's a glow in her eyes.
"Thanks", I smile awkwardly rubbing the back for my head. Actually I am kind of fiddly in taking compliments. "You stay here? Like I mean your family and all. Where are they?"
"Yeah, I am staying here since the past 11 years. My family..", she pauses for a moment. "Actually I am unmarried, but I love someone", she replies forcing a smile on her face with a certain kind of emotion reflected in her eyes. She's unmarried yet loves someone. I fail to understand the combination.
"You love someone? Who?" I ask though I wonder if I should ask this or not.
"Zayn", her voice turns softer mixed with mystifying vehemence which takes place in each letter of the name.
"So, where is he? Does he live here too?"
"Yeah. He's here, right here with me", she replies and I am confused that what does she mean. I wonder why but I'm getting eager to know her story.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get you. Did he went out or something? If you love him then why didn't you both marry?" I think I am getting myself too much involved in this but I can't help resisting myself to know more about her. A certain kind of curiosity is running down my nerves. Also I guess he might have gone somewhere since I fail to understand the logic behind her words.
"No. We didn't marry", she smiles while I stare at her in confusion.
"But why?"
"It was our fate. We were never meant to be together", a clear sign of pain is discernible in her voice as she takes out het apron and we move near the hall.
"What happened?" Finally I manage to ask in a sticky voice.
"That's a long story", she chuckles.
"No problem, I've all day", I'm being frank this time since I wanna know her story.
"Zayn had a clot in his brain", she faces me as we sit on the sofa in the hall. "Surgery was needed but we were not financially stable . My family refused to provide money , they did not like him. He was an orphan and since then he had been living with Droophy uncle, the one you saw at the entrance gate." Yeah I remember an old man who waved at us on the main gate.
'Yeah, I saw him".
She further continues," He raised Zayn. We met, fell in love, everything was happily running. But the day we were celebrating my first salary he fainted. Doctors had done different tests ,finally concluded that he had a clot in his brain. There was not much time left for him, the surgery was needed to be done immediately. I tried every possible way to gather the amount of money needed , asked for help from my parents but they refused, bank was not giving me loan, my office boss refused to give such huge amount of money to a newcomer like me, my savings were not enough, Droophy uncle gave all his savings he made in his whole lifetime but it was not enough. I was helpless. I could not help him", she hurrily blurts out the situation. "He was insisting me constantly to leave him and settle down with the guy my parents had chosen for me. He said that I will be happy if I marry that guy. But How could I marry the guy I don't love?", Annie exclaims questioningly. "And immediately I decided to marry Zayn. No matter he's dying or not, but I love him and I am not gonna leave him no matter what. Next day we were at the church but right at that moment he fainted. I shook him, called him..", she pauses and I can feel the numbness, "But he was not waking. I was screaming him to wake up, he didn't answer, he just didn't. I told Droophy uncle to wake him up, Zayh listens everything he says, but uncle was just crying, he was saying me that... that Zyan's no more", she faces me, "How could he say that he's no more. He's here, right here with me", I'm getting confused. "Though you can't see him.Physically, he's not present, but he's always with me. I can feel him", she does some movement with her hands.
"He loves me so much that he can never leave me, never", she concludes and I can feel the pain in her words, to be frank, there's pain and happiness at the same time. I wonder how?
There's strain that he's gone, also there's gaiety that even after going, he's still here, with her.
The love she had or I should say she has for Zayn, it's something more than we can gasp. Can love be so eternal? So pure that even death couldn't do them apart? Strange thing is she's not crying, tears are jammed in her eyes but she's not letting them to fall, this woman only turned stronger since then and learnt how to hold her tears from falling. There's not even a drop rolling down her eyes though a whole ocean is buried inside. All I can see is the love she has for Zayn. His death has made their love more and more strong. I don't know what to say. My words are meaningless in front of this eternal love. And here it goes, my demography turned around.
"Do you love someone?" She asks breaking the silence.
I don't know what to answer. No sooner had she asked this question than the image of Jim comes up in my mind, "No", I reply, though somewhere at a corner of my heart, I believe this is a lie.
"I see. Anyway you guys are hungry right? Food's almost ready", she changes the topic all on a sudden and I'm glad.
"Soooo much", I reply as my stomach is craving for food. "Annie".
"Yeah".
"Why did you share this with me? I mean, I'm happy that you shared but I just wanna know".
"Cause I think I can share with you", her lips curve to form a smile. "You don't always need specific reasons to trust someone. Trust just happens and you just do what you feel. I did the same."
"I'm glad that you did", I grin.
"Anyway have you met Droophy uncle?" Annie asks.
"No, but I really want to."
"Come with me then", and she takes me to Droophy uncle. He's white hairs and appearance indicates him to be in his 80s now most prob. With a cute smile in his face he says, "Hey Annie. How are you doing? All's good with the new guests?"
"Yess. And look who's here to greet you. She's Eila, one of my guests."
"Hi", I wave with a smile.
"Hey Eila. Nice to meet you. She's too cute right Annie?" He says and once again I'm getting the same compliment for the second time today.
"I know." Annie gushes.
"Nice to meet you too. Annie told me about you", I say.
"You guys carry on I have to check if the cooks are doing well or not. See you later", Annie bids before turning away.
"You know Eila, Annie is just like my daughter", he exclaims.
"I can see that", I chuckle.
"She takes so much care of me. After Zayn's demise it's only her and me. Ohh, you don't know about Zayn I guess."
"No no. I know. Annie has said about Zayn. I know everything".
"Seems like Annie bonded quite well with you", he chuckles, "So you know one thing?" Uncle asks.
"What?" I wonder what he might be talking about.
"You are special", why he thinks so, "Because Annie never shares her story with anyone until she finds the person worth of it", he wears a smile on his face.
"I'm really glad that she shared with me. I really like her. The love she has for Zayn is undefinable", indeed that's something you can write a whole novel on.
"It indeed is. It's been 11 years since his demise but her love is still the same for him."
"It's also 11 years of her working here right?"I ask.
"Yeah. Actually Zayn was the caretaker of his house and I was the watchguard. After his demise Annie left her job and took this work as a caretaker so that she can stay and take care of me", so she's here in memory of Zayn!
"She is an amazing human being", I reply amazed by the personality Annie has.
"She is. By the way, what's your plan for tomorrow? It's Christmas", Droophy uncle asks.
"I don't know. It depends on the teachers. But I really wanna celebrate Christmas. I wonder if they'll allow or not".
"Don't worry. They'll allow", he assures.
"Hey Eila, come. Food's ready", Annie calls from the door.
"I'm coming", I inform and then I turn at uncle," I'm really hungry.See you later uncle".
"Bye Eila. Hope to see you soon".
"Bye", and I leave for inside.