I looked around the house an all words got stuck in my mouth. I opened my mouth and closed it back like a fish, repeated the short process again and again for like a full minute. I cleared my throat and tried to say something again.
"This is beautiful." I wasn't lying neither was I sugarcoating anything. The house was truly beautiful. Everything in here looked like a dream, the type you never want to wake up from. If Hameedah was here she'd fawn over everything and said something very stupid. The walls were painted a shiny butter colour. Around the TV area was different design of artwork, it was beautiful. The furniture a dull chocolate colour to match a beautiful centre carpet. On the carpet was the same style of a small glass centre table. It seemed the furniture of the entire house matched as I looked and saw similar designs of a dining area. It was beautiful. I didn't know how to describe the colours better so I used something related to food. Everyone will get that. I felt Sebastian nudge my side and I snapped out of my trance.
"Sorry." I whispered and he waved it off.
"Let me show you your room." He ordered, I'd say he offered but his tone didn't sound like I was left with a choice, so order it is. I just followed him sheepishly. He opened the door to a room. I followed him and gasped at the sight before me, I wasn't going to lie it was beautiful. Everything looked beautiful to me but you can't exactly judge me, I haven't seen a lot of beautiful in a while. My room was painted a monotonous colour of grey. It had the same shiny look of the living room. It looked like it has been cleaned before hand. It was a big room, bigger than the one I slept in my own house.
"Thank you." I said and he nodded. I was wearing the same clothes I had on the day of the accident. Sebastian had brought it for me laundered. "For everything." I continued to let him know I really meant it.
"It's okay." He said. I bit my bottom lip. I feel like crying. I laughed at myself at that thought. Tears were streaming down my face now but somehow I was still laughing. Sebastian gave a concerned look as I wiped my tears away and tried to keep a straight face at the same time.
"I'm sorry. Didn't know what came over me." I stood up and on impulse hugged him. It was a loose hug, our bodies barely touching. He tensed for a moment but soon wrapped his arms around me and sighed softly. The feeling of safe felt foreign to me. But I was safe, I was truly safe. I hugged him tighter and sobbed on his hard chest. I clutched him really tight but he didn't complain. No one would know where I was and they wouldn't bother to find me. It was easy as that.
"Thank you so much." I said again without pulling away or lifting my head from his chest.
"My pleasure." He responded. His accent so smooth. It was like music to my ears. I could get used to it. I jerked away from him suddenly. He looked shocked and disappointed? I couldn't be sure because he replaced the expression with a smile.
"I'll leave you now. Call me if you need anything." And with that, he left.
I plopped on the couch and laid back on the couch looking at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and curled up into a ball. I can't keep here for free. I have to do something, get a job if I can get any. But I'll try. Anything would do at this point. And help around the house. Maybe cook or do anything to ease my guilt of staying here for free.
I didn't know I have fallen asleep until there was a knock on the door. I quickly stood up and wiped my sweaty hands on my dress. Who is it? I looked around me again and my shoulders sagged in relief as I remembered I wasn't in my old house anymore. The relief I felt was so good that I actually smiled. It must be Sebastian then. I opened the door and sure enough it was him standing outside. I stepped aside to let him in. He didn't enter though. His hands were pushed in his pocket and he relaxed against the door frame. His legs crossed.
"Hi." I said nervously.
"Hey. Just called you to come and join me for dinner." What? For how long did I sleep? I frowned. I was being lazy. "I'm sorry I didn't ..." He put his finger on my lips.
"Shhh.. It's okay." He winked. Flirt, I rolled my eyes. In the few days I've known him, he's a huge flirt. And although he means no harm, this guy flirted with nurse Philo, I chuckled silently at that.
"What's for dinner?" I asked him again.
He scratched the back of his head nervously and I watched him with an amused expression. "I'm not much of a cook but I think I boiled rice." I laughed at that. He joined me but cut me short "and it may or may not be salty." I laughed again. OK, he thought he boiled rice that sounds bad.
"It's okay. It won't be that bad." I assured him. I looked away quickly because that was a lie. It already sounded bad.
"You don't know how bad I cook." He heightened my fear. "Let's go, it's getting cold." He pulled me along with him. I looked down at our joined hands. He was practically dragging me along with him. The smell of burnt food hit my nose and I stopped in my tracks.
"Sebastian? Do you smell something?" I asked him and he grinned like a Cheshire cat. I removed our joined hands and crossed my arms over my chest. I tapped my foot on the tiled floor for dramatic effects.
"What? Where?" He asked and sniffed the air. "I don't smell a thing."
"You burnt the food didn't you?" I asked him the obvious question.
"Well, I warned you. You can't blame me." He shrugged.
I let out a huge breath and entered the kitchen. It was designed in modern style. It was huge. With intricate modern design. Not a single thing was out of place. Except the cooker and the pot Sebastian claimed he used to cook. This can't be called cooking, it was an insult to the art of food. So one thing has been cleared up now, never let Sebastian near the kitchen. I opened the pot and did he say he cooked rice? It was beyond recognition. The pot was totally black inside, rice was supposed to be white, right? Yeah, so I'm going to say this again, never let Sebastian in the kitchen. He came behind me and his breath fanned my neck. I jumped, totally forgetting it was him.
"Sorry." He whispered.
"It's okay." I said and tried to smile. He studied me for a moment and I avoided his penetrating gaze.
"You should really smile a lot more." He said.
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. I bent and removed a fresh pot from the kitchen cupboards and washed it. I added enough water to boil some rice for the two of us. I turned to him. "Do you have stew?"
"Yeah, my Nana brought some this morning." He said and pointed to another small pot.
"Nana?" I didn't know who Nana is.
"Yeah, my grandmother. She's my mother's mother." He explained. "I call both of my grandmothers Nana."
"Oh." Again, I didn't know what else to say. I did everything necessary and we waited. He sat on the kitchen slab. I just waited. There's a small chair there but I just didn't feel like sitting down.
"What's your last name?" His English is so confusing. In British English, I think he meant my surname.
"Emmanuel." I said simply.
"Mine's D'Souza." He supplied. D'Souza. I mused in my head. Nice.
"I'm African American." He continued. "My mom is Nigerian. And my dad is American, he's from California. But I've lived in New York City all my life until recently. My mom is a Yoruba woman." He pronounced Yoruba very terribly, I had to smother my laugh with the back of my hand. "I have two sisters. Tayo and Irene." Surprisingly, he pronounced Tayo correctly.
"Do you have a Yoruba name?" I asked.
"Yeah, my nana named me. Tobi." He pronounced it so carefully I couldn't help but laugh. "You? Tell me about you."
"My name is Allison Emmanuel. I'm a Yoruba girl too but my parents have a flair for English names. They think it makes them sophisticated. I snorted at that. My native name is Motunrayo." He frowned.
"That sounds like a mouthful." He said and I laughed.
"Everyone calls me that. It means, I've found happiness." I said and he laughed. I didn't find it funny. Nobody was ever happy with me.
"It really is a mouthful. Moh-tuhn-rayour." He tested the name.
I think I agree.
"Do you have siblings too?" I pretended not to hear that question. I just opened the pot to see the progress of our food. It was almost done. He asked again. "Allison, I asked if you have siblings."
"Oh, I.. Yes. I have siblings." I hope he doesn't ask me about them. I don't want to talk about them. I busied myself hoping he'd take the hint and leave me alone. He did take the hint. But then I suddenly remembered something.
"Sebastian?"
He looked in my direction. He was still sitting on the kitchen slab.
"How did you fill out my hospital forms?" I mean, we are just finding out our surnames now. I was at a loss. I didn't want to come out as rude. But he would have to write something as my surname there, right?
He scratched the back of his head. He rubbed his neck and face. "I.." He stuttered. "I might have told them you're my wife." My mouth dropped open. I just looked at him shocked.
"What the hell?" I yelled. I've never yelled at anyone before. "What do you mean?" I run my hands into my cornrows. I needed to make another one but that was a problem for later.
He copied me and ran his fingers into his a little long than normal thick hair. He had long curly hair. He just gave me a guilty look. I took a deep breath and decided I shouldn't have yelled like that. He was only helping me. He has gone out of his way to help me. The first person to ever do that.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." I muttered quietly.
"It's okay..." He began but I cut him short.
"No, no it's not. You were only making sure that I'm fine. Thank you for that." I lifted my good arm and dropped it back realizing that it wasn't any use. He just looked at me passively.
"I didn't know your last name and I had to fill your hospital form, I just put mine. I'm sorry. Nurse Philo knew I lied though." He scratched the back of his head guiltily. I couldn't deny the fact he was a nice man even if I wanted too.
"It's okay." I said. I put off the cooker and I served us food. I wasn't a big eater. But, I think he was. I put our plates on the kitchen island. We used bar stools to sit.
"Thank you." He murmured softly.
"You're welcome." I said. I just pushed my spoon about in my food. Sebastian wasn't eating either, and he was sweating.
"What is the matter?" I asked him.
He drank water and wiped his brow. "Pepper." He said quietly. "Too much pepper."
I tasted the food. It wasn't peppery. "I'm sorry." I said instead.
"Nana is going to murder me one of these days." He complained.
"I'm sorry about that." I didn't know what else to say. I gave him some more water.
"It's like drinking hot sauce." He muttered and coughed. I immediately stood up and patted his back gently. I gave him some more water and rubbed his back in random motions.
"I'm fine now, thanks." He said and I nodded.
"You're welcome." I bit my lip and went to sit back down. I still couldn't eat my food. He put his surname when he barely knew me. That was a bold move. Allison D'Souza. That doesn't seem right. The name brought a mocking smile to my lips. I shook the thought away and concentrated on my food.
Author's Note
Hey loves, please vote and comment. Thank you.