Gideon POV
"Ouch, my head hurts!" I said as I opened my eyes from my deep slumber and this surge of pain in my head welcomed me with open arms. My body feels so heavy too! I feel like a truck ran me over; even a slight body movement hurt. I tried to sit up, and I realized I was not in a familiar place.
Where am I?
I checked the whole room to know where I was and noticed It looked like a condo unit owned by a man, judging by the color of the walls and the furniture. It has a black side table and a black sofa beside the bed. A black and white abstract painting is also hanging on the wall on top of the couch. Most things here are colored or designed as black, which I find familiar! Someone I knew before has the same taste as this, but I don't remember who!
I started to panic, so I checked myself urgently to see whether I was okay or still had my clothes on because I didn't really remember anything that had happened to me last night. I don't do one-night stands, and if that happens to me. I'd rather kill myself after!
I feel so relieved after seeing that I still have the clothes I had last night except for my shoes! Where are they? I quickly get off the bed to look for my shoes and things like my wallet and cellphone. I don't remember how I got here or who brought me here. All I can remember was I was running away from the restaurant. I was running away from Marcus, and then I felt like I was about to faint. I was fainting until someone grabbed me from behind. I think a man caught me, but sadly I don't remember his face. I remember him calling my name as I was about to lose consciousness, then nothing.
I found my things in the drawer beside the bed; everything inside my wallet is still there, like my cards, ID, and money. I checked my phone and saw that it had a low battery. Fuck! I don't have my charger! I quickly wear my shoes and walk to the door to escape this unfamiliar room.
Thankfully, I'm already strong enough to move, so after getting out of the room, I thought I would be outside this condo, but no! I see this is a much bigger condo unit than I expected. It has a living room, a kitchen, a veranda, and another room.
I was stunned and confused for a while, but when I got my consciousness back, I quickly ran to the door; as I tried to open the main entrance, the door from the other room opened.
I got scared of the person who would come out of that room, so I quickly looked for something I could defend I can use to protect myself from the strange person! I saw it there, so I picked up the baseball bat beside the door.
I stand correctly while holding the bat firmly as I wait. I saw this tall naked from the waist up, a man who looked like he had just woken up, standing in front of me.
"Who are you!" I shouted at him, making his face look so shocked.
"Oh shoot, sorry! I forgot I have a guest!" He said, running back to the room while I stood there looking confused. After a few seconds, he went out again. This time, he was wearing his shirt already.
"I asked you, who are you!" I asked him again. He smiled at me! The nerve of this guy to smile when I'm literally about to hit him with this baseball bat that I'm holding.
"Oh, Gulf! You're awake! It's me, Alex!" He answers while trying to defend himself. Maybe he thought I was about to hit him with the baseball bat. I tried to think if I knew him.
"Alex, who?" I don't remember him.
"It's me, Alex! The one you met in the cemetery not so long ago while you were, you know!" he answers while smiling at me.
Alex? Alex? Cemetery? A memory suddenly came back to me! Oh! It's him! The one who gave me that hanky while I was crying my eyeballs out on my parent's tomb. Fuck yes! It's Him! I remember him now! What is he doing here? If he is the one who brought me to this unknown condo unit, how the hell did he get me here in the first place?
"You!" I said while pointing my finger at him, also wearing my shocked reaction face.
"Yes, it's me. Nice to see you again!" Alex said to me while smiling so widely. I felt weird a little looking at this man standing so friendly in front of me; he is always wearing this big smile on his face. Is he always like this? Welcoming and close to all the strangers he will meet?
"How..." I was about to ask him; how he brought me to this place and why. An average person will get someone who fainted in front of them in the hospital, but he brought me. I think this is his place.
"How did I bring you here?" He asked. I nodded as an answer to him.
"I found you last night." He said while going to the kitchen to get some water. I followed and saw him get a glass of water and then offer it to me. I held the glass of water and drank it in one go. Fuck! I didn't notice I was thirsty until he gave me water.
"You find me how?" I asked him. How on earth did he find me?
"Coincidence, I think! I was also in the area where I found you running, and at that time, I was checking some restaurants in that area for my friend. Suddenly I saw a man running while crying. I initially ignored it, but then I realized it was you. So, I followed you! I'll be lying if I didn't say that. I got curious, why are you crying so much and then when I was near you, I saw you suddenly fainting! I rushed to catch you, and thankfully, I did! I brought you here because I don't know where you lived. You don't have your ID on you that has your address on it. I didn't bring you to the hospital because when I checked you, you seemed fine and breathing but looked tired, so I decided to bring you here so you can rest." He said while trying to prepare breakfast. He is scrambling eggs like a pro. I can't help but be amazed by how he whisked the egg without looking.
"Oh!" wow! What a small world that he saw me in this kind of situation twice already! I find him so familiar again, but I genuinely don't remember where I saw him except that day in the cemetery.
"Scramble with ketchup, right?" He asked me. I was shocked and confused because of it. How did he know?
"Huh? What do you mean" I asked him. He stopped scrambling the egg and faced me.
"Your egg? You want it to scramble with ketchup, right?" He answered casually.
"How did you know?" How did he know I already wanted to scramble my egg with blended ketchup? I don't want to cook my egg first and separate the ketchup like other people. Only those close to me know this, as in very close, and even Marcus doesn't know this. I know I came to love this way of cooking my egg when I was in my senior year in high school.
"A guess, maybe?" He said while smiling awkwardly. Why do I feel uneasy about this? Who is he? But because I'm the kind of person who always gives people the benefit of the doubt and doesn't want to think wrong about someone. Also, he saved me from being left alone in the middle of the road when I fainted as a sign of thank you. I just ignored it.
"Ok! Thanks! Yes! Scramble with ketchup! I love it that way! Thank you!" I smilingly said to him as I tried to pull one of the chairs for me to sit on.
"Okay, noted, come on, stay there and be comfy. It will only take a few minutes." I just complied with him. After he cooked our breakfast, he sat in front of me then we started to eat our breakfast. For a while, we are just eating our food silently when he suddenly speaks as we eat our food and asks me a question.
"May I ask why you were crying again last night? It's the second time I've seen you crying so badly. If you don't mind, may I know the reason?" He looked so serious as he asked me.
"Ahh~!" Should I tell him? It's not like we are close or something, and It's not like we will meet each other again.
"It's about a guy that you love! Am I right?" Huh? How did he know that I'm gay? I drop my spoon because of shock.
"How did you know it's about a guy? Also, that I'm gay!" I asked him.
"A hunch, maybe?" He said It was the second time he said that reason to me. This is getting weirder and weirder.
"A hunch?" I asked him.
"Nope, Ahh! from how I observed you, you cried. Don't get me wrong, ahh, but I don't know any straight man who cries like how you cried. I see how you cry, usually like those girls I knew. You look and sound like them when you are crying. Please don't get me wrong! It's just my observation. That's why I just assumed that you're a...." He looks like he can't finish his words. I guess he does make sense. Sometimes you can know someone's gender orientation by how they act, just like me.
"A gay? It's okay! You don't have to hesitate to tell the truth!" I said.
"So, I'm right. It's about the guy you love!" my mood drastically changed when he said that because the memory of last night flashed in my mind. I remembered everything I encountered and faced in the previous few weeks. All the hurt, pain, and heartbreaks! The scene last night flashed before my eyes again like I was watching it live! The pain I felt last night came back, and I started crying again.
"Why can't it be me? Why! Why her! Why! Is something wrong with me? What do I lack? Should I do more? Should I give more? Why!" I'm speaking while crying. I was shocked when Alex suddenly ran and hugged me.
"Shhh, Gulf, there is nothing wrong with you! Nothing! That guy is a jerk! He doesn't deserve you! He doesn't deserve you at all! Never!" He spoke while trying to console me. I wanted to push him away from me because I was not comfortable with someone hugging me besides my family and friend, but I couldn't seem to do it. I don't have the strength to push him away.
I just cried and cried in his arms.
~~~
I am on the sofa, waiting for Alex to finish showering. He volunteered to drop me home. I refused at first because he had already helped me, but he insisted, so I gave up and let him.
I was waiting for him when suddenly my phone rang.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
I checked who was calling me. Elise Calling! Oh, it's Elise. I answered the call.
"Hello?" I was surprised because I heard someone crying in the background. Is that Auntie? Is Auntie Vanessa crying? Why?
"Brother Gulf! Help! help!" Elise said in a panic. I started to panic too.
"Why? Princess, what happened? Auntie Vanessa is crying in the background." I tried to calmly asked her.
"Yes, Brother Gulf! Mommy is crying! Please help! We can't find Brother Marcus?" What? Marcus?
"Why! What happened to Marcus? Why are you trying to find him, isn't he supposed to be with Allyssa?"
"No, Brother, He isn't with sister Allyssa! She's gone! Sister Allyssa is gone! Please help!"
"What gone!"
Toot! Toot! Toot!
"Elise? Hello?"
The call got dropped! Fuck! What happened? What did she mean gone? What happened? I didn't wait for Alex to finish anymore! I wrote a letter saying I was sorry but must go home, and I immediately stepped out of the condo! I need to go to Marcus's Parents' house! I need to know what happened!
Please, Marcus! Please be okay! I shouldn't have left you last night!
What should I do? Where are you, Marcus? Where are you?
To be continued
WAANJAIMJORA