When love speaks
2598 Words
Liam came out the bathroom and saw her already dressed up in his clothes. He wondered if her hips had not made the pants go off the elastic limit. She now looked freshened up and he saw the live in her amber eyes.
“You look beautiful.” He said with a smile.
“Thank you.”
“I have breakfast set already. I am famished so I will make breakfast come before my bath.”
She smiled. Oh no. her lips!
“I am famished too.”
“Then we make a team. Let’s do it then.”
They went to and sat at the dining table and began to eat. She was obviously hungry and they ate in silence.
“I guess your friends are really angry with you.” She broke the silence.
“s**t happens between friends.” He said,. “We do argue and let things pass by.”
She nodded.
“He said I was high.”
“Hmm…Yeah. I guess that was the best shot.”
“You think so too, right?”
“I thought you were hit or something or brought there to be killed but when you said no cops and no hospital and just needed sleep, I thought you just got high and knocked out.”
“I understand your judgment.” She said and took another sandwich. “I can’t remember how I got there.”
He gave her a sharp glance. “I only remembered entering a cab and another car crossed over ours and I guessed it was an accident but the next thing I remember was waking up in pains in beneath a hill.”
“That is strange. I mean the car may not have flown and dropped you there.”
“No. I may have passed out and someone took me that far. I don’t know how it happened.”
“Phew!”
“My clothes were intact and I know I was not raped.”
“Did you lose anything? Like your purse, wallet, or anything important?”
“Yes, I lost my wallet but I had just fifty dollars in it. No credit card, nothing valuable.”
“Why did you not want the police to know about it?”
“I am sorry but I have paranoia issues. I got a history and did not want any publicity. I actually left home and do intend to go back. I lived with my uncle and he was abusive. He wanted me to a call girl and at a point tried to have s*x with me. I had to run away.”
“I am sorry about that. What about your parents?”
“I am an orphan and grew up in an orphanage. I never met them and now nothing about them. Our matron did a DNA search and he was found to be my paternal uncle. He took me away from the orphanage since I was thirteen and I am now nineteen.”
“I am sorry about that.”
“He works with the law and has connections. I lived in Dallas.”
He sipped chocolate milk.
“What is your name?”
“Liam…”
“Oh, I remember that. They called you Liam.”
“Yeah, Liam Crawford.”
“I am Gina. Gina Gage.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“The pleasure is mine. You are a good guy.”
“Don’t be too sure about that.”
“I am sure about that.”
“So how long have you been in Chicago?”
She smiled.
“A few hours. I guess you live with your parents and they don’t know I am here.”
“How did you know that?”
“I heard your conversation with your dad and it was obvious you sneaked me in here. I was not unconscious but just too weak.”
“Yeah you are right. I live with my parents. My dad is a Professor at University Of Chicago Divinity School.”
“Whoa! I have never heard of the school,:
“It is an old school founded in 1890. It is a private research university with less than seventeen thousand students. He is a clergy man and would report to the police if he finds a sick girl in his house. My mother is a medical doctor with real medical ethics. She would not keep mute too so it has to be my way. I have a younger sister who is fifteen; and a younger brother who is ten.”
“I am lucky he did not see me.”
“Yeah.”
She lowered her head for a few seconds and seemed to have lost some of her appetite.
“Did I say something wrong?” He asked.
“No. It’s just that…forget it. I think I have to leave. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
“There is no trouble. You are fine.”
“Yeah, I am fine.”
“So what is your plan? What are you doing in Illinois?”
“I just want to find a job and a place to stay. I am homeless for now and came up here without a concrete plan. I had just fifty dollars on me and was wondering where I could get a job.”
Liam was silent for a few minutes.
“I think you can stay for a few days Incognito.” He said. “What kind of job do you plan to get?”
“Anything.” She said. “Anything that can provide a means of income and a place to stay. I have a dream to attend college and need to save money. I attended high school in Dallas but had to drop out.”
“I am sorry about that. We all need to earn. I, Dash, Harry, Chris and Larry all attend the same school; University of Illinois. Even though I am a student of , I have a passion for arts and I do that as a part time job.”
“What part of arts exactly?”
“Painting.” He said. “That is this place is my quarters. I have a gallery here.’
“Whoa! I paint too. I am not a professional but I draw like seriously.”
This really interested Liam.
“For real? I guess you would like to see some of my works. I draw, upload on my social media pages and sell. I also draw for animation movie producers. Have you seen the movie, Clyde and the Fairy Princess?”
“Yes.”
“I drew the images but my name is not on the credit list.”
“Why?”
“I was not contracted directly by the producers. The guy who claimed to have drawn them signed a contact with me that would not make me claim the credit. It is the ghostwriting aspect of drawing. It is ghostdrawing if such a word exists.” He said and chuckled.
She giggled.
“We can do things together.” He said. “We can draw together and sell. People exploit me because my name is still small in the industry but at least I earn. I bought my car with my money.”
“I don’t know how to go about it.”
“You got me but I would like to see what you can do.”
“I also want to see your gallery.”
“Cool. Okay, why don’t we go out to the woods and spend some time doing landscape. More of fun, right. I will get you canvass, acrylic paint, brushes and all paraphernalia and the job is yours. Goodman underpays but at least we have a sure market if he likes it. He is a collector. He buys of fifty dollars and sells for one thousand plus having the credit to himself. You see his name signed on your work. Such a jerk. But what he does not know that paintings are like handwritings. Experts may notice the variations of the works and know it’s not all his. But a guy like Goodman does not give a damn about ethics.”
This was the beginning of their union. They had gone out with painting paraphernalia, a camping tent and bought a lot of provisions. They went Lake of The Woods, Illinois; a census-designated place in Champaign County, Illinois.
The beauty of the place made Gina marvel. She loved woods, forests and hummocks and the serenity it provided was scintillating.
It took no time for Liam to realize that she was better than he was in painting. Her speed was enigmatic and her prowess in marking out details was astonishing,
“Oh my God!” He exclaimed. “Did you say you are not a professional? You are better than me?”
“Come on, Mr. Humble.”
“Goodman has to pay two hundred for this or no deal. Mine can go for fifty but not yours.”
They spent the day there and left in the evening.
Liam wanted them to go back home late because of his parents so he suggested they went to the movies, and after that that, they went back and he snuck her in.
The next day, they went to Rend Lake together and after some paintings, they decided to chill at Eldon Hazlet state Park where they camped, did some fishing and bird watching.
“Birds are free animals.” She said as they watched some birds.
“Yeah...and how interesting it must be to fly, live in natural reserves and just have fun.”
“I wish life was a fairy tale where upheavals and travails were only found in a nightmare.”
“And the lion was a pet and fire was a warmer.”
“And guns were just a teaser with the armed robber is just an actor.”
“But sometimes I feel like that.”
“How?”
They were sitting side just a few hundred yards from the public swimming pool located at the campground. She was dressed in her swimming trunk while he was clad in boxers.
“I feel like life is a fairy tale right now. I see myself flying, and no more crying, and having fun is real and not just me trying. I see myself out of bondage chains, and void of pains, and riding in a convoy of soundless trains, where there is just a crew, us and a natural view, and I grant an interview, how you came and my pain is unscrew, and you feed me with honeydew. Life can be a fairy tale, if we set our minds off that which is pale; hanging with the world’s best female, making me a super male. Life can never be a fairly tale in reality but I reset my mentality, enjoy the serenity, and when I say damn the atrocity, I meant damn the esoteric quiddity, and balanced becomes my sanity, and let no one intimidate me or thwart my integrity, so I am on the bliss voyage with a high velocity. Matrix and avatar, what’s the difference? Being in a virtual world that feels real is the essence. Love and bliss quintessence, and in play is royalty and excellence, no pretence, so Princess Gina, my travails in this fairy tale world is thinner, and thanks to you for bringing this oasis, no scintilla of crisis, and my fear is in total paralysis.”
Silence.
She said nothing until he turned and saw a stream of tears flowing down her eyes. He wanted to say something but had to stop as her lips met his.
*******
Martha let out a loud scream that pieced through the frosty night air as she saw him. She could not believe her eyes and felt heart coming up her throat but choked her instead. That was when Michael rushed to the living room to see what had made his wife scream.
When Michael saw him standing with just a sheet of clothe wrapped round his body, and held the door which he pulled off in his hand, he almost passed out.
“What? Don’t you recognize me?” Daniel said in astonishment. “It’s me, dad, and mum. I am fine.”
“Daniel, is it-is it really you?” Martha asked.
“Why? I am fine.”
“No, you died.” Michael said.
Daniel chuckled.
“No. I was attacked by a fox and was in hospital for a day. I passed out and I am fine now.”
“Daniel you died for three days.”
“I am not Jesus Christ who was said to have died and resurrected after three days for Christ’s sake!”
“You were in the morgue and in the laboratory for days.” Martha said.
“Stop it!” He yelled and they noticed the harshness and coarseness in his voice.
“Martha, “Michael called out softly. “There are no scar no s no scratch or bite marks on him. Is this really Daniel?”
“I am scared, Michael.” She said “He pulled off the door with his bare hands.”
“Okay, I don’t have time for this.” He said, dropped the door and ran to his room.
“We must call the police.” Michael said. “This is strange.”
“I can’t stay here.” Martha said. “Let’s leave.”
Daniel got into his room and opened a drawer. He dialed a number.
“Dan?”
“Yes, Boris. How long was I out?”
“Ehmmm, there was...”
“Just answer me.”
“Three days. You were pronounced dead.”
“s**t! That was not the agreement. I was meant to be off for a few hours and not pronounced dead. Now, even my parents are scared of me.”
“It was not my fault. The second bite was supposed to come after a few minutes but the fight was fierce and fifteen minutes was wasted. That extended you revival period. And the i***t made sure your body was taken away with us following by giving Guvana a virulent bite. But you are okay.”
“Bullshit. It is now stranger. They will wonder.”
“It does not matter. Your position is set. How did you leave the mortuary?”
“I am told it was not a mortuary but a fuckin* lab. I had to break out.”
“Okay, you must have shown your new powers and that will attract attention.”
“It is your entire fault. If the second bite had come punctually, and you guys followed me to the hospital, it would have been just a matter of hours and I will act normal but now I am like a resurrected soul.”
“I am sorry about that.”
“I need to pick the things…”
“We did that already. The police were here but….your money is gone.”
“What?”
“We did not know that you buried it here.”
“Damn! Six million dollars and six hundred thousand Bwaras!”
“I suggest you leave and we will sort things out. I am told Ian was seen in town and that is not good. He is with the police and you know what that means.”
“Ian Cilff?”
“Yes.”
“Oh no!”
Daniel opened his wardrobe and got dressed. He put some clothes into a box hurriedly and carried a laptop which he looked at adoringly. This laptop was his life. He paused, opened it and put it on.
What?
The hard disc was missing.
He then began to hear sirens. The police were on their way. He frowned.
His parents! They had reported him. Who removed the hard disc?
He quickly called Boris.
“Did you carry my hard disc along with the lab equipment?”
“No. We only evacuated the equipment and chemicals.”
“My hard disc is gone.”
“And that is a problem, right?”
“Swine it has my works and the leak would be bad.”
“I guess I know who took it.”
“The police are coming. My parents reported me.”
“You must leave!”
Daniel ended the call, carried his box, smashed the laptop on the floor and went to the door. The sirens were becoming louder and closer so he ran out through the back door. He had not tested his healing powers so he did not want take the risk of getting shot at.
Seven police cars drove appeared with high velocities and pulled up. Armed policemen alighted.
Sherry, Rick and Ian alighted.
Ian looked at the house.
“He is gone but I will like to see the house.”
Rick saw that the front door was removed.
“We need to sit down and talk.” Rick said. “You have a lot to tell us.”
- Writer
