The Chosen One

Chapter 2 Wailing Baby

Chapter 2

Wailing Baby

Estelle held the wailing baby in her arms rocking her gently.

She wondered ‘when will her crying stop?’ Her feet had given up since last night she entered into her life and she had been on her feet rocking her.

Whenever she tried to sit the baby started crying loudly.

The thought of feeding her some brandy was lingering in her head but she couldn’t do it.

 She longingly looked at the tiny silver metallic alarm clock on her side table that still had the cup of coffee she’d made for herself but did not get to drink it. “she needed her dose of caffeine

She’d tried feeding the child with milk, water, juices but the child took none nevertheless started crying louder.

Estelle was amazed at the tiny thing in her arms, so tiny, her soft cushiony hands held her fingers tight and her feet they were so white and soft and tiny, such a little thing can be a grenade the way she was shouting.

Estelle wondered what happened, what made her take the baby into her custody, her newly made white printed sheet that was calling out for her since last night when she was planning to sleep after a long day at the bakery and then her preparations for the test that she so missed today.

How could she leave the house with no one to look after the baby?

She cursed herself for volunteering to take the custody of such a tiny tot.

Actually it was the angelic face the pretty green eyes wide and round that looked back at her and the luscious unconditional smile from her tiny soft lips and way she giggled slightly when Estelle had acknowledge 

“Hi” she remembered greeting the guy at her doorstep.

“Hi” the blue-eyed geek god greeted back “I know this is an odd time. But we desperately need your help” he said.

It was then she noticed the tiny bundle that could synonym beauty in his arms.

It was only then Estelle took her eyes off the handsome young guy with chiseled jaw, his wavy dark hair that seemed to reaching down his shoulders, she had the urge to check if they were actually soft and satiny as they looked like but refrained herself.

“Awww isn’t she beautiful” Estelle ended up complimenting the baby that he had secured held in his arms wrapped in a soft baby pink blanket.

“Will you help us?’ the guy asked desperately his pink lips quivering with fear.

Estelle could not believe some one as handsome as him could need her help.

“Sorry I don’t think I could be of any help.” Estelle denied. That was rational part of Estelle. She had to be careful.

She lived in the middle of the woods away from the city and she had made sure not to trust anyone.

“Please I beg you” the guy insisted, “I promise you no harm.”

Estelle chuckled mocking at him, “and I should trust your promise.”

His blue eyes darkened immediately “we are Sarfars, we always keep our promise” he stated very firmly.

Estelle was taken aback at his fierce answer.

She was actually scared “look I know I am a complete stranger and you don’t trust me.” He told softly “but how can a kid harm you. All I ask from you is for her” he lifted the prettiest baby in front of her “just keep her. Her life is in danger. I will forever be grateful.”

“You mean her” Estelle gestured at the baby wrapped in the furry blanket, her face losin its color, “are you crazy? Me and kids? Not in seventh heaven. You have no idea how bad I am with kids.”

“How bad could it be?” he furrowed his brows not understanding how a beautiful girl like her can be bad to kids.

“I am worst. Believe me. “ Estelle narrated, “Once I volunteered as a teacher in Montessori. You have no idea how bad I was with kids. Within half an hour the principal kicked me out of the class because the class looked worst than a zoo. Me? I already had broken my ankle and was limping my way out.” Estelle acted petrified “No no nono”

the handsome guy was also a little skeptical now “that was only one time, months ago. You might have improved.”

Estelle sighed “I wish I had” she started with another one of her acquaintances with a child “My friend Mona had to baby sit her niece when I visited her. And by the time it was time for her niece to go back home, she had already lost a teeth, her hair were a tangled mess with chewing gum rolled into it. She actually had to cut her hair military style to get rid of that gum. Her mome is I guess still looking out for me”

He now held the baby strongly and closely into his arms.

He was cursing himself for the wrong choice of person.

But what choice did he have in the woods?

“Listen I have to do this “ the beeping of his watch continuously distracted him and Estelle tried to look exactly what it was that looked like an ordinary and cheap imitation jewelry but how was it buzzing?

“Listen this is urgent. I have to go and you  have to keep the baby” he handed the baby to Estelle and out of reflex she picked her in her arms still denying “I cant” and smiled at the laughing baby.

The baby has some magical powers to attract others’ Estelle thought and was about to hand over the baby back to him

The boy muttered something in her ears and left.

It was later when the boy left the baby started crying as if the heaven let loose.

It was non-stop and Estelle had the strongest urge to pull her earmuffs out of her winter wardrobe and plug them in zoning her out.

But could she do that?

“I promise I’d keep your trust” she remembered herself speaking those words to the blue eyed guy,

He had pressed his palm to the left of her cheek, his palms were so soft and so comforting that she leaned into it, his ocean blue eyes staring into hers speaking volumes but she could not decipher the language, yet she knew that she had promised that she’d take care of the baby like she was hers.

“I trust you,” he said as he clicked his silver bracelet that was embezzled with huge sapphire stone on it.

“I will come back for you,” he muttered in the baby’s ears “stay safe”

She repented her decision. She shouldn’t have opened the door, it wasn’t safe but she was expecting the pizza delivery guy that she had waited for so long to arrive but ended up heating soup for herself half an hour before she heard the knock on the door.

It wasn’t new because the food delivery apps had ditched her a lot more times earlier.

Cant blame them though she lived in the outskirts of the city in a lonely place, her only neighbor being a seventy year old lady who slept as soon as the sun hit the horizon only to wake up later in the midnight.

But Estelle didn’t mind and the old lady minded her own business and Estelle hers.

Also the rent was cheap considering that she survived her college and her livelihood from her bakery income.

Her parents had offered her to stay with them “you know you can come stay with us. But you have stop that stupid bakery job and pick some decent course, subjects that have good future. You know” her mom would often say but she chose solitude.

Also her parents especially her mom had never approved of her choice of clothes, friends, education and even profession.

She was therefore happy in her own little place.

The place did get scary at night but as they say fear is in your heads.

Also she’d enquired earlier before renting the apartment that there hadn’t been any accident or untoward incident in the near past except the couple that stayed in the house died in a road accident.

Their surviving mother had therefore offered the place for tenants at a very cheap price

There was hush silence after hours and it took a moment or more for Estelle to  notice that she was still rocking the child even though she was fast asleep.

Estelle took a deep breath and squinted towards the baby’s face making sure if she was really asleep as if she looked at her the curse would reappear and the child would start crying again.

A tiny smile formed on Estelle’s face when she was assured that the baby had actually slept.

However an uncanny feeling did disturb her about the baby.

The baby hadn’t eaten a morsel or drank an ounce of milk since she’d arrived.

She’d promised the handsome guy that she’d take good care of her.

But how could she?

The child refuses to open her mouth completely.

Sighing she picked her mobile which she did not have the chance to see since morning.

There were few texts from her cousins which few of them she wasn’t sure if she had ever seen but thanks to w******p groups, the world has shrunk and they are in touch except the fact that they text only to wish each other on their birthdays and anniversaries.

There was a missed call from Mona, her only friend and class mate.

She might be checking up on her for her absence.’ Estelle thought

Estelle never missed her tests.

It was only because of the tiny angel if you could call that crying haul an angel that lay sleeping in her arms.

Estelle surfed through the Internet looking for baby food

She was glad to read that there were various choices available in baby foods but the huge problem lay in taking the baby for grocery shopping with her.

She did have a worn out beetle but she did not have a child seat. Also she could not rely on home delivery because they could not be trusted especially if the girl wakes up and starts crying again.

She picked her college backpack, emptied its contents and picked her envelop of money that she’d saved for later and went on foot to the nearest grocery store which was around 2 miles from her house.

She was a lazy hoe, never even went for a stroll, walking, running or exercise were the words that had been permanently deleted form her dictionary.

It was a bless or strong metabolism that she’d inherited from her mother that she had a perfect hourglass figure.

Well that and the fact that she was too lazy to cook and always broke to order home delivery 

Half way through she was huffing and panting and the honking of horn behind her 

gave her hopes that she could use some lift. But one look at the travelers of the vehicle and her hope diminished like puff in the air.

“Hey baby mother” one of the three guys from the open jeep called “want to make some more babies”

They wolf whistled at her

‘What a lucky asshole to knock a beauty like you.” One commented “give us a chance too” he made a kissing face which Estelle was sure made her want to gag.

If her heartbeats had quickened with walk they were ten fold now with the fear of being r***d and molested by delinquent teenagers

“Damn why didn’t I take those self defense class my mom had enrolled for” she cursed herself.

She feared for the safety of the baby too. The little girl was her responsibility.

“Hell I don’t even know her name” she realized

“Dumb girl” she scolded herself “it’s a matter of life and death and here you are assessing how much of a silly nerd I amto have missed asking the name of the baby’

She shrugged her silly thoughts away

First things first

How do I defend myself?

“I can run” she thought

Silly they have a car A CAR they can easily chase a non-athlete like you.

“Okay’ she felt silly “no need to rub it own my face”

“Then shall I pick a huge stone and hit at them?” she picked an alternative

“yes yes” the voice inside her mocked at her “and that stone will turn into a live bomb and burn the car into ashes.”

She felt stupid at her own ideas “I should shout for help” she decided

But the rational voice inside her argued “and one of the three guys in the lonely woods would come to your rescue. Go ahead shout shout” came the mocking reply from inside her

“Will you shut up” she shouted at the voice inside her head but the baby woke up.

Estelle feared the worst first these boys and now this baby is going to cry the hell out of me.

“Karma” she called “when have I been such a b***h to you for you return the favor?”

“Okay I did steal my classmate Danish’s cookies in the tiffin box he used to carry but he was so fat and to top of it he used to bring such sweet and yummy cookies. I did a favor on him”

Estelle realized that the car was now riding slowly and in pace with her walk “come on pretty girl” the guy whom Estelle noticed had a face filled with pimples said “let us give you a ride.”

“Or you can ride US” the other one said earning a good laugh from all three of them.

“How about leave me the f**k alone?” she cringed at the use of curse word in front of an infant.

But she couldn’t control. She had nothing to lose.

She thought of showing some nerves.

“How about we f##k you and leave you alone.” The one who was driving said and with a screeching noise he raced the car into its full speed and brought it to a halt in front of her.

Estelle’s heart was pounding like a drum in the rock concert.

“Pray pray to god” the voice inside her recommended “that’s the only thing left.”

And without further argument for the first time Estelle followed the suit.

She closed her eyes and waited for the guys to attack at her.

She was ready to scream at the top of her lungs 

Probably her voice could reach some wanderer or a tourist or a photographer who normally trespass the area for some good shoot.

A girl can only hope’ she defended her silly idea

But to her surprise a loud shriek was heard but she kept her eyes shut scared shitless.

Another shriek was heard soon followed by another one and it wasn’t hers.

He opened her left eye but could only see bushes and a small portion of road ahead her. She opened her other eye to see the three guys running into their scars and droving off.

The way they made run for their life was hilarious and the baby in her arms seconded it by laughing heartily.

While Estelle stood still at her place wondering what the f**k just happened she fount the babya in her arms laughing the hazel in her yes now golden and she wondered if she was the same baby.

She dismissed the thought” probably due to bright sunlight”

The only thought clouding her mind as she further walked towards the grocery being…….

 But what made those guys run away and why were they holding their pants?