Love Really Is Strange – Episode 8

By Lydia Jonathan

“ Babe?

“ yea?

“ you know how I agreed to go stay with your parents for a while?

“yes, why?

“ I don’t think I want to go anymore

“ but why? We’re almost there, he turned to look t me and turned almost immediately to focus on his driving

“ you’re mom scares me, whenever we meet, she’s always scanning me as if looking for fault, I turned to look at him, my voice coming out a bit shaky and my hands now visibly shaking

“she’s not that bad you know?

“ she called me a bad luck, that I’m bringing you down

George parked the car and turned to face me, he held my shaky hands to calm it down

“look, if your not sure about this we can always turn around, call in sick or something Cause the last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable

I looked into his sincere eyes filled with love and concern and got the courage I needed

“ No, it’s fine, I can do this, plus how bad could it be, I smiled

“ That’s my girl, and if anything happens, anything at all, just call and i’ll be there okay?

I gave him a reassuring nod and we drove to is parents place

“ My son, welcome” his mother ran towards us and enveloped him in an embrace

“ Good afternoon Ma, I greeted when she finally released him.

She turned to look at me, disgust clearly written on her face

“ you too” and she turned back to look at her son now flashing a megawatt smile as she pulled him inside. George threw me an apologetic smile as he followed his mom inside

“ No, let’s go, I can do this” what the heck was I thinking, I mumbled as I carried my small bag with my cloths inside

I got greeted my George’s father as soon as I got in, a calm and nice man in his late fifties with little grey hair scattered all over his black hair

“ Welcome my daughter, he pulled me in for a hug nd I accepted whole heartily cause I really need it

How can a man so calm end up with his polar opposite over there now shooting daggers my way, like I’m trying to take her husband away from her? God knows how he does his own things I sighed and followed as she beckoned for me till we got to a room

“ This is where you’ll be staying she stated and walked away not even sparing me a glance. It’s just for a week I breathed in as I collapsed on the bed taking in the room. It wasn’t actually bad. It wasn’t too spacious but it was really cozy, with a queen sized bed and a very beautiful painting of different flowers hanging on the wall. Then again, the Harrison’s are wealthy so it’s no surprise there

Just after unpacking, I heard a knock on the door, and a voice followed “ Elizabeth, come join me in the kitchen” and then there was silence,

I’m guessing she left, I sighed, well at least she called my name, I smiled as I stepped out of the room to look for the kitchen

After over an hour of silence, we were done cooking and we passed the food and everyone ate including George’s two younger sisters who like their father actually like me

George left moments later, but not without given me a hug and promising to call later.

I quietly walked back to my room since everyone else had already done so, hoping to get some rest but it was cut short when the door opened and in came George’s mother. With instinct, I jumped out the bed to ask if something is wrong but she gestured to the bed for me to sit as she did so also

“ I know you think I hate you, she began, but I don’t. George is my only son and I’m very protective of him. I heard you lost your job, is that right? I nodded in affirmation. She breathed in and continued, like I said George is my only son and I don’t want anything bringing him down. He said he wants to marry you but I’m against the idea, unlike my husband, I’m telling you this cause you’re a woman like me and you’re like my daughter, you lost your parents and you have also lost your job, that means you’ll be relying on my son alone for everything when you people get married and that will eventually drag him down. I’ve always said you’re bad luck, it’s bad enough you don’t have parents or relatives for us to ask for your hand in marriage, now you can’t keep a common job. So after this week, you better find a job, because you cannot ki*ll my son for me, she finished and got up to leave with my eyes glassy with unshed tears.

“ You might think I’m wicked,she turned to look at me once more, but I’m not, I’m just looking out for my family is all and she exited the room and the tears now flowing down my cheeks freely without me doing anything to stop it

I cried myself to sleep that night, it’s just six more days to go I assured myself.

I left the harrison household a week later after I bade them goodbye. I gotta admit, I’ll miss them, the father and George’s two sisters that is, the mother hates my very existence and the fact that I did everything possible to make her like me was useless, cause it made her hate me even more than she already did, if that is even possible

I got home that evening exhausted and just want to crawl into my bed and hug my pillow but I guess that was far fetched. As soon as I got in the whole place was smokey

Fear crept within me, Mimi? I called out but there was no reply. Now visibly shaking and scared for the worse, I called out again a bit louder this time and she answered

Breathing out of relieve, “ where are you? I asked going in to look for her

“ In the kitchen” she yelled and I ran straight to the kitchen and met Mimi in a coughing fit in a very smokey kitchen trying to get rid of the smoke

“ what happened I gasped, and rushed to help but she didn’t reply

I left for just a week and you’re already trying to burn down the house? I teased but she just turned, gave me the nastiest look ever and went back to what she was doing

“Someone’s got their panties in a twist” I murmured and went back to fanning

The smoke died down minutes later after continuous fanning and opening of every door in window. Mimi opened the oven and brought out a very brown and crispy cake

“ Don’t you think the cake is too brown I smiled pointing at the cake

Mimi turned to give me a nasty look again,looked away, sighed and placing the cake on the counter

“ Are you okay? You’re acting strange I asked, getting worried. She nodded and turned to give a smile but failed when a tear rolled down her cheek

Oh my gosh! Are you okay, I rushed to her side and she reclined to sit on the kitchen floor. I knelt close to her

“ What happened? I asked

She opened her mouth to speak but broke down into tears instead. I pulled her to hug cooing her and she cried even more on my shoulders

After a while she calmed down. I pulled her away from me

“ What happened, are hurt, what’s going on? Is everything alrig…….

“ I broke up with David ( her on again, of again boyfriend),she cut me off. I caught him cheating on me and the ásshole said it’s not what it looks like. Does seeing your boyfriend in bed with a lady not what it looks like like? She turned to question me a tear rolling down her cheeks

Hey hey, pleas stop crying, the díck doesn’t deserve your tears. Your relationship from the start wasn’t healthy and you know it I replied, He goes out and acts like a jerk and comes crawling back begging for forgiveness and you take him back, it’s not cool

“ I really love him Liz, she turned to face me, it really hurts in here, she pointed to her chest and started sobbing

“its alright, please stop crying I pulled her closer to me again

“ it’s gonna be alright, right? She mumbled on my shoulders

“ of course I cooed, you’ve got me, and we have your very brown cake. She pulled back and smiled drying her tears

But I think you added way too much, cocoa I said cutting a slice to eat

“ it’s a vanilla cake” she turned smiling, I thought to bake you something sweet for your return, since you we’re complaining about your future mother in law

“ first off, thank you, that’s nice and second, don’t ever try to bake, because this happens, I pointed at the cake and we both laughed

Seeing her laugh made me feel better, she’s my family and it hurts to see her sad, and having moments like this to laugh about is as precious to me.

The next day, Mimi was feeling much better but still looked down, so I asked her to get dressed that were heading out since it was a Saturday. Without putting up a fight, she got dressed and we headed out

Mimi: where are we going?

Me: we’re going shop hunting, I’ve decide to do it

Mimi: that’s great, I’m so proud of you

Me: thanks, now come on

After walking for a while, we stopped to rest at a restaurant

Mimi: so…….

Me: yes?

Mimi: aren’t you gonna need help?

Me: yes, but I think I’ll get one when I start

Mimi: what about me

Me: what about you?

Mimi: I can do it, if you want

Me: do what?

Mimi: you know….. help

Me: Mimi, you have a job, remember?

Mimi: yea but it looks like you’re gonna need all the help you can get

Me: I’m gonna be fine Mimi, you don’t have to worry, now come on, we still have places to cover

We left the restaurant, going from places to places looking for a suitable location for a café, but couldn’t find a suitable one. Failing, we decided to go home and try again but with an agent this time

Days later I was called by the agent to come see a place he saw. I went alone to check out the place, since Mimi was at work but called to tell her about it, she wished me luck. And so I set out to check out the place, and boy was it a beautiful location with a huge company opposite it and various other companies close to it. This is going to be a great place for a café I thought to myself

“ This is perfect, I’ll take it, I turned to the agent who in turn smiled

“ Then I guess we better go work out the price he smiled to me and I nodded

After sorting out of everything and spending every money I own in furnishing the café cause I don’t want to ask George for help. I decided to call it ”Helen’s cafe” in memory of my late mother

Weeks later, I had a grand opening, baking as much as I can with the help of the two girls I hired to help, inviting everyone I knew, Mimi also inviting her colleagues from the office and George also coming with his friends

The opening was a success and business started smoothly the next day with few customers at the end of the day. I was excited, even if there are little customers, at least I’m doing something I love doing and I know it wasn’t gonna be like that forever

As the days went by, the customers increased gradually, and the fact that I was surrounded by companies helped a lot since the workers always came in for breakfast and lunches, and Mimi comes by as often as possible to help as well

Business was going great and I hired two more helpers to wait on tables with me doing most of the baking but the hired cook doing her job as well

Ma! Please there’s a customer waiting at table two, Abigail (one of my girls) came up to me, and everyone’s busy attending to orders, she rushed

“its okay, I smiled at her i’ll take it. She smiled and ran back to what she was doing

Hi! welcome Helen’s, what can I get you you? I looked up to see the customer and immediately the air got caught in my throat. Sitting there in all of his gorgeous glory is the last person I wanted to see, ever

Evans? I breathed out..

…to be continued