HIS SON – CHAPTER FIVE CONT’D

 

********

 

SEVEN YEARS LATER

 

Sammy’s been gone for so long. I’d moved on and gotten over the fact that I’d never see him again. I had gotten a career myself, and was happy to know that my happiness wasn’t ruined by all that happened in the past.

 

 

 

 

“When are you gonna get a man for yourself, Anita?” My best friend Hilda, who’s got a British accent, asked one day. She was concerned about my happiness, and was worried about me forever stuck in my shell, which I knew would never happen. I haven’t dated in a long time, so I had little love experience. It’s not like I didn’t want to be intimate with anyone, I just wanted to be left alone. Sammy had left me broken, and ever since I had fought off every feeling that had grown inside. Having been hurt by your first love, would make you not want to date again—making the saying; first love does hurts—more of a believe for me.

 

 

 

 

“You’re not joking about not wanting to date, are you?” Hilda continued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Well,” I said, “If it was left for me, I wouldn’t date at all!” I spoke in all seriousness, slipping the last of my button inside it’s hole. “Seriously, Hilda. Do you have to worry?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her brows arched up in a bid to criticize. “Worry, you say?” she brought her legs down from the couch. “Seriously, friend. You gotta be up on your feet and go get that dream man!” she encouraged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Well, that’s the problem, Hild. Who’s ever gonna be perfect for me?” I turned to look in the mirror again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know,” she spread her arms. “Anyone? Maybe?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I smiled, admiring my figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What’s funny?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned at her question. “Nothing!” I chuckled seeing her frown. “Oh, Heidi—that I called her whenever I wanted to sound funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Not smiling!” she folded her arms. “For Pete’s sake, Anne. You’re almost thirty!” she reminded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I laughed. “30?” I repeated with my right brow raised at her, and went back to admiring myself once again. “I’m just 23, you see,” I did some curly moves with my waist and picked up my Yves Saint Laurent by the corner—a perfume I had come to love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You stepping out?” Hilda changed the subject, while I gave a warming smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Yes,” I replied shortly. I didn’t want her knowing what I had in mind—I wanted it to be a surprise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I stepped out the milky-painted ten storey building, as I stopped the yellow taxi my eyes came on. Getting in, I requested that I’d be taken to Lake Shore Drive, where my new workplace was going to be. I was yet to get the job, but I had full faith in myself and knew this was it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You can do it, Anne!” I breathed and walked in, fingers clasped and eyes focused on one place, trying not to seem nervous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The receptionist led me to where all aspiring employees were, and I was anxious to meet whoever was in charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sir, there’s someone here to see you,” announced a lady—different from the receptionist; a little plump and average, with long brown hair and sparkly blue eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I walked in quietly, relaxing a bit, as a man seated on a swivel chair, with eyes focused on a screen, came into view.  He looked young, I could tell. But what I couldn’t understand was why he looked familiar.

 

 

 

 

“S-Sammy?”

 

 

His head came up at the call. “Sammy?”

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t who I thought it was. How come he looks just like him?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Who is this Sammy you speak of?” he asked.

 

 

 

I knew I had messed up calling him that—how am I seeing things? I wondered, not knowing what to say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought I had gotten over my ex a long time ago. Why should I be thinking about him now, and be seeing things I shouldn’t be? I thought about  it, and the seven years I had lived my life without him.

 

 

 

 

“Are you okay, Miss?” my soon-to-be boss asked, as I remained mute.

 

 

 

This was no way of starting a proper interview. I had to make it right. I needed this job… I needed this more than anything, and I wasn’t going to let just a petty mistake mess things up.

 

 

 

 

 

“Miss Mac, where’d you say you were working before?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

I corrected, “It’s MacKenny, Sir,”

 

 

He looked at me for a minute, and went back to looking into my file.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wondered if he had seen something wrong as his eyes remained glued on it.

 

 

I was tensed seeing him do that, but having answered all questions without shaking, I was sure I’d bag the deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scanning the remaining words, he made to speak as someone interrupted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sorry I’m late! I am so sorry—”

 

 

 

 

 

My throat tightened as I sat in silence, not wanting to look back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bro!”

 

 

 

 

 

Bro? beads of sweat gathered on my forehead, as fingers trembled and feet shook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat with mouth dry, as I heard my name called with a tender voice I could recognize anywhere.

 

 

 

“Nita?” he called again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all these years… and we meet again. It seemed like a movie anyone could spend hours watching with a popcorn in his hand. I could take it no more as the air got still, making it hard for me to breathe.

 

 

 

I got up to leave, thinking of nothing but to be so far away. I didn’t want to have anything to do with him, not after the pains he had caused me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do you two know each other?” the man in black asked, and I gave no answer but ran past the enemy instead, muttering words like someone who had seen a ghost.

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t belong here… this place isn’t for me. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

People who saw me would think that I had gone crazy, but I didn’t mind as long as I wasn’t anywhere near the devil, and had gotten over the shock.

 

 

 

 

“N-Nit—Nit!” I could hear him calling out my name, as I bothered not looking back. His voice hadn’t changed a bit. Why did we have to meet here of all places? I knew my day was totally ruined, and it was all his fault.

 

 

 

 

 

“Stay away from me!” I yelled for him to stay away from me, running out the building, into the road, as the sound of a truck—vroom—got my legs rooted to the ground.

 

 

 

 

“Anita!” called my saviour as he pulled me to safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are you crazy?!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Let me go, will you? You’re the one crazy here!” I shot back, caring less if he had saved me from death’s grasp. “What the hell are you doing here anyway? I mean, what are you doing in Chicago?” I rolled my eyes repeatedly at him, not giving him a chance to talk. “I thought you and your family moved away a long time?” I went on. “Why are you back? What’s your motive here, Samuel?” I was asking too many questions, that I knew, though it wasn’t my concern. I hated the fact that I had to see him again… after a long time of cursing and wishing he’d never return—awkward doing that—but I didn’t want him coming back and pleading till my heart softened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Nit, I really have a lot to tell you,” he said clasping my hand again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I snatched it away. “It’s Anne!” I said in a gruff tone, and spoke once more. “If you think for a second, that I’d give a f**k about anything you’re gonna say, then you are just as delusional as I thought!” I spat and left him standing there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

********

 

 

Admin/MOD… anyone. Please add this story to the featured categories so people can read it better. Thanks.