Endymion
Chapter 11
What happened in that room caused quite a big stir in and outside of the hospital.
It seemed as if no one on this planet could figured out and accepted why on earth I would choose to fell in love with a patient that didn’t have legs, not even mentioned he actually already had a girlfriend (Kate). For quite some times they all ran under the assumption that I would eventually going out with Owen (thanks to Zoë), now my decision had really gave them a bit of a shock. To be quite frankly, I had known this was going to happen anyway, and that was the reason why I hesitate in the first place. But since Alex and I were fallen for each other deeply, the perspective of others no longer concerned us as great as we thought it was.
However, someone just wouldn’t let you get away that easily.
Such as Zoë.
Well, let’s just said she simply couldn’t accept the fact that I ended up didn’t choose the guy she picked for me and fell for someone else instead. And this ‘someone’ else was actually a disable – not exactly superior compare to her candidate.
“Are you fecking mad?” Zoë shook her head: “That fellow, well, it doesn’t even matter how handsome he is, he has no legs!!!!”
“Well, that’s not a major major problem to me.” I replied calmly.
“But it’s gonna causes problem………”Zoë followed me as I clocked out and prepared to leave the hospital for the day.
“Haven’t you just heard I said it’s not a major major problem to ME?” I gave her an evil.
“… What other people might think of this? They will………..”
“They can think whatever goddamn rubbish they want.” I put the key into my car: “ They aren’t the one who’s going out with him, are they? What’s your problem?” I got feisty and started becoming a bit rude. What could I do? For the last couple of days I’ve been harassing by a lot of so-called ‘worry about me’ friends about this, trying to ‘put me back to my senses’. It had just gotten to my nerves now. Can you believe just yesterday I actually got a call from my mum in Australia mumbling the same goddamn bloody problem (which I could easily figure out who told her)? And just last week I bumped into Carl at Foodtown, he was asking if I was seeking a refuge by going out with Alex because our past relationship (oh pleeeeaaassseeee!). Also all of the sudden, Eddie refused to speak to me at all (not if he did much before or if I cared), and started acting funny every time he saw Alex.
“I just thought you would need to come back to your senses.” Zoë looked at me.
“What senses? I am in my senses.”
“Then you wouldn’t do this.”
“What’s wrong with Alex apart from he has no legs?” I climbed into the car.
“We all have to agree that would be enough.” She insisted.
“Well, I don’t. So stopped throwing me that mumble jumble and give me some other bloody reason.”
“………………He’s with Kate, according to variety of sources.” What a weak excuse.
Then I realised I used to be one of those ‘sources’, and I used to consider this was one of the reason that I shouldn’t going out with Alex as well. Guess I had just smacked my feet with a stone.
Or put my foot into my mouth, for that matter.
“He said they are no longer together.” I defended.
“And you believe that, do you?” Zoë crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.
I didn’t answer her for this one.
Now I must to say, I was indeed a bit worry about this. The impression Kate gave me, was that they still pretty much together, while Alex had swore quite a few times that they weren’t. I haven’t spoken to her since the Easter holiday, so I couldn’t really check with her which one of them was telling the truth. In the bottom I would loved to trust Alex completely, however my logic side had once again playing some kind of tricky game, kept reminding me that everything had three sides: A’s story, B’s, and the truth. Do not rush into the conclusion when you didn’t get the full picture.
Looked like I had gone through a lot of similar struggle lately.
But, this was the last thing I had to worry about, really.
Well, I didn’t pass my exam (I wasn’t surprise at all here, did you?). Some papers had to be redone and that meant my staying as a training nurse in the hospital was going to take longer. It was not like I didn’t like this hospital or anything, most of staff was pretty nice as well. It just that since my relationship with Alex had gone public, all of the sudden it was rather uncomfortable to walk around the hospital with someone constantly pointing and talking behind your back (sometimes right in front of you, as you were invisible. Rather shameless really, if you asked me). Well, luckily the management and my marking professor wouldn’t complain or note anything done regarding this. Again it was the stress from the word of mouths make you felt stress and sounded unprofessional.
I supposed there was nothing I could do about this one, all I could do was holding my head high pretending they were talking about someone else and kept on with my life. People would eventually lost interest.
Sounded like some kind of quote out of celebrity mags, you reckon?
A few days later, as I was rushing down the corridor as usual, carrying a stack of one particular resident doc’s so-called ‘very important, has to see it now’ ultrasound films. An unexpected person suddenly stood right in front of me: “Hey you! You cheeky relationship-wrecker!”
It was Kate.
Great.
Didn’t think she was here for a friendly social chitchat.
“Alex had just told me he was finished with me last night, because he had fallen in love with you now.” Her voice went a few pitches higher: “You fecking bitch! How dare you? Did you realise I was with him? How could you steal him behind my back?”
I didn’t reply her straight away.
I just starred at her.
“Well?”
“………………..You come all the way to the hospital to see me just for this?”
“Yes, I am” Her chin tilted slightly higher. Now she almost looked at me with her nostrils.
Not very pretty nostrils.
“Well, what do you say?” Mistaking my silence as a sign of weakening. Sparks started flying in her eyes. She crossed her arms, with a challenging grin on her face.
“………….From the information I had gather, nop.” I replied slowly: “I was told your relationship was ended by YOU when Alex was in COMA.” I couldn’t believe I was answering her mad question here. For Christ sake! I actually had two thousand things to do in that particular afternoon, who would want to waste the time away arguing with this crazy woman?
This crazy woman certainly didn’t look the same since the last time I saw her.
Whatever nice image I had from her was going out of the bloody window. Her face was bright red, her eyes nearly popped out of the sockets, all well manners were gone, and she smelled like she had been drunk for days.
I tried to go around her, but it seemed as if she was not going to let me get away that easily. She turned around and quickly blocked my way.
I took a glance at my watch; Alex should be in the physio right now. She sure picked a perfect time to come. That made me wondered if she was doing this on purpose.
I made another attempt. Bad luck! She blocked me again!
I signed quietly. Okay then! Looked like I might have to dwell with her for a wee while.
“No, it’s not true,” She shouted. Could you bloody believe it? Her voice actually went even higher! Now people started noticing what was going on and gathering around us, ready to see a free reality drama: “We are still pretty much together! We had always been together and our relationship never ends at all! As the matter of fact, he was going to ask me to marry him!”
“Not even when he was in COMA?” I looked at her coldly.
“Not even when he was in COMA.” She was pretty firmed about this.
“Hmm.. that was funny, because I was told when Alex’s parents asked you to come to the hospital everyday to read him something, saying it would possibly improving his condition. You know, he might wake up early. You refused and saying you had better things to do in your life than wasting your time setting next to his sickbed. And within the next couple of days all they had ever heard from you was your bloody answering machine.” I handed the film to another medic, asking him to take it to whoever that thinkofmebob who wanted it urgently: “I also…no….a lot of us also known by the fact that you had never ever turned up at the hospital at all through the whole time. Is that right, Zoë?” I looked at Zoë, who nodded with agreement: “Now you were telling me you two were never finished? I found it was really hard to believe.”
“…well, I was busy at something else.. I was overseas…” Now her voice began to tremble, and it wasn’t as high as it was.
“So busy that you didn’t even had time to visit your sick boyfriend? Well, you’ve just told me you were very much together, have you?” I asked calmly: “Make sure you do some kind of draft before you pick for a fight next time, my dear. You are losing your ground here. Now would you excuse me, I actually have work to do.” I made another attempt to go around her. Surprisingly she blocked me again.
“You are not going anywhere, love!” Now her face turned from red to white, how fascinating: “I am not through with you yet!”
“Well, guess what? I do. If you have any other enquiries, I believe they” I pointed at all the nurses and doctors surrendered us: “all very kin to help.”
Then I went around her for the third time. This time she didn’t stop me. She just stood there, face now going as white as paper, looked as if she was going to faint in the next second.
Then she probably realised what state she had brought herself into. To prevent her dignity lost entirely, she started shouting at my back: “YOU ARE LYING, YOU FILTHY BITCH! ALL YOU SAID WASN’T TRUE! YOU WILL SEE! I WAS ALEX’S GIRLFRIEND AND YOU STOLE HIM AWAY FROM ME! DID YOU HEAR ME? YOU FUCKING LIER!!!”
I didn’t stop to look at her this time.
Couldn’t even bother.
People started cheering and clapping as I walked past them.
Yeah right! Bloody nosy people, as if the sole purpose you had in your life was to watch others suffered and being entertained about it.
At least they won’t make any wrong assumption that I steal Alex from Kate after today. And hopefully that will make this bloody gossip quiet down much sooner than I thought.
Zoë caught me before the elevator’s door was closed.
We looked at each other in silence.
“…………….That was very brilliant for you down there!” She finally said. It took her a wee while to open her mouth.
“…Now you know I wasn’t lying about this.” I gave her a stare.
“Sorry love, I was just worried. You know, we all want the best for you.” Zoë said guiltily and slightly embarrassingly.
“Your so-called ‘best of me’ was trying to push me to Owen.”
“You’ve got to agree Eddie Owen is not a bad fellow.” She defended: “And quite a nice looking one too. He doesn’t smoke, doing drug, or gamble. He’s the kind of guy you can show off to your friends and bring it home without worry about causing any problem with your parents.”
“Well, he is nice” I looked at ceiling: “ But guess what? I don’t love him.”
“You never give him a chance, love!”
“I don’t think I would if you kept pushing and he kept goes pink every time he talked to me. Stop convincing me, Zoë! I never love him and I don’t think I will. I love Alex now.”
“But he has…and Eddie is…”
“Zoë… stop telling me I can’t go out with Alex just because he as no legs.” I signed: “We’ve gone through this for like, a thousands times now. Seriously, I don’t see it is a problem, and so does he, all right? It is you and others that do, and you guys aren’t even going out with him at all! He’s already like this when I met him, and this is the state I had fallen in love with. I know you care about me and worrying that I may not be able to handle all this: having to look after him, dealing with all the social aspect and things. But to tell you the truth, I am not worry about this. I am fully preparing for what’s coming. So stop bloody worry about this, okay?”
Zoë stared at me for a very very long time then she nodded hesitatively.
“And will you promise me if you won’t go around and telling my parents about this? Or to Carl?”
Zoë’s face went bright red, and then she nodded again.
“Ta! My dear, I know you are my dear friend and you will understand.” I smiled.
“…no I still don’t.” Zoë smiled as well: “But I’ve got to respect your decision.”
“Thank you! Now, I’ve really got to fly. Fancy some drink after work?” I asked her before I rushed out of the door.
“Sure! I will wait for you at the foyer.”
Alex didn’t know Kate’s brilliant performance until about three days later.
“She came to see you?” He seemed a bit worry: “What did she said?”
“Mostly rubbish, really.” I took a sip of the coffee in my hand: “you know, you guys were still together, I shouldn’t steal you behind her back….that kind of mumble jumble stuff.”
“She can be really nasty. Are you all right? ”
“Then I wouldn’t be here happily chatting with you, am I?” I smiled, leaned over and gave him a pick.
“…Do that again.” He grabbed my arm, stopped me moving away from him with a grin, looked at me as if he was a three-year-old asking for lollies.
“Do what?”
“What you just did.”
“Oh that.” I tucked his slightly long hair behind his ear: “Pas de problem.”
After a while he said: “She’s that kind of girl who’s not going to take ‘no’ for answer very easily. I should have known she would do something like this.”
“It did seem like she has planing this. Now, are you happy? Two girls are fighting over you!” I gave Alex a wink.
Alex just laughed.
Despite all the gossip that had been happening, I had to say Alex and I had been very good.
He had finally been discharged from the hospital three weeks ago. Although he still had to come back during the weekend for the routine check-up, overall he’s pretty much recovered. It had been quite a bumpy ride for him, but overall his recovery had been a miracle. Well, consider the initial diagnoses doctors had given him were ‘possible permanent vegetation state’ or ‘eventual death’. We had to agree whatever he had achieved now was rather extraordinary.
After some consideration and discussion, I decided to move into Alex flat. Not only his was much closer to the city, but also it was much easier for me to look after him. Plus, his flat had more space to set up all the necessity machinery and stuff.
And yes, I still had to look after my landlord’s pets. Alex had not objection about the pets, so I happily took them with me.
With all those accessaries and my personal belongings, even though it was only I moving into his flat, it still required a 20’ truck coming back and fourth twice to complete the whole moving process. Seeing me carrying most of items myself around the flat and jiggling them around to set them up, Alex got a bit uncomfortable. After watching me spending nearly 30 minutes dragging just a couple of heavy machinery upstairs and covering with sweat, he just lost it.
“Put that damn thing down, Isabella!”
“I can do this, Alex. Don’t you worry.”
“Put it down!”
“Really, I can…………..”
“No, put it down NOW!”
Never seemed him this angry in a while, I stopped and dropped the case as if they were just coming out of vocano.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs; we looked at each other for a few seconds.
Then his tense muscle just lost. He rubbed his eyes, then looked back into my eyes again.
“…………………….Why are you with me, Isabella? Why are you choosing to be with me?” He sounded exhausted and literally in tears: “Why do you love me? I can’t even help you doing this. Those are heavy stuff. Do you know any normal healthy man will absolutely not letting girls doing this by herself? But all I can do is just watch…I am not your ideal man, Isabella.”
“Don’t you say those thing to me again, Alex! I’ve told you I don’t mind,” I assured him gently: “I can do this.”
“But I can’t even………….”He ignored whatever I just said, stared at me with frustration and sorry: “I can’t even help you with this…this weight at least two to three kilos.” He pointed at one heavy luggage that I’ve been trying to drag up the stairs for: “I just………I just………..”
“Stop disgrading yourself. I really don’t mind doing these.” I came down the stairs, stopped him talking by kissing him: “I can always take my times doing them. I am not in the hurry, really. And I’ve already known you can’t do them. I don’t care, Alex.”
“……….how am I going to repay you all this…”
“Did I ask you to pay back to me?” I put my arms around his shoulders from his back and rest my chin on his head, the sent of newly washed hair drifted tingling my sense of smells: “ besides, you do love me, do you?”
Alex nodded and quickly folded my hands into his (did I mentioned to you Alex had such a nice looking fingers?): “You know I do.”
“So do I. So we shouldn’t be really fuzzy about all these, shouldn’t we?” I smiled: “Since we love each other, there shouldn’t be anything that marked ‘things you are doing’ or ‘things I am doing’, shouldn’t there? No worry! You are the one I’ve been looking for, Alex. So stop this, okay? Now, you know what? I am very very thirsty. You can make me some cuppa. That’s what you can do!”
Alex looked at me for a long time without saying a word.
I knew he still cared about this a great deal.
Chapter 11
What happened in that room caused quite a big stir in and outside of the hospital.
It seemed as if no one on this planet could figured out and accepted why on earth I would choose to fell in love with a patient that didn’t have legs, not even mentioned he actually already had a girlfriend (Kate). For quite some times they all ran under the assumption that I would eventually going out with Owen (thanks to Zoë), now my decision had really gave them a bit of a shock. To be quite frankly, I had known this was going to happen anyway, and that was the reason why I hesitate in the first place. But since Alex and I were fallen for each other deeply, the perspective of others no longer concerned us as great as we thought it was.
However, someone just wouldn’t let you get away that easily.
Such as Zoë.
Well, let’s just said she simply couldn’t accept the fact that I ended up didn’t choose the guy she picked for me and fell for someone else instead. And this ‘someone’ else was actually a disable – not exactly superior compare to her candidate.
“Are you fecking mad?” Zoë shook her head: “That fellow, well, it doesn’t even matter how handsome he is, he has no legs!!!!”
“Well, that’s not a major major problem to me.” I replied calmly.
“But it’s gonna causes problem………”Zoë followed me as I clocked out and prepared to leave the hospital for the day.
“Haven’t you just heard I said it’s not a major major problem to ME?” I gave her an evil.
“… What other people might think of this? They will………..”
“They can think whatever goddamn rubbish they want.” I put the key into my car: “ They aren’t the one who’s going out with him, are they? What’s your problem?” I got feisty and started becoming a bit rude. What could I do? For the last couple of days I’ve been harassing by a lot of so-called ‘worry about me’ friends about this, trying to ‘put me back to my senses’. It had just gotten to my nerves now. Can you believe just yesterday I actually got a call from my mum in Australia mumbling the same goddamn bloody problem (which I could easily figure out who told her)? And just last week I bumped into Carl at Foodtown, he was asking if I was seeking a refuge by going out with Alex because our past relationship (oh pleeeeaaassseeee!). Also all of the sudden, Eddie refused to speak to me at all (not if he did much before or if I cared), and started acting funny every time he saw Alex.
“I just thought you would need to come back to your senses.” Zoë looked at me.
“What senses? I am in my senses.”
“Then you wouldn’t do this.”
“What’s wrong with Alex apart from he has no legs?” I climbed into the car.
“We all have to agree that would be enough.” She insisted.
“Well, I don’t. So stopped throwing me that mumble jumble and give me some other bloody reason.”
“………………He’s with Kate, according to variety of sources.” What a weak excuse.
Then I realised I used to be one of those ‘sources’, and I used to consider this was one of the reason that I shouldn’t going out with Alex as well. Guess I had just smacked my feet with a stone.
Or put my foot into my mouth, for that matter.
“He said they are no longer together.” I defended.
“And you believe that, do you?” Zoë crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.
I didn’t answer her for this one.
Now I must to say, I was indeed a bit worry about this. The impression Kate gave me, was that they still pretty much together, while Alex had swore quite a few times that they weren’t. I haven’t spoken to her since the Easter holiday, so I couldn’t really check with her which one of them was telling the truth. In the bottom I would loved to trust Alex completely, however my logic side had once again playing some kind of tricky game, kept reminding me that everything had three sides: A’s story, B’s, and the truth. Do not rush into the conclusion when you didn’t get the full picture.
Looked like I had gone through a lot of similar struggle lately.
But, this was the last thing I had to worry about, really.
Well, I didn’t pass my exam (I wasn’t surprise at all here, did you?). Some papers had to be redone and that meant my staying as a training nurse in the hospital was going to take longer. It was not like I didn’t like this hospital or anything, most of staff was pretty nice as well. It just that since my relationship with Alex had gone public, all of the sudden it was rather uncomfortable to walk around the hospital with someone constantly pointing and talking behind your back (sometimes right in front of you, as you were invisible. Rather shameless really, if you asked me). Well, luckily the management and my marking professor wouldn’t complain or note anything done regarding this. Again it was the stress from the word of mouths make you felt stress and sounded unprofessional.
I supposed there was nothing I could do about this one, all I could do was holding my head high pretending they were talking about someone else and kept on with my life. People would eventually lost interest.
Sounded like some kind of quote out of celebrity mags, you reckon?
A few days later, as I was rushing down the corridor as usual, carrying a stack of one particular resident doc’s so-called ‘very important, has to see it now’ ultrasound films. An unexpected person suddenly stood right in front of me: “Hey you! You cheeky relationship-wrecker!”
It was Kate.
Great.
Didn’t think she was here for a friendly social chitchat.
“Alex had just told me he was finished with me last night, because he had fallen in love with you now.” Her voice went a few pitches higher: “You fecking bitch! How dare you? Did you realise I was with him? How could you steal him behind my back?”
I didn’t reply her straight away.
I just starred at her.
“Well?”
“………………..You come all the way to the hospital to see me just for this?”
“Yes, I am” Her chin tilted slightly higher. Now she almost looked at me with her nostrils.
Not very pretty nostrils.
“Well, what do you say?” Mistaking my silence as a sign of weakening. Sparks started flying in her eyes. She crossed her arms, with a challenging grin on her face.
“………….From the information I had gather, nop.” I replied slowly: “I was told your relationship was ended by YOU when Alex was in COMA.” I couldn’t believe I was answering her mad question here. For Christ sake! I actually had two thousand things to do in that particular afternoon, who would want to waste the time away arguing with this crazy woman?
This crazy woman certainly didn’t look the same since the last time I saw her.
Whatever nice image I had from her was going out of the bloody window. Her face was bright red, her eyes nearly popped out of the sockets, all well manners were gone, and she smelled like she had been drunk for days.
I tried to go around her, but it seemed as if she was not going to let me get away that easily. She turned around and quickly blocked my way.
I took a glance at my watch; Alex should be in the physio right now. She sure picked a perfect time to come. That made me wondered if she was doing this on purpose.
I made another attempt. Bad luck! She blocked me again!
I signed quietly. Okay then! Looked like I might have to dwell with her for a wee while.
“No, it’s not true,” She shouted. Could you bloody believe it? Her voice actually went even higher! Now people started noticing what was going on and gathering around us, ready to see a free reality drama: “We are still pretty much together! We had always been together and our relationship never ends at all! As the matter of fact, he was going to ask me to marry him!”
“Not even when he was in COMA?” I looked at her coldly.
“Not even when he was in COMA.” She was pretty firmed about this.
“Hmm.. that was funny, because I was told when Alex’s parents asked you to come to the hospital everyday to read him something, saying it would possibly improving his condition. You know, he might wake up early. You refused and saying you had better things to do in your life than wasting your time setting next to his sickbed. And within the next couple of days all they had ever heard from you was your bloody answering machine.” I handed the film to another medic, asking him to take it to whoever that thinkofmebob who wanted it urgently: “I also…no….a lot of us also known by the fact that you had never ever turned up at the hospital at all through the whole time. Is that right, Zoë?” I looked at Zoë, who nodded with agreement: “Now you were telling me you two were never finished? I found it was really hard to believe.”
“…well, I was busy at something else.. I was overseas…” Now her voice began to tremble, and it wasn’t as high as it was.
“So busy that you didn’t even had time to visit your sick boyfriend? Well, you’ve just told me you were very much together, have you?” I asked calmly: “Make sure you do some kind of draft before you pick for a fight next time, my dear. You are losing your ground here. Now would you excuse me, I actually have work to do.” I made another attempt to go around her. Surprisingly she blocked me again.
“You are not going anywhere, love!” Now her face turned from red to white, how fascinating: “I am not through with you yet!”
“Well, guess what? I do. If you have any other enquiries, I believe they” I pointed at all the nurses and doctors surrendered us: “all very kin to help.”
Then I went around her for the third time. This time she didn’t stop me. She just stood there, face now going as white as paper, looked as if she was going to faint in the next second.
Then she probably realised what state she had brought herself into. To prevent her dignity lost entirely, she started shouting at my back: “YOU ARE LYING, YOU FILTHY BITCH! ALL YOU SAID WASN’T TRUE! YOU WILL SEE! I WAS ALEX’S GIRLFRIEND AND YOU STOLE HIM AWAY FROM ME! DID YOU HEAR ME? YOU FUCKING LIER!!!”
I didn’t stop to look at her this time.
Couldn’t even bother.
People started cheering and clapping as I walked past them.
Yeah right! Bloody nosy people, as if the sole purpose you had in your life was to watch others suffered and being entertained about it.
At least they won’t make any wrong assumption that I steal Alex from Kate after today. And hopefully that will make this bloody gossip quiet down much sooner than I thought.
Zoë caught me before the elevator’s door was closed.
We looked at each other in silence.
“…………….That was very brilliant for you down there!” She finally said. It took her a wee while to open her mouth.
“…Now you know I wasn’t lying about this.” I gave her a stare.
“Sorry love, I was just worried. You know, we all want the best for you.” Zoë said guiltily and slightly embarrassingly.
“Your so-called ‘best of me’ was trying to push me to Owen.”
“You’ve got to agree Eddie Owen is not a bad fellow.” She defended: “And quite a nice looking one too. He doesn’t smoke, doing drug, or gamble. He’s the kind of guy you can show off to your friends and bring it home without worry about causing any problem with your parents.”
“Well, he is nice” I looked at ceiling: “ But guess what? I don’t love him.”
“You never give him a chance, love!”
“I don’t think I would if you kept pushing and he kept goes pink every time he talked to me. Stop convincing me, Zoë! I never love him and I don’t think I will. I love Alex now.”
“But he has…and Eddie is…”
“Zoë… stop telling me I can’t go out with Alex just because he as no legs.” I signed: “We’ve gone through this for like, a thousands times now. Seriously, I don’t see it is a problem, and so does he, all right? It is you and others that do, and you guys aren’t even going out with him at all! He’s already like this when I met him, and this is the state I had fallen in love with. I know you care about me and worrying that I may not be able to handle all this: having to look after him, dealing with all the social aspect and things. But to tell you the truth, I am not worry about this. I am fully preparing for what’s coming. So stop bloody worry about this, okay?”
Zoë stared at me for a very very long time then she nodded hesitatively.
“And will you promise me if you won’t go around and telling my parents about this? Or to Carl?”
Zoë’s face went bright red, and then she nodded again.
“Ta! My dear, I know you are my dear friend and you will understand.” I smiled.
“…no I still don’t.” Zoë smiled as well: “But I’ve got to respect your decision.”
“Thank you! Now, I’ve really got to fly. Fancy some drink after work?” I asked her before I rushed out of the door.
“Sure! I will wait for you at the foyer.”
Alex didn’t know Kate’s brilliant performance until about three days later.
“She came to see you?” He seemed a bit worry: “What did she said?”
“Mostly rubbish, really.” I took a sip of the coffee in my hand: “you know, you guys were still together, I shouldn’t steal you behind her back….that kind of mumble jumble stuff.”
“She can be really nasty. Are you all right? ”
“Then I wouldn’t be here happily chatting with you, am I?” I smiled, leaned over and gave him a pick.
“…Do that again.” He grabbed my arm, stopped me moving away from him with a grin, looked at me as if he was a three-year-old asking for lollies.
“Do what?”
“What you just did.”
“Oh that.” I tucked his slightly long hair behind his ear: “Pas de problem.”
After a while he said: “She’s that kind of girl who’s not going to take ‘no’ for answer very easily. I should have known she would do something like this.”
“It did seem like she has planing this. Now, are you happy? Two girls are fighting over you!” I gave Alex a wink.
Alex just laughed.
Despite all the gossip that had been happening, I had to say Alex and I had been very good.
He had finally been discharged from the hospital three weeks ago. Although he still had to come back during the weekend for the routine check-up, overall he’s pretty much recovered. It had been quite a bumpy ride for him, but overall his recovery had been a miracle. Well, consider the initial diagnoses doctors had given him were ‘possible permanent vegetation state’ or ‘eventual death’. We had to agree whatever he had achieved now was rather extraordinary.
After some consideration and discussion, I decided to move into Alex flat. Not only his was much closer to the city, but also it was much easier for me to look after him. Plus, his flat had more space to set up all the necessity machinery and stuff.
And yes, I still had to look after my landlord’s pets. Alex had not objection about the pets, so I happily took them with me.
With all those accessaries and my personal belongings, even though it was only I moving into his flat, it still required a 20’ truck coming back and fourth twice to complete the whole moving process. Seeing me carrying most of items myself around the flat and jiggling them around to set them up, Alex got a bit uncomfortable. After watching me spending nearly 30 minutes dragging just a couple of heavy machinery upstairs and covering with sweat, he just lost it.
“Put that damn thing down, Isabella!”
“I can do this, Alex. Don’t you worry.”
“Put it down!”
“Really, I can…………..”
“No, put it down NOW!”
Never seemed him this angry in a while, I stopped and dropped the case as if they were just coming out of vocano.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs; we looked at each other for a few seconds.
Then his tense muscle just lost. He rubbed his eyes, then looked back into my eyes again.
“…………………….Why are you with me, Isabella? Why are you choosing to be with me?” He sounded exhausted and literally in tears: “Why do you love me? I can’t even help you doing this. Those are heavy stuff. Do you know any normal healthy man will absolutely not letting girls doing this by herself? But all I can do is just watch…I am not your ideal man, Isabella.”
“Don’t you say those thing to me again, Alex! I’ve told you I don’t mind,” I assured him gently: “I can do this.”
“But I can’t even………….”He ignored whatever I just said, stared at me with frustration and sorry: “I can’t even help you with this…this weight at least two to three kilos.” He pointed at one heavy luggage that I’ve been trying to drag up the stairs for: “I just………I just………..”
“Stop disgrading yourself. I really don’t mind doing these.” I came down the stairs, stopped him talking by kissing him: “I can always take my times doing them. I am not in the hurry, really. And I’ve already known you can’t do them. I don’t care, Alex.”
“……….how am I going to repay you all this…”
“Did I ask you to pay back to me?” I put my arms around his shoulders from his back and rest my chin on his head, the sent of newly washed hair drifted tingling my sense of smells: “ besides, you do love me, do you?”
Alex nodded and quickly folded my hands into his (did I mentioned to you Alex had such a nice looking fingers?): “You know I do.”
“So do I. So we shouldn’t be really fuzzy about all these, shouldn’t we?” I smiled: “Since we love each other, there shouldn’t be anything that marked ‘things you are doing’ or ‘things I am doing’, shouldn’t there? No worry! You are the one I’ve been looking for, Alex. So stop this, okay? Now, you know what? I am very very thirsty. You can make me some cuppa. That’s what you can do!”
Alex looked at me for a long time without saying a word.
I knew he still cared about this a great deal.
全站熱搜
留言列表
