Strangers & Secrets Page 6
She pulled Eva’s white spaghetti top. She took out a tiny black square box from the hidden back pocket of her dress. She removed the lid by sliding and replaced the old batteries with the new one. She put it back into the inside pocket, under the backside of her tiny dress.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” Mara asked her.
“No, I’ll play with Jen”
“Can you take care of her for an hour?” She asked Devin.
“You are going out?” Devin asked with surprise.
“Just for lunch. I met someone”
“Where did you meet?”
She smiled shyly.
“Come on, tell me”
“Hospital”
“Oh god, please tell me you are not dating your doctor”
“He is a nice guy, and he wasn’t my doctor technically”
“He is younger than you, isn’t he? You are such a cougar”
“Shut up, Devin. Language!” Mara pulled her daughter to her side.
“Jhe ij not a cooker” Eva defended her mom.
“OK. Just one hour. I can’t handle them more than that”
“I promise” Mara nodded. “Just like your promise” Mara and Eva exchanged a high five, laughing at Devin.
Eva ran toward the stairs as she entered Devin’s home. “Don’t run on the stairs” He yelled, throwing the keys on the couch.
“Do you want anything to eat?” He entered the kitchen.
“No” Eva yelled back, reaching the first floor.
He picked the apple from the bowl. He washed it before leaving the kitchen. He bit a chunk of the side on the apple walking down the hallway. He entered his bedroom, turning down the lights.
He sat on his bed, grabbed the laptop. He caught a blink of light from the corner of his eye. A thin white light escaped out from the slit of the closed closet door. The hair-like light appeared and disappeared.
He approached the closet. The light stopped when he opened the door. He saw the huge smartphone lying on the side. He took the phone as he bit another chunk from his apple. It was the phone that eerie woman dropped along with the hot knife in his bedroom.
One missed call: Mia, the phone displayed. He placed the phone once again in his closet. The bright light came again as he began to close the door. He picked it up. The display screen read: Mia calling.
He touched the green button, held it in his ears.
“Come to the same restaurant at 3:15” A female voice said.
“Hello ah– ” The call ended before he could finish the sentence.
This voice, he has not heard before, but he guessed the message was for him.
The sky was filled with smooth Grey clouds. Devin reached the same restaurant where they met last time. He reached 30 minutes early. He walked in, looking around the empty place. He looked at the table in the center, more concealed from the other. He glanced at his left as he approached the table.
There she was, sitting near one of the windows, revealing only her face. Her pitch black attire staring back at him. It wasn’t the woman who ran away from his home. It was the woman who scared him in the first place.
Devin took the seat opposite to her, waiting for her to start. Her eyes looked fresh without tears or swollen muscles around. The muscles around her nose bridge began to tighten.
“You are early” She stated.
So are you. He sat silently. He wanted some answers. She continued to look as nothing ever happened.
“Are you alright? I know the pain. It was too much even for me” Devin asked without any concern in his tone.
She tilted her head slowly to her left. The waitress brought a plate of Monte Cristo sandwich and a tall glass of orange-colored juice, kept it in front of him.
“I didn’t order this” He puzzled at his favorite dishes.
“I know” The waitress smiled back before leaving.
He realized she knew more about him. He wanted to know why.
“Do you run this restaurant?”
“No” Her voice was calm.
“Who are you?”
“You owe me some explanation”
“I owe?” He asked surprisingly. “You came to my house in the middle of the night. You were in my bedroom with a knife. What were you doing? And now you probably know more about me”
“Are you scared?”
“You saw what was there in my house. Do you think I’ll be scared by your parlor tricks? What do you want?”
“What is that thing in your house?”
“That is none of your business. How did you find my house and how did you enter inside?”
“You are not going to eat that?” She eyed his sandwich.
“Were you following me?”
She looked at the fresh bandage on his wrist. “Is that really your sister?”
“I’m not answering any questions unless I get some from you. Who are you and why are you doing this? Are you doing this because I followed you? I swear I want nothing of -”
“Fine, I’ll give you three questions. Ask them wisely” She interrupted.
He looked into her eyes. She looked different today. There was softness inside the strange feeling which wasn’t there before.
“How did you find my home and break in?” He shot his first question.
“Can’t you guess? Even school goers can do better at this”
“I’m tired of guesswork. I want to hear your side”
“You left your file on the table when you ran for the bathroom. Your resume sold yourself better”
“And?”
“How I got in? The keys were lying next to your file. A single picture of that is enough. I hope you can figure out the rest of the details”
“You are a creepy stalker. Why did you do it?”
“I think you owe me an answer now” She called waving her hand at the waiter.
“No, she is not my sister but I took her like one”
“Now tell me, why?” He continued his question.
“I don’t like people following me - ”
“Yet you do that better than others”
Her eyes grew intense. “Sorry, go on” He said
“I wanted to see who you really are and what your motive is. I wanted to make myself clear. I came in to take a picture of you, with the knife around your neck.”
“Did you?”
“Is that your third question?”
“No”
“Then you owe me one more answer. Who are you?”
“I guess from the work you are doing, you know me”
“I want to hear from you”
“I’m just a passing cloud but you are not an ordinary woman. You didn’t come here just to take back your phone. You are curious, aren’t you?”
“I liked your house. It was unique”
“Everyone says so”
“What is going on between you and your sis – Senandra?”
“How do you know her name?”
She raised her eyebrow. “I’m hearing another question, is that it?”
“What is your name?”
She kept her gaze on him, studied him. She finally exhaled before revealing her name.
“My name is Yuleika” She paused for a moment. “Yuleika – 55”
“Fifty-five? As in fifty and five?”
“As in 5 and 5, fifty-five”
“How is that possible?”
“You can get a death certificate for the living president of the nation. You can get an arrest warrant against a dead man. Getting a name with a number is not a difficult one in our country”
“I do not believe you”
“I do not care” She pushed the glass near to him.
“I don’t like this”
“Of course you do. That’s your favorite one”
“I meant –” Oh gosh, how are you gathering these information?
“And my phone?”
There was no way to get better answers from her. He took it out of his pocket, slid it to her o
n the table.
She turned the camera on, pointed at him.
“I don’t like to be photographed” He blocked the lens.
She looked at him before lowering the phone. “Then give me your number” She took the phone, punching the button on the screen.
“I don’t have a phone” He replied with a stern voice.
“Good, then get one” She stood. “We will be meeting soon”
She left him, walking toward the front door.
The city was going to sleep when he reached his home. He heard someone scream from upstairs. He walked past the hall.
“Eva?” He climbed the wooden stairs
“We are only playing” She came out running, climbed down. She tripped two steps before him and fell forward.
He grabbed her, saving her from falling. “How many times I told you not to run on the stairs”
“We’ll go to the park, come” Eva said with enthusiasm.
“Now?”
“Yes, I want to play on the jwing”
“It will be closed. If you want swing then we can go to that restaurant we went the other day. They have swing and you can bring your mother too”
“No, Jhe waunt come. Jhe waj crying”
“Crying? When? What happened?”
“Apter you lept. Jhe didn’t jay anything to me”
“Come, we need to speak with her”
“No, jhe ijleeping”
“You can’t come here without her permission”
“My mom only jed to play here” She ran back to the same room from where she came out.
Devin reached his neighbor’s house and he knocked. Mara opened the door. Her eyes were red, trace of tears flowing out across her cheeks. She wiped her nose with the napkin. “What do you want Devin?”
“What happened?” He asked with a shock, looking at her face.
“Nothing”
“What happened over the lunch? Did he say something?”
“I said nothing” Her voice grew loud
“Come on, you should talk Mara. Is anything wrong? You can tell me”
“Do not come and visit me again Devin. If Eva wants to play with you, I’ll let her but you don’t come and talk to me like you own me. Never, ever come and knock on my doors. Leave me alone” She started crying more before slamming the door back at his face.
He stood there, digesting the words that came out of his only friend. He knew something broke her. She has never spoken to him in such a way even in the worst situations.
He went back to his home. “Eva, you might have to sleep tonight with Senandra here”
A little voice of cheering sound filled from above as he made his way to the backyard.
Chapter 7
THE FOLLOWING
The Room was still except the humming sound of the washing machine. The digital numbers on the panel read 2 min and the red light was blinking next to the ‘rinse’ label. The machine shook vigorously, making a grinding noise.
The phone on top of the folding table started singing. The number turned 1 on the washing machine. A lullaby tone began to play on the machine, overlapped the song from the phone.
The grinding noise, the ending tone, and the cellphone’s song were in phase with each other. The cellphone went silent as the machine came to stop and the room’s atmosphere.
The circular door in the middle of the machine opened wide. A wet soaking hand climbed out of the washing den, crawled toward the floor. The fingers searched for the floor. With one hand on the machine and other on the floor, she pushed her head then her chest out of the tiny hole. She groaned as her waist struck inside. She twisted her body while she pushed her way out.
She pushed herself with hands on both sides of the hole. The floor began to drench from her wet soaking clothes. Her chest pumped fast to catch the breath. With her legs still inside the tub, Yuleika fell flat on her back.
She kept her eyes shut, to get rid of dizziness. Her legs hanging inside she listened to the phantom humming sound inside her mind.
The phone above began to sing again. She opened her eyes, pushed her arms toward the top of the table. Her head was disorientated, and she fell back, catching for more breath. “Silence” She said and followed with a series of cough.
The tune stopped and went into vibration. The phone began to slide under the tremors, toward the edge of the table. With every buzz, it raced toward the edge. She saw the tip of her phone, coming along the cliff of the table.
The phone fell forward just as she raised her arm. She grabbed it before it reached the ground. She pressed the button, placed it on her chest. “Hello” She exhaled the word as her hand fell out of tiredness.
“Meet me on the way” Male voice replied.
“OK” The air went out of her mouth louder than the word. The line went dead and the phone went up and down on her heavy breath.
She pulled her legs out of the washing machine and grabbing the phone she pushed herself up. The wet floor and her drenched feet made her slip. She held the table, helping herself to stand. The spinning sensation inside her head made the world unsteady around her.
She pulled down her wet white t-shirt, walked outside the room with slight disorientation in the movements.
She stood in front of the closet mirror, wiping her head with a towel. She leaned forward, looked at her face side by side.
“What are you searching for?” Her father asked from behind.
She saw him sitting on her bed.
“You look younger every day, father” She said looking at him on the mirror.
“And you look different every day”
“Exactly, can you tell me what it is? I can’t seem to find it” She turned her face leaning further.
“It’s been a while since you put yourself into that machine”
“Yes. It really helps. You asked me to take a step, I thought of beginning from the start”
“Yeah - the feeling of being born. Bored of hearing that”
“Birth is boring. Death is boring. Everything is boring for a bystander” She pulled the wet t-shirt over her head, threw it across the basket at the corner.
“Have you thought of moving somewhere? It might help your mind off these thoughts”
“I’m not punishing myself. I’m making myself more alive and more than that Hiran returned with his promise. That might keep my mind busy” She patted her neck with the towel.
“Why do you want to follow your past?”
“You once said, learn from past. I lost a part of my past and I want to know that to complete my lesson”
“What are you planning on doing once you find what you are looking for?”
“That is a headache for another day”
“You might get into trouble. You might hurt yourself or worse you might lose yourself searching for your past”
“If that’s what it takes, then I’m ready to sacrifice”
She noticed her father’s saddened eyes.
“Father” She faced him. “Don’t worry. I’m not expecting anything. I promise I will be more careful this time”
She walked inside the reception of the hotel. A tall woman in a blue suit came smiling behind the desk. “Welcome mam, how can I help you?”
“Mr. Hiran. He is in room no. 506. Could you give him a message?”
The phone began to ring. “Just a second, mam” The elegant woman went to take the call.
“Excuse me, miss” A strong, base voice called behind her.
She saw a broad-chested man in tight blue t-shirt and denim, standing next to the couch near the fountain. His sleeves looked like it’s about to be ripped by his muscly arms. The hunky figure approached her.
“Do not do anything stupid. Just follow me” He said.
He brought her out of the hotel. She did as he told. They both walked on the adjacent road, adjoining the hotel’s wall. He stopped in front of a black ford, opened the back door and picked a plastic bag from the back seat. He dug his hand inside and took
out a white duct tape role.