EMBRACE OF MISTS, Sowmya Latha [audio ebook reader TXT] 📗

taking no notice of the others. I sat down near him and narrated the full story. He looked at Lina unbelievingly with respect.

“Wow. You are a weird girl” he exclaimed.

“And a kind one” I added.

“Now both of you stop praising me. Jake, you are very weak and I want you to take good rest. You should listen to me. There is no one to look after you here” she told him.

“Alvin came in the afternoon in search of Mike. He will return soon and he will stay with me. No worries.”At that time Alvin entered with bread and milk. He was shocked to see Lina when I introduced her to him and he instantly took his gun to aim at her. I pulled Lina to my side while Jacob ran towards him and punched him on his stomach. Lina’s mother was petrified and clutched her wheelchair tightly.

“Stop it Alvin. She means no harm and moreover she is Mike’s girl. Drop the gun and we shall explain to you everything. Drop it NOW!!” Jacob shouted to him. There was messy knot over Alvin’s forehead and I used that opportunity to indulge into the explanation. He looked at me and dropped the gun from his hands. He then raised his eyebrows.

“Explain” he said.

Jacob and I rewound the story and played it back to him while Lina convinced her mother. He stared at Lina puzzled and then finally smiled. He got up and caught her hands.

“Welcome into our family. Mike’s a rocking guy. Congrats and does Jared know this?” he asked.

“Not yet. He would not agree to this and he would disapprove her” I said in a small voice.

“Don’t worry. Jared is tough but he will understand” Jacob smiled and patted my shoulders. Everyone returned to normal and I focused on Jacob.

“Now tell me what your problem is, Jake” I turned my question to him.

“Nothing. Never mind it” he rose and went away. We could not help him at all. He never came out of his shell so we decided to take him on a holiday somewhere. Lina bought the tickets to Mexico for five of us, including her mother. Jacob disagreed to come with us and finally we had to leave him in New York with no choice left. He remained silent most of the time suffering inside him, no matter how much we four tried to cheer him up in whatever ways we could afford. But he would not break his nutshell. Finally, we left him to his decision and went for our holiday. Alvin got a liking towards Lina’s mother and entertained her. He took care of her as if she was his own mother. Lina and I expressed and exchanged our love for each other. We became inseparable. She amazed me in every small gesture of hers and I felt I had attained the fulfillment of life. I could die at any moment, now that I had enjoyed the entire happiness.

MELINDA

 

August 1996, San Francisco

Days were moving as slowly and boring as it could. Dull mornings and cheerless nights showed no significance. All I did was to eat and sleep. As a lover of happiness even Angel lost all her creativity. She seemed and felt useless. We needed a change, a refreshment, a sort of picnic. Finally I packed my clothes to stay for a week in the Marine holidays, the beach resort. I booked the cab for the next day and went to a dreamless sleep. The next morning I got up, dressed and started out for my holidays. It took nearly four hours to reach the resort.

When I reached there, the cab driver helped me with my bags. The resort was eccentric and beautiful. The wood houses were decorated with flowers. There were tree houses too. The reception was full of stunning ladies dressed exquisitely. They had pinned flowers to their dresses and welcomed me with wonderful flowers and big smiles.

“Er, excuse me, could I book a room please, for one.” I asked one of those receptionists.

“Yes ma’am. Would you prefer a wood house or the tree house?” she enquired me with the usual customer servicing sweet voice.

“A wood one would do.” I gave her my contact details and checked in. She gave me the keys and directed me to the house.

The house was actually a one room cottage made of thick bamboo sticks. The real beauty was that, it stood on the sea shore where the water waves lapped under the house. It was a house standing on shallow water. It was the best place I had ever stayed or to say ever seen. I was engrossed in the beauty of the sea. I opened the door and went inside. Everything was inside the single room where pure white curtains hung on all sides. Dim yellow light filled the room. In the middle of the room stood a big white bed, much big for me. At the corner was a comfortable couch and nearby it stood a big mirror with rich carvings. At the other end of the room was the bathroom attached. Overall the cottage looked heavenly to me. Perhaps it was a honeymoon suite and I was mistakenly allotted.

‘Angel, don’t you feel wonderful?’

‘Yes Mel. It is a relishing sight’ she agreed with me, of course. Obviously I felt tired after the journey. I took my bath and went to sleep with the sound of the sea waves playing me the lullaby. I woke up with terrible hunger and went to the restaurant which was full of ladies and men. I found myself a small table at the corner of the room away from all disturbances. I ordered myself some cheese potatoes and fried mushrooms. As I was waiting, I watched the couples dancing to the light music and the surroundings were made romantic by them. Angel and I were thoroughly enjoying ourselves when someone touched my shoulder. I turned to see who it was and I froze. It was him again.

“Hi Melinda. It’s good to see you” saying, he took the chair near me. Before I could speak he called the waitress and made his order. Was he going to eat with me dinner just because I refused a lunch with him? Oh god. This is going to be sickening. I sat there sulking. He looked at me and instantly a smile danced on lips which made me even more horrible. Oh why should he spoil my evening? I controlled the urge to punch him on his nose.

“What a murderous glare. Do you hate me so much?” he asked me softly.

“Should I need to say that?” my instantaneous reply stung him. I ignored Angel’s protests and continued finding pleasure in insulting him. He folded his hands across his chests and leaned behind his chair.

“It’s a pity to be hated by a lovely young lady. So unfortunate I am.” He winked at me and hid his smile. Once I had thought he would look better if he ever smiles but now his smile and teasing made my adrenalin rush through my body.

“What brings you here?” Hot was my question.

“The same, which brought you here. I was trying to control myself from seeing you” he pointed one of his fingers at me. I was about to yell at him when the waitress arranged our food on the table. She looked at him and blushed. I looked at him to only meet his eyes. He was looking at me without taking his eyes. Now it was my turn to blush. Angel was too much excited. I kept her deep within me so that she would not plunge into the scene. Any show of her excitement would disgrace me infront of this man.

“What do you always think about?” he raised his eyebrows at me as usual.

“You need not know that” I cut him off. There was silence. He pushed my dishes near me and gestured me to eat. He began to eat his own, never taking his eyes off me which made me terribly uncomfortable. I wanted to throw the mushrooms on his face and leave that place but my grumbling stomach pleaded me to feed it with those tasty dishes. Finally I started eating, looking at every object in that room and every person sitting there except the one man seated next to me.

I finished my dinner fast so that I could escape from him and leave the room. I waited for the bill, fidgeting with the napkin.

“Would you mind me paying your bill?” he asked very casually.

I blinked for a second.

‘No, I don’t’ Angel thought

“Yes, I really mind” I replied him. He said nothing but shrugged his shoulders.

“I want to ask you a favour, Melinda” he pronounced my name very slowly as though he enjoyed calling it.

“I am sorry; there is nothing I can do for you.”

“Wait. Hear what I have got to say for a moment, will you?” he replied fast. The bill came and I paid for mine and got up. He too got up. Then I started to make a run and came out of the restaurant. But he quickly caught hold of my shoulders with his firm hands.

“Look, I know you don’t like me. Just listen to what I have got to tell you. Or should say, ask you. Just spare two minutes, Melinda.” He pleaded. I shook off his hands from my shoulders and nodded to him.

“I want you to paint me a picture. I will give you how much you ask for” he said.

“Why should I?”

“Because, that is your job. Moreover you can depict the inner meaning in the painting of yours. Please. It is just a business deal. An offer. Can you do it for me?”

“What is it about?”I asked him. It was my business after all.

“It’s like…happiness can come out of love… love gives happiness. Only you can do it” he said enthusiastically. Immediately I turned and started to walk away.

“Wait! What is your reply?” he asked.

“It’s a no.”

“Why?” He would not let it go and I became impatient.

“Alright. Look at me. I am alone and I live alone. What do I know about love and happiness and how could I ever draw?” I had tears when I completed my sentence. He remained silent for a moment and then started to speak.

“I will tell you an idea in the morning. Now go have a good night’s sleep.” He wished me good night and waited to let me get into my cottage. I locked the door and sat on my bed. It was a challenge for my work and I could not think of any idea he would come up with by tomorrow. But Angel was very confident with her superman. Irritated with her, I wished her good night and closed my eyes. The same lullaby rocked me to deep sleep bringing me dreams of the sandcastles I built when I was small.

The dawn bloomed and I saw the utter beauty of sun’s rays soaring inside the deep blue sea making it warmer and brighter. I took my bath and wore a light cotton dress to beat the heat. As I was going to the restaurant for my breakfast Angel reminded me of Jared. I lost the idea of having the breakfast and thought returning back to the room but Angel put forward all her valid arguments to go meet him.

‘It is our business Mel. Look at it that way’ she tried to persuade.

‘I know. But I don’t want him to be our client. You know I don’t like him” I argued back.

‘Then allow me to talk to him’

‘No…..’

‘Fine then. Sit and sulk you lonely woman’ and she remained silent. But I knew she was eager to meet him and so I got up and walked towards the restaurant.

‘Thanks Mel’ she replied softly. I entered the restaurant and found a variety of dishes to choose from. I choose myself an Italian dish and sat at the same table I had sat the previous night. I searched for that