V.E.G.A
Theme: INCARNATION OF SEASONS
V.E.G.A- Chapter Fourteen
©Bunmi B. Gabriel
>>>>>>>>>> Nadia (Ashley) <<<<<<<<<<<
'Gaia, you need to go to the airport and welcome him, you're wasting time!' Declan said distraughtly. I rolled my eyes mentally and clutched my stomach more.
'Ugh! But it hurts, my stomach hurt so much.' I cried my crocodile tears. He stared at me frowningly.
'You better stop this pretense, the you I know or I think I know will not even bother coming to work if you're in pain....'
'But it started just now, like ten minutes ago....'
'You're stalling.'
'Why do you think I'm stalling and why do you want me to go so much?!'
'Because you're the perfect distraction for Angus to sign the contract for me. He's a very strict and cold man, became like that after something no one knows happened. Even his older brothers are like children to him, that's why he was made the heir, his business mind is higher than theirs....'
'How does this relate to me being a distraction? Do I look like a chick for hire to you? So what do you take me for? A whore?!'
'I thought your stomach was hurting you, how come you have the energy to shout?'
'Don't change the topic here....'
'Calm down Nadia, I was kidding! I'm suppose to take him to his hotel because he's a very strict man and if no one welcomes him, he'll go back home.'
'Why can't you just go?'
'I have a date with Helen, you know getting a date with that hot legs isn't easy....'
'Again, you're married with a son.'
'What is life without fun?'
'Declan....' I drawled.
'Please sweetie, you know I love you, mm baby love?'
'So I'm to welcome him while you have fun with your wife's cousin? Does that make sense?'
'I'm Declan, I don't care.'
'Yeah but Dwayne will.'
'Come on, don't be like that. You're not going to tell him, are you?'
'Like I care . can't your secretary go?'
'Nadia you have one hour, ten minutes and forty five seconds to get out of my office or get fired.' I arched a questioning brow at him. 'Pretty please?'
'Okay, whatever.' I turned to leave but he laughed nervously.
'Can you dress up pretty?'
'I'm going to welcome a business associate, not woo a man.' I walked out on him grumpily, he wouldn't recognise me but I didn't want to see him, I might do something stupid.
Anyways, I got into the backseat of the luxury sedan he arranged. Five other cars followed us, two at front and two at the back. I tapped my foot on the car floor impatiently. My stupid subconsciousness was urging me to fix my makeup and my hair, to looks gorgeous but I was fighting the urge. I wondered how he looked like? How did he survive knowing I died? Beads of sweat formed around my head and soon my dress was soak with it.
Worry was clouding my head, I was panicking.
'I need to look beautiful!' I exclaimed panickingly. I calmed my self and relaxed. I changed my dress immediately and brought out my makeup kit, to me, no magic can make me look more beautiful than my own handiwork. I bit my lip when I was done, the cars had stopped at the airport. 'Here goes nothing.' I stepped out of the car, my heart thumping against my chest furiously. The guards Declan arranged led me to where he ought to be.
He was there, his hands in his pockets and face a monstrous image, his eyes were dark and haunted, like someone who had seen a lot of terrifying things. His lips were pressed into a straight cold line, he looked like death if death even have a face.
I froze where I stood, unable to take in what I was seeing. One look and you'd see a man drawn deep into loneliness and sorrow that his soul was long gone. He was in pain, physically, spiritually and psychologically. My eyes twitched, my lips quavered and my body shook violently. I was going break down, my death must have destroyed him.
'Ms Steinberg?' The guard behind me asked worriedly. 'Are you okay?'
'I'm fine,' I smiled assuredly. 'I'm okay.' I walked to him, Dean wasn't there with him. I forced my lips to smile, controlling my quivering body and twitching eyes. 'Mr Steinberg?' He blinked slowly and raised his hand, his men moved out of the way. 'My name's Nadia, Nadia St....just Nadia. Declan sent me here.'
'Why didn't he come himself?' He asked with an emotionless voice.
'He's having dick disorder,' I bit my lip to suppress my laugh, that came out wrong. He turned his eyes from the space he was looking at and stared at me. 'I mean, his dick fell into the toilet...er....I mean.....he's...ahem, he's having fun with his wife and thought sending me here would make more sense. That fool.' He looked at me with furrowed brows, like he was trying to remember where he had seen my face.
'Your voice....' He trailed off and looked away with a very confuse expression on his face.
'Er.....let's go, you have a hotel bed to warm up....er....just ignore my stupidity.' I said with a nervous chuckle. I rubbed the side of my bicep nervously. 'Shall we?' He stood up from the chair he sat, his confuse eyes never leaving my face. I turned around sharply and walked ahead of him trying not to fall.
I was panicking.
Why shouldn't I panic?
He might see through the spell and my black hair and brown eyes won't cover a thing.
Breathe Nadia, breathe.
ANGUS
The car drove at a very slow pace but I was less worried about that, my main concern was the woman sitting opposite me, her eyes glued to her phone. She felt like Ashley, her voice was Ashley's. It was crazy but my instinct kept saying it was her. Ashley died, she died in the fire.
After I woke up in a psychiatrist hospital three days later, I tried to tell the doctors to call any of my family member so I would tell them where she was but they chalked it up as mad talk. I had to escape from the hospital and locate Earl, we went to the forest together but found it burnt to the ground, every single non living and living things in the forest burnt to ash. Nothing, absolutely nothing survived, including Ashley. I couldn't cry, couldn't shout or even run mad, I was quiet. I killed her, it was my fault she was there in the first place.
Nothing made sense to me but for some reason, I couldn't just die no matter how hard I tried so I let myself drown in my sorrow and pain, it was the only punishment that suit me for what I did.
The woman however was making me think otherwise. She tapped her foot just like Ashley, chewed her inside cheeks when typing on her phone just like Ashley. She had the same beauty mark Ashley had right at the left side of her lower lip, one of the reason I found her beautiful.
'Sorry, what did you say your name is again? Your full name that is?' She stiffened, biting her lip just like Ashley always did when nervous.
'Nadia, Nadia Fernando.'
'Hmmm, where did you grow up from?'
'I'm afraid that question is in the none of your business zone. Please don't ask me personal questions, I'm just Declan's PA and my job is to give you answers, business related only.'
'Is that so?'
'Yes sir.'
'What if I say if you don't answer my questions, I'll get you fired?'
'I don't really care. I can get another job within the snap of a finger, be it business related or not.' She said nonchalantly, is she was Ashley, she would shrug and click her tongue when pulling a nonchalant move. She shrugged and clicked her tongue. 'Stop talking to me, you're bothering me.'
'Are you married?'
'What part of personal no zone don't you understand?' She asked with a serious frown but her eyes never left her phone.
'I'm married, I ended up marrying my late sister's best friend, I can't even remember my own wife's name,' I sighed feigning disappointment on myself. The Ashley I know will never use Samantha to joke or hear that she's hurt. 'I wonder why I married her, probably because my older brother dumped her, we were both sad and depressed and the next thing I knew, I woke up naked with her on my bed. She got pregnant and I became a dad and now I want to divorce her. She'll probably die but I don't know why I should care...' She sank her teeth Into her lip, her hands squeezed her phone mercilessly. 'Should I divorce the woman who bore me three children....'
'How could you even think of marrying my best friend in the first place!!!!!' She screamed and smashed her phone on the car floor.
I knew it!
'I mean....why would you marry your sister's friend and hurt her so much?! Why would she even betray your sister like that....you're a dad!!!!' She pulled her hair like Ashley always did when angry. 'Three children when....urgh! Don't tell me anything, I don't care.' She huffed. 'It's a good thing you're looking miserable, serves you right.'
If I sat I cared about what she said, I would be lying. I was more dumbfounded by the fact that the woman I thought was dead for good twenty two years was alive and healthy. I looked at her closely, the black hair and brown eyes made her different but it was still her. How did she survive? If she remembered everything why didn't she come back?
She's alive!!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nadia <<<<<<<<<<<<<
I got out of the car angrily, my eyes were threatening to betray me. I still couldn't believe Samantha could marry him, I thought she....what the heck, she had three children for him. I just needed to be under my comforter and cry my eyes out until my tear tank ran dry.
'Here's your hotel, this is your key....' I threw the key at his face. 'Room 309, find it or get lost, your problem.' I stomped out of the hotel, got a cab and yelled him my address.
I was afraid he would recognise me but I didn't think he would be married to Samantha and even have children.
The part that hurt most was the children part.
Why should another woman bore him children when I already did?
Why!
I survived with four children all my life, lying to them that their father was dead when three other stupid children were somewhere enjoying what mine should have.
I carried four life sucking children for two years, raised them for twenty years and did everything myself and he was busy training another.
Sure his useless sperm form them but why would he dare that!
How did three children enter a mistake!!!!!
I screamed and pulled my hair
'Curse you Angus!!!!'
'Ma'am, are y....'
'Talk to me and I'll turn you to a frog!!!!'
'Sorry ma'am.' I kept screaming and cursing until he dropped me home. I threw his money at him and stomped out. Anila was outside kicking Gale's ass at football.
'Hi mom!' Anila squealed.
'Shut up!!! I hate your dad!!!!' I thundered, stomped into the house and slammed the door shut. Eira was braiding blabbing Verna's hair.
'M...'
'Don't talk to me!!!! I hate your dad!!!!' I ran to my room and locked myself in. I threw myself on the bed and cried, he married my best friend.
'Mom, mom please open the door.' They begged hammering on my door.
'Please go away, he has three children, I hate my life.'
'Mom, I don't know what is going on but please, open the door. We can talk about it.' Verna pleaded.
'Fuck this,' Anila kicked the door open or rather destroyed my room door. 'Mom, I broke your door for a good reason.' They surrounded my bed, each holding one part of my body.
'Mom, why are you crying? You hate dad?'
'I'm tired of lying, I'm tired.'
'Why?' Verna asked softly.
'Your dickhead father is alive, I lied. Don't you dare question or hate me, I'm your mother and I carried you all for two years!!!! He married my best friend, he has children.... Leave me alone!!!! I want to die!!!!!' My head was on fire, I wanted to run around until I die.
'We know.' They chorused.
'Since when!!!!'
'Since yesterday, we spent all night thinking about it.' Gale said calmly.
'Oh!' I stood up and paced around my room, I took off my shoes and dress until I was in my underwear. 'I'm going for a run....'
'Hey!!!'
'Hold on....' Anila quickly dashed to me and held me. 'Eira, her head is on fire, calm her down.'
'Or I can do this,' Verna stood up, sauntered to me with a flower in her hand. 'Breathe,' I breathe in the flower and passed out.
I still want to die.
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