16 Being Nerie (2)

Thea(Nerie) was about to open the door of their room when she overhears a conversation. It's Tim and York; She stops and waits outside the door, trying not to disturb them once again. Their voices are loud enough for Thea to hear from the outside.

"You resigned? Why?" It was York.

"So I can spend more time with you," Tim answered,

"Oh, your so sweet, but you don't need to do that. It would be best if you didn't feel like being trapped around me. You can have your own life too."

"It's okay, and I know you will help me survive in this life, right. Like, you will help me with my daily needs?"

Thea covered her face in shame on what she heard that Tim said. York probably thinks it was her, Thea, who said that. She thought, worried.

"Of course, I will help you. You don't need to worry about it anymore. I can pay your tuition, your basic needs, your boarding ..." He stops, overtaken by Tim's voice.

"Honey, you don't need to pay for my boarding anymore. I will live with you in your pad. It's too big and too lonely for you to be alone."

"Sure, yes, that's a good idea."

"Yes? Okay, I will gather all my things so that I can go with you now. No, wait, my old clothes are so... boring. Do you think you can shop me for new outfits?"

"Fine, gather all that you want. I'll wait for you downstairs."

As Thea is trying to move away from the door, York came out before she can even do it. "Hey, Nerie, been here long?"

"No, not long," She answered with her gaze on the floor and stride inside.

She meets Tim's smirking face, and she's carrying a moderate size bag. She's about to go out when she mentioned." You can have Thea's things, I mean my leftover if you like."

A while later, peeking at the window, she saw York's car driving away.

A familiar tone of a cellphone buzzes, it was on Tim's bed, and it was her old phone. She's glad Tim left it; at least she had something to use. She hasn't used Nerie's phone since the battery is dead and doesn't have a charger.

She picked up the phone, and it was Mercy who's calling.

"Hey, Mercy.."

"Hi Thea, good you still got your phone."

"Yeah, Tim left it along with my other things. Maybe she'll ask York to buy a new one."

"Wow, she's spoiled."

"Yes, I fell bad for him."

"Hmmm, by the way, I already called our boss. I told him that he got an applicant. He asks me to inform you that you got an interview tomorrow."

"Thanks best, I'll be ready."

*****

Another first day of work. First, day of work for being Nerie. The supervisor is obviously pleased to see Nerie; she knows the routine so well and left her in less than an hour of training.

An elegant-looking woman approached her with a teary eye and hugged her. "Oh darling, I found you, w-what are you doing here? Are you working? Why? Why you didn't come home. We've been looking for you. We've been calling in your school. What happened?"

She's probably Nerie's mom. My God, what should I do? How should I explain it to them? Should I lie? Thea, though, slightly agitated.

"I'm sorry after I woke up, I partly forgot some part of me. I know my name, but I forgot where I live or who my family is."

"Oh! my poor daughter, I've been crying for days. The day they told me your dead, I collapsed. Yes, I'm happy knowing you woke up, but it hurts more when we couldn't find you."

Thea snivel as if she feels the pain of Nerie's mother exaggeratedly. It's more than just sympathy. How did it hurt? It feels like she's being tortured. She felt it again; why can she feel what other people feel extremely.

*****

Thea was picked up by a red Toyota Wigo car after her shift. This car is actually Nerie's personal service car. Thea saw her most of the time, driving herself to school.

A partly bald, thin, matured man is driving the car. "Mam, your mom told us that you got some amnesia. In case you forgot, I am Manong Simo. I know you would not let anyone drive your car. It's strictly prohibited; I hope it's fine that I drive you home."

"Yes, Manong, in fact, as of now, I don't think I can drive again. It seems that I don't know how to drive anymore. Maybe I will need somebody to drive me to school."

"It's my duty to do what you say, mam."

"Thank you, Manong."

Manong Simo glanced at her from the rearview mirror, dumbfounded.

*****

Nerie's home is situated on the City's outskirts. It's an elegant village of Maria Acadia. The resident of the most well-known names in the business community.

Since it has the highest elevation among the others, the three-story house is visible from the village main road. It will take twenty meters drive from the gate to the front door. It is cozy with a spacious living room, decorated with antiques from around the world and a large window with views to a beautiful patio with many flowers—a curve stair, with metal railings and wood handle. She looked up, amazed with the classic yet elegant chandelier hanged in the ceiling.

Manong escorted her to the backyard, where Nerie's family with some friends are waiting. They prepared a little barbeque welcome party adjacent to the pool.

The moment people noticed her, one by one, they approach her with a light smack on the checks for ladies and men on her hands. For the first time in her life, she was overwhelmed talking and saying hi to all these people that she didn't even know for almost three hours before she was escorted upstairs to her room, but she chooses to play the game then she had to.

Nerie's bedroom looks comfy, and It has a supper girly wallpaper in pink color with flowers design. The double size bed is soft, with a mixture of pink and white pattern design, decorated with fairy light above the headboard. Her modern design dresser is filled with beauty products and makeups, and a vanity mirror with light around it. It has its own comfort room and a wide window with a view of the pool at the back.

She tried to feel the bed, and it connects to her in no time; it wanes away her consciousness.

*****

Everything is dark, none even specks of light. All she can hear are gravely sonorous voices calling her name. "Thea... Thea... Thea..." It came not just from one person. She can't decipher how many exactly, but it's a mixed voice of man and woman. She turns around to find where it came from, but it seems didn't come from one place. It seems surrounding her. She tried to run, but nothing change, still everything is black. She closes her eyes and covers her face. The next time she opens it, she sees York inside the golden birdcage hanged above her. She tried to find a way towards him. But everything she sees is just darkness. She tried to hail at him from below, but in her, every call, the cage moves away and away until it's lost at her sight. She runs towards the cage direction to follow York, but she stumbled. The next thing she knows is she outside a burning palace, and she wondered why but as she goes near, all she can feel is the freezing cold air that the fire produces. She tried to touch the blazing fire as it turn to become a large mirror. Some great force from it pulled her and sent her floating in space.

She woke up with sweat all over her body. The sun's glare from the glass window, uncovered by the curtain, is hurting her eyes. She sits on the bed, gaining back the memory that she's in Nerie's bedroom.

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