Chapter 5 : Walking, talking feast
Days couldn't go worse than this. I'm sitting inside the office with Mrs. Hailey and my own mom, signing my own freaking death contract!
"Ma'am, in my entire life no one has ever rebelled like your daughter. At first she breaks the rules and when we give punishment, your daughter runs away from it. And it isn't enough, she actually influences others too. We gave her many warnings and we did what we could but it seems like your daughter really isn't afraid of anything—"
"No! I'm terrified of bugs, mom's sandals, and brooms. Especially mom's sandals. They're like ninja stars waiting to strike!" I exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. "Zeya!" My hair stood on end as my mom's icy voice pierced the air. "Sorry," I muttered, shrinking back in my seat. Their angry stares are like a deadly laser beam that's slowly burning me to a crisp. Please, God, send a miracle... or at least a distraction!
*Knock knock*
God, you're my best friend! I love you!
"Mrs. Hailey, I'm- oh sorry. I'll come later." Amaya? Why did she come here?
"Amaya, here. I already signed it. Go to reception and give it to Daniel sir and you can leave." Leave? Where is she going?
"Do I need to sign too?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. Did she cry? Mrs. Hailey nodded her head and searched for a pen. I glanced at the pen in my hand. Should I?
"H-here.." Why did I stutter!?
"Zeya? What brings you here!?" Her cheerful voice echoed in the room. She hadn't noticed me before? Her eyes turned to my mother. "Oh, Namaste Aunty." She smiled at my mother. My mother smiled back. "Are you Zeya's friend? I never saw you before." My mother inquired, her voice soft and gentle. "We just met yesterday. Don't worry, Aunty, you'll be seeing a lot more of me from now on." Her voice was playful, but her eyes were full of love and sincerity.
In my previous life, my mother and Amaya shared an unbreakable bond that filled me with a deep sense of longing and pain. Despite the hardships we faced, Amaya always treated my mother with the utmost respect and kindness during their phone conversations. Perhaps it was because she never received her own mother's love that she cherished my mother's presence so dearly.
"Zeya?" I was startled. "Is there something on my face?" Amaya inquired, her voice soft and gentle. She gently brushes away a nonexistent speck from her flawless complexion. Her demeanour was one of innocence and vulnerability, and it was then that I realised...
Amaya changed after the death of Sophia. Prior to that tragic event, we shared a period of contentment and happiness. If I save Sophia, if I prevent her friends from abandoning her… Then perhaps Amaya would never give in to the darkness that threatens to consume her. Perhaps we could forge a future together, a future filled with the love and happiness that we were denied in our previous life.
*Slap*
"Ouch!" I screamed as a sharp tingling sensation shot through my thigh. "Mom!" I exclaimed in pain and anger. How could she hit her own daughter like that!? "Your friend is calling you, and you're staring at her like she's a chicken dinner you want to eat!" Amaya raised her eyebrows in amusement at my mother's words. My face flushed a deep red, hot as a heater, and I looked away in embarrassment, trying to calm my heart that felt like it was about to burst through my ribs.
"C'mon Aunty, haven't you seen me? I'm a walking, talking feast for the eyes." Amaya quipped, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Amaya!" I exclaimed, my cheeks burning even brighter.
"What? I'm just stating the facts," she said with a shrug then our eyes met, she smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. My heart raced like a bullet train, and I held my breath, waiting to hear what she would say. Then, she spoke the words that sent a thrill through my body, "But in my eyes, Zeya is the most delicious feast, Aunty." My brain blasted like a pressure cooker, and I could feel heat rising from my head to toe. What could be more embarrassing than this? Then again everything disappeared when I heard a melody so sweet, a symphony of pure delight, a sound that banished the darkness of my life, I heard a beautiful laughter of my wife, the love of my life, Amaya.
Mrs. Hailey and Zeya's mother glanced at Zeya, their expressions a mixture of concern and amusement. Zeya's lips curved into a sweet and endearing smile, her eyes focused intently on a girl standing and laughing nearby—Amaya. Zeya was so captivated by Amaya's laughter that she seemed to forget her surroundings, her gaze fixed on her with a tenderness that belied their past.
As Zeya's vision slowly blurred and shifted, she found herself transported to the familiar surroundings of her old apartment's living room. Standing before her, enveloped in a fit of laughter, was an adult version of Amaya. Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, Zeya directly reached out and enveloped Amaya in a tight embrace.
I love you. I love you. "I love you. I really love you.. I love you.." Amaya's eyes widened in surprise, and her heart skipped a beat. She parted her lips to speak but Zeya's sudden confession left her speechless.
"Zeya..?" Amaya whispered, her eyes narrowed. With a trembling hand, she hugged Zeya back.
Opening my eyes, I found myself enveloped in Amaya's embrace. As I gazed around the familiar surroundings of Mrs. Hailey's office, I was momentarily lost in the melody of her laughter. I released Amaya's embrace and took a step back. My heart pounded in my chest like a relentless drum, and a sobering realisation washed over me: I had failed to alter the course of our destiny, will I be able to change her though?
For more than a decade, I have yearned for her return yet what did I get? If the decades of time has not been enough to sway her heart, what hope do I have in these years?
"Zeya, are you alright?" Amaya's concerned voice pierced through my mind, bringing me back to my senses.
Amaya, If I take a chance on you, will you take a chance on me?
"I'm sorry..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.
If I make you my top priority again, will you make me yours this time?
"I saw someone else on you. Please excuse me." I brushed past her and fled the room, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
Amaya lowered her eyes and glanced at her empty hands. A sudden chill coursed through her body, replacing the warmth she had felt when Zeya had embraced her. That warmth was now gone.