Back To The Present(I)

"So, then?"

Eliana paused the recorder as Annabelle stopped talking all of a sudden. She thought she was taking a break. But after looking at her face, she could tell that she stopped talking intentionally and so urged her to go further.

But for some reason, she was silent. What happened all of a sudden?

Eliana is a girl in her early twenties. She wanted to be a writer since she was only in elementary school. This dream of hers grew one day out of nowhere.

Once, in their class in the elementary school, their homeroom teacher, Miss Olivia, gave an interesting task to make the class more interesting for her students.

The task was about something like writing a paragraph about what every student was thinking about just at that time. That time, Eliana felt extremely excited to do the task as she was thinking about her pet dog, Harry. Eliana loved her dog very much and so, she wrote her paragraph very giving all her passion into it that somehow worked out. After reading hers, Miss Olivia also felt that this girl had some uncommon ability to write something in an interesting way.

It was then when Eliana was praised for her writing for the first time. Since then, she had an idea to become a writer in her mind.

Being a writer was one of the toughest passions anyone could have. Some people think being a writer is kinda an easy task. All you have to do is hold a pen and you just start writing. But only a writer himself can tell what it takes to write something worth enough to give a read.

Before writing, you have to think about a story and research various things to make that story interesting and reasonable enough. Though Eliana was always good at expressing her inner emotions through her writing, she lacked some inspiration. At that time, she got inspired by thinking about her cute pet. But now, she can't write thinking about her pet anymore, right?

After all, writers also need the inspiration to make something inspirational enough for others. Eliana neither had any romantic nor a dramatic experience in her life. Her life was boring enough to make her totally this dull. One day, she thought about trying to listen to others' stories, merge them into her own imagination to create something.

It wasn't like she didn't write anything until now. She was a second-rated writer who could barely meet her expenses with her low income. She wrote some stories which earned her some money but the majority of her expenses were fulfilled by her part-time jobs.

She can't ask about her expenses to her family, as she left home to be a writer about 2 or 3 years ago. They were against it from the start. Actually, that wasn't their fault. They were just worried about her not being able to lead her life properly in the future. And the irony is, exactly that thing happened. She is now living in a tiny studio apartment instead of her own home, barely meeting her expenses by eating instant noodles every single day. Her life was already a mess like this. But somehow, this kind of life never inspired her to write any tragic story. Somehow it was not tragic enough to make a novel out of it. Something was missing, she had to find that soon. Or else she will have to return to her home being defeated, which she doesn't want to, no matter what it costs.

As Eliana continued her university studies while focusing on her writings, she made some friends there who were also positive about her dream and supported her. When she asked them that she wanted some people who are quite positive about sharing their life stories with. She tried to find her inspiration by campaigning in many old-age homes as some of her friends suggested the idea but somehow their story didn't click. Finally, It was Noah who saved her.

Noah was her high school friend actually. There was a time when they dated each other for one month or two. It didn't click just like the other relationships of hers but they were still good friends.

After a long time, meeting him abruptly in front of her apartment building she was both embarrassed and grateful to him. Embarrassed that she had to make her ex witness her worst state and grateful for making her way towards the great idea.

That time, when he listened to her problem, he confidently recommended someone who could help her in this whole thing. He didn't tell her the whole truth. He just said that he knew that person as a very suitable one who can help her to find the proper inspiration for writing. Though she had doubts to succeed this time, she still listened to him for once and went to the address which he gave on the set time.

After arriving at the address, she found a while bungalow surrounded by a flower garden. The venue was peaceful and beautiful enough to make her mood brighten instantly. Somehow, she started to imagine what kind of person he or she would be whom Eliana was going to meet today.

As Eliana pressed the doorbell, a cute little girl who was probably 5 or 6 years old opened the door for her. She didn't wait to look at the person who was at the door but ran towards the hallway of the bungalow shouting.

"Hey, give me my ball back, brother!"

But before she could cross the hallway, she bumped into a woman. Eliana didn't notice anyone was standing there.

"Ava? What was it just now? What did I teach you before? Never open the door without asking who it is and always greet a person when you meet one?"

The girl looked a bit confused and scratched her head.

"I didn't greet?"

"No," that woman replied, shaking her head left to right.

Maybe The girl gave an apologetic look to that mysterious woman and ran back to Eliana.

"Good morning, Ma'am."

That little girl smiled radiantly looking at Eliana which made her smile back automatically. How can someone be so adorable? Eliana sat on her knees to reach that girl's height and squeezed her cheeks lovingly.

"Good morning to you too, dear!"

The moment she replied back, the girl hurried back to play with her brother whom she couldn't see from here.

"I apologize, she's still learning," the lady said with her sweet, charismatic voice as she was coming forward towards her from the dark corner of the hallway. Eliana shook her head a little to express that it was okay. Somehow, the interior looked a little dark as they were only windows lightening the insights of the bungalow.

When the lady stood in front of her, she finally got to see her face. She is just the mature version of that child. They say, like a mother, like a daughter. They justified it quite well. So, she is the mother of the child?

As far as Eliana could guess, she is in her middle thirties, a mesmerizing gorgeous beauty, it was quite sure that she had taken the breath of a lot of men so far.

"Miss Green, I guess?" the lady said, advancing her right hand towards her.

"Yeah, yeah. Eliana, Eliana Green," she took her hand and gave it a little shake.

"Annabelle D'Costa. You can call me Annabelle. Come in," she released her hand and signaled to follow her to the upstairs.

Annabelle? As in the great novelist Annabelle D'Costa?

The moment she heard that name her ears turned numb as if she couldn't hear anything. But she wasn't so sure if she is that Annabelle D'Costa as she was never seen in public that much before though there were a lot of pictures of her teens and early twenties. Silently following the lady, she was observing every inch of the bungalow. There were various quotes of many famous writers and portraits of beautiful scenery framed and hung on the walls. The whole ambiance somehow matched that lady's debonair.

When her eyes fell on the awards for the best author and other writing competition awards, her doubt became clear. She is definitely the novelist Annabelle D'Costa.

Though Eliana saw Annabelle a few times in the media wearing big sunglasses and baggy clothes, she never got the idea that she was this pretty. She was someone who wasn't that comfortable about showing her face. Meeting one of the most favorite authors of hers this way was something like blessings to Eliana. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she could meet her in this life.

Annabelle always refused to attend to the media and her fans as she said she doesn't like to show her face that much for no reason. Once in an author's campaign, she said that an author should be recognized by their unique style of writing but not by their faces.

Though she was thoroughly connected with the media a long time ago when she was in the music industry. It was a long time ago, she was young then. So, people started to imagine an older version of "Annabelle D'Costa'. But surprisingly, she wasn't a single bit less beautiful than before, moreover, she was a more gorgeous and mature kind of beauty that Eliana herself failed to recognize.

She still can't believe that she was walking behind Annabelle. It was like an impossible dream to her. This time, she owes Noah a big time. How did he come to know such a big shot like Annabelle? Whatever it was, it was sure that he had to pay a big-time to make this opportunity for her.

*Don't worry, Noah. I am not gonna make your effort go in vain for nothing.*