Savior

Chapter Ten

Sole

Desperation. What does desperation does to someone? I’d not known until I saw the wedding invite myself. It was in the newspaper. Like every other detail about their wedding, the invite too was published in all leading dailies. It was almost as if she wanted to put it on my face that she’s moved on and this is exactly why I didn’t believe she had.

‘Is this necessary?’ Ricci asked as he entered the parking lot of ‘Eclissi Solare’, Luna’s store.

‘Very’ was all I said and stepped down even before he could. Walking straight into the store my eyes roamed around to look for her when a staff came to my help.

‘How can I help you sir?’ She asked.

‘Luna Agosti. I’m here to meet her.’

‘Do you have an appointment?’

‘I don’t need one. Just tell her Sole Accardi is here, still understand.’ As soon as I said my name her eyes widened, nothing I hadn’t seen before. She stood there in shock or admiration, whatever it was, so I decided to look for Luna myself. I’d taken a few steps before I was stopped by someone.

‘She’s busy.’ I was met with a familiar face. I sighed knowing well what was coming my way.

‘Gina, good to see you after so long.’

‘Sorry but I don’t feel the same.’ She gave me a smile which I was sure was laced with venom. I returned her smile with mine, only more subtle.

‘Lucky you then, for I’m here for Luna and not you.’

‘Why are you back?’

‘As far as I remember, I was always here.’

She scoffed. ‘Ya, right.’

‘I don’t wish to waste more time on you, so if you would excuse me.’ I tried to leave but she stopped me again, this time more aggressively. Pulling me by the collar she dragged me out the store, much to the entertainment and shock of the few customers in the audience.

She pushed me onto a wall when we were at the back of the store outside and said, ‘Leave her alone Sole. She’s been through a lot.’

‘You’re in no position to say that when your own parents have been like that to her.’

‘I know it. And I’m apologetic to her for that but that is in the past. Mom and dad care for her now. They’ve changed.’

‘Are you sure about that? Aren’t monetary reasons behind them staying in her house now?’ I asked refusing to believe Agosti family has come to love their niece more than money.

Gina looked away as if to hide her own disappointment due to her parents. ‘They hadn’t been best family but they’re ready to change. Besides this time Luna asked them to stay with her.’

My face scrunched up at the revelation. ‘Why would she do that?’

‘At their lowest point in life, everyone needs family, even if that family is nothing but a bunch of selfish people.’

What was she talking about? Did something happen that I didn’t know or was she talking about…. ‘Is this about our break up? Because I can assure you it was not Luna’s lowest point.’

‘How can you be so sure about it?’ She asked with eyes that were filled with empathy yet disgust.

Before I could ask more questions Luna interrupted us. ‘What are you doing here?’ I looked away from Gina and towards Luna who stood there in work clothes which suited her like no other. If she’d still be the girl I’d fallen in love with three years ago, I’d been nothing but proud for she’d always wanted to be like this, a professional, someone with a career, someone with ambition.

Three years ago

Have you ever tried sleeping in a stranger’s house? Well if you have then you can understand my plight and if you hadn’t then don’t even think about it. The bed even if is made of fine wood and covered with finest mattress in the world, would still make you itch your back every few seconds. The atmosphere no matter how silent would still stung your ears for you would hear noises that otherwise only animals are capable of hearing. Clock’s needle would advance like the usual but it would still seem as if time has come to a standstill.

I turned and tossed for the above reasons didn’t let me sleep nor did the pain and exhaustion from the fight a few hours ago. Still angry at her family members, even in sleep I carried the grump expression on my face. How can someone do this just for some money?

Lost in my thoughts I was busy replaying the whole situation inside my head when I heard a faint knock on my door. Thinking it to be my over-sensitive ears I put a pillow over my ear and tried to sleep again but then someone knocked again, this time a little louder. I shot up from bed and picked up a vase and slowly turned the doorknob.

‘Enough vases have been sacrificed tonight. No need to break this too.’ A voice said as I opened the door. A sigh of relief came out my mouth and I placed the vase back in its place.

‘What are you doing here late at night?’ I asked.

She put out her hand which was holding an ointment. ‘Thought you might need it.’

‘Are you okay?’ I asked. She must’ve been. Even if someone’s family is s**t, they don’t need to have proof of it like this.

‘Just a bit uneasy.’

‘Thanks for letting me stay here.’

‘Well it’s not like you were going to leave anyway.’ Both of us smiled at each other.

‘Can I ask you why you came here?’ She asked her hands fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt. Seeing her nervous I gave her the truth that she needed.

‘I was standing under the window from which you threw out the letter at the hospital.’ He eyes were filled with surprise.

‘What? And you came here just because you read it?’

I nodded. ‘Pretty much yes. I thought you could use my help.’

‘I guess god has a way of working things out.’

‘Why did you write the letter?’

‘You know already. My family is weird.’

‘Everyone’s is.’

‘They wouldn’t have let me do what I wanted to. I hate to let someone else take control of my life. All these years living with my grandparents, they’ve never stopped me from doing anything. I’ve received their support in everything. After they were gone, the time I spent in the hospital, though I couldn’t do much activity, I could hear what people around me talked about.’

‘Let me guess. Not good things were spoken.’

‘To get my property they were even ready to get me married to someone of their choice. They wanted me out of art school and possibly live in a different country.’

‘It’s like secluding the enemy, away from its familiar settings to make him weak.’

‘Something like that. But I wasn’t aware that they could take things this far. I mean sending people to attack me and you, it is just…’

‘You don’t have to worry about that anymore.’ I assured her.

‘Just wait here.’ She said and quickly went out the door only to be back soon. This time she had a piece of wood in her hand.

‘This is?’ I asked tossing the wood in my hand after she handed it to me.

She laughed a little before saying, ‘It’s a piece of wood, stupid.’

‘That I know! I was just asking what I do with it.’ I said in my defense.

‘You don’t have to do anything. When I will graduate from art school, that is when I’ve become a proper wood crafter, I will carve this piece that day. It will be a mark of both of our ambitions being fulfilled.’

‘You don’t even know what my ambition is. What if I don’t have one?’ I asked. She smiled and came forward to pat my hand which held the wood.

‘Then keep this with you always, so that when you look at it, you’d want to find an ambition. Remember when both of our ambitions are fulfilled, only then will I carve it.’ She then stepped on her toes and suddenly gave me a peck on the cheek. ‘This one’s for saving me tonight.’ Soon the door to the guest room was closed. She’d left me feeling something that my heart wasn’t familiar with.

Present

Luna

‘I asked you something.’ What do you not want early in the morning at work? Your ex barging in your office. Why did he have to make things difficult for me? Even if he was back, did he really need to be back in my life as well?

‘He will be leaving now.’ Gina said giving Sole a stern look. I hope he’d not said any nonsense to her or worse she’d not shared any unwanted detail with him. I wish my assistant was efficient enough to warn me about the unwanted guest earlier, damn Cathy!

‘I’m here to give you this.’ Sole walked towards me ignoring Gina. He put his hand in his blazers pocket and produced before me something that I thought I’d never see again. The piece of wood I’d given him the first day he’d stayed at my house. ‘Since both of us have fulfilled our ambitions, I thought you’d carve it now.’ Tears swelled up in my eyes and I looked at him, he was in a similar state. The only difference was, along with tears we also had anger towards each other, an anger which was also a gift of the past along with this small piece of wood.