Dirty Secrets

Episode2

I opened my eyes to the sharp light coming in from the windows. I felt a strong headache as I stretched on the couch and gently sat up. My throat felt dry. I need some water.

“Ouch!” I felt a sharp pain. It was a piece of bottle. It pierced my foot.

I raised my leg to my right thigh and tried to remove the sharp piece of bottle.

Arrggh, it is so painful.

What is a glass doing here in the first place?” I was trying hard to recognize my current environment. How did I get here?

I walked up to the window, and the reflection of me that I saw on the window’s glass made me realize how ruffled my hair had become, and how scattered my makeup was.

I picked up my phone and checked the time.

It was 10:30 am!

How? I’ve also missed twenty-one calls!

Oh my God, what happened here?

I look around and tried to remember what had happened.

Oh no! It all came back to me, Damon, I’m in a bar!

...

As I got out of the hall, I noticed a couple of persons were still around. The place smelled of alcohol and cigar. A lot of broken bottles everywhere, I had to carefully tiptoe, watching my steps so I don’t get another cut from a broken bottle.

I can only imagine what mom could be doing right now. I’ve not set my eyes on her since yesterday morning. We might not have a good rapport, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be worried sick looking for me, and probably pacing up and down in kitchen.

Poor old lady, she is doing her best, or maybe so she thinks. I feel like she can do better though. Everyone in Milan thinks she fulfils her duties as a mother, they don’t get to see the part where she doesn’t care about my career, even though she thinks she does. She is all about her modelling business.

Nineteen out of all the calls I missed came from her, the rest came from Anderson, her security. She must have been worried sick, I want to even believe she could still be at home. Unfortunately I have no friends, so she doesn’t even have anyone to call and ask about my whereabouts; what a mother-daughter relationship.

The sun seemed extra bright this morning. I winced as I stepped out. The sunlight was just too bright. I quickly reached out for my sunglasses in my purse. As I tried to do that, a car passed by me on high speed and splashed the garbage water on me.

Shit! Is the driver blind? I believe he is, because it is broad day light, and everyone should be able to see a pretty young lady in red top and black mini leather skirt, except they have a similar situation like I’m having right now.

Oh my, I couldn’t find my sunglasses, I knew I put it in my purse. I must have lost it in the bar. Well, I can’t go back in there. I should be on my way home now.

I walked up toward the supermarket. Cabs tend to stop there more often, as they drop off their passengers. I wait a little in front of the super market for a cab, and was able to flagg one down finally. I got in.

“Doolaney Street, Block B” I said to the driver.

“Ok”, he said as he drove off.

“You must have had a rough night pretty girl” he said

I snubbed him. I don’t know why drivers in Milan cannot just mind their business.

“I know ladies like you,” he continued, “You all work hard to keep your family running. It must be hard yeah?”

I didn’t even look up, I took out my mobile phone to call Mom.

“You know there are other ways one can work hard to keep their family together.”

“Hey mister,” I said, cutting him short. “I don’t need any of what you have to say, if you don’t mind, please can you focus on driving us safely?”

“No offense, no offense, I’m sorry,” He said as he continued to drive, raising the volume of the stereo, and humming to the song that played.

He could have done that since, instead of bugging me with his unnecessary talk.

The song sounded religious, making me reflect on what had happened last night.

Who could that man be? Damon. He looked familiar, most people in the bar last night seemed to know him, how come I don’t?

I only remember flashes of what happened, but I’m pretty sure he strapped me hard. s**t! The last thing I want to be right now is get pregnant for a man I barely even know.

Well, I could get to know him, and probably fall in love with him, but I’m not ready for that now. I’m just twenty years old, and I need to figure life out all by myself; as the woman that calls herself my mom doesn’t care.

Come to think of it, she had never even asked me any question about my career.

Hmm. Or does she think I will become a model just by watching her? That is even if I want to be a model. The great Sabrina.

We had just gotten to Block A, when I remembered I wanted to call Mother.

I’m almost home, there will be no need for that.

“I’ll be fine right here,” I said as I reached out for my purse. I paid the cab driver and alighted.

“Stay safe young lady,” the cab driver said as he drove off.

What must have been his thoughts about me? I noticed he kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror as he hummed the song that was playing from the stereo.

Well, I do not have a family, and I am doing just fine, I do not need to work hard for anything; I am the daughter of Sabrina the great model, how can he not know that?

I walked towards the front door still squinting. I had to use my hands to cover my eyes slightly so the brightness of the sun doesn’t have a direct impact on me.

Immediately I opened the door, Mother stood up and ran towards me

“Leila!” she called out my name

“Where have you been? You made me worried, you weren’t picking your calls either.”

I walked towards the kitchen to get some water, I’ve been very thirsty and it is a hot sunny morning. That didn’t help the dryness I was feeling in my throat.

I noticed Anderson was there with her, no wonder I didn’t see him at the gate. He’s more of her Personal Assistant than an ordinary security guard.

“Leila, I’m your mother, the fact that we had a little disagreement yesterday doesn’t mean you should leave the house and not say anything to me or pick my calls,” She said, following me to the kitchen.

I took out my favorite glass from the shelve and poured me some water. I felt so relieved as I drank.

I finally spoke up.

“Mother, it's not like you care about me anyway, so why are you pretending to be concerned, asking all these questions?”

“Leila, I've always told you to stop thinking like that. I do care about you, and you know it. I might—”

“Oh, stop it, Mom,” I interrupted, my voice sharper than I intended. “You don’t care about me, not even a little.”

“If you did, you’d actually make time for me. All you care about is maintaining your image as ‘Sabrina the Great,’” I said, emphasizing the title with air quotes.

I immediately walked upstairs, leaving her and Anderson in the kitchen. Anderson stared at me as I walked upstairs. He is usually quiet and never really says much. He has the look of someone who has a lot of untold secrets bottled up down there.

Oh how much I missed my room, there was no smell of alcohol or cigars here. I immediately rushed to the shower to have a cool bath before I crash into the bed for a long nap.

As I pulled my skirt, I felt a faint pain on my right thigh, I checked and noticed a mark. It looked like an S.

I started to panic, how did that get there, and why did I not feel the pain until now, I rushed back into my room to seat on the bed so I can have a proper look at it.

It looked as though someone tried to scribble ‘Letter S’ on my thigh with a sharp pin. I didn’t have this before last night. It must be the man, Damon. But how? When? Why didn’t I feel it?

I’m starting to freak out!

Who is this man? Who the hell is he!

Immediately, Mother came into my room

“Who is who?” she asked.

How did I forget to lock the door? Can this old lady let me be this morning, I need some time to understand what had happened last night.

I quickly grabbed my duvet and wrapped it around my body.

Mother let herself down on my bed and smiled.

“What could you be hiding from me that I couldn’t have possibly seen?’ I’m your mother Leila, I bathed you till you were twelve.”

“That doesn’t matter, I’m no longer twelve,” I replied. “Mom can you allow me have my privacy please? You don’t just barge into my room like that.”

“Leila, I’m deeply sorry. I’m sorry, for not being all that you want me to be as a mother, but you can see that I put in all my efforts to make you happy.”

“Mother, I’m not ready for this, this morning, I need to have my bath and rest, please, can you allow me do that, besides when did you suddenly begin to care? I can’t recall the last time you came into my room. Mother, you’ve been far away and I think we can continue that way,”

I said, trying to get her out of my room, I need to focus and remember all that ensued last night, I just hope I’ve not been initiated into something.

"Alright, Leila, I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want," she said, standing up to leave, her tone laced with a hint of guilt-tripping. Then she turned back.

“Who were you talking about when I came in?”

My heart skipped a beat, I didn’t know I had said that out loud.

"Huh? I wasn’t talking about anyone," I said, still clutching the duvet around my body.

"You can always talk to me, Leila. I’m your mother," she said before finally walking out, leaving the door open.

I stood up and slammed the door shut behind her, the loud bang echoing through the room.

"You can always talk to me," I mocked under my breath. It wasn’t that I hated my mother—I just couldn’t stand the fact that she obviously didn’t care about me and kept so many things from me.

All I know is that she’s my mother, and I lost my dad when I was just a child. She never really told me how he died; Nonna only mentioned that he had a brief illness and passed away during surgery. Oh, bless Nonna—I miss her so much. I grew up with her and spent most of my childhood in her care, so in many ways, Nonna was my real mother. How I wish she were still alive—I wouldn’t have had to move in with Sabrina the Great.

If only people knew the real story, they wouldn’t judge me.

Now, who is this guy? I finally walked to the bath, when I heard my phone ring. I picked it up

“Hi, Leila on the line, who am I speaking with?”

“Meet me at Dolphin Restaurant by 3pm today, do not keep me waiting” a baritone voice said at the other end of the call, and dropped the call.