A TOUCH OF INSANITY

chapter four

As I slammed the door I walked so fast but Henry still caught up to me before I entered my car, he was panting and when he looked into my eyes I got scared that he could see how his brother’s words affected him.

“I am so sorry, I didn’t know you were on bad terms,” he said, I looked down on the ground preferable admiring the lace of his shoe than his face

“It is ok,” I said casually as I raised my face up for him to know am fine

“my brother does that sometimes, saying some things he didn’t mean to say,” he said defending his brother

“and is he always right?” I asked and he was silent, I asked again more loudly “and is he always right?” and he was still silent and his eyes avoid me

“I take your silence as an answer,” I tell him, I was now more pissed at him than his brother, I opened my car door but he held the top end of the car door

“I am sorry, but you can’t drive like this, let me drive you then I will take a cab back home” he offered I think over it for a min and then tossed him my car keys and moved to the passenger seat

   The drive was silent for a while until I started talking

“did you and your girlfriend break up,” I asked and I watched as his grip on the steering got tighter, I guess that a sore topic for him but he doesn’t get to get out of it when he had just heard his brother call me a manipulate b***h and I need gossip to tell Mimi what is better than the source itself? I looked at him and he could feel my eyes on him

“yeah,” he said playing it causal

“so what happened,” I asked putting my therapist face on

“do you go around asking people about their relationship,” he said using the defense card to avoid the topic but I used the emotional blackmail card on him

“No, but when someone calls you a manipulator you kind of need something to take your mind of it,” I said and I could see on his face how my words affected him

“We had many issues in which we kept pretending we didn’t have, to keep the perfect image of a perfect couple,” he said with a hint of pain in his voice

“Nothing is ever truly perfect and deluding yourself of that is what caused your downfall”

“yeah I know”

“And do you want her back,” I asked him

“No, I think that chapter of my life just closed…..and don’t go all therapist on me, my brother does that all the time so I know when you are trying to get me to talk about my problems,” he said 

“sorry”

  “I kind of needed to talk about it,” he said feeling relieved and he stopped in front of my house, he came down and tossed the key back to me

“I know that my brother isn’t perfect but he is a good guy, he is the kind of guy that had taken care of his twelve-year-old brother when he was just 18 years when their parents had just died and he didn’t want his brother to be separated from him. He is the kind of guy who keeps checking on his patients even when they are better, he is the kind of guy that still lends my family relative cash even when they turned our back on us”

 he looked at me talking with so much passion about a guy who has been unwelcoming since the first day of his class and he continued talking 

“so am sorry for what he said to you but if you could cut him some slack”

 I stood there silent as I watched him taking a cab after talking to me and I wondered if I would ever see Daniel in that light or if he would ever show me that side of him, and that night I thought of so many possibilities that could have happened if we never stopped that kiss, if he wasn’t hostile to me after that day.

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I listened to the end of Professor Daniel class, regardless of what I felt for the man and as the class ended I was ready to bolt out of the class, the better I avoid him the better for my carefree life

“Miss Stephanie” he called me out 

As students passed through the front door, I halted at the sound of my name

“f**k” I whispered and moved toward him, attempting not to roll my eyes, when you want to avoid someone must there be a reason for the universe or karma to bring you, people, together

He looked around waiting for everyone to leave before it was just me and him

“I am sorry,” he said and I rolled my eyes about to walk away but he held my arm and turned me in his direction and he looked intensely into my eyes

“I said I am sorry” his words sounded sincere and I felt my heart beating a little faster 

“I heard you the first time,” I said slightly rude, I wasn’t going to let him easy regardless he was my teacher 

“I know the things I said were wrong and I never should have said them,” he told me with his hands still wrapped around my arm

“then why did you?” I asked with aggression at the sound of my voice 

“Cuz…..” he stopped talking with his eyes looking guilty as sin

“why we were so cool that night then you just flipped” I watched his eyes changed when I mentioned the night we had kissed before everything else

“I don’t know….I just wanted to say I was sorry” he said in a low tone but audible for me to hear him and he let go of my arm and I looked at his eyes waiting for him to say something more to give me an explanation in which I didn’t know even existed 

“Have a lovely day Miss Stephanie,” he said and all my hope crumbled of us ever being friendly

“you too Professor. Daniel” I said before leaving the house

It was the weekend and I knew I had to set my bag up for packing, I was going to see my grandpa, and as much as I love the man I was not intrigued for the reason I had to go this weekend. I had said my goodbyes to Mimi and practically gave her the keys to my apartment after she begged me for it

I reached my town and head for the electronic store and stopped my car in front of the store and as I entered I saw the first salesperson which was Jimmy who had worked in the electronic store for close to 15years he was the oldest employee here

“hey shrubs,” he said with excitement in his voice

“am 5.9ft,” I said in protest  

“still look like a shrub to me,” he said laughing at his own joke

“where is GiGi,” I said impatiently 

“he is at the counter” I left as soon as he gave me the information I needed, as soon as I saw my grandfather at the counter I burst into a full-blown smile and rushed to hug him over the counter

“little one” he called a little shocked at my outburst but he still cracked a laugh

“GIGI” I called a little overexcited, I missed his drama and he was the only one I got

“So glad to see you”

“love what you are done with the place,” I told him, GIGI owned the store and I was proud of what he has done. He left the counter and properly hugged me and after he hugged me, he still put his arms around me 

“Aaron, you are closing for the night, I need to treat my favorite grandchild out” he shouted to the manager, and I laughed whispering to me him

“am your only grandchild” after that incident I had lost my brother and sister

“you were still my favorite,” he said kissing the top of my head as we left the store

      GIGI was ex-military personnel before he had a leg injury which caused him to limp for the rest of his life and because of that he was called back home where he had met my grandmother accord to him when he met her and I quote

                  “I saw a flower growing in amidst of rocks and it had to be a gem”   

He said she was as hot-tempered as me but she had grace and style in which no girl he ever met, I look at him and I feel sad because he had not only lost his flower but he had lost his daughter along, my grandmother had died before my parents from kidney cancer, we all cried the day she had told us but it something I could forget easily along with other things 

We had gotten home and GIGI had cooked lasagna and placed a large portion on my plate and I noticed he only put little for himself

“Are you cutting back on your weight” I teased as I eat slowly

“you wish….just not hungry,” he said I stopped eating for a while hoping he has not been living like this since I left

“How are you doing,” I asked 

“just there, taking care of the store” he replied vaguely

“so nothing new has happened in this town,” I asked

“Well….” he paused as he said which got me curious 

“What?” I asked 

“Mrs. Robinson asked how you were doing” and I froze as he told me and all the rush of memories came back and the food in front of me looked disgusting

“well you can tell her to go to hell,” I said filled with spite not caring that she wasn’t here to feel my hatred

“that a little harsh, her son had died too,” he said and I looked at him like I didn’t know him

“am going to my room,” I said too pissed to finish my food and the issue of what we had to do tomorrow was forgotten.

And as the sunrise I was already dressed, I was in my flowery dress, it was a little above my knee level and I was cool with it I needed to look good to see my family as I entered the living room I see GIGI all dressed up and he smiled at me and yesterday night was forgotten

“you look splendid,” he said and I found myself blushing 

“thank you,” I said 

   As we drove down to our destination the ride was quiet only the song of Lionel Richie “stuck on you” playing on the music box. And we got there we set up a picnic and in front was the grave of our loved ones.

And all I could see on their grave was “here lies” and their names attached to it. On May 19th my family left me leaving only me behind and every year we come here to remember them.