LOVE AND MASK

Pains

Jane went back to her room with the feeling of both defeat and victory. She packed her clothes inside her middle-sized leather bag, she was really happy today even though Frank almost spoilt her mood . She jumped up, leaving what she was doing as she rushed to the door to see who was knocking. She opened the door hurriedly as the song she hummed was clearly heard but the humming stopped as she saw the mistress at the door. She looked at the mistress for a few seconds and her face clearly shows that she was not welcomed but the mistress did not mind her facial behavior. She forced her way in and Jane was surprised again. Her mouth opened and a low sigh escaped her mouth before she quickly closed the mouth. She closed the door so hardly that the loud bang of the door made the mistress looked back at her.

' I thought I was told you were well- disciplined but it seems that was a lie ' She sat on Jane's bed.

Jane leaned on the door ' Why should I be well-disciplined towards you.' She replied in a low voice but still audible to the Mistress ears.'

' Do you want to know why I hate you?' She looked towards her and as expected Jane was curious and her face showed how anxious she was.

' Your damn parents were the real reason you disgusts me. You are not different from your father. We always do the job but we have never taken the glory, your father takes all the glory for finishing the job and he will still condemn us.' Her voice became hoarse.

The room became quiet when the mistress stopped talking, she was confused as she kept quiet looking at her. The mistress smirked after looking at her expression. ' Do you now get why I despise you ?'

' If there is one thing I don't understand, it is still why you hate me so much that you have decided to make up some lies about my dead parents.' Jane replied.

' Your parents might have trained your heart to be as hard as a stone, to believe whatever you choose to and to disrespect yours elders. I have been trying so hard not to curse your parents in their grave but I think this is my limit.' She stared at Jane and continued. ' Mr and Mrs Daniel, I pray the way to heaven is not easy for you,what am I even saying!. I pray you rot in hell, you stingy, damn forsaken Daniels!!!' Her voice became more hoarse. She pushed Jane whose eyes was welled with tears away and left the room.

Jane poured out the tears she has been holding in and her lips trembled. She left the room and went to the back of the buildings, she sat below the big tree and started crying. After crying for a while, she stood up and started shouting ' why do you have to leave me alone in this cruel world?!'

' This is not fair, you told me, you will always protect me but you left me alone protecting myself.' ' If you could not protect me, you should have done something when that hag was insulting you.' She cried again.

Frank walked away from where he was sitting and walked closer to her.

' I thought you have an stony heart.' He looked at her pitifully.

Jane was surprised, she did not know there was another person. After all, she came there because people hardly go there and it is far away from the buildings and she will be able to shout with no one hearing her.

' What are you doing here?' She replied amidst her tears.

' To relax.' He responded still looking at her.

' Don't stare at me, it makes me want to cry more.'

Frank smiled and then hugged her. ' It would be better if I wasn't drunk that day, maybe you wouldn't have to weep about your parents.'

Jane released herself from his grip.' What do you mean ?' she asked.

Frank realized he said what he was not supposed to say judging from her reaction. ' Nothing'

Jane already stopped crying and was feeling confused by Frank's statement. ' Do you really know my parents ?'

' Who would not know your parents in this city.' Frank replied.

' What are you doing here ?'

' Is it what am I doing with you or what I'm doing here before you arrived?' Frank replied feeling a little bit confused.

' I'm asking why you are also here ?'

' I have a lot of things on my mind so I came here to settle my mind.' He replied.

' Are you always here when you are not busy ?' Jane kept asking questions.

' I know it is not courteous to reply a question with a question but why do you keep asking me questions? Do you by chance suspects me ?'

' of what?'

Frank gasps ' Then, are you interested in me?'

' I guess you don't know but that is flirting...' She paused to look at Frank's expression and as expected he was suprised, he covered his mouth with his palm.

She chuckled ' I don't know if I should be interested in you or not but the other day I came here,you were here or was it just coincidence?. She completed her statement.

' Yes, that's the best word to describe it, it was actually coincidence. Why were you crying?'

Jane sighed after hearing the question, it was like Frank just brought back the annoying memory. Frank observed she was quiet and her face wried in pain.

' It's okay, it's not like I want you to answer anyways.' He forced out a smile.

' It's because of the mistress, she must have really hated me so much but it does not really matter anymore cause I now hate her and very soon I'm going to leave this annoying place.' She laughed.

' You should go back to the room and rest, don't forget we have to leave early in the morning.'

' Are you now ordering me around?'

' If you think so.' Frank smiled and left to his room.