Lured by the Captor

Chapter Eight

It’s been one week now since my aunt pulled that stunt.

We both avoid each other. No one utters or says nothing to no one. It’s not like I’m proud I’m not in talking terms with my own aunt but I can’t help it, I feel it’s the only way to avoid salt in my already sore wound.

The question that hovers on my mind every time I wake up these days is: is this how I’ll be spending the almost remaining three years I have here? Wake up in the morning, go to school, close from school, come back home, study for a while, watch soap opera’s, go to bed and so on? This is practically my daily routine. I can’t let it happen anymore because it becomes boring each day that passes.

I need to feel what the outside world is like. To associate myself with people. I’m tired of being an introvert. But where will I start from? ‘Start from your room’ where will I go? ‘Anywhere and everywhere’ how will I go? ‘Now fly’ now you are not being sarcastic but stupid. I don’t even know why I engage you in my conversations. Point of correction I don’t, rather you sneak your way and poke your nose in my affairs.

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I am ready to go to campus. My aunt’s house is only ten minutes walk from my campus so I’m always on time.

I trudge downstairs deep in thoughts. I forgot to mention this is also part of my daily routine.

I serve and have my breakfast peacefully.

Minutes later, I see my aunt making her way to the dining in my peripheral vision. She makes her self comfortable on the seat opposite me.

“Good morning” for one week now, on a typical Naomi day, she won’t say a word or even greet, not to talk of glancing your way.

“Good morning aunt”

“I hope you slept well?” What do you care?

“Yes” I am done with breakfast so I stood up and gently pushed back my chair to make my way out when I heard my name.

“Miley sit, I want to have a word with you” she commands, I mentally roll my eyes at her.

I plop myself back on the seat I vacated two seconds ago, patiently waiting for her to commence.

I have about an hour before class starts so I guess I can spare her some minutes.

She hesitates as if not sure of what to say or where to start from. She heavily sighs after staring at me for a minute before she starts off.

“Look, I know your parents told you all sweet things about me and you confused as to why you’re encountering with the exact opposite of whom they said I am.”

When I didn’t say anything she continues.

“Hey, there are things that you are too young to understand” she nervously bats her eye lashes as if blinking back some crocodile tears. I’m not moved though.

“Anyways, we cannot live under the same roof and be at loggerheads. I admit I was harsh and I apologize for my behavior but please next time when I’m not around and you want to do something, call me to permit you first.”

“Arriving at your home here in Munich, I made you my mum, whatever respect and love I have for my biological mother, I’ve got same for you but you seem not to be appreciative of anything I do and you find fault in all I do. Why aunt? Where did I ever go wrong with you?” She looks taken aback by my outburst.

She sadly looks at me and I see worry and other things I can’t quite decipher etched in those brown orbs. I’m sure there’s something eating her up that makes her hostile. If only she trusts me enough to confide in me, who knows, I might know or have a solution to whatever her problem is.

‘Yeah right, you are now a psychotherapist’ at this point I wish I am, so I can give depressed lunatics like you free sections. ‘We are inseparable remember?’

“Look, whatever your parents told you about me is true I don’t want you to forget that. It’s not your fault that I’m like this and I’m sorry for the pain I might have caused you. She took a part of me away, m-my......................b-b-ab-y. Uh-umm never mind.” She sniffs and helplessly smiles at me before leaving.

What. Was. That? And what baby was she talking about? Does she have a baby? But why is none of her baby’s things here? No picture, no cots, no rattles, not even a pacifier.

It’s obvious she’s not in the right mood to talk.

I’ve got so many questions running through my mind but I won’t push my luck of getting answers from her.

At this juncture, I think I understand her pain. We both have one thing in common. There is something bothering us but we find no one trustworthy enough to share our pains with.

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Lunch came quicker than I wanted it to because I’m still not done with the notes I’m copying. I borrowed Kyle’s note and I have to finish before the end of class.

My stomach rumbles loudly, I didn’t eat much at home because I lost my appetite when my aunt walked in on me at breakfast. I better rush to the cafeteria before all the seats get occupied.

As usual, all chairs and tables are occupied by hungry students. There’s an empty seat at Kyle’s table, I guess I can’t refuse myself this time around.

Kyle is a colleague who is over friendly to me. He looks good I must say but it gives me the creep by how sweet he is to me. I won’t be deceived again by caring and sweet boys. I know their kind all too well.

I head to his table because I don’t have a choice, I won’t starve because of my stubborn self.

The cafeteria fell silence as I walked to his table. I started to walk faster so they will draw their attention away from me.

When I get to his table I smiled sheepishly and sit in front of him.

“Miley! I didn’t think you’d sit with me. Thank you for doing it by the way.” He grinned.

I raised a brow and looked at Kyle who is already staring at me with a small smile on his face.

“Hey keep your voice down”

“Oh. Right, sorry” he blushed. Are you f*****g kidding me?!

I might as well use this as an opportunity to ask if I can take his notebook home.

“Kyle, please can I take your notebook home and return it tomorrow if you won’t need it?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly and says “uh-well-I don’t think I’ll need it so yes, you can take it home and return it whenever you finish.”

“Thank you.”

“So how is your day going?” He asked, clearly embarrassed because he profusely blushed this time.

I gave him a toothy smile and answered, “my day is better compared to the previous ones.”

I am quietly eating my avocado and boiled egg sandwich with milk. It sure tastes good.

Kyle has to ruin my moment with his dumb question.

“I know you’ve been avoiding me because you have a boyfriend” at the mention of boyfriend my face pales and I spit out the sandwich in my mouth onto a tissue.

“Where is he? Why has...........................” he didn’t get to finish when I stoop up abruptly causing my chair to fall back in the act, I grabbed my tray, left his table and threw my tray away. I left the cafeteria and went straight to my maths class, dreading to go back home.

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After the siren alerted, I run to my locker, opened it and threw some of my books that I won’t need at home inside, slamming the locker shut I turned and tried my best to avoid Kyle and the newbies.

I was having a nice time with Kyle this afternoon, I was actually beginning to like him but why did he have to be so stupid. He had no right to inquire about my relationship status. Such things are personal to me. I decide on whom I want to share it with. ‘You might as well consider because I’m sure if he’d known the outcome he wouldn’t have asked in the first place’ I stay silent for reasons known by only me.

When I reached home, I went straight to my bedroom to put my backpack down. My aunt won’t be home now so I can as well keep busy with something.

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I am done copying my notes, I’ll gladly give it back tomorrow and that’ll be all. I won’t talk to him anymore. ‘That’ll be so ungrateful of you.’

I pick up my laptop on the bed and surf through the internet, there’s nothing new.

Lest I forget, I downloaded an app yesterday and now that I’m less busy how about I check what it is about?

I lay on my stomach on the bed with my laptop in front of my face. It’s an entertainment platform like f*******: and i********: so when I opened it I’m told to create an account first.

Now that I’m done I need to add people but I don’t want people on my contact. What will be the fun in it if I see the same old people I’ve seen my whole life?

I want new friends, new boyfriend and new parents, I also want a new aunt. Hah! Funny enough. This my aunt doesn’t play a role of an aunt at all.

Tumblr is an app that’s helpful to reach people all over the world.

That reminds me, if I’m to choose my loved ones from around the world then that’ll be so cool.

For instance, I’ll prefer my boyfriend to come from Africa. I heard African men are hot and energetic. ‘Energetic? Are you sure you’re still a virgin?’ Oh come on, I’m just kidding. I’d love my parents to still come from Europe. I don’t know where else I’ll have sweet parents from. And for my friends, Asia and America won’t be bad.

I love to interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. That’s gonna be awesome!

For my dearest auntie, which continent has hostile people? Maybe Hongubiana, exactly, my new found continent.

Hongubiana hosts people who are not friendly. Forgive me aunt but after a thorough research this is where your kind come from.

Now that I have an account, I have to be friendly in order to get followers and that sure comes with sacrifice so let me first follow people I might like.

I am scrolling to follow more friends that my instinct tells me to follow.

I have followed fifty-eight people within five minutes. I like to follow people with no profile picture because I know most of those that display theirs do not use their own pictures.

I displayed a beautiful velvet rose flower as my profile.

Out of the almost sixty people I followed only two returned the gesture. I have a long long way to go.

Maybe I should follow everyone. Or maybe I should send them private message.

A few of the dozen “hey there” I sent replied.

There’s a girl called Vera who seems friendly because she followed back and replied immediately. Let’s get more interactive Vera!

M : hey there

V : hi dear

M : My name is Miley Dietrich and I’m from Berlin precisely Brandenburg and you?

(Oops!! and it’s sent! I don’t think all that was needed. I need to think carefully before disclosing my information to strangers next time.)

V : Oh-kaaay, I’m from Los Angeles and I’m Vera Washington.

(Viola! I got my American friend)

M : That’s a nice name but are you related to Denzel?

V : Not really ;)

M : That’s alright. So what do you do? Work? School? Are you married?

(Don’t give me that face, I’m just tryna keep the conversation going.)

V : Ok, firstly, I’d like to keep my relationship status personal. I work.

‘Woohoo! Karma sure is a b***h’

M : That’s nice I school too.

M : Umm— are you kinda busy?

M : Vera are you there?

Oh come on, I know I asked dumb questions but I’m not boring for her to air me after telling her about myself.

This app isn’t fun as I thought. Let me just log out and go watch makeup tutorials on YouTube quick quick.

My eyes are heavy, I need to rest. I close my laptop and shift is to a corner of the bed and I’m out. “Tomorrow is another day to meet new people.” I murmur before sleep finally knocks me out.