Chapter 7 - The Wait
(Previously in the story - Check the links)
Chapter 6 - Reality Strikes Hard
I checked into a small local inn. It was a fine
town. I had work for a week or more there. I was looking out for mansions that
need to be re-furbished. It took me three days to get to know the people and
learn their tastes. I was wandering in the market area on a bright summer noon.
I soon realized someone was tailing me; my mind
zoomed from all possibilities. Right from a virtual hand-to-hand dual to the
pepper spray that lay in my apartment in my town. I turned to face the reality,
boldly. It was an old woman, in her mid sixties. She looked at me with awe, I
tried to remember who she was but wasn’t able to recollect. She seemed really
familiar. Then I realized, her eyes were amber, pain hit me because it was same
tone as Jeffrey’s. I didn’t want to confront her, so I turned to leave. When
she caught my hand and requested me to follow her. She was old yet a strong
woman. She was walking really fast for her age. I followed her with caution,
trying to remember the route and signs.
She turned and went into a big mansion, I made a
mental note, and I never knew it existed. I thought maybe she wanted me to help
her out with her house. I felt calm spread through me, only for a minute
though. I soon realized that this mansion belonged to the Frosts. Frost &
amber eyed woman. I stopped her and asked,
“Ma’am, sorry but can I know as to where are you
going? Are you Mrs. Frost? What do you want from me?”
She was really calm, took my hand in hers, and said,
“Cathy, you won’t know me, but I know you. I am Gavin Frost. I’ll answer all
your questions but please come with me; I want to show you something. It could
possibly change your life forever”
“Cathy? She knew me? How? Change?” I wondered, aroused
with curiosity, I followed her. She didn’t enter her house instead went into a
place which could be a hideout, it emitted aurora of sadness even from a
distance.
On the door was inscribed, Jeffrey Frost. I didn’t
know whether to be happy or sad, all I know was I wanted to see him, Jeff.
I stopped, she turned smiled and took my hands and
lead me into the dark room. Light was turned on. The room was plastered with my
pictures; mine alone, or Jeff will be there in them. There was some of the
paper cutting that featured an article about me. There was also a pile of
neatly sealed envelopes and other side was a cluster of crumpled papers. Tears
started flowing from my eyes, Jeffrey had written them, and all of those
letters were written to me but were never posted. The crumpled papers had
letters which instructed me to go on with my life marry another man, the ink
had smudged, he CRIED while writing them? I was shocked. In the neat sealed
envelopes had letters that told that he loves me, had beautiful poems written
and finally asked me to come for him the moment the letter touched my hands. I
turned to Mrs. Frost, she smiled and said, “This is Jeff’s place, a secret
place or so do I call it, he never showed any feelings outside. But in this
room, it is all his emotions, plastered all over, sadness, and depression as I
could feel it. And by the way ,I am Jeff’s ..”
“Mother” I completed. After talking with Mrs. Frost
I came to know that Jeff was on a 2-day trip to a near-by town and that he’ll
come home by that evening. I toured his house, the place where he grew up. He
never mentioned about his early life to me. His dad was Edward Frost. After the
tea with the charming couple, I returned to the hideout or Jeff’s emotional
siege room, as they call it. Jeff had never known that they had access to this
place or has seen it. They knew about his temper, especially when it is
something so sensitive.
I felt that my heart would burst with joy, he loved
me, and I’m going to meet him, today. I was reading his letters one by one, he
asked me to forgive them and he had no choice but to leave me and come. That
night he had to leave on a mission which could cost him his life, so in order
to make me lead a happy life he had to bluff that he never loved me, which he
did with great difficulty and a lot of help with the dim lighting. However he
always loved me from the moment he saw me splashing water on him. He had
written about every single conversation that we had in the past month, it made
me feel crazy and mad as to how he was able to bluff that way to me.
Suddenly,
the door opened.
(to be continued)
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