“Come on, I’m your mother. You can tell me what happened,” Mrs. Jenson urged, rubbing soothing circles on my back. I fumbled for words as I racked my brain to come up with something good enough. See, I was a bitch to still be going with this. I could just blurt out the secret and try to prove it that I really wasn’t who she was thinking I was. But I couldn’t bring myself to say that. I was such a coward. I feared her reaction. I didn’t care if she made my life hell, but I just didn’t want to see her face full of pain and heartbreak. I didn’t want to see if she would give up on ever finding her daughter. I knew I was making her happy today. But for how long? This would eventually come to an ugly end. Very soon. This was only temporary.
In midst of these conflicting thoughts, I didn’t really pay any attention to how I was really looking on the outside. It wasn’t until my mom spoke that I realized that I was probably looking like a constipated pig.
“Are you alright?” Mrs. Jenson’s voice yet again cut through my train of thought and I looked up at her.
“Y-yes,” I croaked out.
Mrs. Jenson continued to rub my back soothingly. “Are you ready to tell me?”
No. No. No. I? can’t.? I? can’t? do? this.? What? was? I? going? to? say?
“Uh… I was just fine these two years,” I said slowly. “I felt really guilty from running away from you and dad. But it was a snap decision. I didn’t really think through the possibilities of something going wrong. Um… I guess I was just so lost in my perfect world that I didn’t see the possibility of the existence of any kind of imperfection in my plan,” I paused, analyzing her reaction. So far, she looked as if she was buying it.? Good.?”But life was hard. I ran away to some small town down south and thankfully no one,
r-recognized me. I got a job in a café and was able to save money and take care of myself.”
“Oh honey, didn’t you think about us at all? Didn’t you think how much it would kill us to see our daughter gone?” She asked and I thought I heard a slight tone of anger in her voice which made me shrink back and stare at my lap.
“I did. Everyday. I missed you and dad and everyone else. I would try to convince myself to return back to you. But then I would think about my life here and could not help but want to learn something new. To live a different life than I had been living all these years.”
“But how did you even blend in? I could say we searched the whole country but that would be a slight exaggeration. You were never found.”
“Well, I changed my appearance. I got a different hair cut, dyed my hair and other stuff. I just kind of blended in really well that way.”
“And where did you live?”
“I rented a small apartment near the café. And um… Olivia also worked with me in the café and so we became great friends,” Going by that, I really wasn’t blatantly lying. Half of what I told Mrs. Jenson was the truth.
“So… no one realized who you were? No one recognized you?” She asked in disbelief.
“No, no one realized it was me. And why would they? They wouldn’t expect me to live anywhere around, or work in a café or live in a small apartment.”
“Even after the news of your disappearance broke out?”
“Yeah, I didn’t encounter anyone who recognized me. Most of the people there didn’t really keep up with these things.”
“You’re pretty good at disguising yourself then.”? Oh,? I’m? pretty? good? at? lying? to? your? face? too.? And? I’m? terribly? sorry? for? that,? Mrs.? Jenson.? I? swear? I? don’t? mean? to? hurt? you? or? rob? you.? I? don’t? even? know? why? I’m? doing? this.? But? I? can’t? back? off? now.? So? I? hope? you? forgive? me? when? you? finally? get? to? know? that? I’m? not? your? daughter.
“Well, that was quick. I expected it to be a long story, one that will take up all day.”
“It isn’t. That was pretty much all that happened to me these two years. You didn’t miss out on much.”
“I’m glad you’re back. And don’t you dare think of escaping again, young lady. Because somehow we’ll be able to find you again.”
I chuckled. “I wouldn’t think of even trying.”? Except,? for? I? was? lying? again? because? hopefully? Olivia? would? soon? come? up? with? a? brilliant? escape? plan? and? we? would? be? out? of? here? for? good.
“Good,” She said and got up to leave. “I should probably just leave you to rest,” She said, running her hand through my hair and caressing my cheek. “Get well soon.”
And just like that she rose up from the bed and turned around to leave after kissing my forehead. Just as she was about to exit the room, she turned around to look at me. “How did you end with an ankle sprain though?”
I opened my mouth to answer.? Because? Ethan? thought? it? was? funny? to? make? me? fall? on? my? butt? but? it? not? only? made? me? fall? on? my? butt,? but? also? gave? me? a? stupid? ankle? sprain.
“I slipped in the shower,” I answered not knowing why I didn’t tell her the truth.
“Oh, be careful next time,” She said before she finally left my room.
“Okay, I will.”
Olivia came to my room next, just as Mrs. Jenson left. I told her about what happened and what story I told the woman. She just nodded and approved that it was a good story.? Oh,? the? guilt? I? was? feeling? was? unbearable.? It felt as if a heavy weight was dropped onto my shoulders. And I had no idea what to do to lighten it up.
Lying on a bed all day sucked. Especially when you could only get up to pee or take a shit. I was sure that my ankle wasn’t going to heal anytime soon. At least not for another three days.? Three freaking days. What was I going to do all these days? Just lie on the bed? I think not.? All day long all I did was watch movies on the ridiculously huge flat screen in my room. Olivia came to visit me twice but didn’t stay long as she told me that she was having fun playing tennis with Dennis, a young helper in the kitchen. And that only made me jealous of her. I wanted to have fun too and go out. But instead I was lying in the bed, nursing my sprained ankle.
All because of Ethan. That scum didn’t even visit me once to ask if I was okay. I was pretty sure he was lying when he said that he didn’t mean to hurt me that much that would send me to an almost five day’s bed rest.