Azora fell asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. Gently, he lifted her into his arms and quietly exited the theatre room. He stopped in the hallway when he encountered Hana carrying a glass of mango juice. She paused in front of him and looked at Azora.
“You know where her room is upstairs,” she said.
Lamech nodded. “I’ll be going,” he replied and walked past her.
“Wait,” Hana said. Lamech stopped and waited for her to continue. She cleared her throat. “Where will you sleep?”
He paused to think. Hana had not yet shown him around the house where she and her husband lived in the back. The cooks and some caretakers went home by six in the evening.
“My belongings are in Azora’s room. It’s almost nine in the evening. I’ll move my belongings tomorrow. For tonight, I’ll accompany Azora in her room,” he said.
He waited a few more minutes for Hana to say something, but she remained silent. He assumed she agreed with him. However, in truth, Hana watched him as he walked to the end of the hallway where the stairs led to the second floor.
After a while, he reached Azora’s room that Hana had assigned. It was at the end of the hallway, next to the balcony on the second floor, where he had lounged for the second time when it was still bright outside. The balcony door was closed at this hour, so he no longer worried about Azora’s security.
He opened the door with the key he had and entered. The lights turned on automatically, making him squint. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he scanned the room and gently kicked the door shut.
He laid Azora on the soft bed. She didn’t wake up. He then covered her with a blanket. He stood straight and looked around the room again.
He went to the small bathroom inside the room and checked behind the large mirror, the walls, every corner for cameras, the faucet to see if the water flowed properly, the lights, and even the door. He found no issues with the bathroom facilities and security.
Next, he checked the entire room, every wall, the back and inside of the cabinet, under the bed, the ceiling, the mirror, the single window fitted with rails, every corner for cameras, and the door. Everything was in good condition.
He looked at Azora, who was sound asleep. He hadn’t checked her room earlier that morning because he didn’t want her to see him inspecting it. She might misunderstand.
Even though Hana and Eman were acquaintances of Alibata, he couldn’t be complacent. He wanted to ensure Azora’s safety as much as possible, especially since she was in an institution, not just a dormitory.
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Azora’s face. She was sleeping soundly, her lips slightly curved upwards, as if she was dreaming. He smiled.
He leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. But he was surprised when Azora’s hand rose and wrapped around his neck. He was about to sit up properly, but Azora pulled him down onto the bed.
He turned his face away from hers, burying it in the pillow beside her head. His lips curved into a smile. He gently took Azora’s hand and removed it from around his neck.
“Azora,” he whispered her name.
He was startled when she whispered back, “Don’t leave.”
“Are you awake?” he asked.
He completely removed her hands from his neck. He was now sitting properly and observed her face. Her expression hadn’t changed. Her eyes remained closed, but her forehead creased slightly.
He gently ran his finger between her brows, smoothing the crease. The corners of his lips lifted again. “Sleep tight,” he whispered.
He stood up and was about to step away from the bed when a hand grabbed him. He turned and saw Azora sitting up, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
“Are you leaving?” she asked, her voice tinged with fear.
He stared at her face. “Are you awake?” he repeated his earlier question.
“I was half-asleep when you brought me here. Are you leaving?”
“No,” he whispered. He held her trembling hands. “No, I’m not,” he said gently, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.
He watched Azora’s face. She was biting her lower lip, her body shaking. His brow furrowed. “Are you cold?” he asked.
She shook her head and looked around the spacious room. “This room is unfamiliar.”
“Yes, as it should be.”
“I’m afraid… someone might enter and kidnap me.”
He blinked. He quickly pulled Azora into his arms, realizing why she was trembling. “Do you want me to stay here with you?”
“P-Please…”
“Then I’ll stay.”
He felt Azora hug him back. He smiled again. He didn’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability at that moment, but he liked the feeling of being hugged by Azora, as if she was starting to trust him. He was pleased with the progress of their relationship and would do everything to help her heal.
“Tomorrow, do you want me to show you around?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then sleep now so we’ll wake early tomorrow.”
Azora released him and quickly lay down on the bed. She smiled at him, teasingly. He laughed at her antics and covered her with the blanket.
“Where are you going?” she asked when she noticed him moving away from the bed.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said.
“Why don’t you sleep on the bed? It’s quite spacious.”
He looked at the bed, and she was right. Three people could fit on it.
“We can’t sleep on the same bed,” he said, grabbing a blanket and pillow from beside the cabinet. They seemed to be placed there in case of need for additional items. “Unless we’re married,” he added.
He felt like a father lecturing his daughter, but Azora didn’t complain. Instead, she sat up and watched him spread the blanket on the floor. A moment later, she lay down on it.
Azora cleared her throat. “Is it comfortable?” she asked.
Lamech looked at her and smiled. “It’s fine.”
Without warning, Azora grabbed a blanket and pillow and got off the bed. Before Lamech could say anything, she lay down beside him. She smiled at the ceiling. He raised an eyebrow at her behavior.
“Don’t leave the comfort of your bed,” he said.
“I’ve been sleeping in soft beds my entire life. I want to experience sleeping on…” She stopped talking and stared hard at the ceiling.
He frowned. “Azora?” he called.
“I remembered something…”
He sat up at her words and stared intently at her. “What did you remember?”
“I remembered being confined in a room full of white. And then… I got bored with the soft bed inside that room, so I slept on the floor. The next morning, two women in white uniforms rushed in. They kept saying I had a fever.” She laughed.
Lamech thought deeply. Could this be a memory from when Azora was confined in a mental institution as a child?
“What else?” he asked.
“I remembered my mother wearing a red dress entering that white room. She was the only one in red. Her dress contrasted with everything inside that room, so I loved watching her. I asked her to visit often to see another color inside that white room.” Tears welled in the corners of Azora’s eyes. “But why do I keep seeing Simmy’s face whenever my mom entered that white room?”
“Azora.”
Her gaze shifted to him. “Lamech, you know I hate my childhood memories. They’re showing Simmy’s face as my mother’s face. And I always dream of that night… inside a bloody car, with my mom’s face turned towards me. I can’t sleep peacefully because of that!”
He sat Azora up and hugged her. He didn’t know how to console a woman trapped in the past, so he just rubbed her back until she calmed down. When he looked at Azora, she was already asleep.
He gently laid Azora back on the bed. Given her earlier move, he decided to lie on the bed as well.
This was the first time he would sleep next to Azora, so he wasn’t sure what to do. Before sleep could take over, he checked if the door was locked. He didn’t want Azora to sleepwalk and end up in another room. Even if he wasn’t sure about his theory, he preferred to ensure her safety.
He lay back on the bed. He reached for the remote control and turned off the room lights.
The next morning, he woke up before Azora. He had showered and dressed, but she was still asleep. He didn’t want to leave her alone, especially since she was afraid of unfamiliar rooms. He decided to wake her up.
She almost slapped him when she opened her eyes and saw his face right in front of her.
“Don’t startle me!” she shouted, sitting up on the bed. She glared at him.
He laughed. He checked the time on his watch and saw it was already seven in the morning. “Take a bath first before we head outside.”
“Hmph.” Azora crossed her arms and looked away, a sign she was rebelling against him.
He raised an eyebrow at her attitude. “What’s that for?” he asked, amused.
But Azora didn’t answer. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “You don’t want to visit the beach resort?”
Azora looked at him when he mentioned that. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and within seconds, she was already in the bathroom with the shower running. He laughed.
He waited for Azora. When she emerged from the bathroom, she was wrapped in a towel. He raised an eyebrow and looked away.
“What will
you wear today?” he asked, still facing the door.
He saw Azora out of the corner of his eye as she approached the cabinet and picked out one of the dresses hanging there. He had arranged her dresses in the cabinet last night.
“A white dress?” she asked.
“Why don’t you wear a floral dress?” he suggested.
He had noticed a floral dress in her bag but she never wore it. She always wore white dresses, which he assumed were her favorite.
“Okay!” she said, pulling out a floral dress.
She quickly returned to the bathroom. Lamech frowned at Azora’s behavior. It was as if she was used to having a man in her room while she dressed in the bathroom.
When Azora came out of the bathroom, he cleared his throat. “Is it okay with you that a man is waiting in your room?”
Azora rolled her eyes. “There are a lot of guys who have waited for me just like you did. Japen, Robert, Andrie, you…” She sighed. “You know, I’ve kind of lost my privacy, but it’s all in the past. I will have to forget those things.” She grabbed a small shoulder bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go!” she invited, walking out first.
He fell silent at Azora’s words, but he said nothing more. As they walked down the hallway and greeted the men who acknowledged Azora, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “From now on, don’t let any guy wait for you inside your room except for me.”
Azora looked at him. Moments later, she laughed. “Sounds possessive, huh?” she said, playfully punching his shoulder. “Who else should wait inside my room? Of course, only you, silly.”
He smiled.