LYSANDER
There she was, bumpin’ right in front of me – just as I wished. “Hello, Nyssa. It’s good to see you again.” I mouthed a greetin’ and when she was certain that it was me she saw, she made an effort to turn around but I held her back, lookin’ around to be certain no one except her could see me.
“You don’t want your husband to know you saw another man, do you?” I cried and she was a little bit calmer. “Will you follow me to the garden already? I want to spend some time with you, especially when it looks like the man you think you love has hurt you again.”
For the second time since we bumped into each other, she looked up and our gazes locked. “Take me to the garden, Lysander,” like a command, her voice sounded. “I don’t want to be here in the meantime.”
Without hesitation, we locked hands even though it was against her wish and I began walkin’ in a direction she did not seem to trust. “I don’t bite, Nyssa,” I mouthed at some point. “You know it’ll not be in this Estate if I have such plans, or don’t you know?” We caught up with a small gate and I took a bunch of keys out of my pocket, meetin’ her gaze before openin’ the lock.
“You mentioned-” Nyssa said. “-you mentioned in your letter that no one had the key to this place except you. It also means to me, that I can be hurt and no one would know, or don’t you know?” She stopped in her tracks to look around the space we were in, catchin’ sight of my gaze on her this time and there was a smile. “It’s a beautiful place my husband owns. How come you have a key to it, Lysander?”
I smiled. “Will you come with me or not? I have somethin’ to show you,” I let out and she started walkin’ once more. Our hands locked again and in moments, we caught up with the place I wanted us to be in. “Come on. Take a seat and let’s talk.”
In a few moments, we were seated on the grass, amid many flowers.
“How do you feel?” I asked, lookin’ at her one moment and lookin’ away the very next moment. “Did somethin’ happen between you both?” I shifted farther so she didn’t feel uncomfortable. “Do you even want to talk ’bout it, Nyssa? You don’t seem like you want to.”
“Exactly,” she said with a smile, lettin’ out a sigh also. “I don’t know if I even trust you, Mr. Lysander. What if you’re a trap set for me by my husband? Should I believe you’re my savior? You really want me to think that, don’t you?” A chuckle ran out of her mouth and I nodded, relatin’ to what she was tryin’ to say.
“I don’t expect you to believe I am real, Nyssa,” I heaved a sigh. “I’ll not be here tryin’ to make you remember who I am if at all, I am sent by your so-called husband. Do you think so? This is me offerin’ you all the help that I can but you’re not readin’ between the lines I put out for you.”
She had glints of doubt in her eyes, then hope, the next moment. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to come off at you that way, Lysander. I have been goin’ through a lot lately and don’t know how to react to others who aren’t even my husband.”
“Wh-what happened?” I asked again, for the umpteenth time. “Do you want to talk ’bout it? You know I’d be willin’ to hear you out.”
“He lies to me. All the time!” She shouted. “I don’t know if I trust ‘im. I can’t even recall if we had a thing in my past, or if this is some joke. Do you mind tellin’ me, Lysander? What was it like before that accident? Did I have a best friend? Don’t you think we should reach out to ‘im or her for the truth? I am stuck!”
What could I say?
Was it safe at all to let her know of what had happened in her past? I reasoned, shakin’ my head and lookin’ at her. “You should give it some time for the truth to finally come out, don’t you think so?” I got on my feet, takin’ her hand in mine.
“Come. I’d love to show you a few things before you finally walk out on me.” With aid from me, she was on her feet, calmer and lockin’ hands with me. “Have you had somethin’ to eat since today? Not only do you look homeless, but you look hungry too. Should I take you to a place for a plate of meal? It could be our first date since you had the accident, you know.”
She unlocked our hands. “Wh-what are you tryin’ to say? Have we gone on a date before the accident?” She asked, takin’ my hand in hers again. “Is that why I feel a connection between us? Do you want to tell me the truth, Mr. Lysander? I want to know.”
I stopped in my tracks, automatically causin’ her to do the same. “I have no idea what you speak of, but wait for the right time before gettin’ your answers. I might be killed if I say too much, Nyssa. And you know fully well that you can’t keep shut if you get all the answers you need. Kazmir will come for me and I don’t want that at all. Do you even understand me?”
“Right,” she walked to another end of the garden, smilin’ and turnin’ to look at me again. “I should come here very often, Lysander. It’s beautiful here.”
“It’s beautiful in your home too.”
“No, it’s not,” with a shake of her head, she disagreed and I caught up with her – the spot while our bodies rubbed each other. “Thank you for bringin’ me here, also. It gave me some peace although it’ll not last for long, but I am grateful to you.”
I looked at her. She did the same, the smile fadin’ from her face. For a moment, I could feel that she wanted to recall who I was before the accident so badly, but she couldn’t. “I-”
“Hey…” my hand touched her hand. I looked at her skin – how clean it was and how beautiful her face looked in an environment this beautiful. “I want to kiss you. Do you want that, too?”
She flinched for a moment, and a smile came on her face. Without waitin’ to hear what she would say, I kissed her face, then her lips. For a moment, I thought I would be pushed but I wasn’t. Instead, the woman lifted her hands and wrapped it around my neck – kissin’ me harder than I thought she would.
After moments, I let go. She was breathin’ heavily and once more, our gazes locked. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” I mouthed, lettin’ go of her waist as I wondered when I wrapped my hands around her. “I’ll reach out to you if I must, mm?”
She was stunned. Unable to speak. Her lips moved and she looked at me, lookin’ away and lookin’ at me once more. “I-I should get goin’.”
It looked as though she thought twice, and then turned around to walk away from me, headed in the direction leadin’ her back to the penthouse. A penthouse I wish she doesn’t live in.
“Do you even know the way to the gate?!” I shouted, seein’ her off, lockin’ the gate, and walkin’ away with a smile on my countenance. It felt very good, at least.