Eve..
Knock knock..
The knock on the door was what woke me from my sleep. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping for but I guessed it was the drugs I took yesterday.
“I’m coming.” I said groggily as I got up from the bed rubbing my eyes as I walked to the door.
I opened the door and I was shocked to see Jason standing at the door fully dressed.
“Good morning.” I said quietly as I dropped my hands from my face.
“It’s noon.” He said with his face void of any emotions and I frowned.
“Mom asked you to come down for lunch since you missed breakfast.” He said and turned on his heels leaving me standing there confused.
It’s noon?
Impossible!..
I closed the door to my room and went back inside to check the time on my phone.
Truly, it was past noon. Just how long did I sleep?
I took my bath and brushed my teeth before changing into comfortable clothes. I changed into shorts and a baggy top since I wasn’t going anywhere today.
I came out of my room and went downstairs immediately. I noticed my ankle didn’t hurt as much as before so my limp wasn’t as bad as before.
When I got downstairs, I went straight to the dinning where I heard voices which I was sure belonged to Mia and grandma Nini.
“Good afternoon.” I said quietly embarrassed that I woke up too late.
“How are you?”
“How’s your body?”
“Are you ill?”
They both bombarded me with questions catching me off guard as I struggled to come up with words.
“Sorry, we were just worried.” Grandma Nini noticed my dilemma.
“It’s fine, I’m sorry for worrying you.” I said taking my seat.
“You must be stressed.” Mia said, looking sad.
“No, I’m not, I think it was the drugs I was given yesterday.” I said and they both nodded.
“So what would you like to eat?”
“I’ll ask the maids to make them for you.” Mia said and I smiled. Such a considerate woman!
“Anything’s fine.” I said and she smiled.
She called one of the maids and told her what to make and sat down back.
“Can you dance?” She asked me, catching me off guard.
“Dance?” I was repeatedly confused by her question.
“Yes, move your body to the music.” She said demonstrating a few moves while sitting.
“I know what dance means.” I mumbled quietly and giggled.
“No, I can’t dance.” I answered her.
“Still?” She asked and I raised my brows.
“Still?” I repeated.
“You still can’t dance?” She said and I shook my head.
“You mean Jason didn’t hire a dance teacher or tell you anything?” She asked.
“About what?” I asked and she frowned.
She yelled Jason’s name and he came running from a part of the mansion I was yet to explore.
“Why are you screaming mom?” He yelled back and I rolled my eyes. Rude jerk!
“Why didn’t you tell Eve about the party?” She asked and he groaned.
“Is that why you called me?” He asked as if he didn’t do anything wrong.
“Yes, that’s why I called you, the party’s in two days and she doesn’t know how to dance.” Mia snapped.
“And so?” Jason said, provoking her further.
“She doesn’t know how to dance!”
“Who’ll dance with you when the opening ceremony starts?” She said with gritted teeth.
“You will.” Jason said calmly and she eyed him like he was some rotten fruit.
“You’re married and your mother dances with you? How presumptuous!” She hissed.
“There’s nothing special about the dance, if you don’t want to dance with me, Grandma Nini can do me the honour.” Jason said nonchalantly and I frowned.
Does he really not want to dance with me that badly? I thought our relationship has grown closer since his apology yesterday.
“It’s fine, it’s not like I can learn how to dance in two days.” I said, trying to settle the situation.
“It doesn’t matter!”
“Why don’t you take these matters seriously?” Mia said angrily.
“Mom, we’re not doing this.” Jason said sternly.
All I and grandma Nini could do was just watch them exchange words.
“You should pay attention to your wife, if you paid attention, she wouldn’t have gotten injured!” Mia said taking the issue to the next level.
“That’s why I took her to the hospital.” Jason snapped.
“She wouldn’t have had to go there in the first place!” Mia countered.
“She’s not a child!” Jason said angrily.
“She’s your wife and would be the mother of your children someday, how can you be so indifferent?” Mia shouted and Jason seemed to have had it to the brim as he turned and left the dining room fuming in anger.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he was at home in the first place anyways. He’s an arrogant workaholic, if he wasn’t here maybe Mia wouldn’t be so angry.
“How can he be so indifferent?” Mia said as she watched his receding figure leave the room.
“Calm down Mia, you both are so similar.” Grandma Nini spoke up now.
“Two hot headed people arguing and no one wants to give in to the other, can we try to be rational here? There’s no way Eve can dance anyways with her injured ankle!” Grandma Nini brought up a reasonable point and Mia looked at me for support but there was nothing I could say because Grandma Nini was right.
“I just want him to pay more attention to Eve.” She says and gets up leaving me and grandma Nini alone in the dinning.
“Don’t worry, she’ll get over it.” Grandma Nini said to me because my face had fallen and I wasn’t sure whether the argument was because of me so I was feeling bad.
The maid served lunch which was spaghetti sauce and I ate to my fill.
I noticed I was the only one in the dinning and I felt lonely.
Jason was pissed so this wasn’t the time to bring up my need for a job. Mia wasn’t in a good mood either so I couldn’t spend time with her. Grandma Nini likes to spend her time doing pottery and right now, I’m not ready to listen to stories of how potters came to be.
I went back to my room and picked up my phone to call Max.
After the third ring, he picked up.
“Hey Max.” I said.
“Eve, what’s up?” Max said giggling.
“What’s funny?” I asked and he started laughing loudly.
“Ethan tried to make lunch for me, he’s burnt the food twice now.” Max said laughing and I smiled.
“You spent the night at his place?” I asked and he giggled.
“Thanks to you.” He said and I could tell he was very happy.
“Guess what?” He whispered.
“You had sex?” I asked and he laughed.
“No but close.” He whispered as though he didn’t want Ethan to hear our conversation.
“I came untouched.” He whispered and I could tell he was grinning from ear to ear.
“You don’t need to tell me the details.” I said because knowing Max he could tell me everything and make me flushed.
“You’re gossiping about me, aren’t you?” I heard Ethan’s voice in the background.
“No, we’re not talking about you babe.” Max says to Ethan and I couldn’t help but smile at myself.
“I’m glad you guys are together now, you know what I’m busy, let’s talk later.” I said not wanting to interrupt their time together.
“Are you sure? I have time, you know, Ethan’s cooking so I can talk all day.” Max says and I shook my head despite knowing that he can’t see me.
“No, I’m just very busy.” I lied.
“Okay, if you say so.” He said and I hung up.
I sigh heavily. What am I possibly going to do now?
I stayed on my bed and laid on my back facing the ceiling as I thought of what to do.
I remember that I have a thing for painting so I get up from the floor and go to my wardrobe.
I open it and search my big box for my paint box where all my materials are. I found it and I smiled happily.
I took a sketch box and all the materials as I went to the garden to paint.
The garden is a good place to paint because of the serenity.
I set up my stool and sketch book in the right places and I thought of what to paint.
My eyes drift to the flowers that grandma Nini planted and I thought they would be the best options.
I began to paint them and by the time I was giving them finishing touches, the sky was orange and the sun was setting.
I heard a small rustle behind me, I turned and saw the most unexpected person standing not so far behind me.
Why does he always show up unannounced?
“Jason..” I breathed.
“Your paintings..” he says and pauses as he looks at me with an undefined expression.
“Beautiful.” He says looking at me and not the painting. I felt my heart flutter as we stared into each other’s eyes as if we were conversing in a way only we could.
“Your paintings are beautiful.” He says cutting our eye contact and I nod shyly.
Even if he wasn’t referring to me in particular, it was a rare sight to see the arrogant Jason saying that something I owned or did was beautiful.
I thought the moment would last but he turned and left before I could say a word. I sighed sadly and I turned back to face my work. I heard a small rustle behind me and I thought he returned but to my disappointment, it was Grandma Nini.
“You never said you could draw.” Grandma Nini says.
“It’s just a small hobby.” I say curtly.
“Hobby?, With your skill, this could be a career.” Grandma Nini said and I blushed. I was flattered by her compliment.
“But your paintings.” She said moving closer to the painting but not touching it because it was still wet.
“Did you draw the flower knowing the meaning of it?” She turned to ask me and I shook my head.
“No, I was just drawn to it.” I say and she looks at me with an expression I couldn’t understand.
“Child, is something bothering you?” She asks and I smile.
“Not at all, does the flower have a bad meaning?” I ask and she nods.
“The purple Ophelia flower represents sorrow and grief.” She said and I looked at her with wide eyes.
“Did you lose someone?” She asked and I shook my head.
“I was just drawn to the flower, you didn’t plant much so I thought the flower was lonely.” I say quietly as I feel a strong emotion of sadness in me knowing the meaning of the flower.
“I lost my husband and then I lost my son, that’s why I planted those flowers but as you can see, these flowers are surrounded by other beautiful flowers with more positive meanings.” She says smiling.
“Daisy flower means innocence.” She points at each and every one of them as she explains their meaning.
“The pink coloured apple flowers represent a present.”
“And finally, the orchid means delicate beauty.”
“That Ophelia flower is surrounded by all these beautiful flowers with positive meanings because I’m trying to pass a message to anyone who cares to know.”
“Even if I suffer from sorrow and grief, I promise that would protect your innocence and delicate beauty.” She concluded and I didn’t even know I was crying already.
“Wipe your tears.” She says wiping the tears dripping down my face.
“I understand that you’ll feel lonely, you’re in an unfamiliar place and even if it’s been months, we’re still not familiar people but yet you’re trying to adapt but don’t let that sorrow consume you.” She gives me advice and gives me a hug.
She gets up and leaves me to understand the meaning behind all what she just said. I stared at the beautiful flowers in the garden with awe as I now understood the meaning behind them.