Sarah, the first time I had seen her was inside the church's rest room. sleeves rolled up she had been washing her hands, whistling
Honestly I might have not glance her way if my eyes had not caught the red and black ink on her forearm.
Astonished my eyes darted to her face, a pretty girl with a thin face stared back at me as Her head had tilted slightly, the corners of her mouth raised as she mouthed an "hello"
I returned her greeting flustered to have been caught staring at her tattoos.
through the mirror I saw that she rolled her sleeves down while leaving just in time before a woman rushed inside After she left I had stared at my forearm then suddenly giggled.
because somehow the thought of if, just if, I got a tattoo and my father got to know about it crossed my mind,
there would literally be nothing funny about what he would do- that's if it ever happened which I know won't
The second time was during an evening sermon... she waved at me as if she just suddenly saw her long lost best friend Awkwardly I had looked away from her because It felt awkward.
later during the prayers I thought, perhaps I should have waved back...but still..a sermon was going on so my actions were justified
The third time, the first thing she said was "your hair looks pretty...golden blonde"
As she passed by me I perceived the faint smell of cigarettes
Later in the backseat on our way home from church I would berate myself for not offering her the gum and perfume In my purse, because I thought her mum might know she had smoked
After that encounter , throughout that week whenever sarah sees me in church she'll strike up a conversation or two which she mainly carries because I really dont really know how to answer , but still l enjoyed her company.
My parents were quite happy when they see us together my father always talks about how sarah is always properly dressed,very prayerful in church dosent smoke dosent drink and even contributed ideas to topics during discussion<
Oh Father
during another Sunday service , I had met Sarah's mum Sarah was a carbon copy of her mother they both shared the same tall height, slender body and thin face
All this happened in the duration of two Weeks So when my mum had told me the news of me staying over at my best friends house I was taken aback. when my mother had seen how confused I was she prompted further teasing with a "your best friend from church" which even got me more confused I have a best friend from church?
I racked my head and couldn't come up with anyone She had given me an exasperated look "sarah of course!"
and I had felt a little guilty and stupid I was not knowing she was talking about sarah, of course sarah was the only person I talk to in church
the only person they see me talk to un church
Sarah tugged at my cheek
"Whatcha thinkin bout"
"Nothing,your apartment looks nice" I almost whistled as she does when I saw how big her apartment was
She snorted leading me to the big kitchen island tye marble was so shiny I could see my reflection on it
"What would you like to drink" sarah asked over her shoulder as she brought out an apple juice and a bottle of alcohol form tye big refrigerator
with a smooth slide on the marble She pushed the bottle of apple juice to me ,opening a bottle of alcohol for herself
Honestly, looking at her right now is a little bit strange because she seem like a totally different girl minutes ago before my parent left
she looks like the sarah I've come to know in two weeks
"I know its you" I quietly stated watching as her throath bobbed while she swallowed
She paused ,her bottle about to be raised to her mouth again
a brow raised "Me?..."
I sighed softly sitting down on a stool
"you were the one that told your mum to -"Sarah erupted in laughterinterrupting me
I frowned slightly
did I say anything funny?
"Jesus, beth you're so funny! Of course it was me! Why would my mother suddenly ask you to come stay with me? Ha, I told her myself to ask your father" sarah grinned pinching my red cheeks
Strangely I also found it funny because I has acted as if I solved a mystery by telling her that I knew this sudden cohabitation was her idea
I felt guilty again about the conversation with mum
"What am I going to do with you" fondly she tried to pinch my cheeks again but I moved my face away to a safe zone
Sarah dribbled her bottle resting her closed fist ancohered by her elbow on the marble
"The house is so big and always boring,I once had another roommate but she dosent live here anymore so.."
. it might just be me but I thought she sound rather happy when talking about her roommate leaving I looked up when she continued speaking
"Well you're here now we can go shopping,to my favourite restaurant pick nicks ,parties -what?" A knowing smile grew on her face as she asked innocently Blankly I stated
"I dont drink"
Sarah laughed as if I said something funny I slim shoulder shook slightly
whats so funny I mused I will never understand why sarah laughed a lot at what I said as if I was a comedian of such
I sighed chugging down apple juice directly form the bottle, I hadn't even asked for a glass cup
Over alcohol and apple juice we talked, saraj talked and I tried my best to match her
she has asked about my school, friends favourite TV shows
I realised this is the first time we are actually having a meaningful conversation
the clock above the fridge strikes 7"30 and I had wanted to prepare dinner but she pushed me off shooing me away to my room to unpack saying she'll handle the cooking
My phone beeped,six messages from my parent and one from daniel
my brother had sent me a single text which made me pause then smile
i replied to his 'thank you' with a heart
I knew how much the phone number on that peice of paper mean to him
i dropped my phone after replying my text and looked around the room
my room
My room has a large window from which I could see the view of the city below.Theres a glass door walk in closet that I found rather too big since I really did not bring Tons of luggage,but still I am grateful It had taken me a little while to carefully and meticulously unpack my things,making sure they were orderly
All my books were stacked on the reading table in alphabetical order, My clothes separated properly according to the types And my shoes properly paired up with no single of the pair sitting longer than the other I like things being that way
I had also brought my small painting supply with me because in my free time I love to paint and I had also brought along the two portraits I was painting
One of the scenery behind my house ,The other of James ,my boyfriend
after I showered in the big bathroom,I watched my diatorted reflection on the bronze tile for a second before moving away to Stand in front of the large oval mirror
a small and pale face stared back at me,my blue green eyes looked like they were taking up too much space on my face
A knock on the draw drew my gaze away from the mirror
"I am coming" Wiping my hand on a towel I went ahead to open the door.
Sarah looked rather haggard, the smell of burnt meal diffused to my room and Sheepishly she scarched her neck
"ahem..how about some help?" she was embarrassed
I sighed closing the door "You should have just let me to cook in the first place" i concernedly said following her back to the horror that was once a kitchen
It was mess, absolute mess
smoke still waft out of the blackened pan,ingredient and spice scattered everywhere It was obvious she didnt know how to cook amd had tried to do it for me
oh sarah
I really appreciated her effort, Sarah is really a good roommate
After I saved dinner we had eaten,she invited me to watch tv but I had been feeling sleepy so I refused. going back to my room, after praying,
The rumbling inside my stomach woke me, my stomach felt funny. I think it's because I used the sauce sarah made. I should have just prepared another one myself
Stepping off the bed I decided to get water because my throat was dry and scratchy .The light was dim but I could still navigate my way around the big apartment.
opening the fridge the cool air was refreshing, the cool water I gulped even felt better
I poured some more into the glass cup,only when I closed the fridge did I realise at the side of the fridge was a paper pasted with tiny writings on it moving closer i squinted my eyes trying to read it
"Who the hell are you?"
I startled so hard the glass sliped slipped through my hand and fell with a chatter,the water I was about swallowing choked me amd I went into a fit of cough as I Abruptly whirled around,my eyes watering from several bouts of coughing
Shrouded Halfway in the shadow,half in the dim light my gaze fell on a tall figure reclined against the wall,his arms folded across his broad chest
You see,I had been in an all girls catholic boarding school and even during holidays when I am at home I rarely go out since my dad does not allow us going around town aimlessly and I'm also fine with that,I like the quiet of my room. It was Only when I graduated highschool did I started being at least a bit social that was when i met James my boyfriend , actually my mother had introduced me to him.
He was the choir leader and he is five years older than I am so thtoughfully I really do not have many experiences interacting with the opposite gender
that is why This tall man who I couldn't see clearly because of the dim light intimidated me to a point that I felt my fingers tremble
He asked again slowly as if I'm retarded
"you are?"
"Beth...your girlfriends roomate " I suprised myself with how firm my voice came out <
I
saw his head tilt to the side, questioning ,but he didn't say anything. but somehow out of the dark I knew his eyes were shooting daggers at me from head to toe Only when I heard the pitter patter of footsteps did I feel as if a rock was lifted off my shoulder
"Beth,did you come downstairs for something you-oh my God benjamin!" sarah was suprised, squealing she huged her boyfriend and I made sure to quickly look away,
"You should have told me you were coming over" I could hear a slight annoyance in her voice His head was still directed towards my direction,the hostility in his voice quite evident
"Sarah, didn't we agree you weren't going to bring in anymore stray animal's? what's with you and bring these lowlives here?" Hearing this, it seems the breath was knocked out of me./>shifting from one feet to another my hand tugged at the hem of my pyjamas a feeling I couldn't understand came over me, it seems liquid metal were poured into my chest flowing down into my arm till I tightened my fist
Me? lowlive?
"ben! What The hell? you want me to stay alone in this big ass apartment alone?wouldn't I just run mad?
"You have me" his low mellow voice came out calmly
Sarah laughed mockingly"you? As if you are counted as any company!"
"Fuck sarah... Have you forgotten what your last roomate did"
the thing that chilled me the most wasnt the anger in his voice but the way everything he said came out in a rather calm tone not once has he raised his voice, it was like a turbulent water behind high walls
Sarah rolled her eyes, infuriated she walking to me holding my shoulders "ben this is beth, a nice and sweet girl I met in church, this is Beth Not tiffany!" As if explaining to an elementary school kid she emphasized
ⁿ..."
All this while I made sure I kept my head bowed,I've learnt it worked.whenever father has a fit of his temper at dinner if I put my head down and pretend I'm not there he wont notice me or pay me attention
only when the gentle and almost inaudible tap of feet receded indicating that the boyfriend had left the kitchen then did I look up, sarah let out a sigh
"Are you okay, I'm sorry he was so rude" she scoffed then suddenly look down
"Jesus! beth you're bleeding!" I slowly look down mind still unfocused. On the floor the glass which had broken earlier had cut my feet
In a second she came back holding a small box with her
Pushing me down on the kitchen stool Sarah started cleaning my feets with antiseptic while saying words I couldn't even focus on properly
I was still a little shocked because all my life I've never been treated with so much hostility by a stranger
But I didnt do anything...he called me a stray animal...
Absentmindedly i mumbled some words out, "why didnt you tell your boyfriend...."
Sarah paused looking up,she had switched on the light earlier when she went to get the first aid box so I could see the frown etched on her face
"benjamin is not my boyfriend,he's my brother. Her tone firm.
Oh...
She sighed seeming stressed,her hair messy form being raked with her slender manicured fingers.
looking up at me she apologized
"look I'm so sorry okay?.he's usually not like this" then she paused,looking rather thoughtfully
"okay he's usually worst than this" she confessed matter of factedly
I sucked in a sharp breath
But she quickly assured me smiling "no no dont worry,my brother isnt anything I cant handle and i wont let him bother you he also goes to our uni he is a senior"
I nodded, but inside my head I was thinking perhaps I should call my parent so I could live in the dorm.
I'm not comfortable living in the same house with someone that dosent want me here
"And it's not like he'll be staying here always...he probably had a fight with... that's why he came here" sarah gently seized my knee
With?
My mood seem to brightned a bit but quickly went sour when she said
"...Although this is actually his own apartment"
Since this is his apartment Dosent that mean he can do whatever he want?
I even found myself thinking of a worst case scenario of him throwing me out of the house on a cold freezing night.
his face which in my memory was totally unmakable because the light was dim had a wicked smile on it and two devil horn while holding a pitch fork as I beg him to let me back into the house
I nodded absentmindedly at Sarah's chattering
Throughout the rest of the night I couldn't sleep a wink
Sometimes I have to stop my self from almost sending a text to my parent
I know it wouldn't end well
Later I plucked in my earphones listening to the soft hymn sang by the choir
My ears filled with melodic and harmonic hums I dozed off
******
The ray of the light seeping through the curtain woke me up. squinting, I groaned getting off bed
After my prayer I sent a good morning text to my parent,freshened up I decided to pack my hair up
For a while I sat on my bed hands meekly placed on my tighs. I contemplated if I should go downstairs or not because I was scared of seeing Sarah's brother
Almost when I was finalizing my decision My stomach rumbled,it seems the decision has been made for me
Soon I found myself walking through the long hallway with a slight limp because my wound was throbbing, walking out of the hallway towards the kitchen my gaze first landed on Sarah's back turned to me. I guess she was cooking...she was cooking?
Then my gaze moved on to the boy sitting at the extreme end of the island which i had previously missed before
There he sat, a book was held in front of him.
I was taken aback by the glasses he had on which rather gave him a refined look and contrasted with his..his peculiar personality
benjamin was dressed as if he was going out because a coat was draped over the chair and he had on a black long sleeve turtle neck
I pinched the inside of my palm trying to calm my timid mind
His gaze suddenly shot towards me and I had automatically voiced a "good morning"
Not even sparing me a second glance he looked away uninterested
Only then did I realise I had whispered and he couldn't have heard me
I pinched the inside of my palm again
Even If Sarah had not told me hes not her boyfriend then I might have figured it out myself seeing his face in the clear light of the day
They looked alike and at the same time time they dont.
Unlike Sarah's olive completion he was pale. His skin like well polished white jade and in the milliseconds when he had turned his face towards me I noticed he seem to perhaps be of mixed race? his eyes were deep and slightly monolided with a winged brow giving it a sharp edge. His hair was a startling coal black the same shade as his eyes,lose locks of hair fell at at the side of his face,strands framing a stubborn jaw,
he is very attractive but his personality i would say, is very ugly
I mustered up all the courage I could then stepped Into the kitchen
"Good morning" this time i made sure my voice was firm, loud and clear
Sarah abruptly turned, suprised. in her hand was a spatula she had been using to flip a pancake she quickly came to give me a warm hug patting and rubbing my back as if giving me the courage
Perhaps she knew ill'd be needing a lot of it especially with the boy sitting opposite me ozzing hostility and annoyance