He was standing in front of her, pale. The man from the other side, He seems not so happy at all and he wasn't saying anything. He just shook his head pathetically. He was wearing a long white robe; he wasn't happy at all as Carly could see. But he was not saying a thing, which alone made Carly so curious about him.
"Say something!" She was crying.
He remained silent as he shook his head mildly. Slowly, he began to fade away.
"Don't go, please!" Carly snapped at once, but it seemed they fell on deaf ears, what she was able to see was a silhouette; one that slowly disappeared.
"Dad...!" Carly hollered angrily.
She woke up. Tiny balls of sweat rolled down her face. She had been dreaming. She breathed heavily as her eyes looked around. The room wasn't a familiar at all, all was strange and grand. She pushed the blue duvet back and came on her feet, due to her weakness she fell back to the bed. She sighed and looked around, waiting for Mrs. Pauline to call her down and tell her that breakfast was ready; tell her she was running late for an appointment. Few minutes went by and no one called.
She stood up again, now irritated badly. This time she didn't fall. She made her pace towards the door, and opened it. The hall way was an entirely different one, she couldn't figure out where to take and get out of the room safely.
She pushed the door she came out of, and walked back inside. She went to her bed, and looked around again, searching for something familiar, only then did it dawn on her that everything that happened was real. The will, the death of Mrs. Pauline; everything was real.
Leonard was the only person she could confide in. But then again, the reason was because he was her father's PA. Now that she was no longer her father's child, would he even want to help her?
She reached for her phone to call him. At least try to hear him. But her sacred enemy, Charlie ruined everything with his call.
What did he want from her, she imagined; he's never a man to be trusted. She still has until next week Friday to vacate the house and today is just Saturday, so what on earth does he want with her.
She slid her thumb on the phone.
"Hello?"
"Carly..." mockery filled his voice. "It's been a while you know?" he chortled.
"-to what do I owe this call?" Carly inquired angrily, she was not in the mood to talk with the mad fellow.
"Oh well, it was on the news today, or don't you watch your news again…?" the latter jeered and chortled as well.
Carly already knew what he was going to say. He now had the last laugh after all.
"...that some miss Carly Antonio was found to be an adopted child." He continued hysterically without shame. "-are you the one…?"
Carly frowned with her face becoming red again. To Charlie's question, she remained silent.
"-very well then," he laughed out hard and Carly became so irritated, but she kept on listening. "It was you after all…I can't imagine a rascal in demand of my property, can I?" Charlie inquired rhetorically.
Carly didn't stir; she listened without uttering a word.
"Anyway," the latter jeered on. "I can't let a non-related fellow live in my house for even a minute." He ranged mildly.
"I'm not there! You bigger mouth…" Carly snapped.
"But of course, your belongings are still loitering about there, isn't it?" he laughed out again, really enjoying the conversation. "I want them out as soon as possible and drop your car keys too, it isn't yours!" Charlie hollered.
"The car is-"
"Don't even try to argue. Arguments brought you to your current state. You should at least learn from that."
"Okay." Carly agreed and threw the cell down.
He was right. If she had just accepted everything as they came, things would not have gotten so worst. Now she really had to leave. She had to find a house of her own no matter how small and a good job too. The barrister had been of great help to her by giving her a place to rest for the night. She'll wait for her return, tell her all she had planned and first thing the next morning, she'll go get her belongings. And maybe in a three days' time, she'd pay for a house. She was running out of cash, but then again, she can always get a job and start her life all over. She'll try as much as convenient to erase all her bad memories and move on with life.
She stood up again, with much energy. This time, her feet were a lot firmer on the floor than it had been earlier.
Her stomach protested angrily for food. She needed to eat. However, she couldn't because she's not familiar with both the house and its owner. She wondered where she was all that while. She glanced at the clock but her eyes met nothing other than the wall. She had gotten used to having her clock at the left top edge of the wall. She looked around and found the clock sitting on the bed locker. She grimaced and noted the time: 1:00pm.
She should be in her room. Her stomach moaned madly again. She just had to eat or the moaning won't stop.
She walked to the door, opened it and stepped out peering in the hallway.
Standing in the middle of the hallway, she wondered where to go.
Both sides led to somewhere but none she knew of and they were dark also.
Finally, she walked down the other part of the hall; at the left side of her. This led to the kitchen. This one should; maybe. It led her to a door. The kitchen she thought. Her lips curved slightly into a smile.
Feeling a bit happy, she pushed the door open, her jaw dropped in amazement.
She was in there, naked. With her bare back facing her and her hands busy at the other side. She was all naked, applying a lotion on her body. She was beautiful and fair, but not as fair as she. It seems like she didn't even notice she was there as she was engrossed in her little chore on her naked body.
She raised a brow. Did she just follow a mad person home? Nobody sits naked applying a cream on their body, but she! She was in it; maybe she's a mad fellow.
In attempt to get a clear view of the naked barrister, her hand pushed the door hard, making it to shriek bringing the barrister's attention to her.
She turned. And to her trepidation, she saw Carly staring blankly at her. She quickly drew the blanket over her body. She was so embarrassed; she had seen her in the most stupid yet meaningful state of her life. But her joy remained that it was a fellow gender that saw her.
"-hey, you're up…?" the barrister held the blanket tight as she stood facing the latter.
Carly glared at her without uttering any words; maybe she had suddenly become guilty.
"-you should've at least knocked…"
"-yeah, sure…I thought it was the kitchen, as you know one does not need to knock before entering a kitchen." Carly spoke all at once.
The barrister glared at her.
"-excuse me…" she muttered.
Carly glanced at her; she was not angry and yet had no smiles under her lips. She was just blank on the face.
"-yeah, sure…" Carly muttered at last and moved out closing the door gently.
When she had succeeded in evacuating the room, she leaned against it worriedly. It was not her fault, she was not familiar with the house and there is no point blaming her. She soon came to an upright position and advanced away.
∆∆∆
At the dining hall, Christophine came towards her with a tray containing some edibles. On the tray lay a loaf of butter bread, scrambled egg and a red chilled wine.
Carly glared on as she came and placed the tray in front of her. She had imagined why the barrister had to bring a whole pack, she would have brought just few slices, because she's not the type that can consume a whole pack. The barrister was not at all aware of what she was thinking, her part had been done; she had presented the food.
Carly kept on looking at her with the edge of her eyes as she went to have a seat right opposite hers.
"Thanks." She said almost in whispers but she heard her.
"You're welcome." She muttered.
Now they were both silent as she ate. She picked the food bit by bit. Their eyes met a couple of times but they quickly looked away. She wanted to ask her the reason why she had to be naked in a room not locked. She wanted to know why she had to do that; was she a lesbian or a mad woman as she had thought. She wanted to know all these, but her mind was not too strong for a confrontation.
On the other hand, Christophine wondered if she had seen everything that had happen. She wanted to clarify herself so badly and tell her the reason behind what she saw. She didn't want her to think she was some mad fellow.
Carly kept on wondering in silence and the barrister too. Both of them were not sure who will go first.
"So-"
"-what…"
They spoke out at once.
"Okay, go first." The barrister said.
"I'm sorry if I saw what I wasn't supposed to see." Carly said fiddling her spoon tenderly. "I mean, I just needed something to eat."
"Well, it's okay." Christophine beamed. "It's something I do every morning, just that today's routine was late. With time, you'll get to understand."
She wasn't going to spend up to a week with her, so what time is there? She shrugged and resettled her eye on the plate.
Feeling so relaxed, she peered up at the barrister who was also looking at her expectantly.
"As you know, I'm no longer my father's daughter." She chortled matter-of-factly. "Charlie called earlier and told me to get all my belongings out of the house as soon as possible."
"-really serious, so when do you think you should take them…?"
"Tomorrow and I am dropping the car keys too…" Carly peered on at her.
"Okay, I'll drop you off on my way to the law chamber, and then I'll come to assist you immediately I'm done."
"Okay. Thanks so much." She had eaten six slices and decided to stop; she tore the wine open and poured for herself. "Thanks for the food."
"You're welcome." The barrister walked to where the tray was, carried it, and turned to leave.
"Another thing...!" Carly hollered, not really knowing why she did so.
"What…?" She stopped and turned to face her.
"Help me find an affordable and comfortable apartment. Even if it's just a room..."
"Okay..." She turned and faced where she was going before, and advanced out of view.
She didn't want her to leave. She still feared that the killer of Mrs. Pauline is still hunting for her. But then, she couldn't tell her to her face, she might as well misunderstand things.
∆∆∆
Leonard was standing with a mug in his hand, he was not so cheerful. At the other end of the balcony, Eddy stood as well with a bottle of alcoholic milk; he was having a good time with Leonard who was not at all happy. If Eddy could laugh in a worst situation, what then can stop him from drinking happily?
Leonard turned to face his dear ally, his face closed up in sadness.
"-you said that Charlie had succeeded in throwing the lady out of the house...?" he sounded as if he was hearing the news for the very first time.
"Yeah, sure..." Eddy dropped his liquor on the glass table that demarcated the both of them.
"-you told me that the nice woman had been taken down…" Leonard glared at the latter who arched a brow.
"-yes of course..." He said and peered at Leonard. "…or are you doubting me?" Eddy grimaced.
Leonard settled on his seat, still holding fast on his wine. He directed his gaze finally at Eddy and chortled.
"I do not doubt you Eddy. I wanted you to follow Carly to her old house, should in case any rascal shows up, deal with them without care…"
"-of course, I'm the watch dog, I'll do just that." The latter chortled as well.
Eddy seem a gym freak, he was muscular all over; perhaps it was because of the nature of his job. Leonard saw that as an advantage and quickly sized the opportunity to make him his ally. Eddy was a handsome muscular fellow; almost taller than every man he encountered.
Eddy plunged his bulky self out of the room after picking his car keys from the table. Work was in his mind, he had to watch Carly for Leonard in the expense of Charlie's funds.
Leonard watched the latter as he advanced away.