JAMES NARRATES

With thoughts running through my head, blood running fast through my veins making my veins seen from the outside, my heart beating fast I sat up on my bed, "What a terrible nightmare it was," I thought while looking at the empty side of my bed, as the orange sunlight was shining through my yellow curtains. I stood up and walked to the window, slide the window open and breathed in the fresh air, I then walked to the bathroom to freshen up.

After dressing up I walked through the bedroom door, but something was not okay about the living room, it was a mess, empty bottles all over the place and not only that was not right, the smell of a delicious meal which was cooked in my kitchen, "But who could be cooking in my kitchen, what's going on?" I asked myself. Fear caught me up when my thoughts started giving me ideas about a hooker in my kitchen,

"I promised myself not to get involved with a prostitute, oh no, did I get too drunk that I don't remember a thing about last night, Oh I feel so hungry" voices in my head stopped when my neighbor's daughter Amanda walked out of the kitchen with a tray on her hands,

"Oh sir, you are already up?" She spoke.

"Amanda!" I surprisingly called her name.

"Sir!" she responded.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry sir, you mean you don't remember what happened?" Amanda asked.

"Don't tell me we did..."

"No that didn't happen, I didn't sleep here neither" she cut me before I could finish what I was saying, "See, what happened was, yester night, you came with your two friends, Alex and the other one, I forgot his name, the ones you mostly come with, and they came with friends of friends, my mother and I know that you don't involve yourself in such so I was asked to keep an eye on you, So I came here just to watch you, you got drunk and went to your room with a strange girl then I followed and got her out before it was too late, I let you sleep, walked to the living room and everybody was going out, I called my younger brother to help with the locking of your house we split your keys and I went home with a spare key. Then in the morning my mother asked me to come help clean the house, now am here." she narrated.

"Oh, so that was quiet interesting am humbled, but why are you doing this, I mean why did your mother doing all this?" I asked.

"It will be better if you asked her, on my part you have always been there for us, so you are like a family to us."

"The only point that has made me not to feel shy is about family, thank you dear anyway; this is your house then feel free."

"You don't need to tell me so because I made myself free last night."

"In that case, keep that spare key, one day I might not return to the house, I might expect some help."

"Ok thank you sir, this is wise also."

"One more last thing, call me James because the sir thing is making me feel way top old."

"Ok sure" she said.

"Later" I got out of the house and went for work."

Alex did not show up at work, I tried calling him, but his phone was just ringing. I sent him a text to call me as soon as he sees my text but got tempted to go through my old chats with the girl who meant a world to me, Jackie, "I don't know where I went wrong for you to leave me like this, it has been six months but I still feel like its yesterday you dumped me, I still love you" I said it loudly thinking I was alone only to find that my secretary was standing on the door way,

"Why are you doing this to yourself sir?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You are a mess; did you get drunk last night? Drinking won't bring you happiness, so am sorry sir, I have to let you go home, and it is too dark outside about to rain heavily so I will appreciate if you just go, please, I promise tomorrow you will be fine" she said.

"Come on Patricia am fine."

"Sir, please!"

"Ok-ok-ok you win I am going."

"Now"

After about 45 minutes of driving in traffic, and there were already a few drops of rain making some people running up and down, though safely reached home, quiet as usual but clean which was quite unusual, and there was a note on the table,

"Your secretary called to know if you are already home but I told her not yet so I cooked lunch for you, make use of it. Amanda"

I quickly went to my bedroom, quietly sat on the bed and continued thinking about Jackie; I knew how much I missed her and how much I needed her.

"So, what's next?"

"I don't know, whatever happens."