Anna stirred in bed lazily half awake, she reached her hand to touch Liam but his spot was empty.
"Huh?" She sat upright to make sure that she hadn't been dreaming about him again. She looked on the coffee table and there was the laptop they had watched movies on. She sighed in relief, even if he had left for now, she was sure he would come back. She grabbed a paper that was placed on top of the laptop to see what was written on it.
* Good morning, lazy ass. Take breakfast early and take your medicine on time. I will come back at 1pm. Till then, take care.
Your imaginary boyfriend*
" Lazy what?" Anna giggled, the word it's self is an insult but she found it too funny and sweet. For her, it was better than all useless endearments other men had always showered her with.
"Bring back my photo frame, mr. asshole" Anna told nobody in particular. She had noticed that it was missing yesterday and just smiled but now that she missed him already, she wanted to keep looking at his picture at least.
Anna kissed the paper multiple times and then held it on her chest. She laid where Liam had slept as she sniffed in the remnants of his sweet scent. She hugged the pillow he had slept on tightly while smiling foolishly.
Last night, nothing intimate had happened as Anna had hoped but what had actually happened was more romantic and memorable. They had watched a Chinese kung fu movie called shaoline soccer. Anna supported the main team as Liam supported the opponent side.
'No eating popcorn unless your team scores a goal and so will l, okay' Laim had suggested and she had agreed. At first, Anna had been tense and uncomfortable but when her team had started scoring, she had forgotten everything as she had cheered joyfully while eating almost all popcorns.
'Woah!' Liam aslo roared as he clapped his hands, ' Did you see that.' He threw his hands in air '...did you see that!'
'You cheated, didn't you see that fat g me use magic? We are the winners' Anna had denied the defeat. The more the movie had gotten intense the more the couple played happily. They had playfully shoved eachother, hit eachother the pillows and even ended up pouring popcorns allover the bed.
Anna smiled at the memory, "I've never been this happy all my life. I wish the same happens tonight."
Just remembering that he would come back, she got up and went to have a bath. As she didn't know the time yet, she didn't want to take risk of Liam finding her dirty and smelly. After bathing, she cleaned everywhere neatly and then sprayed her favourite air freshener all around the room.
She stood in the door way to see whether everything was in line as she didn't want any error remaining. For the first time in ages, she was feeling like a queen waiting for her king.
Knock. Knock. Knock
Anna just turned around the door curtain to see who was knocking. It was Max standing tall near the door but not too close.
"Hi!" Anna greeted but the giant-like man just nodded in response. Max gave her the package he was holding and a cellphone.
Anna received the package but was hesitant on the phone, Max nodded in assurance as if silently urging her to take it. She first put the package on the side and then pressed a power button to see an ongoing call.
Her heart skipped a bit when she recognised the caller ID. Without asking for what to do, she right away put the phone on her ear.
"Hello" She called,
"Hey" The caller said in his deep voice and Anna smiled ear to ear. "You're awake?"
Anna nodded.
" Are you nodding again?" The caller asked from the other end and Anna smilingly blushed while biting her pinky finger. How couldn't she nod when she was talking to her life and death? Breath had already left her lungs the moment she heard his voice through the cellphone speakers.
"Did you take your medicine?" Liam asked and Anna hummed negatively as she shook her head.
"What were you waiting for, it's already nine" Liam asked,
Anna stared down at her battling big toes with her pinky finger still in her mouth thinking of what to lie as he had warned her about taking her medication early. At the moment, she had already forgotten that Max was still standing infront of her.
"Well uh, I've just woken up" She said lowly as if she wispering to herself.
"Oh! Okay." Liam paused, "Take your breakfast now and then do some simple yoga to stretch your weak muscles, don't go back to sleep, okay"
"Mmmm!" Anna hummed.
Anna handed back the cellphone to the owner after biding goodbye to Liam. She thanked Max for the delivery and entered the house to submit Liam's order with the smile never leaving her pretty face. Only the feeling of being cared for by the person you love made her want to scream in joy on of her voice.
" Where are you Nancy, I have a lot to gist you darling" She said to herself and raised her hands up. "Thank you lord. You washed away my tears and blessed me with a gift that still seems like a dream to me. I've never been this happy all my existence"
Tears had already welled up in her eyes but blinked them away, she didn't want Liam to find her in a bad shape. She was still murmuring her thanks to God when she heard another knock on the door. Her heart skipped a bit as her mind suspected Liam.
" Who is it" She asked in anticipation.
" It's Fiona"
She sighed in disappointment, "Come in"
" What?" Fiona asked more to herself but Anna heard her.
" Come on in dear"
A young lady behind the curtain got in and Anna directed her to sit on the sofa. Instead of sitting, Fiona knelt down for greetings.
"Stop! Jesus, why would you kneel for me, Fiona?" Anna exclaimed in embarrassment, apart from little kids, nobody had ever knelt down to greet her much less this married lady. Basically, kneeling is a traditional sign of much respect, gratitude or apology practiced to that person you're regarding it to.
"Because you're older than me" Fiona said meekly.
Anna blinked at her in confusion, "Are you sure?" She asked and Fiona nodded. "How old are you?"
"Am twenty one"
Anna gasped, "What? You mean am three years older than you?"
Fiona giggled at her dramatic expression. " Yes ma'am."
" No way!" Anna stood hands akimbo. " No offense but you look older and fatter than me"
" I know, it's all because I've ever given birth and you never"
"Wait, what? You have kids?"
Fiona nodded with a smile, " One kid, a four years old girl."
" Awwwn! Where is she?"
" She's in village with my parents"
Anna sat down on the floor still processing that piece of information. " If your baby is four, does that mean you got pregnant at sixteen?"
Fiona smiled as if it didn't bother her anymore, "Yes, I conceived on my very first sex attempt with a seventeen years old boy."
Anna's mouth was now agape, " Oh my God! Seventeen and sixteen? Did you even know where to put?"
Fiona blushed, "As village teenagers, no body knew what to do but the thing was automatic and natural. We didn't need a tutor at that moment."
Anna laughed at that, she never knew that the girl could be this funny and open. The way they were talking was as if they had been friends all along.
"Wow! That was epic. Good enough you maintained that love to date." Anna said and Fiona scoffed.
"To date? I don't even know where he stays, I just heard that he's studying at City university, nothing more.
Anna creased her brows, " I thought you're married"
" Yes am married but not to my baby daddy" Fiona said, "After knowing that I was pregnant, my mom confronted the boy's parents but guess what; they said that their son was too young to impregnate any girl. The guy I was in love with turned his back on me from there and then. After my parent's failure of finding justice for me, they helped me birth and raise my daughter alone as her daddy studied successfully. After two years, a fifty two years old man came to my parents and asked for my hand in marriage"
Anna blinked back her tears, " Don't tell me that he's...."
" Yes" Fiona agreed, "He's my husband now"
"Your merciless parents married a nineteenth years old girl off to such an old man?" Anna asked in fury and agitation.
"Why not? He had all the money and paid for everything they asked him. All my dad wanted was to clear his name I had tarnished by officially marrying me off."
" Where is all his money now?"
Fiona chuckled, " He lied to them so he could win me. Besides, am a fourth wife and since I hadn't given him a kid yet, am not that important as other three women."
Anna sniffed, ' God, forgive me if I've ever complained about anything in my life. While I cry for true love, other innocent girls cry for help but can't get any.'
"When does he come" Anna asked with glassy eyes.
" Thrice in a month"
" How do you survive when you're not working?"
"One thing I can't lie on him is that he doesn't give me money. Only that I have no freedom; I can't work, I can't go anywhere even if it's to see my baby. The rest is at least fair"
Anna got up and hugged the poor girl, at a very young age, she had gone through horrible experiences. Fiona hugged her back as she let go of the tears she had held for years. All she had prayed for was to get a friend to cry to and God seemed like he had finally answered her prayers. Even though she talked much with other female neighbors, the ladies were way older than her and so judgemental to tell them her secrets.