"I don't think I can let you live here all by yourself."
Vida scrunched her face and looked at her strictly while her chin rested above her clasped hands. They were inside her bedroom; she was sitting on her bed while her friend was sitting on a small chair on her vanity table.
"What do you mean?"
She reached for the blanket she just threw after hearing the noise down earlier, and started folding it properly while waiting for Vida to answer.
She heard her click her tongue like something annoyed her big time, but when she looked back at her, she was looking outside her window.
Her eyes narrowed and she moved her gaze to her and back to the window.
Amara could tell what she was thinking. She turned to look at the window as well, but she didn't find anyone in the opposite room. Although the window was widely opened, the curtains were hindering their eyes from seeing beyond.
"This neighborhood is too dangerous for you," Vida stood. She walked to the window. She closed the window and even untied the knot on the curtains. Because of what she did, the room became dimmer and humid.
She didn't complain and only shook her head. She couldn't understand her behavior at all. She wondered why she hated the man so much.
However, she didn't voice out her thoughts and said another, "I've been living here my entire life."
She stood and tidied the pillows, then she went by the window and tied the curtains again.
"Hey!"
"And I have nowhere else to go," she grinned at Vida when she saw her frown. "The room got darker. But it's still too early to use a lamp."
Vida crossed her arms and sat on the bed, "I didn't mean you need to leave. Let me stay here."
Amara paused, she looked back with shock and asked her, "What?"
Vida jumped excitedly and headed towards the door, exclaiming, "No! I'll stay here!"
Her eyes twinkled in excitement. She nodded to herself and continued, "I should go back and get some clothes and important things."
With that, Vida disappeared from her room. Amara was astounded.
"Huh? Wait, Vida!"
However, Vida was already gone. How could she walk so fast? She just went outside her room and she didn't even hear the door chime when it opened. Did she use the back door?
In the end, she couldn't refuse her friend. She had been living alone after all those years that she had already forgotten how to live with someone. She went back to her room. She stood by the door and glanced around her tiny room.
The bed was too narrow for two people, and her closet was just enough for all her clothes. Her head throbbed in stress. How else are they going to fit inside?
She had no choice but to make room. She took out some of her old clothes and stuffed them in a basket underneath her bed. She pulled out an old and worn-out blanket and placed it by the bedside table.
She couldn't provide a bed. She only had a spare thick blanket, the one she always uses whenever the winter season comes.
After moving some things to clear the floor, she glanced around again. She sighed and felt satisfied.
Her eyes then caught the white shirt hanging on the chair.
"Oh! How could I forget?" Amara exclaimed.
She took the shirt and quickly headed to the bathroom. She filled the bucket with water and soap, then she started washing the shirt in earnest. Luckily, the stain of the salve wasn't that difficult to erase.
She wrung the cloth many times.
After the water had been drained, she straightened the shirt and double-checked for any dirt. Holding the cloth at arm's length, she realized how big it was. Unconsciously, she folded her arms and smiled.
The cloth almost became a duster for her. It reached half of her thighs and the sleeves were a hand length longer than her.
He was really big. Amara thought to herself. Her cheeks flushed red after the image of Azer's naked body resurfaced in her mind. She bit her lips and shook her head.
It's not right to fantasize over someone's body. Amara mumbled to herself. She quickly took a clothespin and left the bathroom.
She hung the shirt beside her window. She clipped the curtain and tucked them in the corner, then she opened the window widely and let the air flow inside.
The sun had begun to set. She worried that the shirt would dry by tomorrow. Resting her arms by the windowsill, she peeked outside. Her eyes dropped to the street below. Some streetlamps were already on.
Other establishments on that street were starting to clean and lock their doors. She should start locking her shop too before it gets dark. But somehow, observing her neighborhood from her windowsill brought peace to her.
She was inside her comfort zone, a place she deemed most safe. Therefore, she could watch those people walking and rushing to their business with no worries, wondering and playfully guessing what was on their minds.
She rested her chin on her folded arms and waited for Vida to appear in the corner. She stood there, feeling contented as though she had never experienced something awful earlier in the day. With her eyes twinkling from the lights of the lamps and lit shops along the street, she could have forgotten that the back alleys existed.
Passersby come and go. But no one seemed to pay attention to her little shop. She looked at the brightly lit bakery across the street below and suddenly wondered why they were still open.
Do people eat bread for dinner too? She asked herself. Her eyes then moved up and it stopped on the room right across her.
Her mind began to wander to that particular man again. What does his room look like? Or is it really his room? Their building was almost the same in size; therefore, the quarter above would be the same as hers.
She giggled after imagining how his large physique wouldn't fit in that tiny room. He probably felt suffocated and uncomfortable, bumping into every single corner in his quarter.
Suddenly, she saw movement inside and her thoughts snapped into the present.
Her eyes unconsciously narrowed after seeing a shadow dance inside. With the curtains fluttering, she couldn't properly see whose shadow was it. However, she already assumed that it belonged to Azer since she once saw him there.
Was it him?
Then, the shadow disappeared.
What came next was a loud sound from that room. Amara jolted in surprise after the curtains flung aggressively to the side and Azer's face came into view. His expression was dark and dangerous.
He didn't notice her, instead, he peeked outside the window with half of his body almost hanging out. His head turned left and right as though he was looking for something. He was muttering something, as though there was someone behind talking with him.
When he couldn't find what was he looking for, his face showed anger and his fist punched the wall outside in frustration.
The bricks cracked and crumbled slightly. Some people below were startled and looked up, and then they scurried away in fear after witnessing his deathly glare.
Amara gaped in shock. When she saw him turning his head in her direction, she immediately bent down and knelt, praying that he didn't see her.
What was that? Amara thought.
He seemed searching for that shadow. Did a thief break in? However, Amara couldn't understand why he would search out the window instead of catching the thief. No one exited through the window, how could he not see them right inside?
When the bell clanged again, she carefully crawled away from the window. Perhaps, Vida had arrived.
Wait. Why was she hiding anyway?
Amara shook her head and sighed. She stood and patted her knees, fighting the urge to look behind. She quickly ran to the door and opened it. She almost shouted in surprise after Vida's face greeted her.
Her long black hair was disheveled, some strands were even sticking on her cheeks due to her sweaty face. She was even panting.
"Ha…I'm so tired…"
Amara opened the door widely. Vida entered, pulling a huge suitcase behind her. She watched her walk to her bed and sat. Then, she opened the suitcase and started taking out her clothes.
Amara, "…how long do you intend to stay?"
"Hm?" Vida wiggled her eyebrows and grinned, "However long I want."
Vida giggled when she frowned and rolled her eyes. But somehow, she also felt excited to live with her. She told her to stuff her clothes in the vacant space in her closet. Then, she went downstairs, locked the door, and pulled down the blinds.
She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice Azer standing by the bakery's threshold, looking at her. She went upstairs after checking the backdoor.
Her humble and quiet home will soon be noisier. Closing the door, she trod to the small kitchen in the corner and started preparing their dinner.
How long has it been since she ate dinner with someone inside that home? She couldn't remember anymore.