I do not know how long I laid in my deep sleep. I could hear people moving in and out from my room. Barry was always at my feet. Father was always there, talking to me and coaxing me to wake. Keith was there and I was wondering if I was dreaming or hallucinating. Keith was always talking to me with so much of love and calling me Little Rose. Once a while he would talk about the past about how I rejected his love and how happy he was when I confessed my love to him. Bob would come in and was always teasing and calling me a church mouse and asking me get up for he had enough of Keith’s company for six years and wanted me to take over Keith’s welfare. Angela was there too, crying and apologizing to me. I could hear Tim and Mary voice too, calling me to come back home from wherever I was. I tried to open my eyes to talk to all of them but I could not do so for I was too weak and tired.
When I opened my eyes next, Barry sense my movement and started barking loudly. It was totally dark in the room. I heard lots of footsteps and then the bright light went on almost blinding me. I closed my eyes to block the light out for few seconds. Trying to focus on the blur images in front of my eyes, I called for father. “Father, father. I said. I want some water, please.” I heard father’s voice and he hugged me tightly to his chest. “Welcome back, my child. I thought I had lost you forever this time. Barry was barking loudly, seeking for my attention and father called for him. “Here Barry boy. Your Daffodil is back to live. Barry crawled slowly to my side and stuck his wet nose into my neck and stayed there, as if comforting and welcoming me back. I hugged Barry tightly and lightly ran my hands through his fur.
Keith walked into the room, with a glass of water in his hand. At the corner of my bed, I saw Bob, Angela, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brown. There were two other figures standing at the foot of my bed. I realized that it was Tim and Mary. “Tim, I whispered and opened my arms. Tim quickly came forward and hugged me tightly. There were tears in Tim’s eyes. Finally Tim said, “We thought we lost you, sister. Father was frantic and demanded our presence in New York. You know no one can win an argument against father. Mary and the kids are here too. Father cleared his throat and said loudly, “Daffodil there is someone you should meet and have a long talk with him. We all shall take our leave and wait for you in the drawing room.” With these words lingering behind, the door was shut gently and I was left alone with Keith.
Keith raised me up to a comfortable sitting position and told me to sip the water slowly. I was so embarrassed and thinking what was Keith doing in my room. I took small sip of water and looked around the room. It then hit me that it was not my room. It was double the size of my bedroom. I was in a strange room and it was not my house. I pushed Keith hand away when I had enough of water. Looking at Keith, I slowly asked, “Where am I, Mr. O’Heir?” Keith gave me a wicked smile and said, “You are in your temporary matrimonial house and this is your temporary room.” I looked at Keith with wide-eyed and open my mouth to say something. Before I could say anything, Keith bent his head and started raining kisses all over my face before settling on my lips. Keith was kissing me with so much of controlled passion. I felt his tears on my cheeks and I was shocked. I tried to push Keith away when he suddenly said my name against my lips, “Little Rose. Rose my sweetheart. Do you know how miserable I was without you? Even though I was alive, my heart was dead. You were always in my heart. I have never forgotten you and many a times I have gone to bed crying for you. My guilt was killing me slowly. I am so sorry Little Rose for I could not protect you.” With these words spoken, Keith buried his head in my shoulder and started crying like baby, hugging me tightly.
One part of me was happy that Keith had found me and the other part of me was recoiling with fear. I was a stranger to myself. My face was not my face. Father has given me a beautiful face. I rubbed my hands down on Keith’s back, consoling him with no words. Finally Keith entangled his arms and looked at with so much of love. His beautiful eyes were back to live and displayed his emotions, from sadness to happiness. “Keith, I finally asked. How do you know?” Keith ran his index lightly on my upper left chest. Looking deeply into my eyes Keith said, “My alphabet. I redo it again after I heard about your death. I entwined the rose flower with the alphabet ‘K’ and had it framed in Burmese Rosewood frame. I hanged it in my office as a constant reminder of you and my deep love for you. In private, I had my own chest to look at.” I felt so unsettled at Keith’s declaration and put my head down. All of a sudden, I was so shy of
Keith. Titling my chin slightly, Keith asked me to look at him. I shook my head with my eyes still downcast. “Rose, Keith said. “Look at me honey otherwise I am going to kiss you senseless and make love to you here in this room. Your father will have no choice but to marry you to me immediately,” My face turned red and I quickly looked at Keith and darted my eyes at the wooden door. Seeing my reaction, Keith started laughing and hugged me tightly. At last he said, “Worry not Rose. I remembered my promise to you. I will reveal all your secret on our wedding night.” I bury my face in Keith chest and started crying.
Keith was lost and kept asking me if I was okay. I could only nod my head and buried my face deeper into his chest. Finally I said in a soft voice, “Keith. This is not the face you fall in love with. I am a stranger to myself. Whenever I look at myself in the mirror, I am trying to find my old self. I see no resemble to Rose at all. Can you love this stranger? Will you not look for the old Rose whenever you are looking at me? Keith, I am Rose and I am afraid your love for me will change and I cannot go through this heartbreak again. I will not be able to survive and will die broken hearted. Keith cupped my face in his hand and looked deeply into my eyes. Wiping my tears away, Keith said, “Rose, I will say it over and over again. I love you and my love for you will never change. I did not fall in love with your face in the first place. What attracted me to you were your heart and your gentle way of doing things. I saw your beauty through my heart. My heart told me that you belong to me and only me. Rose you are the same person that I fall in love with. You know when you first walked into my office on your first day, my heart tells me that I know you and have seen you before. So never ever doubt my love for you. I was willing to die when you rejected me but remembered you are the one who taught me the meaning of love, trust and friendship. I also remembered you telling that trust is a very fragile thread that can be snapped and broken within a blink of an eye. You also promise to have faith in me too. Trust me and have faith in me sweetheart, for I am going to ask for your heart again and protect you forever.
I looked at Keith with so much of yearning in my eyes and hug him again. “I trust you with all my heart and I am going to have faith in you. It will take time to get over my insecurity and fear but as long as I have you, I willing to walk on the path of recovery. You will have your matrimonial house with me and come back into my arms and not being reprimanded if you do any mistake.” Looking cheekily at Keith again, I said laughingly, “But I got someone to scold and reprimand you on my behalf. My father and Barry to chase you out from your matrimonial bed.” Hearing these words from my mouth, Keith burst out laughing loudly and kissed me again.
There was loud knock on the door and few seconds later, Bob walked in, dragging Angela behind him. Looking at me, Bob said, “Rose I think you will have plenty of time to catch up on old time with Keith. Angela has been crying and wants to hug you and apologise to you.” With these words, he gently pushed Angela into Keith and my arms. I engulfed Angela into my arms. She started crying loudly, holding me tightly. She was almost choking me but I held my friend in my arms and we both cried our heart out. Finally Angela said, “Rose, do you want your apartment. It was never mine in the first place. I brought the place with your money.” I started laughing and gently hit Angela on her head. “Silly goose, I said. That is your place. Remembered we promise ourselves that we will have an apartment of our own. Don’t worry about it. However you can keep a room for me just in case Keith irritates me or anger me, I can come over to your place, knowing that I will have a shelter. I can’t go back to father for he is too old fashion.” We all started laughing and suddenly Angela grabbed my hand and said, “Rose I got all your old things packed in the boxes. My heart said not to throw it away and had kept them as remembrance.
I looked shockingly at Angela. My silly friend had kept all my things. I nodded my head and told Angela that I would love to come over to have a look at my things. Suddenly Barry’s barking and running of children footsteps could be heard. The children ran into my room, followed by Barry. The kids jumped on my bed and started playing wrestling with me. I turned and toss them down, their crazy laughter echoing in the room. Jimmy and Katie tried to pin me down with their small bodies but I was too strong for them. I tickled their stomach and started nibbling them. Mary walked in and on seeing Mary, Keith got up from the bed. Mary came over and hugged me tightly. “Thank you for being alive Daffodil, Mary said. We were so worried and father demanded our presence at once. The kids were so excited to see but seeing you lying in your nightmare, they kept so quiet around you but bugged their grandfather for an explanation. Father just hugged and urged them to pray to God for your safety. I thanks Mary and hugged her again. Mary got up and chased the kids out and turned to Keith and said, “Welcome to our eccentric family, Keith, Bob and Angela.” Seeing the astonished look on their faces, Mary started laughing. “Listen guys. I know people call us the eccentric and weird family. My husband is a well-known eccentric cardiologist in London. We never mind when people call us eccentric behind our back.” Bob started laughing and hugged Mary. “Thank you, Mary. Thank you,” Bob said. “I shall remember that” and winked at Keith, who was frowning at Bob.
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