Olifina: Love And Trouble

43. So, This Is Love...

Oliverio stood in the doorway leading to the living room. The light in the front room was on so I could see him. He stood there for some seconds before walking straight into the dark living room. Rodas shifted away from me when he noticed I had stopped moving.

"Oliver?" I called to him as he walked straight into the visitor's room downstairs and slammed the door behind him.

"He's angry at the both of us."

I went to the visitor's room and knocked but got no reply - as expected. I knocked again and tried pushing the door open but it was locked.

"Oliver? We need to talk, please open up."

He did not say a thing. Defeatedly, I walked back into the living room. "He has locked the door and is ignoring me," I told Rodas.

"I guess I'll just sleep on the couch then."

I was just about to say something when the front door opened. I turned around in fear. We weren't expecting someone, especially at that time of the night -It was almost eleven.

Mum walked into the house and went straight up the stairs without even sparing us a glance. She was supposed to be spending the night with the Itasos.

Rodas and I exchanged looks as the same thought ran through our minds. I followed her and opened the door of Dad's room slightly to reveal her sobbing frame on the floor. She sat in the dark and held onto a picture tightly as she cried. I didn't need to check to know she was holding Dad's picture.

"Geronimo, I'm so sorry."

Although it broke my heart to see Mum like that, I couldn't go to her. She needed space and time to herself.

Rodas wasn't in the living room when I went back downstairs. I could hear him shouting in the visitor's room. He must be arguing with Oliver and there was nothing I could do about it.

I checked the front door to make sure it was locked before taking a seat in a hidden corner of the living room. Oliver and Rodas were still arguing and it was getting on my nerves. Everything was just so annoying at that moment, especially Oliver's attitude. I stood up and went over to their room.

They both kept quiet when they heard me knocking. I knocked again, harder this time. Rodas opened the door. He looked frustrated. It was just like him saying, please sort things out with Oliver, I'm tired of all this.

The light in the room was on so I could see Oliver. He tried not to look at me but I didn't care. I just wanted him to hear me out and answer my questions.

"Oliver, we need to talk. Now!" My words had a tone of finality in it. I didn't spend even a second more at their door as I turned back and walked into the living room.

Oliver might not meet me. But what was the point of coming over if he was still going to avoid me?

I felt another presence in the room and turned to see Oliver moving in the dark towards a chair. He stopped just behind it. Though the place was dark and we could only see our shadows, I knew he was staring straight at me.

Why was he not saying anything? I was the one who 'summoned' his presence so I had to speak first.

I thought of asking him to sit but decided not to. He could do whatever he liked. All I wanted were my answers and for things to become okay between us.

"You're avoiding me and it's not funny anymore."

"I thought you had some good company."

Company? What did he mean? "Oliver, I felt lonely. How would you just assume such a thing? What company if I may ask."