The telephone booth

Chapter Forty Anna

Chapter Forty
Anna

     Anna was spending time at her friend's cozy and small book café; she was sitting behind a wooden table and while resting her elbows on the table, she was leaning over the book that was in front of her, as if she had reached the exciting parts of the book.
  "Is it a good book?" It was Peter.
Anna was immersed in the world of the book that hearing Mr. Miller's voice caused an emergency landing to the real world. Anna raised her head, sat up straight and said in surprise: "You're here? You scared me, I didn't notice at all."
     Peter Miller sat quietly and silently on the chair opposite Anna and stared at the book that Anna was reading. Until he finally broke this silence and said: "I think it's because it's an interesting book."
   "I totally agree with you. Now tell me what you wanted."
   Peter looked very worried, his eyes were constantly running from side to side, he was confused. That's why Anna closed the book and said: "You don't have to tell me what you wanted; I'm just here for you."
   "But I will definitely tell you."
   "Well, then I'll listen."
   Peter put a picture on the table and pushed it with his hand towards Anna and said: "Do you know this person?"
   Anna, who was curious, looked carefully at the picture while touching it with her fingertip, after a few moments she said in surprise: "No, I don't know him." Then she looked at Peter questioningly and said: "Why? Who is this person?"
   "This person has had and has a great influence on your and my life."
   Anna was really confused, was Peter speaking a foreign language? So why were the words incomprehensible? Anna finally came to herself after a few moments and said: "What do you mean?"
   "I mean that this person knows about our past?"
   "Our past! How are you sure that he knows about our past? Besides, does our past have anything to do with each other?"
   Peter took a deep breath and said: "It's a bit hard to explain but I think so."
   "Why do you think so?"
   "Because Mr. Collins and Mrs. O'Brian were hiding this man's existence from us."
    Anna said: "You mean my mother knew something and didn't tell me anything?!" Then she said: "Hiding this man's existence from you means that our lives are related."
***
Anna remembered that meeting and Martin's words: "There is another man in this story."
   "Who is he?"
Martin said nothing.
   Anna was confused and wanted to leave the rehearsal hall, but Martin stood in front of her and said: "Wait, I promise you will believe me in the future, but now you have to help me."
   "You said help! What help can I do?"
   "Maybe you can find someone."
   "Who can I find?"
   "Your fiancé's mother, Robert Dixon."
Anna gave up on this thought; this was part of a secret.
***
   Peter continued his speech and said: "Your mother loves you very much; she wanted to tell you everything she knew, but Mr. Collins objected."
   "I heard it when they were arguing in the company."
   Peter put a paper on that picture and said: "This is some information about this man that I got from the internet."
   Anna started reading that paper and after a few moments she said: "He works in this restaurant!" Then she quickly called Robert Dixon with her phone and said: "Robert, I have a question for you that is important to me … You said one of your friends is the first assistant of Scott Moyes, the famous chef? … How close are you to your friend? I know the question I'm asking is a bit strange. … So please ask your friend about Scott Moyes' private life." Anna was playing with a corner of that paper and that picture with her left hand while talking to Robert until she said: "What?! You wanted to do this yourself?! … You saw Mr. Miller in this restaurant today?!" Anna said this last sentence while looking at Peter with eyes full of surprise, as if she had heard something unbelievable; Anna was now silent and listening to Robert Dixon's words until she said: "Then you must do this. … See you later."
   Anna hung up the phone after that and looked at that picture more carefully and said to herself: "I don't know him. No wait! Is it him?! I saw his picture somewhere I saw his picture frame in a drawer that was left open. I have to make sure." Then she said: "Can this picture stay with me? You don't need it?"
   Peter said: "No, not at all." Then while trying to make an origami flower for himself with that paper; he said: "I should have seen him I should have talked to him."
   "But it didn't happen, right?"
   "Yes, that's why I'm upset."
   "Is that why you brought up this issue with me because you didn't achieve your goal?!"
   "Why do you think so? Didn't you want to know about the past?"
   "Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"
   "Because I wanted to make sure first so that you wouldn't get hurt by knowing this story."
   "Really?! I have to believe this."
   "Why shouldn't you believe me? I'm not your enemy?!"
   "Peter, why do you want to help me?"
   "I wanted to help you and also learn something about my past and my family."
   "Really? You're telling the truth? You didn't care about your mother and father; you changed."
   Peter said angrily: "You changed too." And gave the origami flower to Anna.