Freedom from Within

A Roller Coaster Ride

The day went by slowly and I was thankful that the lunch with Briana happened. She's always a breath of fresh air. I attended meetings the whole afternoon, and god, I couldn't wait for the day to be over. I would like to take a long hot bath later at home while sipping on a glass of Moscato.

A soft knock distracted me from my thoughts.

"Come in."

"Ms. Alfonso," it was Helene. "It's Arthur's birthday, remember our messenger? The staff prepared some treats."

"I wish you had reminded me earlier so I can pick up a gift for him. The old man's a great person, Helene. I will just make a quick call and then I will come by the pantry."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Alfonso. It slipped my mind because of your hectic schedule."

"It's cool, Helene. You could come with me tomorrow to pick up something for Arthur."

I think I saw Helene smirk at me at what I had said, but I just dismissed the thought. I have to admit, Helene is really something. She takes every chance she could get just to be with me. Even on the days when I am not in the speaking mood (which happens a lot, so Cress says). Whatever Helene does, she's just not the kind I would fuck over. She became my secretary when I was promoted as one of the junior vice presidents of the company. She's a great secretary and I would never risk losing a trusted person.

As soon as Helene left my line of sight, I dialed my mother's number.

"Mom? How are you?" I smiled hearing her voice. She's a little surprised, because it is not every day that I call her. "I just want to say that I missed you. The day's too long and—oh, it's Arthur's birthday."

"Tell the old man that I missed the early morning talks with him. Also, do not forget to thank him for his service."

"Yes, Mom. I gotta go now; the staff prepared a small dinner party for him. You will hear from me soon, Mom. Do not forget your meds, okay? Love you."

'*'*''*'*'

The dinner party was great. The staff was happy to see me and Cress. Their laughter at every joke Cress told them were like sweet refreshments given to the athletes after a tiring run. Some of the staff thanked me for being approachable and down-to-earth. If they only know how much happiness I feel whenever I am surrounded by happy people, they wouldn't tell me that. I used to distance myself from people maybe because of the bitterness I feel toward life. But when I see happy people, like them, I could feel their positive energies vibrating around the place, and it is such a good feeling.

Now, being stretched in my tub with wine in hand, I feel so relaxed. I could stay here all night. I took another sip from my glass and put it down beside the tub. A few moments later and I fell asleep.

'*'*''*'*'

I LOOKED at the frail hands on top of my right hand. These hands look small and fragile. These hands feel comforting and loving. We were sitting on one of the benches in the public park near the university we were attending. That time, she was taking up nursing, while I was taking up business management.

"Fatima, what are you stressing about?"

"Mom found out about us." She spoke with weak voice. It seemed as if she will break down any moment now. I held her hands tighter using my own.

"What did she say?" I was hoping for a positive thing even if Fatima looks really down.

"She said I should leave you."