The Choice

6. Will I See You Again?

People say that time makes you stronger, and I believe it's true. After losing the parents who meant the world to me, it wasn't so hard to let Darren go. Though everything seemed colorless without his presence and no matter how many times I told myself that I didn't miss him much and life is perfect, I failed.

I began to sleep with a pillow in my arms, it reminded me of the night when he had me in his arms and I had slept peacefully under a shelter of his broad chest and each single morning I woke up with a hope that maybe I'd get to see him anywhere by chance.

Six months passed like that, dad and Sarah were still together but now my dad had been spending his day out alone and Sarah stayed at home mostly. Maybe he was busy with other shameless women,  who knew? I never wanted to know what my dad had been planning to ruin my life again,  neither did I bother to ask.

But one Sunday when my dad wasn't home and I saw Sarah making some coffee for herself in the kitchen and wiping tears off her face, she got me worried. I walked towards her in the kitchen and sat on the chair. She turned her face away and wiped off her tears and then looked at me with a weak smile.

"Hey, Lily." She said slowly.

I never liked Sarah, she took the place of my mom. Or maybe my mom never stood on that place. Looking at Sarah who was still sad and also was crying inside, I thought of my mom. I knew how exactly it feels when people who mean the world to you don't give a damn about you. But what if something else is making her cry? Part of me was anxious to know what was wrong.

"Are you okay?" I asked her kindly, knowing the answer already. But she nodded in response, like everyone does.

"Did dad make you cry?" I asked and I expected her to nod her head again because my dad was good at getting people hurt. But I realised I was wrong when she shook her head in response.

"No." She replied and sat on a chair beside me, staring at the cabinets as if she wanted to sit in one of those.

"Missing Darren? " I asked a minute later and she nodded.

I miss him too!!

"You haven't talked to him in while? " I asked her, expecting a no-I-haven't.

"I did, a month ago. But now he isn't answering any of my calls. He didn't come to see me in months and I'm just.... worried..  about him" she said and started crying again. Actually she sobbed and I could do nothing much than putting my arm around her and comforting her.

"Hey, don't worry..." I said slowly, " He's gonna be alright. Just don't worry okay? Can you give me his number?" I asked her and she nodded.

She put out her cell phone from her pocket and messaged me his contact number. Part of me was so excited to have his number, but part of me was worried, what if he doesn't recognise me? But do people really forget each other in six months? No, not really, I thought. Darren couldn't just forget me like that, could he?

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When I came back in my room at night, I sat on my bed and held my phone in my hand. I tapped at 'contacts' and began to scroll down. But my finger stopped at one name.

Darren Steve

I tapped at the name and then hit the call button. The moment made my heart pump faster and my breathing heavy. What if he refuses to talk to me too, like he did to Sarah? But wait, why did he stop talking to Sarah? Something was really wrong at some point and I wanted to know what it was.

All my thoughts were  interrupted by a single word spoken by the voice I had been waiting for months to hear. "Hello?"

I opened my mouth to answer but no words came out. "Hello? Who is this?" The voice asked again.

"Hey, um.. hi.. um... Can I speak with Darren? " I felt relieved when I finally got the courage to answer him, in a funniest way of course.

"Yeah that's me. Who is this? " he asked in a serious tone.

"I'm Lily. Lily Weed." I replied nearly expecting him to recognise me.

"Oh. Did Sarah ask you to call me?" Really? Couldn't he just ask how are you?

"No. I just called you by myself." I replied.

"Oh. How you been?" He asked formally.

"I'm okay. And you?"

"Fine. "

"I see."

"Well, I'm kinda busy. Talk to you later?" He asked, I knew he just didn't want to talk to me. But why?

"Okay." I said, "Darren?"

"Yeah?"

"Will I see you again? " I asked him, my voice shook as I said so.

"Umm..."

"Please. I really wanna meet you!" I said and I knew that I meant every word of it.

"Alright. I'll visit you at The Meal." He said unwillingly. But at least he agreed.

"Alright. See you tomorrow. " I said and he hung up.

What was wrong????
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A late update. But still an update :-)
Let me know what you guys think by sending in votes and comments.
Love,
Aisha Waqar