The Truth Untold

14

"How is she?" asked a voice very familiar to me, it was Jessie.

"Better again, I hope,' answered a voice directly above me. I would recognize Leo's voice everywhere immediately. I realized that I still had my head on his chest and that his arm was still around my shoulder. But in my sleep I had put one leg over his, but I couldn't pull him away because he would know I was awake. Silence followed, but I did not move, did not open my eyes.

"You've done quite a mess, you know that?" Jessie asked now. Of course I had told her everything as soon as she had been home and immediately reassured myself that it wasn't my fault because he had lied.

"I know that,' he said, dejected and I felt him swallow.

"It was all just like that ... I was afraid and I don't even know what it was," he explained, sounding confused himself.

"I know", Jessie said understandingly. "I like you, Leo. And Kathie likes you too". I would have loved to have jumped up and strangle her, but curiosity drove me to stay motionless. I wanted to know what Leo was saying.

"Do you believe? I wouldn't be so sure now," he explained, and I felt his gaze on me. My heart went faster, but I tried to breathe normally and calmly.

"Oh yes. Otherwise she wouldn't have allowed it," Jessie explained and I suspected she meant our bed situation. "She is so different with you than with other men. In the time I know her anyway".

"Really? why?" Leo asked.

"Well, she only had one relationship so far and it didn't last very long. She has always enjoyed her life until now, but never let guys get close to her. But with you she smiles much more, is more cheerful, doesn't think so much," she said, and with the last words she had to laugh. I really had to pull myself together because I was so touched that I would have liked to have fallen around her neck.

"You have to fix it, understand?" Jessie said, suddenly seriously again. "Kathie could really use someone like you and I think you're too cool to ignore you. Which, of course, I will do when you fuck up again".

His body trembled slightly again and when Jessie was out of the room, he stroked through my hair, with his thumb over the back of my hand and pressed me firmly to himself. Under his tender touches I fell asleep again.

The next time I woke up, it was pitch dark in my room. And I was alone. I felt the bed around me, but there was only the soft fabric of the bedclothes. So I turned on the lamp and, as if my fumbling around hadn't already proved it, I was disappointed to find that I was really alone. Leo was gone. A look at the clock showed me that it was three o'clock in the morning. On ten points I stepped into the hallway, looked around the dark living room, even into the bathroom, but Leo was not there. With a bottle of water and a pack of salt sticks I found in the kitchen cupboard, I waltz back into my room. I sat down on my bed, drank a sip of water and took some salt sticks. They were the first thing I had taken in the last 24 hours next to the soup. From the corner of my eye I could see my cell phone flashing, which showed me that I had an unread message. I reached for my cell phone and saw that it was a message from Leo.

Hey, I was going to write you a note (I liked the old-fashioned), but I couldn't find any paper. That's why it's a message now. I didn't want to stay overnight and I certainly didn't want to wake you up. I hope you feel better, I come tomorrow with more soup. Sleep well.

I smiled and was happy about this simple message, as if I were twelve and had found a love letter for me. After I took another salt stick, I put my mobile phone away and cuddled myself again in my blanket. I had been asleep half the day, but I still felt sick and tired. It didn't take long until I was torn into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning I was awakened by the sun's rays and as I shuffled through the living room into the kitchen, I realized that Jessie was already to university. I felt healthy enough to take a shower and felt a thousand times better as I stepped out of the shower. When I was dry again and had put on fresh clothes, I made myself a fruit tea and sat down again in my bed. I took the salt sticks next to my bed and ate some for breakfast. How nutritious, I thought to myself, but I was hungry, but could not imagine eating anything else. Boredom came faster than I thought. My neck was still scratching, my nose was still closed. But I switched on the television because the headaches spared me. I spent half the day in bed watching my favourite series. I first noticed that someone had come into our apartment when it knocked on my room door. Frightened, I drove together and looked around for something to defend myself with. But when the door opened and Leo appeared in the door frame, I remembered his message again.

"God, I was scared," I said and put my hand on my heart to underline my words.

"You sound much better already," he said and held out a bag with two soup boxes and two spoons.

"Sleep is healing. And I slept very, very much", I explained and joyfully grabbed the soup. Not only did I sleep a lot, I also slept really well. I haven't slept as well as I have in the last 24 hours, even when I'm not sick.

"You're watching TV," he asked with a nod to the TV.

"Yes. The headaches are gone and I was bored," I said shrugging my shoulders and opened the box.

"Make room," he said and I moved to the side in my bed. He sat down next to me and we both started to spoon our soup.

"Thank you for the soup," I said and actually wanted to thank him for much more, but more words did not cross my lips.

"Gladly, you seem to be hungry after all," he said at a glance at my half-empty soup. I just nodded as an answer.

"So, what are we looking at?" he asked and looked at the flickering picture on the screen. My series had switched to a reality show and with a sniff I took the remote and switched through the channels.

"Mh, I recorded all the parts of Harry Potter," I remembered again and his eyes grew big.

"When was the last time I watched them?" he asked excitedly, more to himself than to me.

"Harry Potter is great," I said and turned on the first part.

And so the rest of the day was that we watched all Harry Potter parts. We hardly noticed when Jessie came home in the evening. Leo asked me if he could have the salt sticks and together we ate the whole pack empty. We drank tea and coke that Jessie had brought with her, laughed in funny places, discussed whether Snape was really evil or not and actually talked all the time without ignoring the movies. At some point he put an arm around me and I leaned against him. From minute to minute I felt better and better.

We were still missing the last two parts, it was late and it was dark outside when Leo said: "I should go home slowly".

I nodded approvingly and said: "Yes, I want to be well rested for university".

"University?"He asked, confused.

"Yes, tomorrow. The university," I asked confusedly and looked at him while he put on the shoes he had taken off again in front of the bed.

"You're not going to university tomorrow," Leo said for sure.

"Uh, but,' I said.

"If you go to university tomorrow, you'll get worse again. Stay at home and get some rest," he said and it almost sounded like a request.

"But then I just miss more stuff," I said, but I knew he was right.

"You can catch up here," he said.

"But ..." I tried again. But Leo interrupted me and said: "If you go to university tomorrow, I will carry you home on my own".

I laughed and gave in. "Then I probably have no other choice".

"Thank you," he said and pressed me firmly to himself to say goodbye.

"Bye, Kathie," he said.

"See you next time', I said and he disappeared through the front door.