Once UpOn a Time with Alex 🌸

Part-18

A constant banging on the door wakes him up.
Opening his beautiful pair of eyes he checked his phone for time.

''3:00 am, mid night.''

He cocked an eyebrow, 'Who could it be?', the banging continues.
He slowly paced toward the door and doesn't turn on the room light, in the dark strangely enough he could see everything of his room.

Wait? It doesn't look like his room. Where is he?
Reaching for the door knob he said,

"Who is it? Lilly? You came back?"

He twisted the knob and an ear deafening scream interrupted his dreaming.

Alex tried to find the yelling asshole then threw it on the ground.
He opened an eye and his gaze landed on the clock. 9:05 am. It's not midnight then.
He jumped out of his bed and put on a t-shirt.

Behind the door he heard his granny saying, "What's the matter sweety? What was that sound?"
"Everything is cool nanny. It's just an alarm clock. Slipped out of my hands."
"Okay baby. Be careful next time."

Alex took the broken pieces of the alarm clock from the floor then put them in the trash bin and went to the washroom.

"Pooof! Dammit! Holy crap!" Holding his feet he groaned in pain. Then pulled out the one left piece of the broken clock from his forefinger and hurled it away.

"Honey, are you okay?" said Mrs.Hoover while spreading butter on a toast.
Alex gave a broad smile then said,
"I'm absolutely cool nanny."
Her wrinkly eyes didn't lightened up in assurance. Something must be up with him, she thought.

"I'm done nanny." he said and went toward the kitchen sink.

"You just had few bites of the toast Alex."

Alex didn't replied , instead he started cleaning the dishes.
When he was done he went back to his room to find his phone.
Three unanswered missed phone calls. He dialled back.

"Hey dude, you doing fine?" said Steve from the other end of the phone.

"I'm good."

"Your voice doesn't sound you're good."

"I'm busy Steeve. Calling you later." said Alex and released a long sigh.

"Hey hey mate, wait. I know you are still angry on me for whatever happened that night. I'm really sorry. I don't know how when she went so near to the seaside that...."

"That what? Huh? You know it's been over a month now and I'm done searching her everywhere I could possibly reach. She blocked my phone number. They are not even home. It's been a month Steeve! I've started loosing my mind now I think!"

Steeve paused for a moment, then said,

"What about the place, 'Orchid Paradise', where you first met her? Did she quit her job?"

"The owner died."

6:30 PM

Alex was lying on his bed. His eyes became tired of staring at the ceiling for a good amount of long time. A small trace of dark circle covered his under eyes.

Abruptly, he felt a warm hand on his forehead.
Mrs.Hoover ran her fingers through his soft brownish hair.

"Nanny?"

She smiled looking at her grandson.

"When did my little boy grew so big that he started hiding things from his nanny?"

Alex took her bony hand and kissed it.

"Why do love hurts nanny?"

"Love never hurts sweety. It's the most beautiful feeling anyone can ever experience in this one life. We get hurt only when we expect something in return from the opposite person. Love never hurts."

"I need her in my life nanny. Every moment without her I spend is as similar as living in a hell. It feels as if someone have set a torch on my chest. It's burning and burning."

Mrs.Hoover bend forward and kissed the top of his head.

"Honey, when your nanna died, I felt the same. It was as if I was being followed by a heavy black thick cloud over my head 24/7."

"How did you managed to live without him nanny?"

"I'm not without him my boy."

Alex batted his eyes like a 4year old boy.

"Love is all about selflessness. When we love somebody it isn't necessary that the person we love have to be with us. Have to love us. Love is what makes one feeling like as if he or she is richest person living on the earth. It is when you pray for someones wellbeing every living moment. That wherever they are, whatever they are doing, they are okay. Doing alright."

"You crying nanny?"

"It's a happy cry dear. Loving your nanna was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me."

Alex nodded and smiled. Near his bedside table his phone rang.

An unknown number.

"Mr.Stranger!" Katy whispered.

For a second Alex forgot how to talk even.
He took a deep breath then said,

"Hi! How are you little princess?"

"I'm fine but I miss you. We are in our nannas home. Nanna is no longer angry with my momma."

'God! She is safe!', thought Alex.

"I miss you too baby. I want to see you and your mother."

"Mr.Stranger, I don't know why she doesn't want me to talk to you so i'm calling you when she is not here. I told her today that I want to invite you for my birthday party tomorrow but she refused. Mr.Stranger please, will you not come to my birthday?"

"Of course, I will come. Can you tell me the home address right now?" His heart beat increased as he waited for her reply.

"Umm, Wait."

Katy told him the address as quickly as possible. Alex noted it down. Then looked at his granny,

"You were right nanny. Love is selflessness."

Mrs.Hoover smiled.

"That's my boy."