She let out a long sigh and tried very hard to stifle the sobs beginning to well up in her. She covered her face with her hands and propped it on her elbows. She felt so alone, and in the hotel room, there wasn't very much to comfort her.
She'd run away from home, and checked into this hotel not knowing where else to go. She dared not go home in case that beast of a man would still be lurking around the house.
The bruises have started to heal, but she would break down in tears every time she saw them in the mirror.
And in her hotel room, she felt afraid of going out, so she stayed in the room all day. She did step out the first time, but seeing people down the hall began to frighten her and it became too much for her to bear. Her frightened mind began to imagine each man she saw to be him and her heart would beat so hard out of fear she would not be able to breathe.
At night, she would be engulfed in the loneliness, being in the cold, cold bed alone, wishing for the company of the one person who could make her feel better. He'd been calling a few times and the relief in hearing his voice was far too much for her to bear, and she would hang up in a gush of sobs, unable to say a word. But he had since stopped calling, and bitterness began to fill her.
And she cowered in a corner of the room in fear every time she hears voices outside, trying to conceal her sobs and not make a sound, lest should it be him to come looking once again ready to rain blows on her.
"This is the room, sir" said the manager. He looked nervously at the security guards and at the stranger in front of him. "Once again I wish to remind you that the safety of our guests is of our utmost concern and that it is against our policy to divulge information of our guests"
The stranger looked at the manager and with a tinge of impatience said,"I assure you, that this is genuine, and that it would do your reputation no good if you do not heed me." And he reached out and rang the door bell, and waited.
The doorbell pierced the silence in the room and she dashed into the corner. He's found her! She cowered in the corner, arms around her knees, shaking with fear and rocking herself to and fro to calm herself. She tried to not cry, but the tears blurred her vision as the door bell rang and rang. And she tried very hard to muffle her sobs as she heard the voices outside get more agitated; and she heard the key being turned in the lock and the door straining against the chain. Suddenly the door burst open and she screamed as the light from outside burst in the darkened room, blinding her.
And she did not know how long she screamed as she felt a pair of arms come around her and held her tight, a voice began to form words in her ears.
And she tried to struggle, but to no avail, and she gave up and burst into a torrent of sobs as she realized it was the comforting voice she had been longing for; and those hands, running through her hair and stroking her back, were the warm ones that gave her the comfort when she always needed.
The stranger sat on the floor and cradled her head on his shoulders and stroked her gently as he motioned to the hotel manager and guards away.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Fury
She sat at the edge of the bed, hunched over with her knees to her face. In her arms she cradled her teddy bear, her only companion that knew everything in her heart. She pressed her bear against the tear that rolled down her cheek, the softness on her skin giving her comfort. Painfully, she pulled herself off the bed and staggered to the bathroom. She gave out a wail and crumpled to the floor, shuddering and sobbing when she saw herself in the mirror. She held her teddy bear even harder against her, as if the softness would make the pain go away, and she cried and continued to cry until she could cry no more.
He regularly went away for weeks on end, and every time he'd gone, she'd feel a sense of relief and freedom. He was great company in the beginning but in recent months had been somewhat overbearing. And with his frequent long absence, someone else began to fill her heart, from colleagues to friend, to companion and to lover. And guilt began gnaw at her heart as his occasional presence began to drain her feelings for him.
He had come home unannounced, and screamed for her. He'd been drinking, and amidst the foul stench of his alcohol laden breath he had accused her of cheating him. cheating! She tried to explain, but he cut her off at every pause with a string of abusive names. She cowered in fear knowing that this tempest was the biggest yet, and she soaked the abuse quietly, huddled in the corner of her room hoping that is would pass as always.
This time though, her silence fueled the anger and it exploded into a fury she had never thought possible. She hadn't realized she was screaming as blow against blow came upon her, until everything blacked out, and he stormed out of the house.
She couldn't remember how long it was before she came to, but her vision was blurred and was interspersed with a sensation of a million flashlights going off at once.
Painfully, she dragged herself out of the bathroom, pausing on the floor at the door frame. She recognized bits and pieces of her phone on the floor which she assembled with shaking hands and dialled a now familiar number. The voice that answered comforted her as always and she tried to sound strong to say she needed the day off.
She knew her voice gave her away this time, and he asked,"Are you alright? You don't sound too good,".
She tried to say,"I'm fine", but the moment overwhelmed her as her pain racked body began to shudder and sobs began to take over..
He regularly went away for weeks on end, and every time he'd gone, she'd feel a sense of relief and freedom. He was great company in the beginning but in recent months had been somewhat overbearing. And with his frequent long absence, someone else began to fill her heart, from colleagues to friend, to companion and to lover. And guilt began gnaw at her heart as his occasional presence began to drain her feelings for him.
He had come home unannounced, and screamed for her. He'd been drinking, and amidst the foul stench of his alcohol laden breath he had accused her of cheating him. cheating! She tried to explain, but he cut her off at every pause with a string of abusive names. She cowered in fear knowing that this tempest was the biggest yet, and she soaked the abuse quietly, huddled in the corner of her room hoping that is would pass as always.
This time though, her silence fueled the anger and it exploded into a fury she had never thought possible. She hadn't realized she was screaming as blow against blow came upon her, until everything blacked out, and he stormed out of the house.
She couldn't remember how long it was before she came to, but her vision was blurred and was interspersed with a sensation of a million flashlights going off at once.
Painfully, she dragged herself out of the bathroom, pausing on the floor at the door frame. She recognized bits and pieces of her phone on the floor which she assembled with shaking hands and dialled a now familiar number. The voice that answered comforted her as always and she tried to sound strong to say she needed the day off.
She knew her voice gave her away this time, and he asked,"Are you alright? You don't sound too good,".
She tried to say,"I'm fine", but the moment overwhelmed her as her pain racked body began to shudder and sobs began to take over..
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Solace
He parked the car in the basement and spent some time looking for the way into the mall. The size of the crowd bewildered him, and he felt lost trying to look for that familiar face among the sea of faces. He moved slowly, much too slowly; and the flow of people pushed and shoved him till he found himself in the courtyard decorated in many, tiny lights that twinkled like stars, and branched out into different corridors. Amidst the sea of people, he saw her, like a blood red rose in a green sea of weeds, serenity in a sea of chaos, standing there, typing a message on her phone. He walked up to her quietly, blew on her ear and grinned as she gave a startled yelp and whirled around.
“You!!”, she said, her face immediately breaking into a smile, “You spooked me!” He grinned and apologized for the cheekiness and they proceeded to dinner after meeting up the rest of the group. It was a simple affair, a meeting of friends where business was the least important matter. There were four of them, and for the first time in weeks they sat together exchanging jokes and stories. He sat next to her and found himself admiring the way she laughed and how she went through every line in the menu choosing her food. She would look up to the waiter, like a starry eyed little girl and ask all kinds of things with child-like curiosity. And she would dip her finger into every sauce and smack them off her finger with her lips.
As the night progressed, he found his fingers locked in hers on her lap. Occassionally he would find her stroking his hand with her other hand. And other times he would find himself stroking her hand.
Soon enough, dinner was over and after the usual “I’ll pay, no, I’ll pay” each parted company and went their own way, leaving him with her. They chatted a while and walked slowly to the exit. She grew quiet. Her pace slowed down the nearer they got to the exit.
She gripped his fingers in hers, placed her cheek on his arm which she stroked with her free hand. “I’m not ready to let you go,” she said, gripping his fingers even harder. “I havent had enough of you tonite”. He put his arm around her and gave her a tight squeeze.
“ I havent enough of your company either”, he said, as he walked her to her car.
She looked at him wistfully, twirling her car keys absentmindedly as they stood outside the car. He opened the door and let her in, only to get in the other side.
Once he got in, she threw her arms around him and kissed his face and held him tight. He savored the touch of her skin and the smell of her perfume. And they sat there, speaking in whispers, holding hands and in each other’s arms.
Time seemed to stop as they detached themselves from the world and lost themselves in their love, and when they realized how time had passed, the parking lot was deserted save for the cleaning crew beginning their rounds.
He stepped out of the car as she turned her engine, and with a reluctant wave, blowing a kiss towards him, she drove off slowly. He stood there in the dimming lights until she was out of sight; and he begun the long trek to his car, in the deserted basement alone, with the memory of her touch, the smell of her perfume lingering, teasing him of his loneliness.
“You!!”, she said, her face immediately breaking into a smile, “You spooked me!” He grinned and apologized for the cheekiness and they proceeded to dinner after meeting up the rest of the group. It was a simple affair, a meeting of friends where business was the least important matter. There were four of them, and for the first time in weeks they sat together exchanging jokes and stories. He sat next to her and found himself admiring the way she laughed and how she went through every line in the menu choosing her food. She would look up to the waiter, like a starry eyed little girl and ask all kinds of things with child-like curiosity. And she would dip her finger into every sauce and smack them off her finger with her lips.
As the night progressed, he found his fingers locked in hers on her lap. Occassionally he would find her stroking his hand with her other hand. And other times he would find himself stroking her hand.
Soon enough, dinner was over and after the usual “I’ll pay, no, I’ll pay” each parted company and went their own way, leaving him with her. They chatted a while and walked slowly to the exit. She grew quiet. Her pace slowed down the nearer they got to the exit.
She gripped his fingers in hers, placed her cheek on his arm which she stroked with her free hand. “I’m not ready to let you go,” she said, gripping his fingers even harder. “I havent had enough of you tonite”. He put his arm around her and gave her a tight squeeze.
“ I havent enough of your company either”, he said, as he walked her to her car.
She looked at him wistfully, twirling her car keys absentmindedly as they stood outside the car. He opened the door and let her in, only to get in the other side.
Once he got in, she threw her arms around him and kissed his face and held him tight. He savored the touch of her skin and the smell of her perfume. And they sat there, speaking in whispers, holding hands and in each other’s arms.
Time seemed to stop as they detached themselves from the world and lost themselves in their love, and when they realized how time had passed, the parking lot was deserted save for the cleaning crew beginning their rounds.
He stepped out of the car as she turned her engine, and with a reluctant wave, blowing a kiss towards him, she drove off slowly. He stood there in the dimming lights until she was out of sight; and he begun the long trek to his car, in the deserted basement alone, with the memory of her touch, the smell of her perfume lingering, teasing him of his loneliness.
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