Chapter 8

Alicia and Stephen are in Alicia room, the party is ongoing downstairs, but neither was concern with the party.
Both Alicia and Stephen are looking into one another in the eyes, both are silent, save for their rapid breathing, not a single sound was heard in the room.
But the atmosphere is full of romance and love.
Stephen will want nothing than take Alicia away from here, he want to take her down, ripped her cloth off, and make love to her, but then the time is not now, he had something for Alicia.
But something else is going in Alicia mind, she is no longer the shy lady in the past, she had gained more confidence since her Twenty Nine years celebration, she expects Stephen take the lead, but she was disappointed, because Stephen keeps staring at her for a very long time.
Alicia speaks up. “Are you going to keep looking at me like that forever? Or you are going to kiss me.”
Stephen is very shock, but then he smiles, he moves closer to Alicia, and he lower his head to level with Alicia height, and he give her a slight peck in the cheeks.
Alicia was disappointed once again, this is not what she wanted, what she wanted is a slow but deep kiss, she wants to feel Stephen lips on her for a very long time, she wants to eat his tongue, she wants to feel Stephen breath.
She wants……….
She wants……….
In fact right now, what she wants is endless, and she does not bother if she is seen as a love peddler if she asks for it from Stephen for it.
“Stephen, don’t make me force ……………..”
Stephen put one of her finger on Alicia lips, and he made a shush sound, but Alicia is past caring right now, she force Stephen hands away.
“Don’t shush me right now, I know what I wanted.” Alicia said aggressively.
“You know for a virgin like you, you sure are too hungry.” Stephen said with joking tone and expression.
Alicia frowns, and her expression turns to someone who is ready to slaughter someone. But Stephen is not that move, rather she is amused by Alicia anger.
Finally he said. “I have something for you.”
Alicia frowns very hard, she said. “What is that?”
“I found it in my father collection, it something left behind by a father for her precious daughter.”
Alicia frowns, because she could one or two things together by Stephen words.
First, why will Stephen brings such a thing to her, if she is not the daughter of the man who left such gift.
Moreover, why even bother to tell her about it, if she not connected to the gift?
She does not need to bother finding out how Stephen had what belongs to her father, because she remembered that Stephen told her something about his father been an attorney.
Hence her curiosity is not about whom the daughter is, and how does Stephen have the package?
Alicia curiosity is what the package is?
But then she eventually saw what the package was, her expression changes, because she had seen the package before, even the package actually is the source of her low self-esteem, the reason why she thought her father was a bad man who never keep his promise is because of this package.
Fifteen Christmas ago, when her father died, she was alone awaiting her father arrival, but that is not what she saw, rather it was an old man, who gave to her a package, and he said it was from her father.
Back then, she had threw the package far away into the bush surroundings, she does not even bothered to listened to any explanation about the package, all she clamored for was her father, that which she later found out that was dead.
Now seeing the same package once again, it arise a lot of hunting memories in her that right now, she wanted nothing than attack the same package again, and maybe this time she can finally get rid of it finally.
But Stephen probably guess Alicia thought, hence he expects it every possible reaction from her.
“You have seen the package before right.” Stephen begins in a calm tone.
Alicia comes back to her senses, she sits down on her bed, and she held her forehead in her palm, but she did nod her head and replies
“Yes; probably my father lawyer.”
Alicia stops brooding about the past, she looks back at Stephen and she continues.
“Since you said your father was an attorney, hence I guess he is the one who brought the package for me fifteen years ago.”
Stephen is a bit confused, and the confusion reveals on his expression, he also sit beside Alicia and he said again.
“Okay, I do not understand something’s here. If he brought the package for you, then why did he have it back in his possessions?”
“That is because I threw the package back at him.”
Stephen frowns again, because he only becomes more confuse at Alicia words, he said. “I don’t understand what you meant by throwing the package back at him.
Alicia sits right and se said. “I mean I reject the package. I was a young girl back then, and all I ever wanted was just my father.”
“But did you even check what was in the package?”
Alicia frowns, because something like that does not even cross her mind. “But is that even necessary?” She said in her own defense.
Stephen stands up, he brings out the package from the inner pocket of his suit, it is the size of a small box not more than baby fist. He places it on the bed, and then he turns to Alicia.
“I guess you really look at what is inside, you will need it a lot.” And without waiting for Alicia to even refuse, he walks away using his back.
“I am downstairs whenever you are done.”
Stephen finally makes it outside the room, and he locks the door behind himself.
Alicia takes a look at the package left behind for her by Stephen, she is not ready to take a risk and be drawn back to her previous depressing stage.
But then Stephen words before he left creates a huge curiosity in her mind, hence for the first time, she really wants to know what her father did left behind for her. Hence she stands up from her bed, she pick up the box and she breaks the seal on the box.
But then she notice that the seal she broke is actually a new seal, there is also a sign that the box had been previously tampered with. Alicia does not need to be told, before she knew that it should be Stephen who probably tampered with the previous seal.
But the seal is the least of Alicia problem right now.
Hence she opens the box, and she is shock at the content in the box.
First, there is a MP3 player on the top layer of the box, beside the box was a handwritten letter, underneath were bunch of memory card, there is about ten of them.
Alicia picked up the letter, and she read the content. The content was just a simple five letter words
“From your loving father, kindly play the MP3 player to know what I have for you.”
Alicia may not be there, but she can vividly that the word in the letter is filled with love and warmth and pain, it is probably written down by a proud father, and the proud father is so happy and satisfied when the letter was written, but he probably was in so much pain and grief.
Immediately Alicia becomes nervous for no reason, she suddenly becomes afraid, she is so scared right now, that she is weary of what might be in the MP3 player, she is scared of what the content might be, and she is afraid to face what it might be.
Still Stephen words before he left still linger in her mind.
“You should probably check what was in the box.”
Those were his words, and that is what is pushing her to face her fear, and at least find out what her father left behind for her.
Hence Alicia takes the MP3 player, she also finds her ear pods, and she connects the ear pods to the MP3 player. Finally, she sits down comfortable on her bed, then she taps play and she closed her eyes.
First there is sound of static, and then seconds later, her father clear voice was heard.
“Hey Alicia. Merry Christmas, you are my precious girl, and I am sorry because I have to leave you very soon. I knew that I did promise to always be there for you every time, I promise to always be there at your birthday, I promise to always take you snowing, I promise to always celebrate Christmas with you.”
“But who am i? I can’t even fight death; I am just a weak person when it comes to death. Hence, you are not going to see me any longer. But you know what I am not sad about leaving you, because I knew that you are strong, you will deal well without me.”
Already Alicia expression changes, even her eye had turns red, and there are traces of tears in her eyes already.
Meanwhile the tape continues.
“Why am I so sure? It is because you are able to save our rabbit from been eaten.”
There is sound of chuckling from the tape.
The last words was so amusing to Alicia, that she also chuckle too amidst her tears, the laughter was a force one, because she is really sad right now
Because she sense that she had been a fool all this time, a fool that she was blinded by grief all the time, and she curse her loving father for missing her birthday, but she never understands the pain her father felt for leaving, she never knew that she alone was not the one at pain, her father also felt a bigger pain for leaving too.
Alicia actually stops the tape in the first place, but after she had settled her troubled heart, she plays the tape, and it continues.
“Alicia, I may not be there with you in person, but I am always available for you in spirit. I left for you just what you needed every year for you birthday, they are my teaching to you as a father, what you are going to face every year as you grow into an adult, the obstacles and challenges that will cross path, and how best to tackle them anytime you come across them.”
“Each memory card is a lesson for you to listen to every year, listen to them and get knowledge for every year’s ahead of you.”
“Alicia, I love you, and I really wish to be there for you, but you have yourself now, you have your Mom, and you have one Father above every father, and he is God above. Merry Christmas honey, and Happy birthday.”
Alicia broke to tears completely. She begins to beat herself.
“I am a fool, I am a fool. In my anger, I lost a whole lot of fifteen years of teaching; I lost a fatherly advice for me. I am a complete fool……..”
She continues to repeat and repeat. But she already handpicks the first memory card, the same recordings for her fourteen years birthday, the same year her father died of cancer, she removes the first memory card, and she insert the first one, she taps play and she listens.
“Merry Christmas Honey and Happy Birthday, Today you clock fourteen years old……………………………..”
About fifteen minutes later, Alicia insert another memory card, she taps play and she listen once again.
“Alicia honey, Merry Christmas once again, and Happy Birthday, it is a joy to know that you will be fifteen this year, marking the gradual end of adolescence, you are moving towards adulthood, I want you to understand……..………..”
Another twenty minutes later, the tape ends, and Alicia does not even slow down, she inserts another memory card again.”
“Merry Christmas Honey, and Happy Birthday…………………………”
And so Alicia continues to play each record, until it finally ended when she was supposed to be twenty four years. After she had finish up with the recordings, Alicia becomes silent all the sudden
But Alicia gained a lot from every recordings, in fact she felt opens to a new world entirely, it was like she is stepping into the vast ocean for the first time, but she is not scared, because she is in a reinforced ship.
Just that Alicia is a bit sad, because she felt she had previously wasted her precious time, she felt she had previously suffered for no reason. The feeling in Alicia heart right now is like an individual begging for ten dollar, when the same individual had a cash house filled with dollar.
But the individual is unaware of his massive wealth all because of ignorance and because he is blinded with anger.
Meanwhile after five minute of silence, Alicia finally speaks out.
“So this is all I have been missing for the past fifteen years, while I am suffering myself for no reason, my father left for me a precious gold, but I am suffering just for a bronze
Alicia looks up to the sky, and she felt sorry for herself, she is not a bit sad, rather she is sorry for herself for giving herself to anger, which later bore pain and disappointment for a whole fifteen years.
She always thought she is a mistake, because her father refuses to show up on her birthday, and her mother seems not to care. But now she understands that, she is the one at fault.
Instead of giving her mother chance, she snubbed her mother and she left, and instead of understanding her father difficulty, instead he blame him.
Alicia heaves out, she package the content MP3 and the memory card back into the box. But she did notice something so very crucial, she check the box out once again, and she sits down, and then she suddenly smiles, her smiles turn to Laughter, and finally she said.
“So easy has my life suddenly becomes, just because I came across him.”
Alicia supports her chin with her palm, she continues to smiles and she keeps reminiscing about her meeting with Stephen, because that accidental meeting began a new turning point in her life.
Stephen words before he walked away came to her memory once again.
“I will be downstairs, whenever you are done.”
Immediately Alicia stands up from her bed, she wore a fluffy slippers, then she head downstairs.
***********************
Stephen is sited alone with Lola and Faith, almost all the guest were gone to tveir various homes, the day is Christmas, hence they had to leave as soon as possible, so as to prepared for Church.
Alicia did alight from the stairs, but she is amaze at what she sees, Lola, Faith and Stephen are the only people remaining, but the atmosphere is not a bit dull in whatsoever moment, because Lola and Faith were both laughing heartily, and the center of it was Stephen, who was the source of the happiness.
For as long as she can remember, her mother had never laugh this very loudly, well the last time it did happen, she was not even close to been an adult.
Alicia did approach the group, she is care full enough not make any noise, but in her heart was happiness, the kind of happiness that she had even forgotten totally that it really existed.
“Didn’t I deserve to be invited to the get together too?”
Lola, Faith and Stephen turn around, and the all see Alicia standing them, and she rested on the headrest of the settee that the trio sat on and was having fun.
”You done with what you are doing” Stephen said to Alicia.
Alicia nods her head, and she transverse herself, and she is sited comfortably beside Stephen.
“So do I have my kiss now?” Alicia said, and she had an expectant look on her.
Stephen only smirk evilly, but instead of kissing Alicia, he only stands up from his seat, he drops the wine glass in his hand, and immediately, he walks away from tve spot, towards the outside.
Alicia was stunned, so stunned that her mouth is opened wide, she expects to be kiss deeply by Stephen, she does not even care if there is a third party in the sitting room, all she cares for was the kiss. But here she was, instead of the kiss she anticipated so much, Stephen only walks away leaving her hungry.
Not Alicia alone was stunned, Lola and Faith as well are both shock too, they have no idea what is going on Stephen mind, at least they are both older citizen, hence, they both had experience a lot of reaction, when is down to romance.
Alicia watch Stephen walks away, but she did snap out, and she wants to say something to Stephen, but then he suddenly turns around.
“Can I take you out on a date tomorrow? Two of us alone, candle light, lunch date.”
A big fuse blow in Lola and Faith head, because this is he height of it, they both felt like they were novice, in terms of romance.
But Alicia expression change, the date is what she really anticipates so much, and her it was staring right at her in the eyes.
Quickly she nods her head vigorously. “Yes sure.”
“Then wheels up at three tomorrow.” Stephen said with finality tone, and he walks away finally.
Alicia jumps up when finally Stephen is gone. “He really invites me for date, he did invite me for a lunch date, he really did.”
Well Lola and Faith are still in a state of shock, because Stephen reaction looks so bizarre to them, but as much they hate to admit it, his reaction is the most romantic reaction they ever experience.
But seeing Alicia happiness concerning the invitation, they can only shrug their shoulders, they have no reason to reject it, at least Alicia already give her consent to be there.
Few minutes later, Alicia is still and dancing about the invitation, Lola keeps drinking, and she keeps looking at her daughter on the moon, she smiles, because that exactly was here twenty ere twenty years ago, this exactly is herself when she was invited to a date by her husband.
Finally, she coughs out to get Alicia attention, and it works, because Alicia turns to her mother direction.
“Mom, you want to tell me something.” Alicia said with a frowning expression.
Lola nods her head, and she puts her wine glass on the table.
Alicia sits down silently, her attention on her mother.
Lola brings out a folder, she hands it over to Alicia. She also takes the folder with confusion written all over her, she opens the folder, and she is surprise, because on the front page was her name, she continues to read the content of all the papers in the folder.
Alicia eyes opens wide, because it is a transfer of assets and properties from her father, it was signed by her father already fifteen years ago, all she had to do is sign too, and everything belongs to her.
“Mom, you have a lot of explanation to give me.” Alicia said without even looking at her mother in the eyes, her attention is focus totally on the folders in her hand.
“I have to leave you two to yourself.” Faith cuts in.
Lola nods her head. “Thank you Faith.”
“Goodnight Grandma.” Alicia also adds too.
Faith rolls herself away on her wheelchair. Lola heaves and she turns to Alicia, she said.
“I know honey, but read the folder first, and sign under it.” Lola said, and she produces a pen from her purse.
Alicia does not refute her mother, at least it is clear that what was on her hands was something left for her by her father, moreover, her mother will not hurt her. Hence she takes the pen, and she sign at the right place.
Finally, she closes the folder, and she turns to her mother. “Okay Mom, I am listening.”
Alicia said and she folds her arms together.
“I and your father had wrong you Honey, because we judge you wrong.” Lola said and coughs lightly, and she continues.
“When you are young, you are too playful so much that I and your father is afraid of your future, hence when he is dying, he made me promise to give this to you when you are married.”
Alicia squeezes her face together. First, her mother was right about her playfulness, it is indeed a weakness on her part, when she is young, just that she never knew that it is a cause of worry for her parent. But what confuse her more was the connection with marriage?
“But what is it with Marriage?”
“Because we felt if you get married, you will have a sense of responsibility, and that is enough to make you focus.”
Alicia sank back into her chair, she looks at her mother in the eyes for a minute, she was silent, and she does not even know what to say back at her mother.
Lola moves closer to her daughter, she puts her arms on Alicia neck.
“And that is why I have been on your nerves to get married all these years. But we are sorry Honey, because I and your Father did not trust you enough even though you are our daughter.”
“But I am confuse Mom, I am not married yet, why gave me the assets?”
“That is because I felt that I need to trust you.” Lola replies, and she stands up on ver feet’s, she walks away and continues. “After you came running in yesterday complaining about your father disappointment, I had a change of mind, and I decide to trust my daughter, and that is why I gave the assets to you.”
Alicia looks at her mother in the eyes, she also stands up too and approaches her mother, and again she embraces her mother.
“Thank you Mom, I really appreciate you for wanting to trust me.”
“Welcome Honey. And for your father, I want you to forgive him, he is just been a parent.”
“Mom; Dad is gone, He is not coming back. So let’s both stop revolving our lives around him, I already receive what he left for me, and I will cherish every lesson I learn from him. But it is time we both forget him, let’s make him immortal in our heart, not in our lives again.”
Lola looks at her daughter with a happy expression; she did nods her head too.
“Okay Honey, let’s do just that.”
Alicia picks the folder up and she walks away to her room.
“Let’s get to bed, we have to be in Church at daybreak, moreover you have to take me on a grand tour around Alaska.”
Without waiting for her mother reply, she walks away.

A total of 9 chapters

Chapter 8

订单