Chapter 9 Knowing Andy

• It's Friday again, and it has been another week of pure euphoria and harmony. The bond between me and Andy has augmented in a tremendous way, and I am so over the moon about it. We sit in this kitchen for hours enunciating about anything and everything in general after Angel goes to bed, enjoying our usual lemon and honey coffee which Andy can't skip even for a single day. The cooking in this house has become a permanent responsibility for me too. I prepare their.., sorry, our, every single meal, and I am so delighted for Andy's trust in me to do this. They love my food, so much, and now Andy does not eat anywhere else. No offence, but I am freaking bragging about it. It's an achievement for me.
• I am patiently waiting for that day he will ask me to be packing his lunch for him so that I can break my legs jumping up and down with joy. Meh! Deep sigh! That sounds like the eighth wonder.
• Aside from all that, I am also in equilibrium now because I know the bank will not be bugging my parents about the loan. I received my first salary two days ago, and the first thing I did was to send more than three-quarters of it to my parents. I am certain that apart from settling down our loan payment for this month, other bills and their upkeep for this month will be sorted out too.
• What Andy disbursed in my account was mind-blowing. At first, I assumed he had made a wrong payment to my account, and I had to wait for him to ascertain. Even my parents could not surmise when I told them how much I was going to send. For a maid, the salary is sky-highly abnormal, but I am appreciative because, with that income, I will be able to help my family more than I even imagined. Speaking of my family, I had promised to give them a video call today. Since Angel has gone to bed and Andy has not yet arrived, it's the perfect time to call them as I wait for Andy so that we can have our coffee.
• I connect the Wi-Fi and make a WhatsApp call. It's 9:45 p.m, meaning that Andy should be here any minute. They better pick quick.
• "Finally, Tania! We have been gaping at this phone for hours. We were almost giving up." Mira spoke, after receiving the phone. I knew she will be the first one to babble.
• "Come on Mira! She wasn't just seated in the house doing nothing like you here! Show some understanding! Hello dear, how are you? Are you okay?" That's my mother, the most pragmatic, caring, and loving woman I have ever known. She has been, still is, and will be my source of strength.
• "Are you alright my child? Are they treating you well there, huh?" And that's my dad. He has been our hope in disparity, the strong pillar of our family.
• "Hi, guys," I say to them all, flapping a hand on the screen. "I am good. Especially now that I have seen you guys. Gosh! It's been only a month but I miss you like I left last year. Wait, where is Mina?" Mina and Mira are identical twins, my only siblings, and it's rare to not see them together.
• "She had a headache and went to bed early. Too bad she....."
• "Hey, there, sissy! I could not miss this call for anything. You know me, don't ya?" Mina's smiling face appears on the screen, and now my entire family is in front of me. How I love and miss them!
• "I am glad to see you all," I say.
• "We're glad to see you too, Tania." They chorus altogether.
• "Alright, guys. My boss is about to arrive any minute. Can we do this tomorrow?"
• "Sure, dear. But before then, we wanted to ask if we can send you the balance, Tania!"
• "Oh, come on father. All I sent was for you guys. And don't tell me it's more than enough because I understand the real situation back there!"
• "But, dear, were you left with anything for yourself? You also have personal needs."
• "Don't worry about me, mother. I have everything I need here. And if it makes you happy, I was left with something." I assure them.
• "Alright, dear. Always take care of yourself. And always remember..," she pauses as they squeeze together to the chorus again, "we love you s...o..m..u..c..h..." they drag the last two words with thunderstruck faces like they have seen a ghost. I raise an eyebrow to understand their scary gesture and ask what the problem is, but instead of speaking, they just stare at the screen.
• Before I can die of shock, I see a man's hand wave at the screen from my behind, making a cold shiver run down my spine.
• "Hello!" Comes his sweet voice.
• Andy!
• Still postured on my stool, I look back, as I listen to the soft voices of my family respond to his greetings, and here he is, handsome Andy, as always.
• Gosh!
• "How are you, sir?" My father speaks, as Andy comes closer and stands right behind me, his front on my back and, men, Isn't he too hot? Damn!
• "I am good, Mr Lawson. And how are you all?" Wow! I keep holding the phone constantly as my father and my boss converse.
• This greek god of a boss has a way of affecting me, but I keep my composure.
• "We are all good here."
• "That's great. I'll leave you to continue your talk with An...Tania! Do have a good night and a great time."
• I was controlling myself excellently fine until that name almost slipped out his lips. I had to blush to prevent a chuckle. Ania! Really? He was about to call me that in front of my family? OMG!
• I look at them to see if they deduce anything, and I was about to sigh in relief until I saw the look on Mira's face. The glimmer on her face, mated with her glare at Andy, is so dubious. This girl is too sharp for her age, I beg!
• "No need, sir!" My dad spoke, breaking the awkwardness. "We were about to say goodnight to Tania." He moves his gaze toward me. "Dear, take care of yourself, okay? Goodnight, and we love you so much."
• "Thank you, father. I love you all too. Take good care of yourselves. Goodnight." We all wave on the screen, and although nobody wanted to end the conversation, I press the red button, and heave a sigh.
• Sitting beside each other with Andy like we always do, I serve us coffee. We observe silence for a few minutes, each lost between their own thoughts and the sweet taste of coffee down the throat.
• "You have a beautiful family." He finally broke the boredom.
• "Yeah. I love them so much." I reply with all earnestness. My family is my everything. My all. I would not be working as a maid right now if I did not love them.
• "You are lucky to have them."
• "I know, right? I can do anything for them, including giving up my dreams for their sake."
• "They are the reason you are here?"
• "Yes. It's a sacrifice I willingly made for everyone's sake."
• "What's the situation? Maybe I can help?"
• That made me look up into his orifices. Is he really serious? Yes! His eyes can't lie. For the one month that I have stayed with him, I have come to perfectly understand the language of his cute eyes. They never, never lie.
• "It's a long story. Thank you for the offer but, I want to believe everything is under control now."
• "Okay. But just in case you need anything, you can talk to me."
• "Thank you, Andy." I murmur.
• I don't know what exactly is this that I feel for this guy, but I am terrified of it because I don't want anyone to get hurt. All my senses scatter when I am with him. I can't tell if he feels the same. Can he even feel like this for someone like me?
• "Do I have something on my face?" His deep voice knocks me back to my senses.
• Dear me! Can you get ahold of your emotions?
• "No... No! My mind was somewhere else." I lie.
• "In bed with Andy?"
• Shit! I mean, damn! That thought itself, my goodness!
• I thank God my mouth was dry, else I would have choked my lungs out.
• "What about you?" I ask, changing the subject.
• "What about me?"
• Huh, jerk! Not that road!
• "Do you have a family aside from Angel? Brother? Sister? Parents?" He maintains silence for a period that is long enough for me to deduce I was out of line. He is not just tight-lipped, but is lost somewhere too, sadly and deeply in thoughts, like he has been reminded of something so outrageous. "Sorry, for being nosey." I whisper, and he snaps out of his thoughts.
• "It's okay. I don't have any other family except my daughter. No one else." He says and gulps down the remaining coffee in his mug.
• I pour him another steaming hot Coffee.
• "I am sorry for that," I say, and decide to push the button a little further. "What happened to them?"
• "Nothing happened." He says, again, after thinking deeply. "They just never wanted me. Nobody wanted me. Not my father who I never got to meet, not my mother who abandoned me at the age of one, nor my grandmother who handed me to my animal of an uncle at the age of seven, who later mercilessly threw me out of his house after my high school. I was all alone. Everyone I met left in no time. I have no beautiful memories with anyone, except Angel." How sad! How awful! I have been with him for just a month and I have grown to like him. He is a good father and a gentleman. Why did everyone leave him? "Anyway," he speaks again, "that's life for me. I am happy with Angel. By the way, we are going to Rita's house tomorrow. Those people won't give me any peace if I don't take you to their house."
• "Okay." I am still shocked about what I have discovered about him, and that is why I am not as excited as I should be about the news of meeting my crazy friend once again.
• "Goodnight." He stands up to leave, looking terribly sad and I abhor that look. I should have shut my mouth about enquiring about his family. Now see what my big mouth has done to him.
• "Ash... Andy?" I call before he could step out of the kitchen, and he turns around, that look of sadness still there. It breaks my heart.
• "Don't... you...want a kiss today?" I shamelessly ask. If this kissing blows up, I will have no one to blame but myself.
• "No. Not today!" Ouch! The pain that fills my heart the minute those words escape his mouth is a very sharp one. He does not want to kiss me? He is not interested in my kisses anymore? I feel like an arrow has just been shot directly into my heart. I stupidly thought my kisses meant a thing to him. "Maybe.... a hug?" He spoke again. At least. At least.
• He opens his arms broadly, and I ran into them, embracing him and clinging to him like he is my dear life. "Thank you, Ania!" He whispers, and I snuggle up to him, tightening my arms around his neck.
• If only this could last forever, I want to be nowhere else but in his arms.