FINDING LOVE
(My heart de-sire)
BY BLESSING SILVER
CHAPTER 18
“I’ll be fine mom!” Leona as-sured her mom for what she would describe as the umpteenth time “it’s late.. you should back home” Leona said, dis£ngaging from the hvg.. her mom sniffed with a shake of her head.
“I’m going to stay until Amelia comes” she disagreed obnoxiously, ma-king Leona sigh.
Earlier, she had given Amelia a call while her mom helped stuff her clothes into her luggage, Amelia happy squeal answered her back as she delivered the news and since Leona had decided to leave on her own, she didn’t think taking her car with her was a good idea since her dad got it for her.. she didn’t want him to feel that she can’t survive alone without him or anything that’s his.. she’s willing to go that far to prove to him that she could. She didn’t know how tough the outside world can be but she alre-ady had her life planned down the few hours she spent bringing out her things. . Once she gets her own ap@rtment, she’d get a job and start her life as an adult then once she saves enough, she would go to law school and start on achieving her dream.. As she dragged her box to the living room, her dad gave her a small scoff, as if mocking her and Leona gathered up enough strength to ignore him. .
“I’ll be willing to forgive you once I’m certain that you’ve realize your mistake and the fact that a daughter nee-ds to obey her father no matter what” he said to her before standing up and walking away. Leona sighed out and walked out too, her mom following her with another luggage and a small box that had her toiletries.
They were currently outside the gate, waiting for Amelia’s car to pick her up as she had promised and her mom refused to back to the house without as-suring herself that her daughter was safe.. A minute later, the headlights of a car flashed towards their direction and a car pu-ll-ed up in front of them, Leona knew it wasn’t Amelia’s and she got a bit alarmed about it but calmed down when the car door opened and Amelia stepped down, her mom stepped down from the driver’s, Amelia walked to her.
“Hi aunty,” she greeted Elisabeth who smiled at her.. “Sorry I’m late, my mom wouldn’t believe me when I told her I was only going to pick you, she thinks I was going to abandon her for a guy” she said, gr-abbing her luggage and Leona knew all the words she had said was directed to her mother in a sort of mocking way.
“I was only ma-king sure that you’re safe Amy and I don’t think that’s a nice thing to me in front of your friend” Hilda says but Amelia only walked past her to the car.
“Hello Aunty!” Leona greeted .
“Oh hi Leona, how’ve you been?”
“Fine,” she answered “Thanks for letting me crash at your place for a while”
“It’s okay. You’re always welcome” she said. Leona walked to her mom and took her bag from her but she engulfed her in a hvg instead and Leona sighed behind her.
“I’m not going forever mom..We can always see each other. I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me” she said, pu-lling away “I’ll call you before I sleep. Take care of yourself, okay?” She said and her mom nodded. .
“You too” she said and Leona wiped her tears with her thumb before walking to the car. . Leaving her mom to talk with Amelia’s. She took her seat at the back seat..
Amelia’s mom c@m£ over later and started the car, driving them home. Leona saw her mom wave to her as the car started to move, she waved back and sighed. .
The car st©pped in front of a big bungalow, parking among the others and they got down.. Amelia gr@bb£d her luggage for her while Leona reached for the boxes, they walked into the house. .
“I was really excited when I got your call about the news, I got the guest room re-ady first, nanny was doing the mopping and dusting. I’m sure it should be re-ady now” Amelia said to her in a cheerful tone.
“Thank you Amelia” she said.
“It’s okay and besides, I’ve always wanted this to happen. So should I fix you something to eat or what?”
“No thanks. I’m okay. I just feel really dizzy from all that drama I had to face.. I could use some sleep” she said.
“Aw..sorry. I’m sure your dad will come around.. he’s probably still getting himself from all those days he spent in the hospital” Amelia said and Leona sighed. Wishing it was true.
She wish she’d be able to block all this from her head over the years.
“Follow me, I’ll take you to your room” she said and Leona followed her. She opened a wooden door by the knob and they walked in. . Leona checked the room out and turned to Amelia. .
“Why are there two be-ds, Am I sharing the room with someone?” she asked her.
“Actually, that’s my be-d. I’m leaving it here for tonight and maybe few nights from now” she said, giving Leona puppy eyes.
“Quit giving me that look” Leona rolled her eyes, taking off her shoes.
“Isn’t it cute?” She asked, wi-nking cheerfully.
“Oh plea-se Amy!” She fli-ckered.
They both busied themselves with arranging her things, moving her bags to the closet, her shoes in the rack and her toiletries in the bathroom..
As she got herself re-ady for be-d, Leona gr@bb£d her phone and called her mom. . After a few minutes conversation between them, she la-id on her be-d, drawing her duvet up. They turned off the lights and she turned to her side.
As she started to close her eyes, a knock c@m£ on yer door, ma-king her spring up.. the knock c@m£ again. Amelia and she exchanged looks.
“Are you slee-ping alre-ady, Leona?” Amelia’s mom asked.
Leona gave Amelia a look..
“Open it if you want, I’m not getting up from here” Amelia grumped, turning back to her phone. .
“I’m coming aunty” she said, giving Amelia a wry look. She stood up and walked to the door, unlocking it and flinging it open.
“I brou-ght you some blankets,” she said “I’m sorry, did I disturb your sleep?”
“No aunty Hilda, I wasn’t slee-ping yet”
“Good then. Goodnight” she said before walking away. Amelia walked back to the hed, dropping the blanket in the cu-pboard. She went back to be-d and as her b©dy contacted the soft, comfy cushion, Leona found herself drifting to sleep.
**
“..I’m not a kid anymore!”
“I’ll agree on that when you st©p acting like one”
Leona tossed on her be-d, as if brushing off the bickering.
“And who do you think you are to agree on anything that has to do with me?!”
“Your mother”
“Oh plea-se. . We both know you wouldn’t be here if you had work to do. . St©p trying to give me that motherly-figure talk!”
Leona woke up with a slight grimace, she didn’t nee-d anyone to tell her Amelia and aunt Hilda were in an argument. Amelia had always told her about their usual quarrel routine but Leona never expected or thought it’d be this big.. She sighed and stood up, waving off the rest of their hvge words, she walked to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, staring at the mirror. .
She searched for her face wiper and realized she had left it at home, she could just get another. She washed her face and gr@bb£d a towel to wipe it. Walking out of the bathroom, she walked to her be-d, glanced at the time.. it was just few minutes close to seven. She set the towel aside and gr@bb£d her l@pt©p, she turned it on and went to the internet, typing what she nee-ded, she scrolled throu-gh the list of self-contain ap@rtments that appeared on her screen.. searching for a more comfortable and affordable one. The door opened and Amelia walked in, her eyes had fli-ckers of anger as she ban-ged the door. She walked up to Leona, calming down.
“You’re up” she said, sitting beside her “what’re you doing?”
“Searching for a cheap ap@rtment” she answered.
“But you just got here. And you’re very much welcome to stay for as long as you want”
“And be stuck in the middle of you and your mom’s quarrel? Thanks, but I’ll pas-s” she said.
“Why are you in such a hurry? You’ve spent only a night here”
“And very soon I’ll start working, I’ll be nee-ding all the rest I can get and besides, I alre-ady had this in mind.. it’s never too late to start now you know”
“Okay then. I’ll just move in with you, I’m sure mom wouldn’t mind” she said. “Breakfast’s re-ady, mom asked me to call you” she said before moving to her be-d.
“Okay”
“I nee-d to take my bath, see you at the dinning” she said before walking out of the room.
After breakfast, Leona and Amelia helped with the dishes after Leona practically f0rç£d her to. Leona pu-ll-ed into a skinny jeans and small t©p after having a bath, she went back to her l@pt©p and searched for job offers before s£nding out her reuśmè, she closed it after it and prayed that she gets an offer soon.
Leona gr@bb£d her purse when Amelia insisted they take a drive around, she could as well get a new wiper while at it. Amelia informed her mom who reminded her of the curfew and she rolled her eyes to it, dragging Leona along.
“Don’t worry aunt, I’ll mak sure we get home before then” she as-sured her before giving in to Amelia’s pressure.
They got into the car and Amelia started it.. Few minutes into the drive Leona sp©tted a shopping mall and asked Amelia to drop, she did and they both walked into the mall. Leona quic-kly picked two packs of the wipers and a refill for her lotion.. Amelia stood by the door, waiting for her. She walked to the payment stand and gave her credit card.. The lady on desk commenced with the pay up process. .
“Miss, looks like your account has been frozen” she said, giving Leona a confused look.
“W-what do you mean frozen?” Leona asked, a de-ep frown on her face.
“Here, see?” The lady showed her “your card was refused” she said.
Leona gulped at the revelation, moistening herl-ips that had suddenly gone dry from embarras-sment.
Noticing the frowns and small talks, Amelia knew something wasn’t right so she walked up to them..
“But how?” Leona asked rhetorically and the answer hit her, she sighed and faced the lady who still had a confused expression.
“I’m so sorry about this, I had no idea that my account was frozen. I’ll just return this” she said..
“Or you can just use mine” Amelia stepped in, stretching her own card to the Lady. Not finding her voice, Leona only gave her a thankful look and let her settle the bills. She collected the bag and they walked out of the mall. They quietly moved back into the car.
“You don’t have to say anything about what happened back there if you don’t want to. I un-derstand” she said and Leona smiled at her.
“Thank you, Amelia” she said.
“And you’re not allowed to wear that face in my car” she said with a straight look. “We’re going out for fun girl.. Be cheerful!” She nudged her and Leona smiled.
“Okay” she de-epened her smile.
“Good girl” Amelia said before starting the car.
*
After the whole fun moment that somehow drove Leona’s mind off her problem for a while, Amelia drove them home and once she entered the room she was given, her problems rushed back to her. After dinner, they both went back to the room and while Amelia talked to Jackson on phone at a corner of her be-d, Leona was on the re-ading table, checking her l@pt©p for any responses on the five job request she s£nt out.. She went to the first, no response. A little sad, she cli-cked on the second; no response. She scrolled to the third, no response. With slight hope left she cli-cked on the fourth, no response. Leona shut her eyes and prayed inwardly before going to the fifth, still no response. A short sigh pas-sed throu-gh herl-ips as she shut the l@pt©p. She glanced back at Amelia and realized she was still on the phone, a de-ep grin rested on her face.. Leona turned back to her front, resting her chin on her open Palm while her elbows stayed on the table, supporting the hold on her chin.. Leona drove into thought..
It was just the first day since she moved away from home and she was almost getting fed up, she knew her dad would go any length to her that he’s right but she didn’t expect him to go as far as freezing her account.. He was the only one that had access to it since he opened it for her.. He’s practically leaving her helpless, probably smiling to himself and waiting for her to come back to him crawling and pleading.. What will she do without money?. She had promised herself to do this on her own, she didn’t want to start collecting money from her mother this early.. She’ll think she’s helpless and desperate and plead with her to come back home and that was something Leona wasn’t going to do.. She still found it ha-rd to believe that her dad can be selfish to this extent , he doesn’t even care about her survival before going ahead to freeze her account, obviously, he’s doing all he can to get her back..
She knew she did the right thing by walking away, it’s something she should’ve done a long time ago and her heart response, showed that it supported her but now Leona doubt that she’ll be able to survive it.. She had planned it to be easy but it was alre-ady ha-rd on the first day.. She just wish she doesn’t lose hope and give up halfway throu-gh this path she had chos£n.. She felt a warm liquid splash on her che-st, ma-king her j£rk back to reality, she sniffed and t©uçhed her we-t cheeks, she was crying and she didn’t even know it.
.
Okay, here it is. Sorry it c@m£ late, I had to edit before posting.
Question-what do you suggest to Leona now? Give up?
What do you think about Amelia?.. let’s discuss, everyone should p@rticipate.
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T.B.C