Posts tagged “novels”

Strangers of the Past: Part XXIV

Posted on 29/01/2013

sflowersjThe incessant beeping of the EKG machine kept him from staring consistently at her face, soft and vulnerable. So with one quick sweep of the screen, he brought his gaze back to stare at her. Long lashes splayed gently on her high cheekbones and his gaze silently traveled down her pert nose and full, parted lips.

Lowering himself to the chair beside her bed, Neve eyed her hands, silently admiring her long and slender fingers, the nails short and capable-looking. His eyes moved back to her face and he tilted his head, studying her curiously. Where did she come from? Who was she?

His heart stirred at the sound of her heartbeats, steady and strong. Thank goodness Old Man Jonas had been there to find her, lying face down on a bed of sand and rocks. He swallowed hard, tracing her strong profile and he felt his fingers itch to touch her smooth, mocha skin.

Then his gaze fell on the small mound of her abdomen and steeled his thoughts. Whoever this woman was, she was a long way from home.

Now standing outside the Sunrise Tours building, Neve’s vision blurred as tears gathered at his eyelids. He could still remember the day he’d walked into her hospital room more than eight years ago and his eyes collided with her chocolate-brown gaze. Her confused expression, her taut lips imprisoning him at the door.

It’d taken a couple of days before she opened that beautifully-shaped mouth to address him, thanking him for saving her. With one hand on her swollen belly, she gazed up at him with shimmering eyes asking him to tell her where she was, who she was. He had no answer for her and felt even more helpless than he’d ever felt. Leaving the hospital made him feel guilty and he found himself thinking about her after he’d gone home for the day. Days passed and he couldn’t help himself but to look for her, watch after her, smiling at her speedy recovery. She was inquisitive yet patient, lovely in form and intriguing. Neve had never met anyone like her.

Three months passed and her son, Tomas, was born. Neve was captivated and wouldn’t look back. In all of his thirty-three years, this was the first time he’d ever wanted to take responsibility of anyone but himself, just like his father wished for him long ago.

He waited for years, standing by their side, supporting them overtly and sometimes quietly, waiting for the day Ameya would gaze at him with love in those chocolate eyes. Patience had never been a strong suit of his, his reckless youth a testament but ever since Ameya and Tomas had stumbled into his life, Neve did not mind waiting for Ameya to finally run into his arms and be content with him as he was with them. He wanted them to be his family, to love him and his father for as long as they lived. Not once had he thought Ameya belonged anywhere else but here with him.

His eyes tingled as the tears gathered, threatening to slide down his face. Then a hand touched his shoulder and Neve jumped, gasping back the impending sobs as his gaze fell on Ameya’s concerned face. He ducked his head and swiftly wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Neve?” her gentle voice caressed and slapped him at the same time. “What’s the matter?”

He shook his head and once he’d swallowed back the tears, Neve slowly lifted his head to peek at her. “You’re here?”

Ameya raised a brow at him, visibly disturbed. “Yeah,” she replied, glancing over his shoulder at the front door. “What’s the matter?” she repeated, dragging her gaze back to his face.

Her chocolate eyes searched his face for answers and Neve felt his heart twist and squeeze painfully, he had to look away. “Nothing…” He lifted a hand to rub his eyes. “I’m just tired.”

Ameya smirked at his lame excuse and shook her head. “Then go home…” She peered over his shoulder again, her brow furrowed. “Huh, do we have visitors?” she muttered to herself, ready to step around him.

“Uh Ameya,” Neve said, realizing that she might hear the conversation he hoped she wouldn’t. Quickly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and tugged her away from the door, toward the main street.

Stunned by his swift move, Ameya gaped up at him once they stepped a few feet from the building. “Really, Neville, what is the matter with you?” She pushed at his chest until he released her shoulders and straightened her paisley button-down shirt.

Neve swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep his eyes on her lest she became too suspicious. “Uh, I need to speak with you.” He could hear his own racing heart echoing loudly in his ears. His palms were damp and tingling, his tongue trembling.

Ameya narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “What is it?”

“I…” Neve started to say, even though he knew he couldn’t ask her what his heart desired to. Especially not after what he’d just heard. His heart slammed hard against his ribs, leaving him breathless. Neve frowned darkly, frustrated with himself.

“Neville,” Ameya prodded in rising aggravation. She shifted her weight onto one leg, placing her hands on her hips. “Speak up, will you?”

“I…” his eyes lifted from her frowning face and over her head. The words hung from his throat as he stared at the four men standing a few feet away from him, staring back at him. The hurt look on his father’s face was more than enough for him. Neve swallowed his words promptly. “I-I’ll tell you later.” With a forced smile, he patted her arm and stepped away from her.

Flabbergasted, Ameya watched with parted lips as Neve spun on his heels and strode away quickly without another word. She scoffed as he crossed the street and practically ran to his car. “What nonsense was that?” she muttered to herself, watching his car speed past her.

Behind her, four men stared after the dark jeep that zoomed past them. Then Warren and Francis exchanged worried glances while Jonathan and Marcus turned their attention to Ameya’s back. With the truth out in the open, what would happen now?

At the end of the street, Neve glanced at the rear-view mirror and watched with his heart in his throat as Ameya turned to face the four men with a welcoming, warm smile on her face. Squeezing the steering wheel tightly, Neve stepped down on the gas and swiftly turned the corner.

<<Part 23 || Part 25>>

Categories: Strangers of the Past

Tagged: , , , , ,

Strangers of the Past: Part XXIII

Posted on 19/01/2013

streetsHow he dreaded waking up early on his day off, but with the bustling next door, Neve swallowed a groan and squinted one eye at the bright light peeking from the thin white curtains above his bed. Shifting his gaze to the glowing alarm clock near his bed, Neve frowned deeper as the rustling noise on the other side of his wall persisted. “Dad…” he growled, lifting a heavy arm to shield his eyes from the invasive light.

When the noise paused, Neve smiled gratefully and snuggled under his blanket to continue the rest. Then the front door slammed loudly, and his eyes snapped open. Blinking against the light, Neve shifted his gaze over his shoulder to read the time. It was just six in the morning and on a Saturday at that. Where was his father off to on his day off?

Holding back another groan for his precious sleep being disturbed, Neve closed his eyes to sleep again. His father was old enough to take care of himself. There was no need for him to worry. Except, the image of his father’s shocked expression when he announced that he wanted to marry Ameya popped in his head and Neve quickly sat up in bed. “No way…” he muttered, flinging the blanket off his body.

Faster than he could’ve ever scrubbed for a surgical procedure, Neve threw on a pair of old jeans and shrugged on a faded sweater, and scurried out of the house to the only car sitting outside the house. Chills ran down his spine as he quickly put the car in reverse and followed the weaving slope down the hill to the main square, after his father.

On this Saturday, the streetlights were decorated with garlands and posters were slapped on their posts, announcing the upcoming celebrations. Neve paid it no mind, his gaze darting from left to right, searching for his father’s figure languidly strolling down either side of the main road. In his mind, he hoped he was wrong in his prediction.

Then he saw him. Neve pressed down on the brake, maneuvering the car to one side of the street while watching his father slowly make his way toward a row of decrepit buildings. He swallowed hard, putting the car in park and squinted, his jaw clenched as he watched his father halt in front of a yellow stone building. His eyes lifted to the swaying sign above the door and felt his heart drop to his stomach. Sunrise Tours.

Neve squeezed the steering wheel tightly as his father stepped into the building. “Dad…” he muttered darkly, as resentment replaced anxiety. He turned the ignition key to kill the engine and pushed open the door, stepping out slowly.

His father knew just how he felt about Ameya. Since that first day Old Man Jonas and his father rushed inside the hospital, helping the paramedic on staff push the stretcher carrying an unconscious pregnant woman. His father had witnessed how he’d taken charge immediately, putting the woman under his direct supervision and had seen him spend many nights watching over her. Waiting for her to wake up. Many times before then, his father had harped about him settling down with a good woman, that he’d learn how to care for someone other than himself… and now that he’d found her, what was his father doing?

Clenching his teeth, Neve barely noticed the motorcycle that wove through the crowd, ignoring the bleating horn as the cycle zoomed past him. He stepped onto the other side and followed his father’s path to the Sunrise Tours office building.

The door was propped slightly open and Neve reached for the doorknob.

“You don’t think they’re legitimate?” He heard his father say.

Neve raised a brow, his fingers hovering over the knob.

“They lied about being writers and security men on a mission’s trip, for crying out loud!” Neve heard Warren reply impatiently.

Neve released a breath softly and stepped away from the door. His father was here on police business. Swallowing a derisive snort at his own paranoid behavior, Neve moved away from the building and walked back to his car. “Calm down, Neve…” He grinned widely. “Now that you’ve made up your mind to have her, you will. Be patient.” He pulled the door open and ducked inside.

Suddenly feeling giddy with excitement that his father had accepted his decision, Neve inserted the car key and turned on the engine. His grateful gaze lifted to the yellow building and nodded. Instead of silently thanking his father for being supportive, he would wait and take him out for breakfast. Pleased with himself and the turn of events, Neve leaned his head back against the seat and waited.

Still groggy from sleep, Neve felt his eyelids droop a few minutes of staring at the droning scene before him but he blinked quickly and straightened in his seat. “What’s taking my old man so long?” he asked good-naturedly, confident that nothing in the world could spoil his good mood.

A green cab slowly eased to the sidewalk in front of the building and Neve watched, waiting with his smile frozen on his face. Two unfamiliar men ducked out of the car and stared straight up at the yellow building. Neve glanced once at the door, wondering why his father was taking so long especially if Warren, the tour manager, had business.

As the two men casually approached the building, Neve found himself staring curiously after them. A minute passed and still no sign of his father. Before he knew it, Neve was walking across the street toward the yellow stone building, to the same propped door.

He paused in front of it, catching a glimpse of his father sitting beside Warren and facing the two gentlemen. Frowning at the grave look on both his father’s face and that of Warren’s, Neve squinted and perked his ears to listen.

“Except St. Lucia,” one of the foreign men interjected in a low voice that Neve had to lean forward to catch his words. “Of all the islands, we didn’t even consider St. Lucia,” the man said solemnly.

“It was the last island on the list,” the other man said, his voice notably deeper. Neve could hear the American drawl in their voices and frowned to himself. “You couldn’t have known.”

“Why now?” Neve didn’t have time to decipher his arbitrary deduction of the two men when his father’s grave voice spoke up after a few moments of complete silence. “Eight years of not finding her… Shouldn’t you have moved on?”

Neve raised a brow at his father’s words. Who were these gentlemen referring to and why was his father involved?

“As you see, she has moved on without you. She doesn’t even remember you,” his father said firmly.

In the back of Neve’s mind, he tried to picture what woman his father would know that could be related to these American men and frowned deeply when no such person came to mind.

Then Warren sighed before speaking resolutely. “We connected that your wife Hannah is Ameya.”

Neve’s eyes flung to the door, to Warren’s face. He could feel the breath rush from him as Warren’s words echoed loudly in his ear, and he suddenly couldn’t hear the rest of the words. Your wife… Ameya.

Knees knocking, Neve had to place his trembling hand on the wall near the front door.

Ameya is married…?

<<Part 22 || Part 24>>

Categories: Strangers of the Past

Tagged: , , , , ,