Unchallenged

Confessions

Ida POV

The Netherland Rabbit had a serious abscess on his little paw. I was gently removing the pocket of pus by draining and flushing while Seline, my workmate, was sorting out bottles of pills in alphabetical order. The granny who brought the cute rabbit to us had a foster nephew who was in the same class with Oli. Seline was smiling at me with her coral lips. 

"Did something happen to you? You look preoccupied." She asked adjusting her messy reddish bun.

"I'm not sure.

""Then spill it to me!" She grinned curious.

I draw in a shaky breath then let it out. Seline became even more interested.

"Nikolay Yurasov moved in yesterday evening." A cone of silence drew between us and her eyes popped out.

"Are you telling me that... My God!" Seline's hand grasped her mouth. "How did it happen?"

"He basically showed up at our front door, I invited him inside, all 4 of us ate dinner together and he will live in the house from now on." I told her swallowing hard.

"Are you kidding me?" she came closer to me.

"I'm afraid I'm telling the truth and guess what? The children seem to like him. Oli had never talked so much as he did with Nikolay yesterday." I whispered hopeless.

"How was he?" 

"He didn't talk too much. He seemed pissed off and dangerous."

"I meant how did he look like?" She giggled.

"Like a convict." I caught her eyes. "High and tight haircut, royale beard style, a hook shape scar on his right cheek, illegible tatoos down his biceps, rough glare and raw force. Am I good at describing?"

"Very exciting... I mean... you did very well, Ida! So...", Seline made a break in order to put together her new reply. "Was he good looking?" She asked persuasively.

"Are you making fun of me right now?"

"No, no, I just imagine that a man like him must be very interesting." She underlined the last word.

"Yes, very" I rolled my eyes, "I just want to vanish from the face of the earth!"

"We're not on Earth anymore. This is what everyone is stating around us. You've already had the chance to vanish from the face of the earth." She remembered me.

"I wish I never had this chance! I lost everyone and everything and I wish I'd be wherever my family is now!" My eyes became teary and my voice pitchy. Seline pouted and gave me an understanding hug.

"We must be strong and survive. We have no other choice because we made it till here. Me and you and everyone you see around every day, including Nikolay are the chosen!" 

Seline was one of those who believed that we got a one in a million chance to survive and be the chosen ones. Maybe she was more religious than me. I started to believe that surviving without your loved ones was a punishment for past wrong-doings. I was literaly struggling to keep my mental health intact. I decided only to work and take care of the children. Oli and Vladi were basically my anchor. They needed me, I needed them and didn't want to disappoint them. But Seline  was not as shaken as me. I guess especially because she was not paired with anyone, there was no one's name on her Letter. My co-worker was ready for anything, for exploring the new world, for joking and laughing, for taking this second chance with her both hands and enjoying it and above all, for positive thinking. Whereas I was totally the opposite, negative, afraid and whiny.

"I couldn't have much sleep last night thinking that a con was resting downstairs. I even locked the dorm door. I think I'm paranoic." 

"No, Ida." Seline caressed my hair. "You're just being cautious, because you don't know your..." She paused and chose her words wisely, "... your partner well."

"I don't need any male-partner." I replyed desperately and lifted the bunny from the table. "I want my husband and my life back."

"Ok, let's do like this: I'll return the rabbit to its owner and you'll step outside and breath some fresh air."

I had no idea how I could manage all the unexpected challenges in my life. Before all of this, I had a plain quiet life, a loving husband, reliable parents and good friends. I spent all my life in Piraeus, a fancy port city within the Athens urban area. There was where I grew up, where I studied, where I met my husband and got married. I never dreamed of moving out and never wanted another life. I was happy and peaceful and didn't want more or anything else.

"Perhaps you have a mission you couldn't accomplish in your past life," Seline told me when I came back in the clinic. "I've been thinking about it and this is the only reason I've found."

"Then what might be your mission here?" I asked her. 

"I don't know yet, but I will gladly wait to find out." 

"I completely love your positive thinking, Seline. How do you manage to be so pragmatic?" I looked inside her jade eyes. Very unusual for a Turkish. She avoided my gaze when I finished the question."If there's anything better in all this chaos, then it'd better come to me."

Hello everyone! I hope this chapter is more entertaining than the last one. I'll be on a holiday the next two weeks and I'm afraid I won't be able to add more chapters as fast as I used to. But stay tuned, more interesting action is to come next.