The bad-tempered muse

Chapter 5: scary things

Chapter 5: scary things

"If the two of us have a chance to live again, in the future, I wish to meet you again. If we are born the same way, in that time, I wish that time I will be the commoner and you will be the son of some wealthy family. When that happens, even if you take me as your concubine or even a slave, I will not hesitate to throw myself to you.", cried the girl.

The man can feel his heart slowly shuttering.

She's been crying, sobbing, since he wrapped his arms over her body when she leaned against his chest.

"You... How can you say that? You are the love of my life; you are my woman. How can I take other women if it's not you?", he chuckles dryly. He looked up to the moon and blinked multiple times to stop the tear from coming out of his eyes.

He reached to brush her disheveled hair away from her face and to her ear. Even when he can only see the side of her face, he's contented.

Why can't you be like some other woman who can elope with their lover?

Why can't I be a man who robs women' their future and just run away with them?

Why can't we be like some impulsive and selfish lovers and just run away?

He, too, was getting emotional.

They were sitting on a grass field under a giant tree, on top of the hill.

It was the first day of Una; it was freezing and the only light source was the moonlight.

"You will have a good future with him. That's probably why your mother and father were adamant to marry you off to their family."

She did not answer to him and only clutched to his robe as if gripping on her dear life.

"There's no future; we live then we die. Why is future so important if I'm not alive to see it?"

Now, she's getting angry at him.

"Don't say that... "

Please, don't say that.

You're just giving me a false hope that I could snatch you away from them and run away.

"Bro, did you ever experience having a weird dream and waking up having tears on the sides of your face?", Anthony asks Martin, his hands stopped wiping the dirt on the wall.

His dream last night was really strange, he's close to believing it wasn't even his dream.

Anthony and Martin are in Martin's shop; they are scheduled to clean the shop that day, Saturday.

The shop won't be open for walk-in clients during cleaning, and will probably be opened by 3 p.m.

Martin went stationary for a moment before he shrugged his shoulder.

"By 'weird' you meant something emotional, dramatic, or something of the sort? You can't possibly cry because of a 'weird' dream, can you?"

He clarifies, then went to the corner and started rearranging some of the painting.

Martin was supposed to be at home, but he decided he needed something to do, so he went to help out in the gallery.

"Yes, something like that, have you?"

"I can't really tell, to be honest. I spend a little time sleeping, so I barely have any experience with things like that. Mostly, I dream about scary things."

Martin's maximum sleep duration is 5 hours; he spends the remaining time at other things, most of which are just related to arts, and his study.

He scheduled his personal time, and he gets in a sour mood whenever things didn't go as he plan; Anthony scheduled his business-related time--i.e painting at his clients' houses and meeting clients who are requesting for self or family portrait.

"S-Scary things? If it's scary, I don't wanna hear it."

That's why it's called 'scary' because it's scary!

"Never mind then, do we have a client coming in today?"

Martin asked, changing their topic to their clients.

"Yes, some newlywed ladies are coming in to personally look at the paintings. Some of them will be picking up the painting they reserved and pre-ordered online, on our website."

Martin pursed his lips and his face darkened.

He'll likely meet with those women, which he highly finds unpleasant.

He doesn't like having to meet with women, especially woman clients, not because he hates them, but mainly because he really hates it when they get all too touchy than what's required.

His business-related encounters with women this past year proved to him that women can't stay faithful for years straight; he's hoping not all of them are like that.

"I think Ms. Reyes will also come today? I already sent her a message that she can take a look at her (72x84in) landscape painting before she decides to get it delivered."

"Huh? What if she doesn't like the painting?"

Anthony immediately realized what he said.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way.", His voice was that of a guilty young boy facing his parents.

Martin doesn't mind, though.

He's highly confident in his skill and output.

"If she doesn't like it, we can display it here and wait for another client."

Then they continue cleaning the whole room from top to bottom up to the second floor.

They opened the shop at exactly 2:30 p.m after wiping the dust off of the glass windows, vacuuming and mopping the floor, and rearranging the paintings on the wall.

"Can we have food delivery today? I think they'd come around at 3 or 4 p.m."

Anthony asks Martin.

Martin looks at Anthony like he's gone crazy because of all the work they've done.

"There's a restaurant practically in front of our shop begging us to get inside. You want to waste money for delivery?"

"They're not gonna charge us because we're basically in front of their restaurant, no need for gasoline or something, just have to walk and hand us the food."

"Fine, whatever, you're paying this time."

"Deal,"