On the Either Side of the Page

10. Evan

The diary—I wasn't finding it. It was with me moments ago and now it had just vanished! POOF! Ridiculous, the situation was. And my mother being here did not help much. She was the ridiculous situation herself! Must she find out about my little too much of secrecy, my only means of communication to the outside world would be lost—no, rather sealed. Argh!

I was rummaging through the table drawers and every possible corner that could fit the heavy book in it. And there were lots of such places. Why was our company so big even!

Emptying the shelves and lockers, I ran across cabins with the probable possibilities. My chamber was chaos and now the people outside were aware of my panic too. It was a mess. Moreover, I was a disaster at the moment. I had never once become so careless of a thing in my life. My mother had always made sure to give me the perfect posture that an heir should possess—regardless of interest. And trust me when I say my life was a whole lot better without all the fancy looks I had to turn up in and all the wealth and fame it brought along. It was freeing at first to have things at your demand and as well your command. However, it took me a while to quite grasp the whole concept. And when I did, it appeared no less than a prison. And I was the golden bird trapped in it. I made them the money, the name. I was the stupid face!

Somewhere, maybe in a little piece of my unhardened soul was left a boy who wanted nothing but a minute to spend with his loved ones—his family, his mother. No wonder it shocks even myself, acknowledging the fact that there was nothing in common between her and me ever; that I was a total rebel turned against her by time and situation. But my mind needed comfort in familiar hands. It craved it.

Encounters with fans were lively and joyous, but when brought in with the utmost care and safety. I understood since the beginning how crucial the support would be from the world for my desires and achievements. And that you don't quite take the pleasure in success unless you have someone to share and cheer you on. It being hard was obvious but I needed a break from the noise the tossing of coins on my name made.

I wanted to live.

I wanted to live my life without being questioned about it in every damn opportunity. I wanted to get things done and have little feel-good dinners served on the table for my win. I wanted to exist without having to worry about my flaws showing on screen. Embarrassments. Controversies. Obligations. Isolation. 'The celebrity life'—I needed to breath, man!

My hands flew up to my head, grabbing handfuls of my already tousled hair in them as I dropped to my seat and let my elbows rest on my knees, while my face was buried in my hands. I sighed in frustration when someone knocked on my door.

"Get in," I uttered.

"Mr. Gems, here's the date-sheet of the events," the man said. I could hear the restraint in his voice as he spoke, but I knew I'd have to maintain my composure. So, I kept up a straight face and replied with the most basic phrase ever.

"Give me."

I checked out the document of plans laid out before as I turned the pages. Being honest, I just skimmed through the events and the locations they were to be conducted in. Five countries and tons of work. America and Europe were prime destinations with specific dates set for Asia. But something caught my eyes: a rather familiar yet unique name—Gerbera.

Faye.

I remembered how our last conversation had gone. After coming back from the photo-shoot, I went straight for my diary which as I had assumed contained a short but surely an important note for me.

"Where you live? I, in Gerbera."

I had then told her that I was resided near the snow-capped mountains, witnessing fjords and all but when she penned her next thoughts, for a moment I felt like telling her about all of it—my identity, my life, my everything. For real.

"Who are you?"

To answer that, I squirmed badly in my thoughts before my secretary called me out for a small conference. It needed my immediate presence and so, I thought it would do no harm to leave the diary in my office, unanswered for a while. But who knew this 'while of wait' would take so long. Ugh! I couldn't imagine her being any less than plain agitated with this.

"Evander Gems," a sharp, stern voice echoed in my office before the little of familiarity reached my ears.

The man left the space, bowing to her, as my mother walked in with elegance and tone. She was a flawless woman to the eyes of any onlooker but to me, she carried the same vibe since all these years—of a coach to the trainee. Her gaze searching for imperfections, lines of scratch in my persona as she paced a little forward.

"Hope the line-up's impressive to you. Continents, huge markets and...a small town. Interesting." She chuckled lowly before her face turned serious once again. "The media's going to cover it. Act up."

"Of course." This was pretty obvious.

"Gerbera, indeed Madam." I heard a male voice, a baritone that I was almost always tired of hearing. But this time it was layered with an unusual eeriness.

"Zale," I let his name roll off my tongue in suspicion before the door closed shut.

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