A month later
She had already spent three months in Mexico and was even beginning to speak a bit of Spanish, thanks to Carmen who came around on weekends to “teach” her Spanish. Everyone knew she just came there for the sweets Chorale had stacked her fridge with. Chorale had bought them for her so she didn’t mind, and she loved having her around.
At the work place too, things were going really smooth. The hospital was in a separate block from the military base and she was thankful for that because she hadn’t seen Alvin in a long while.
She and Jose Luis had become closer. Just as she had promised, she answered all his questions about her and her pregnancy. He came to know about Kay and he didn’t seem to like him. He told Chorale so, and she laughed. “He’s actually a good man once you come to know him. He’s just like a trauma kid who hasn’t fully let go of his past.” She had defended him.
Their friendship was a good one. She was sure some of the nurses had started gossiping about them because some of the stares she received from them sometimes were scary. She had even heard some time ago some of them said the baby she was carrying was Jose Luis’. They were both tired of explaining to people that there was nothing going on between them. In fact, Jose Luis had started addressing her as Mrs. Montenegro, in front of the hospital staff, just so they could laugh at their confusion.
He got to know where she lived and would always come around on weekends when they didn’t have work, just to come and annoy her and go back home.
Just last week, she had called and asked him to get her apples on his way to her house. She had been craving them throughout the week but couldn’t get the time to go grocery shopping. Jose Luis agreed and said he was even just a few meters to the mall so he’d get them for her. After about thirty minutes, he arrived at the penthouse, said hi to Margarita and Antonio and climbed up the stairs. He was carrying two mini baskets of apples in both hands.
The door was slightly opened and so he just had to push with his leg. He met Chorale sitting in the chaise lounge with a bowl of cereal balanced on her belly, looking out the window. She was wearing one of Kay’s blue long sleeved shirts that she had brought along.
All he said when he got in was, “Good morning, my love” and then he made himself comfortable in one of the sofas. She turned her attention to him.
“Good morning to you too,” she responded. “Oh are those mine? Thank you” She placed the bowl of cereal on the table, stood up and tried to reach out to take the apples when he snatched the basket from her hand,
“Oh….Did you ask me to get you some? I totally forgot. These are mine.” He said with so much mischief in his eyes.
He crossed his legs and finished the apples. All six of them. Chorale just sat there, watching him in disbelief. When he finished, he stood up and went to get water from the kitchen, drank it and came back to sit down.
She had still not recovered from the shock.
Two whole minutes later, she found her voice.
“Jose Luis…you did not…you did not just…” she trailed off.
“Oh....I did,” he shut his eyes and tucked his tongue in his cheek.
Because he had closed his eyes, he did not see what was coming. She picked a throw pillow and threw it hard so that it hit him square in the face. He screamed in pain as he held his face.
She wasn’t done yet. She picked another one and beat him with it, all the while screaming on top of her voice,
“YOU DON’T EAT A PREGNANT WOMAN’S FOOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT!”
Jose Luis couldn’t match her energy, he kept screaming back, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” She still didn’t stop.
“REPEAT AFTER ME, ‘I 《SMACK》 WILL 《SMACK, SMACK》 NEVER STEAL 《SMACK》A PREGNANT WOMAN’S FOOD《SMACK》AGAIN, IN MY LIFE《SMACK, SMACK》"
“CHORALE I’M SORRY!” His Australian accent made it funny and that irritated her so she hit him harder.
“THOSE ARE NOT THE WORDS I WANT TO HEAR!”
SMACK! SMACK!!
Margarita and Antonio, who thought it was something serious, rushed upstairs to meet the scene and then she stopped, breathing heavily. Her chest was rising and falling so fast.
Jose Luis was breathing twice as heavy but he couldn’t help it. He burst into uncontrollable laughter, so did Margarita and Antonio. Seconds later, she joined them.
“What the blazes was that?!” Jose Luis asked, trying to get up from the floor that she had pushed him to. “Whoever taught you to fight must be regretting it wherever they are. Girl…you’re terrible!”
Margarita had to leave to go and pick Carmen from her Summer classes to the penthouse. Antonio too, realizing that there was no danger, left.
Chorale was still panting. “You deserved that and worse” she managed to let out.
He stuck out his tongue at her and she picked up another throw pillow. He ran out of the room. After a while, he came back with two bigger baskets: one full of apples, the other full of sweets.
“Aww….Luis.” She sobbed.
“See how embarrassed you look now?” He teased her. He understood that pregnant women dealt with a lot of hormones and mood fluctuations. He found hers oddly cute.
“You could’ve just done this from the start!” She whined like a child, her eyes turned glassy.
“Come here,” he dropped the baskets on the dining table and opened his arms wide for her to come in. She walked into them and burst into tears.
"Oh Chorale."
YOU ARE READING
CHORALE SANDERS
Romance"I cannot tell you anything right now, but promise me, Mama Rica. Promise me you'll take care of him for me, now that I won't be here to." She took the older lady's face in her hands, looking at her with very teary eyes. "Don't leave him like I am...
