YOURS, JANNAH

#FORTY SIX

It was a few hour later when the Goliath came out with a smile and opened the wide black gates open for her. Jannah was almost asleep but the sound of the gates opening like a hungry lion letting out an outcry to scare it's prey right before it annihilates it, she sat up. She straightened her spine and renewed her scowl, her mouth set into a mutinous purse.

Jacob gave her a smile with a tip of his cap as she zipped inside like she owns the place, well; her husband does own the place which makes it hers. Right? Maybe for now because she is now a woman on a different pursuit from the reason why she was there just two hours and few minutes ago. This new mission of hers will redefine their already shaky weird liaison.

While in her blind rage she forgot to stop and take in the view in front of her. The ranch is extremely large just like Adnan's every other building from the villa he had built for his family, his own mansion and companies. He does everything with little spice of extravagance making him look far more intimidating for his show-off of wealth and luxurious life. Just like his looks, clothes and every single detail about him. He goes for the superlative.

Her eyes zoomed on a ranch-style house with a wide covered deck and screened porch sat by the far end of the land filled with beautifully well-trimmed grass looming soft, lush and green. Field knee-high timothy hay in front of the porch. Beside it is a small cute greenhouse, a garden full of neatly tended rows of vegetable crops -ferny carrots, leafy cabbages, tomato and pea. Isn't this place just for his horses? What are vegetable crops doing here? The man never seizes to surprise her all the time.

It now looks like a farm the more she drives inside, a farm-house it seems not a ranch. A scarecrow stood large and real rising up over a field of new corn. A water barrel to catch rainfall, bright yellow and white dandelion flowers nodding along a barbed wire fence. Round hay bales under a tarp, a pitchfork leaning against the shed that is filled with shovels, axes, rakes, ropes, horse tack and wheelbarrow.

Jannah's mouth fell on the floor watching the trees surrounding farm's yard. She rolled down her window yet again shutting down her air conditioner. The sounds of roosters calling out to the sun, horses snorting and whining from a distance, leaves rustling, the wind sliding through the crops, howls of nocturnal coyotes and dogs, flies and bees buzzing, wind chimes ringing in the breeze. She smiled, it feels so comforting.

She shut down the car altogether and opened the door, her heels touching the green lush grass beneath her feet. She scrunched her nose at the smell of manure, green growth from crops around, ripening fruit -apples, strawberries, pears, peaches- that makes her stomach growl in hunger. There is also a distinct scent of hay, warmed earth, motor oil, fertilizer, Indian paint brush and more she cannot detect clung in the air.

Jannah fully left the car and closed the door behind her not a sight of any living human in sight just like Jacob had said, no one is ever here it seems. Adnan is the one in charge of the farm-house? Then he doesn't come here to rest but do more work that'll give him stinging blisters and calloused hands. Maybe he hasn't been here in a while because he's got no freaking callous! He should tell her the cream he uses please.

And where the fuck is the woman he is hiding here? Jacob lied to her to save his boss, she is certain of that. He is loyal.

She stood there in the middle of the cornfield that was impossibly green and tall. No cars rushed past on the freeway, no screech of tires, no wailing of sirens to herald imminent pain and suffering. Only wind, blessed serene wind, ruffled through the shiny stalks, blowing away her insecurity and replacing it with the promise of good time and hope for brighter future even with the thorns on the way.

A bark from behind her spurred her into action, her eyes widened as she stared at the large ebony Neapolitan Mastiff dog dashing towards her at full speed. Without any other thought, she started running across the field with her high heels still on her feet. That went on with the dog barking and chasing after her for entire two minutes as she shouted to the heaven above for help in her loudest voice.