The whiffs of fate

CHAPTER FOUR

Essal remained me that we have an order from a restaurant, they ordered a large number of flowers, for a room for receptions, so we spent the whole day preparing for these order, we have to deliver it in the evening, because that restaurant will receive some VIPs in the evening, so we have to make everything ready by the evening
I was so busy that I forgot to call my mom to check on her
I'm looking for my phone to call her, but I can't find it
Suddenly, I remember that it stayed in my bag, which I hung when I came in in the morning, that's why I forgot to call my mother, and also this count of work help me forget a little bit about all those problems and the melancholic thoughts that I drown in from time to time
I take out my phone and call my mother
The phone is ringing but no one answers, I call again, and again no one answers me, and I call again for the last time, and again she doesn't answer my calls
This made me feel uncomfortable...
I started thinking about hundreds of scenarios that might have happened to her in my absence, maybe I shouldn't have left her alone this day, I thought it will benefit her, if I gave her some space to be alone, but I was wrong...
What happened?
Why she doesn't respond?
Is she okay?
And other questions that wander in my mind at this moment
I put the phone back in the bag
I call Essal, and I tell her "Essal, I'm going home, to check on Mom, I called her but she doesn't answer, I don't know what happened to her and why she doesn't answer the phone"
And I tell her also "Take those flowers to the restaurant, after you make sure that the shop is closed then when you finish your work go back home, okay?"
Before I finish my words, Essal interrupts me to say "Wait where are you going?"
I say "I told you, my mom isn't answering my calls, so I'm going home to check on her"
I turn to get out when Essal stopped me again "If you went home, who's going to deliver these flowers"
I answer "Of course you"  
Essal speaks sporadically and intermittently, I almost don't understand what she's saying "Look... how about I go and check on Aunt Evan, while you deliver the flowers?"  
I reply "What?  What are you saying? It's my mom, I have to go, to find out why she's not answering her phone"
Then I open the door to get out, but Essal comes running towards me, she pulls me to her, and grabs my shoulders with her hands, and says" Look, you know, this event is too big for the restaurant owners... and I'm still a rookie... so I might be doing something wrong... you know me"
 I say angrily "What do you say Essal, where did you get this from, beginner or what !! you have worked with me since I opened this shop  
Essal says" Yeah, I don't deny anything but, I still don't know many things... unlike you, you know how to make everything perfect, as far as flowers are concerned, so I'll go to your house, see how Aunt Evan is doing, and I'll call you as soon as I get there to tell everything... I know it's a good idea Layla... Come on"
On the one hand, Essal's words made me suspect that she was planning something, because she is usually not the type of person who insists on something, but on the other hand, she might be right in what she said...
After thinking a little, I found that Essal's words are correct
she could make a lot of mistakes with her foolish personality
That why I decided that I will go to the restaurant, and let her go to check on my mother
I say "I'll let you go to my house, but on one condition"
Esal says while she's smiling "What is your condition, just tell me, and I l'll do it"  
I say "When you get home, call me immediately and tell me what's going on, and also give the phone to mom so I can talk to her"
Essal replies "I will, so I'm going now, see you"
Essal took her bag and then left the shop while saying "Have a wonderful evening Layla"
Wonderful evening !
She's a weird girl, I swear...
I kept collecting the flowers that I had to take with me, I put everything in the car, I closed the store and then I headed to the restaurant.
When I got to the restaurant, I found a girl standing waiting for my arrival, she took me to the room that I had to decorate with flowers, then she sent two men to bring boxes of roses from the car, she showed me the places where I would put the roses.

Then I started my work, after she left
In fact I didn't feel the time until I found myself finished everything, I collected all the boxes and scattered things, like the leaves of the flowers that had fallen and so on...
I turned to go out, when I found the girl who took me here in front of me
She asked me "Are you done?"
I answer her "Yeah I was about to go out, when you just came out"
She says "Well, you made the place very nice"
I say "Thanks for your compliments, I just did my job"
Then she says "I did not regret that I heard Owen's words, when he recommended you to me, he told me that you are very good at your work, and I have seen the result with my own eyes"
I say with my face covered with exclamation features."Wait! Owen recommended me, did Owen Ferdat recommended me"   She answers" Yes Owen Ferdat, he is a chef in our restaurant who told me about you"
I say urgently "Excuse me, I have to go"
She loudly says, while I was leaving "Before you leave go to the cashier, it's on the right near the door"
I got out quickly, I don't know why this news made me angry, but I usually don't like someone to interfere in my work, I don't like anyone recommending me, especially Owen, I trying to get away from him while he is getting close to me, I don't want to hurt him, but I think that I have to talk to him very soon, I have to explain everything to him, I have to tell him to stop liking me...
I go down the stairs, I go to the cashier, I gave them my bank account information, so that they can deposit the money there.  Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn to find Owen, he says "Hi Layla, it's a nice coincidence that we meet here"
I say "Are you sure it's just a coincidence"
Owen answers, he seems nervous, very nervous "Yes, and what would it be otherwise"
I didn't say a word,  I just kept staring at him... I'm waiting him to say the truth
Owen says "Well well,  it's not a coincidence, I asked Essal for help, to have dinner with you"
I say "And who told you that I would agree to this dinner, because I rejected it before"
Although I was looking for an opportunity to explain everything to him, now I'm avoiding him again...
Owen says "Layla Look, I promise, I won't say anything stupid, I've got everything set, our table's over there, we'll go, we'll have a quiet evening, then we'll say goodbye to each other, that's all, please don't say no"
I took a deep breath, then I accompanied Owen to the table
He treats me with great kindness, he pulled the chair for me, and his treatment like this with me makes me feel like I'm  the evil party in the story, I just do not want to live what my mother lived because of love, because no love will make her suffer all that pain alone
I decided to take the opportunity and talk to him "Look Owen I'm...."
He interrupts me and says "What do you like to eat..."
He knows what I'm going to say, he knows why I accept to have dinner with him
I'm trying to talk again "Owen..."
But Owen calls the waiter...
Whenever I want to talk he stops me, that's why I yelled, I yelled at him "Owen let me speak..."
My scream made the people around us look at us, and this made me feel very embarrassed
"Owen, look, maybe what I'm going to say to you is a bit hurtful, but I have to say it... I can't ignore you anymore
I want you to stop liking me, we were together when we were in high school, but now we're not
I stopped liking you the moment I broke up with you, I know you've been  admiring me despite everything I did, I ignored you over and over for a very long time, I thought you would get tired of me and my actions and you'll stop liking me, but you didn't, now I am forced to clarify everything, I'm not able to like you or anyone else, and I do not want anyone to like me, our relationship began in the past and ended in the past
I broke up with you, before, and I am not responsible for the feelings you still have towards me, your feelings towards me must change
You're a good boy, and you will surely find a girl who will understand you and understand your love, I am not suitable for you, and your attachment to me will only increase your suffering, I do not want for myself to be the source of someone's misery
I wish you a happy life and I hope that you'll find a girl who is more considerate than me
I hope that we will keep a distance between us, and that we will not meet again
And I would be grateful if you would not recommend me to anyone, I don't want to be grateful to anyone especially you... "
I get up from my chair to leave the restauran because I can't stay here anymore, but Owen pulls me up and says "But Layla, I don't want any other girl, I want you... just you..."
I look at Owen in silence, I can feel the tears in my eyes
I say "Owen please don't do this...let go of my hand, don't make it harder than it is...our destinies are completely different... I'm sorry... "
Owen leaves my hand
Then I went to the door and left