Sinful Desires

A Gesture of Hope

Isamaila's pov:

I had received my first official paycheck from Robinson, and it was more than I expected, $2,500. I was grateful for the amount. There was so much I could do with this money, but the first thing on my list was paying my rent. "That's good! You're getting double what I'm making!" Idalia said, her tone light but teasing. "I just know my old boss is suffering right now, knowing I'm not there anymore. Speaking of which, how's the building been since he fired me?" I asked.

"Well, it's been a shithole," Idalia began. "You know that bitchy receptionist, Irene? She's been acting all stuck-up with everybody since her breakup. By the way, he left her for cheating on her with her cousin-in-law." I nearly choked on my water. "You're lying. How? Where?" I asked, still processing it.

"Who knows?" Idalia shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe it was in that cheap Honda she bought him, the one he never bothered to fix after the engine blew up." In a way, I was glad I'd been fired from my old job, but there was one thing I missed: my relationship with my patients. "Do you have any way of getting my files? I still want to maintain my connections with them, even if it means setting up Zoom appointments," I said. "I could try," Idalia said, "but won't that mess up your schedule? Especially with Isaiah?"

"About that," I sighed. "I've been trying to break him for the past week, and he's not budging." "What do you mean?" Idalia asked. "I want to help him—find out why he's the way he is, what led him to this point, and how. But when I ask, he either ignores me or insults me," I explained. "Well, you didn't expect him to crumble that easily, right? I mean, we're talking about a psycho," Idalia said. "I know that, but I'm starting to lose my patience," I said. "The way you're talking about him, maybe he's misunderstood," Idalia said. "Maybe he had a troubled childhood, was abused or neglected, and all of that built up his rage?"

"But how can I get him to trust me?" I asked. "Think of him like a lost, feral cat who needs to learn trust first. It might take time, but you'll start to see progress," Idalia said. "Would that work?" I asked. "Try it tomorrow. Start with a friendly conversation, compliment him, maybe ask what his favorite snack is, and see where it goes from there. You could even bring him a gift or a snack to test it," Idalia said.

"Snacks? I don't even know what he likes," I said. "Try chocolate. Everybody loves chocolate," Idalia said. "What type? Dark? Milk? White?" I asked. "Go with milk chocolate," Idalia said. "I have some here, but I'll run to the store and see what other gifts they have," I said. "Don't give him anything too plush, soft, or fuzzy," Idalia warned. "Why?" I asked. "Because he might just tear it apart in front of you. Get him something hard or rough instead," Idalia said.

"Noted," I said. "Well, it's getting quite late. I know you have to see him tomorrow, so I'll let you get your beauty sleep," Idalia said. "Thank you, but I'll probably stay up a bit longer. I might head to the nearby store to see what they have, grab some bags, and then I'll sleep," I said. "Alright, send me what you get!" Idalia said before hanging up.

After she hung up, I grabbed my things and left the house. I drove to a nearby store, parked, and headed inside, making my way to the gift aisle. "Hm," I hummed as I looked around. There were plenty of things I could buy, but I didn't want to get anything that could be used to hurt himself or for anything else harmful. I eventually picked out a bag of chips, a coloring book with markers, some chocolate, and a pack of mini water bottles. 

After checking out, I drove back home and parked in the driveway. Inside, I began preparing the gift, even writing him a card and placing it inside. "There," I muttered as I yawned, placing the bag on the table so I wouldn't forget to take it tomorrow. I turned off everything and headed upstairs to my room. After changing into my pajamas, I climbed into bed and turned off the light. As I lay there, I thought about his reaction. I hoped he'd be grateful for the effort I'd put into doing something nice for him instead of destroying it