Illusion

chapter 3

Alica Keys-New York was humming in my head. Welcome to New York. The feeling is great. I have always dreamt of coming to New York and live in Manhattan Street. It is beautiful; the buildings, the people, this cool breeze and all this amaze me. My father lives in Union City, New Jersey, 45th Street. I will have to take a bus. I should first call Jack.

"Hey! I have reached safely. I'll call you soon," I left the voice message to Jack.

Welcome to New York Andria. Find your dad. Love your dad.

I took the next bus to Union City and got myself seated to a very hot stranger and this reminds me of Joey's 'How you doing?'

"Hey!" he said. I smiled. Say something you fool!

"Hi," I responded.

"You are from New York?" he asked. For you, I am.

"No," I told, "I am from London. I've come here to visit my father."

"Oh!" he said and paused, "I am a tourist. I am from Australia."

"Nice," nice! This is what I've got? Yeah nice.

"I am Troy, by the way." He said as he offered me his hand. Troy.

"I am Andria." I smiled and shook his hand. Yeah, I don't know how to make a conversation with a very handsome Australian boy.

The next few minutes we both kept quite as he used his I-pod to entertain himself. You know your thought system evades when you sit with someone insanely handsome like him and it is very charming to know he was making a move to have a conversation with a stupid girl like me. Anyways I have got bigger things to do.

What am I going to say when I will meet my father?

I've practiced this, like a thousand times. I will knock his door and hug him so hard that will make him hard to breathe and them I will ask him why did you leave me? Was it that easy? Do you still love me? I want to ask him everything. Where was he all this time? I have so many questions.

The rest of my journey was killing me. It was already 7p.m. by then. I am way too excited. Every second is bringing me close to my father. I remember me falling asleep on stranger's muscular arm. Did I tell you he is so handsome? Not stranger, Troy. I know him.

"Hey sleepy head, looks like we have reached our destination." Troy woke me.

"Hey!" I reacted as I sat upright.

I stood up arranged my bags and walked out from the bus.

"Hey Troy?" I asked the Australian beauty, "Call me if you ever visit London. I hope to meet you again in New York." I slid a tissue paper with my phone number on to his shirt's left pocket and I kissed his cheek. Yeah, I am not that bad if you made a judgment out of me

He smiled and pressed his pocket tightly, "Will surely do, sweetie."

I, without wasting more time took a cab to 45-St, House number 5, Union City. The place where I belong.

This is going to be fun.

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It was already 9p.m. and I was crazy hungry. I want food. No doubt Joey is my favourite Friends character. I'm in a mood of cheesecake. Good cheesecake. Food can wait, father cannot. I just want to see his damn face first. My hunger for his eyes was far much more than my hunger for a cheesecake.

"Here" I said to the cab driver as I saw the house number.

Joseph White.

I saw the name plate. Damn it was an old name plate. It was so rusted. The garden was not at all maintained. It was so bad. All the newspapers were lying on the lawn. Big bushes. Wild grass. I made my way to the front door. The glass of the door had a big scratch.

Daddy

I rang the door bell. A lot of thoughts were going through my head. So much energy in my heart, I was not particularly feeling my legs. What am I afraid of? He is my father, the same one who saved me from the fire.

No response.

I rang the door bell again.

"I didn't order any pizza," he screamed, "go away."

"It's not the pizza," I replied, "It's me Andria."

"Who Andria?" he shouted this time as he opened the door.

"It's your daughter, daddy," I told shyly and weekly. I don't know why I was so afraid. It's so different feeling. I had tears in my eyes. I wanted to hug this old guy right now and tell him how much I love him.

"Andria?" he asked.

"Yes," I smashed the bags on the floor as I ran towards him to hug him. He went away.

"No...no...no..." he argued with himself and put both his hands on his head. Why is he not happy to see me, "You can't be here? I specially told Nisha, I don't want you."

"Daddy!" I stood there shocked.

"Go away girl," he said and pushed me back.

"I have nowhere to go. I don't know this place," I snapped and totally requested him to let me stay with me. Please talk to me about this. Please?

"I don't care. Get out from my house and I am not your dad." He screamed.

"Please," I pleaded, "Just let me stay for the night. I hope you don't want me wandering in the street."

"Trust me I don't care, girl." He said coldly.

"Oh come on," I requested in London style, "For one night."

"Fine" he said as he went inside and cleared way for me to enter.

Oh come on, be a good man and help me to carry the luggage. Oh no problem. I think I'll just manage myself. As I entered through the door I saw a piano. The sofa was mismanaged. The kitchen isn't a perfect example of cleanliness. I could smell the dust. There were some old paintings hanging around the drawing room. Somebody needs to clean this room.

"Do you have anything to eat?" I asked. My stomach is literally screaming. No reply.

"You are sleeping on sofa," he said and move ahead of me. How am I going to sleep on this sofa?

"You don't have a guest room?" I asked. Please say yes.

"No I don't, especially not for unwanted guests." He answered. Can you be a little polite?

"Fine," I replied, "food?"

Dad gave me a 'if I asked him about his kidney' look and I ignored and looked at the sofa. What am I going to do?

"Check the fridge if you could find anything," he replied.

I went in the kitchen and find the fridge. All what I got in the fridge was beer bottles and god knows what.

"I don't think there's anything here," I said while searching in the fridge.

"I am sleeping girl, just vanish before I wake up," he commanded. Is he my dad?

I guess I'll just have some carrots tonight, which I hate by the way. I washed the carrots and ate them with so much love. Trust me so damn much love. Is he going to give me some blanket to cover myself? Oh god!

Or I could just explore this place. Yes, I should do this definitely. I waited him to go upstairs as I eat the carrots peacefully. I am not a rabbit to enjoy it particularly. He did the same and I went upstairs to the next room, which by the way was so clean and beautiful. Can't I sleep here? No, you can't.

Deep inside a part of me was expecting some pictures of me and my mom. Somewhere maybe. All I know from my childhood was the love that he had expressed me and to my mom endlessly. We use to live in London only. I remember him dropping me to ballet classes and waiting for me. He used to play piano with mom and I use to dance.

Swam Lake

These precious memories thrilled deep inside of me. I guess he doesn't remember or he is hiding away. I pulled one of the sheets from the cupboard and slept on the sofa.

Uncomfortable sofa

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