Melodies of Life

Chapter 18. Heartstrings

The continuous ringing of my cellphone ends my dreamland escapade. I hope for it to stop but it doesn't, so I had no choice but to pick it up. Unregistered number, the screen displays.

"Hello. Who's this?" I answer grumpily with my eyes shut tight.

"Good morning!" The cheerful voice from the other line sounds so familiar that it makes me want to cry. Didn't he had enough last night? And it's too early for him to bug me. Good heavens.

"Who is this?"

"Can I have my jacket back?"

My eyes flew open with that.

"Seriously, Adam. The sun isn't rising yet! Do me a favor and go back to sleep. Let's talk later." I raise my voice in irritation.

"I can't, I need my jacket now." He insists.

"But I haven't brought it to the dry cleaners yet. I'll just give it tomorrow. Bye." I was about to press the end button but his creative statement stops me.

"Don't, I like your scent on it." He says seductively.

I sigh in exasperation. "I'm too sleepy to listen to your dirty jokes. So please spare me."

He chuckles. "Let's have breakfast."

"One more stupid sentence that you say and I'll punch you when we see each other." I say seriously.

"Say yes and I'll minus a hundred dollars to your debt."

I can feel him smirking from the other line for its a win-win situation for him. He's sure I can't say no to the offer.

"Make it a thousand." I challenge him.

"That's too high. How about 400?"

"I thought you were rich. 800."

"I'm not. 500. That's all I've got."

"Deal. Where do we meet and what time?" I snicker.

"Right now, in front of your apartment." He laughs.

I open the window and peek, and there he was smiling foolishly while waving his free hand at me.

I laugh at him. "Are you sure you don't need mental help?"

He shakes his head. "It's you, I need."

"Wait for five minutes more." I hung up then dash to the bathroom.

*****

"Breakfast in the middle of the woods? What will we eat, dried leaves and twigs?" I just laugh out my anger as we hike through the uneven pathway. We've been walking for about ten minutes and I'm getting tired. "Where the hell are we going?" I blurt out.

"We're here." He stops in front of a trailer. "Welcome to my secret hiding place." He opens the door for me.

"It's not much of a secret now." I was amazed as I enter. The inside of it looks like an actual house, just a compressed version.

"Exactly, that's why I brought you here. Because I don't want to keep secrets from you." He smiles.

"You're really rich. You have three houses. This one is the smallest, though." I laugh as I seat at the couch.

"This is my real house. The first one belongs to my bestfriend Jasper. I just have to return his car so I asked you to drive me there. The second is my family's." He explains.

"O-kay. So you don't live with them anymore. Why, trying to live independently?" I ask in curiosity.

He chuckles as he starts rummaging through a mini-fridge. "Kind of."

"I still don't get it. You can live like a prince there. Why choose this?" I try to pry out the real answer to my question.

"Freedom. I want to become a musician, but my father wants me to be a doctor instead. So I ran away from home and end up like this." He smiles brightly as he gets a bowl. "But I have no regrets, for I'm living the life that I wanted."

"Playing the sympathy card?"

He winks. "Is it working?"

"A little. Makes me think you're not that much of a jerk afterall." I giggle.

He smiles widely. "You don't have allergy with pancakes?"

I shake my head.

He starts to cook and I watch him. He seems to enjoy flipping the pancakes too much that he's even singing and laughing like a kid.

"Breakfast is served!" He announces lively as he places the plate of un appealing pancakes at the table.

"Good to know you eat actual food, and not pride." I laugh as I take a bite. "Hmmm... not bad."

"Sorry for my arrogance. I can't get it out of my system." He rubs the back of his head. "Here, I have something for you." He puts a box in front of me.

"Is this a prank?" I throw him a suspicious look.

"It's not jack-in-the-box. Just open it." He grins.

I give him one last uncertain look before opening it, sitting inside is an envelope and a white rose. I look back at him, but he doesn't meet my eyes. Instead he stands up and busies himself by making coffee. Curiosity got the best of me so I take the envelope and opened it. Just as I thought, a love letter. But a unique one.

You might not take my words seriously, but I really mean it. I like you. Why? I don't know either. I just woke up one morning and I already like you. I wish I could give you a better reason, but that's just it. Just one. As opposed to the hundred reasons why you hate me. But I hope that with this, I can erase even just one of your reasons. I'll be happy with that. Just that.

I return the letter after I was finished reading it. I decide to pick up the rose, and as my finger trail over its thornless stem, I felt it. Love, without the pain. I smile and look at him.

"You like it?"

I nod. "You could have just said it to me."

"I can't. It's a song." He chuckles.

"Really?"

"Want to hear it?"

I nod expectantly.

He gets his guitar and begins strumming it. I feel my heart flutter with every melodical word that came from his lips. He never took his eyes off me as he sang. Neither did I as I listen.