Stay

chapter 2

"Emily Rose honey where are you? Tell me where you are so I can pick you up. And breathe slowly so you won't hyperventilate." Kenny pleaded with her with a panic rising in his voice when she finally phoned him and told him after she has calmed down and cried in the park. When she regained consciousness she decided not to go home. But went down for a walk in the park. She wanted to clear her head.

"I am at the town's central garden. I will wait for you. I don't want to go back home yet and with the way, I'm feeling right now I don't know how I can face him".  She replied blowing her nose at the same time.

"Ok sit tight I'm going out to get you. " Kenny said. She had befriended Kenny when she first worked as a cashier in a department store. Kenny is the supervisor of her floor.

Putting down the phone Kenny stared at all the shocked faces of his friends. "Well you heard what happened so I am going out to get her. And each one of you stay nobody's going home tonight and wait for our return." Kenny demanded to his circle of friends consisted of Jolie and Adele.

"We are coming with you she's our friend too.  Let's get in the car right now."Jolie said.

 "I can't believe he would do this to her," Kenny remarked as he struggled to get into his jacket.   

"Ken what are you doing?" Adele looked back at him as he made no move to go out of the door of his home office. 

''I think I'm still in shock," Kenny replied getting his jacket and putting it on. They hastily went out the door and get in Kenny's car.

Once they were in the park, Jolie and Adele started to scour the area for Emily. "Kenny, where did you say she was? I don't see her at the rose garden." Jolie said.

''Do you think we're too late?'' Adele asked. 

"I am calling her phone but she's not picking up!" Jolie exclaimed panicking.

"Come down everyone she's not suicidal. Let me check my phone. There's a message from her right now. She said she's low on batteries and went to the sushi bar to recharge her batteries. She said she needs to call her Nanna that she will be late.'' Kenny explained Emily's whereabouts since they all assumed the worst. 

"Let's go and check her out at that nearby Japanese restaurant.  I think a good sushi and coffee is what I need right now to calm us down." Jolie said.

"A good sushi and Saki is what we need at this moment," Adele suggested.

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Emily looked at the horrified faces of her friends after she told them of her husband's infidelity.  They never expected her marriage would be among the statistics of broken families. She herself didn't expect it either. They are seated in Kenny's couch as they listened to her.

"We are so sorry Em." Kenny and Adele spoke at the same time. 

"You two were so sweet together. From what I had seen so far when he was with you. It was just that he seemed to really care for you. Never in my wildest dreams that he will cheat on you. I never expected him to play the other team." Jolie said.

"I think I heard your phone ringing Ken." Adele stood up to locate the whereabouts of the phone.

"No I think it's mine. I plugged it  in behind the kitchen counter when we arrived Del ." Emily said as she settled herself more comfortably in Kenny's couch. The effects of her stress and a glass of Saki is weighing her down.

Adele went to get the phone and checked the phone caller ID and announced the name of the caller. She noted the caller is Emily's husband and with disgust she asked the group.

"Why would your husband be calling you now?" Adele asked.

"Why wouldn't he? He needed his helper to wash the dishes and put his children to sleep." Jolie quipped. 

All of her friends were equally angry at her husband. She couldn't blame them. She wanted to hurt him as he had hurt her with his infidelity.

"Give me the phone Adele I will answer him."  Kenny stood up to retrieve the phone from Adele before she will be tempted to switch it off.

"Hello! Hi Alex it's me Kenny.  Yes she's with us. Please don't get mad. Actually it is my fault.  We bumped into each other along fifth avenue. It has been too long since we were together so we decided to get into this sushi bar".

"Of course we did not let her drink too much but you know your wife's a lightweight. We actually have more talk than wine. Yes sorry but she can't talk to you right she's asleep."

Kenny listened some more to Alex, Emily's husband. Then said. "I promise I will deliver her into your arms once she's awake."

Putting down the phone, Kenny asked. "So what's next Em?"

Her friends looked at her. She herself doesn't know. There was not a book that outlined what to do when you found out your husband is cheating on you. What is worse she doesn't have money, she doesn't have work and she had her children to consider.

"I really don't know what to do. But I guess I just have to go now. My children are waiting for me."

Emily stood up and hugged each of her friends. But most of all to Kenny whom she had bonded so well during their time at work.