Finding Time

Chapter 14 - Atlanta 2018

It was not the usual news. After all those years, her father had gotten in contact with her.

He was apologetic and sorry. Said he was taken by his own alcoholism. That he forgot what was really important in life. Now he had a job. A really good one, and her whole family could come over.

Adinda was ready. America called out her name like a galaxy calls out to it's brightest star. Maybe that was why she couldn't stay in Indonesia. She did not belong here. She wanted more things. Money she liked. Good looking men she loved. More importantly, a chance to leave behind everything that hurt her.

A few years ago, she had been beaten near to death by her ex boyfriend for aborting their baby. Secretly she had given the child to her cousin, who would raise it as her own. She did not know how to tell her boyfriend that she couldn't be his anymore. All he brought up was the past.

"You're a whore!" he yelled, throwing a glass at her.

Was it true? She was unhappy playing the perfect wife. Felt jealous of him and his obvious attention for someone else. So she did sleep with other people. Maybe a couple dozen people.

"Go on. Hit me."

He did. Smacked her straight into the jaw. She was seeing dizzying flurries everywhere.

When she wanted revenge, they threatened to sue. So her mother told her to stay silent.

"I'm angry!"

"I know, but being angry won't get you anywhere. Our family has had a history of men running away from us. My mother was so angry at my own father. For loving that woman here while they were married. She was a prostitute he met during the war, and when she died he was besotted. He only married your grandmother for me. Not because he loved her."

"That's not fair" said Adinda, thinking of Maoko.

"Yet she loved him. She stayed there for him, was everything that woman wasn't. That's what you must do Adinda. You just pray to god. Keep cooking and connecting to your inner feminine. Get rid of all the anger. Let it go to the wind, and love will come into your life."
...

Love came in the form of Daniel Fields. He had noticed when she had just moved into her apartment. The love and affection she had for her cousin's children struck him as immediately maternal.

He watched them quizzically as they played by the pool. She was so tiny. So feminine and so damn happy.

He mustered up the courage to talk to her. She smiled back. She was always so sweet sounding.

He invited her to his apartment. They screwed. He couldn't get enough of her. The scent was like fresh flowers. The feel of her body in his brought out the masculine in him, and soon Anna's texts were like leaves in the wind of fall.

She would move on, he decided. Pretty soon, she invited him to meet her family and he his. His mother loved her. She listened to her talk and couldn't believe such a kind and caring girl would come into his life. His father beamed at his son.

Soon, he brought her to the nicest restaurant he could find. Gave her a dozen roses, and an engagement ring.

"When I commit to someone, I really commit to them. I know now that there's nobody out there who I care about as much as I do you. There's no one I would rather spend my life with."

They kissed.

It's true then, they thought. You really can meet the perfect person and live happily ever after.

...

Everyone was shocked when the aliens had arrived. Daniel and Mark saw some differences, splitting the apartment complex into factions. Half of the apartment wanted to fight the aliens, the other half did not.