Enslaved for life

Maeve

"Umm. George?"

"Yeah?" George stops spinning me and sets me back on the ground. But I hold onto him for my dear life as I wobble on my two feet with my world spinning and my head dizzy.

"Come here for a second?"

"Hold on Mo. I'll be right back." He settles me down on the ground before he jogs off to them. It takes a moment but I'm now able to see clear, my world not a globe of blur anymore. I look at the trio once again, in a circle of their own, whispering, chattering away. A secret to which I was not a part of.

I get off my bottom and stand on my feet with my arms across my chest. But when none of them pays me any attention, I stomp my way towards them. Just what were they up to nowadays?

"...how could you-"

"But I never expected him to call though." Aleks talks over George, their whispers increasing in volume as I get nearer and the air around them fills heavily with tension. What was going on here? What were they talking about? Someone called? But why were they so worried about a simple call?

"Is everything okay?" They break away from their perfect circle and start fidgeting, panicking, their eyes shied away, only giving nervous glances occasionally. I stop a few feet away from them, arms folded but now with a worried look on my face. "Are you guys in some kind of trouble?"

However, all I got was a complete silence.

"Tell me if I can help in anyway. You know I will." I arch my eyebrow, giving it one more go but once again, all their eyes seems to be solely focused on the sand beneath.

I tap my foot, getting impatient as the second goes by and bite my bottom lip to stop them from sprouting out curses. But they were making it hard for me to not be mad at them. So, closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath in, calming myself, though unsuccessfully. "One of you better start talking now."

"Maeve it's just that-"

"He called." Liam and Aleks speaks at the same time. I open my eyes, glaring at the two of them and to George who stands there shaking his head. "Who called Liam?" One thing I have learned through our years of friendship was that Liam was the easiest one when it came to getting the secrets out.

I was getting more confused and even more impatient as the time passed by and as my question left unanswered. My eyes falls on my phone which was still on Aleks' hand as she fidgets with it nervously. Ok that was it.

I snatch it away from her hand, knowing it had to do with it somehow. I press the call icon and see the four miss calls in red. With my mouth hanging open, I read out the name over and over, hoping that I was imagining the name it displayed-

But hold on. Why would he call me? That was a first. He never called. Like ever, so why now?

Then I look at my friends with accusing eyes who now had guilty look on their faces. Charged guilty even before the trial. I sigh out, shaking my head. "What have you done?" The words come out as a whisper as I blankly stare at them, my thoughts now empty.

"We may- or may not, or may have sent him some pictures... accidently?" My mouth opens wide with my jaws hanging low upon their confession.

"You have what?" I quickly open the messenger and flip through the pictures on them, my mouth opening wider as I scan through the photos they had sent.

"Oh, dear lord. Sweet Jesus. What will he think of me now?" I place my palm over the side of my head, grabbing a handful of hair as I turn around and walk away from the trio of devils.

"Swear, I'm not giving my phone to you people ever again." As my brain speeds a thousand miles ahead, I press the call icon and put the phone against my ear, formulating stories to tell of my idiotic friends. But my thoughts come empty and with each ring, I literally lose the power to think. However, the call goes unanswered.

I know I should have felt some sort of relief as I didn't have to explain my life to whom I didn't even know of. But why was it that I felt disappointed? And I felt this stab in my heart with every call unanswered, until eventually it stopped ringing all together. And his ignorance only added sadness to the list of the gifts he had offered me so far.

Maybe he was busy with work and does not have time to answer my calls. I mean he did call minutes ago so he will call when he's free. I reassure myself as I put the phone away and walk back to the cruise. I want to be alone. To just think. Or maybe not think at all...

***

I waited for his call. Patiently and for a long time. An hour became a day and many more, but he didn't call back. My empty reassurance to myself didn't last me long as I dreaded the day I had to return. To him.

What was I going to say if he asks me why I sent those pictures? Oh god. Why did they have to do that? I cannot even face him anymore. I'm too embarrassed to go in front of him. As it is, we barely speak.

Have we even spoken to one another?

My brain doesn't register his voice and for that matter, his face. Jesus, I don't even know what he looks like. I pace back and forth as my heart beats a little faster than its normal pace. I wonder what he looks like. Does he look like Mrs. Carver? Or maybe he looks more like his dad?

I try painting an image of him to my empty canvas, over and over again, but even though I stroke all those lines perfectly, I just can't see the picture that I crafted, leaving his face to my imagination once again.

I could probably get his picture through any of our parents but what was I going to say. Why did I need it? Um, because I don't know what my husband looks like. And he's most probably seen me almost butt naked.

Nope. I was not going to show myself around him anytime soon. I will spend few more weeks just travelling around. I had no desire to shame myself any more than as it is. So, I pick up my phone and call my mother.

"Hello sweetie." Her cheerful voice comes flooding in and I know something good must have happened there. "Hey mum."

"Landon's here with us right now." And I wanted to end the call right away. No wonder she sounds happy. I bit my lips hard and hold my breath, cursing myself for calling her in the first place. "Oh, and don't worry about Friday, I'll send Landon to pick you up at the airport. Just tell me the time..."

No. No. No. I kept on repeating on my head. Mum, you are literally going to kill me. If you love your daughter even a little, just stop. But of course, she doesn't listen to my silent prayer as she continues talking.

"Mum hang on a second. I'm not coming back." And that seems to have done the job cause now all I get is silence. I count to three before she eventually starts talking again. "I don't think I heard that right, Maeve. You are coming back this Friday."

"But mum-"

"Maeve." And ladies and gentlemen, Mrs Cheong has made her presence known and that meant goodbye to any thoughts of my getaway. Now I had no more choice than to go back. Ugh. Why did I even bother calling her, now I got myself a ride back home as well, that too with him. Just kill me now.

"I hope you will text me the time, Maeve, before I find out myself."

"But mom, please can I just come by myself. I'll come straight home. I promise." A girl can only try now. Please just say yes.

"Maeve you are not coming home." And what does she mean. "You are coming straight to the venue. We are holding a party to welcome back Landon that evening."

"What?" It was like someone threw a grenade at me.

Just when was I going to be informed of the things that was happening in my life? Literally everything was laid out for me, all I had to do was just obediently follow the steps as it was. First, marry a guy I don't even know. Now a celebration of the return of a stranger husband that I don't even have a face to put together. What next? No, I don't want to know. Better yet, there be no next. 'Cause whatever it was I was not going to settle with them anymore.

I have had enough.

"Mrs. Cheong, it's okay if she doesn't want me to pick her up. We are going to meet at the venue anyways." I hear a masculine voice over the phone. And I don't know why but it did something to my heart and my breath got stuck at the back of my throat. All my thoughts now coming to a stop.

"It's fine Landon, she was just talking about something else..." But I just tune her out as I impatiently wait to hear his voice again, biting my thumb, holding my breath.

"No really, Mrs. Cheong. I have something important to do anyways. I'm meet here there, if that's fine with you." Just where did I hear that voice. I juggle through my memories as I try to put a face to that voice, but with the temperature in my body rising and the anger starting to bubble within, it was impossible.

Deep down, I knew that it was something important, but I just couldn't figure it out.

I squeeze my eyes shut as I try harder, escalating the building headache but I run out of the faces as I run out of all my options. So, I just exhale loudly, disappointed, but once again determined.

"You know what. You send me the address and I promise I'll be there. And Mrs Cheong, before you say anything else. You better do as I say, or I really won't be coming back." And just like that I became a little rebel. A threat I would like to call it, but it was more like an agreement I came with her. In my term yes, probably not on hers.

She must be fuming at me right now, but I was not about to give in anymore. I disconnect the call as soon as I was done talking. Quickly switching off my phone, I throw it on the bed and let out a scream of frustration.

My life, and I had zero control over it.

I get out of the room and up the stairs, only to jump right into the clear blue heaven. As soon as my body hits the cool flooring, I sink further in, cooling and calming my hot head and my boiling body.

I recall the sound of his voice once again and again, my heart does a little something, almost like it remembered something. Like what? But as my thoughts starts to invade the peace, I was feeling seconds ago, I swim back to the surface and finally breath in some air back into my lungs.

Maeve get your head straight. Stop thinking about such trivial matters. Your heads going to explode, and you'll soon be dead, before you even get to meet him. But at this point I chose to die sooner. Lord help me.

I sink back into the water once more. Soothing the building anxiety and nervousness? Let's just stop overthinking everything, Mo. You only have days of freedom left. You better own it.

You know, have no regrets before you become enslaved for life.

What a joke my life was...