Chapter 27: Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Seven

Staring out from her window, Jennifer couldn't help but wonder why her life was so confusing at that moment. There she was half-naked, in a motel, her head buzzing like she just gulped 100 pints of alcohol, in a country she knew nothing of, all thanks to a particular somebody who possibly tried to drown her in the ocean.

She sighed deeply as her mind diverted to Mark, she wondered if he had discovered her absence and  if he had, if he was worried or not. Jennifer immediately huffed, he couldn't possibly worry about her. ‘He is probably painting naked with joy right now.’

She thought as she left her bed and walked to the window,

She heaved a heavy sigh and placed her head on the frame, looking at the scenario in front of her. From the window, she could see the ocean. Closing her eyes, she wished for sleep to come as her upstairs neighbour were at it throughout the night, even till morning. But, sleep being stubborn, refused to come.

She thought about her dad. She wished he never died, probably none of what was happening to her would have happened. She probably won't have a reason to task her brain to remember things it can't. Once again, her heart felt heavy as she replayed the scene where her dad was on his deathbed. With tears threatening to erupt, she went back to the bed, took the hem of her bed sheet and buried her eyes into it and sobbed silently.

Her bout of tears was soon interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Miss, menu for today is here." A gentle male voice said from the other side of the door.

Jennifer roughly wiped her tears with the bed sheet, pulled a long shirt over her head and stood up to open the door. A young, sort of cute boy looking eighteen years, with geeky glasses, his uniform hardly his size, smiled at her as she opened the door, his eyes sort of looking like they were awed by something. She smiled back at him.

His face formed a frown, as though he caught a bad aura in the air.

"Hello, are you going to give me the menu?" Jennifer inquired as she was getting quite uneasy.

"No." His surprisingly deep voice stared right into her face.

"I don’t know what it is, but you look like you are in pain. Do you want to talk about it? Don’t worry, whatever it is that is the matter, I will keep it with me, just let me help you take this burden away. We can do that while we try one of this morning’s delicious meals” Jennifer stared in awe at him as his white and black attire stretched and compressed as he talked.

She wondered if it was an act their employer asked them to put up or it was just the guy’s method of getting laid. Or maybe he genuinely cared.

"...are you listening to me?" The guy leaned closer, the menu still in his hand.

"Sorry. Ehm..." She looked at his left breast for any name tag.

"Charlie." He smiled

"Charlie." She smiled back.

"See, I am not sad or whatever. I am just hungry, could you please hand me the menu?"

Charlie had a reluctant look on his face as he gave her the menu.

Jennifer looked into it, only to see two items written on it.

She looked at Charlie, then at the menu, then at Charlie, who had his left eyebrow up in question.

"All that story about delicious meals,  all for tea and waffles?"

His cheeks turned pink, making him look cuter. This made Jennifer smile.

"Charlie, I would love to have some tea and waffles, just make sure it gets here on time."

"No problem ma'am."

Jennifer handed him the menu, her hand itching to close the door and continue her crying.  On closing the door, Charlie said from the other side; ‘You will be fine.’

Even though it sounded like he was talking to himself, Jennifer felt the words strike her. She became tempted to call him back and tell him about her burden, but she just couldn't do it. Already exhausted from crying and the little talk she just had, she lay flat on the bed, making sure to clear her mind of anything disturbing.

She turned and lay on the right side of her stomach, staring at nothing in particular. That was when her eye caught the card the Charlie guy from the previous night gave her sticking out of the dungaree she was wearing earlier.

She stretched her hand to take it and stared at the white card with writing in black in

Charlie Webster .O.

 Web Electronics.

  999-33-222

Jennifer wondered if to call him. He did look like a gentleman last night. He might even help her get out of Hamesia. She eyed the land phone on the desk and decided immediately to call him.

"Ma'am, your order." Charlie said from the other side.

Jennifer stood up to get it from him taking some cash with her. She opened the door to reveal Charlie, the bright smile on his face, holding a tray. She gave him a smile and took it from him, paying him the amount the meal was. As she was about to close the door with her leg, she turned to face him.

"It is Jennifer." He raised his brow.

"My name."

"Oh." He nodded shyly.

"You should try calling me that, saying Ma'am is too formal."

He did not even argue, he nodded his head again and walked away. Jennifer dropped her meal on the bed and went to the phone. Dialing the number, she hoped he remembered her  and he did not take offense to her attitude that night.

A familiar voice greeted her.

'Hello.'

"Hi. Good morning."

'Morning'.  He sounded so cheerful.

'Do I know you?'

"Sort of. We met at a club yesterday. You know the girl that sneaked out."

Jennifer rested against  the drawer, tapping its surface, hoping, as she could hear his breaths over the phone, that he remembered.

She could almost hear him smile as he answered.

“Of course I do. I am sorry I rushed out that day, had stuff to do. How are you?'

Jennifer let out a deep sigh, he sure was a cheerful person.

"It is okay. I am fine."

“You sure? You sound...”

He paused a bit.

“...loaded.”

"Can we please hang out? I need someone's company right now."

'Of course. Where are you right now?'

Jennifer told him her location, describing it to the best of her ability, hoping he got it and gave him a time to come pick her up. After the phone call she let out a breath, it was easier than she thought it would be and she sort of  happy she was going out. Let Mark see her right now, he would certainly go volcanic. She frowned at the thought of Mark. She wondered why he was in her thought, he most definitely wasn’t her favourite person.

She shrugged and danced her way to the bed, especially to her breakfast and settled to eat and think about what she was to wear and how she was going to make sure she enjoyed her day with Charlie. It was the least she could do to take her mind temporarily off things.

After the meal, she went to the bathroom and took caref her body, taking her time, she had two hours to prepare anyways.