It had been two weeks since Qu came back from the brink of death. He spent a total of nine weeks in the hospital, and today he was finally going home. He needed more physical therapy, and Dr. Medcafe gave him a list of things he would need in order for him to continue therapy at home. Upon his father securing a private nurse to tend to him at his home for four hours a day, and a physical therapist to come in three days a week for two hours to work with him on his mobility, Dr. Medcafe agreed to release him.
Tierra was on her way to his home to pick up some fresh clothes for his trip home. When she turned the key in his red front door she paused. She had never been to his house since he moved to town. Suddenly, she felt weird, awkward even.
“You’re being silly, girl,” she laughed inwardly, as she proceeded inside, closing the door behind her.
She shoved his keys in the front pocket of her black Dereon skinny jeans as she looked around the house. It was so reflective of Qu, she thought, stylish yet masculine. He wasn’t into grand, overstated items. There was a set of black Portico sofa’s, in a satin like fabric, with white, black and turquoise colored throw pillows in the center of the living room. A steel framed glass top coffee and two end tables flanked the sofas. While, polished steel table lamps with multi-colored shades adorned the end tables. Deep multi-colored curtains in tones that matched the throw pillows, and lamp shades, draped across the top of his huge window on silver toned curtain rod, ensuring the view of the city below was unrestricted. As Tierra stood in front of the window taking in the view, she remembered how he had commented on his view from his living room, being nice like his. Different views, but nice none-the-less, she thought.
She walked around a bit, and paused when she noticed what appeared to be his office. Allowing the cat inside her, curiosity, to get the best of her, she peeked inside. The walls were lined with black shelves that were packed with books of all genres. He was always an avid reader, ever since elementary school. No one had ever beaten him in the summer reading contests. He’d read about 50 books over the summer, easy. His tastes hadn’t changed that much either. If anything, they had expanded. He still had his comic book collection, his Manga books, books on drawing Anime , fiction novels, and just about everyone one of the people he looked up to that had put out a book, he had it. He had all the books by his pastor from back home, and the books on the Editing Couture suggested reading list lists. There were lots of books by self-published authors. It was obvious Qu still loved to read.
He had been drawing too. She noticed a sketch book on his desk, under a novel entitled Vengeance Unleashed… Once again curiosity got the better of her, and she flipped through a few pages.
“A thriller, huh? Well that’s new,” she said again to herself, after reading the back of the novel. There were several unfinished drawings of a woman who seemed very familiar, but because the art was so abstract, she couldn’t put her finger on where she might know the woman in the photo from. He had drawings of his favorite super heroes and some Dragon Ball Z characters, which made Tierra laugh. She couldn’t believe he was still embedded into those shows after all this time. She remembered how he used to force her to watch them when she would visit him. She watched them so much, she found herself watching them when she was at her own house.
Qu was no doubt a talented brother. She was in the process of lifting a piece of material from an artist board near the window when she heard the door creak open behind her.
“Excuse me? Who are you?” a tiny voice asked.
Tierra turned to see a woman standing in the doorway with a phone in one hand, and fireplace poker in the other.
“You better speak up, or I’m calling the police. You put Mr. Skeene’s things back,” she demanded waving the poker, pushing the talk button on the cordless phone.
“WAIT, wait,” Tierra pleaded, raising her hands up in the air. “Hold on, look, I have the keys. I’m not a stalker or a burglar,” she ripped the keys from her pocket and jingled them in the air. “My name is Tierra Rodriquez. I’m a friend of…”
“Oh, Ms. Rodriquez, I’m sorry. Mrs. Skeene just called me and reminded me you were on your way. I’m so sorry. She didn’t tell me that she gave you his keys. It’s been so long since there has been anyone in the house except me. I guess I panicked when I heard you laughing,” she realized she was still holding the fire poker in her hand, smiled and quickly moved it behind her back. “I am China, Mr. Skeen’s housekeeper,” she stuck out her other hand to shake Tierra’s, but realized she was holding the phone in that hand, as the sound of the phone off the hook blared from it.
The ladies laughed.
“Whew girl, you scared me. I’m sorry I scared you. I have never been here before. I apologize, I guess my curiosity got the best of me,” she explained, as she followed China out of the room.
“It’s ok. Just… no one is allowed in this room. I don’t even go in here. This is his private room,” China said, closing the door behind them. “I prepared a bag for you. It’s here in the hall,” she pointed, walking down a short hallway outside of the den. She bent down and picked up a small black duffle bag at the bottom of a stairwell and handed it to Tierra.
“Again, I apologize for scaring you, China. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“I’m sure we will, Ms. Rodriquez,” China said with a smile and closed the door as Tierra walked out. “She is more beautiful than Mr. Skeene said she was,” she reflected.