‘Great!’
Later Ems felt her eyes were like as if they had little cement bricks on the lids...she couldn’t stay awake and bid good night to him
‘Night and chat again soon,’ he said.
‘Night,’ she replied
‘Bye x.’
‘Bye.’Two days later Ems was crossing the path towards Milford, when she stumbled on the edge of the kerb, ‘Ouch!!’ Oh My God!' As she sat down on the edge of the path and held onto her ankle. A passer-by saw her predicament and hailed a taxi for her.
'Are you alright Miss?' asked a bearded man in his 50's wearing a fishing jacket and khaki styled trousers; he helped Ems into the taxi. She shook her head as the pain seared through her ankle. He told the driver 'Take her to Park East Hospital. 'It seemed like ages before she got to the hospital, she thought she would pass out with the pain.
A nurse took hold of her arm and motioned Ems to move out of the cab into a wheelchair. After she was treated she was yet again, in another taxi, this time on her way to her mother’s house. She had called her mother and asked to stay over just for the night as she didn't want to be on her own just for now, with the way her ankle was!
Chapter Five
New Directions
'Did they tell you what it was?' she asked as she leaned down to open the oven door, taking a hot browned apple pie out and placing it onto a wire tray.
‘A torn ligament,’ Ems looked down at the bandaged lumpy bulbous ankle; ‘I will be out of action where college assignments are for the next couple of weeks too! She continued, ‘that and I don't know about college either as I won't be able to get around, the crutch hurts under my arm like a devil!’
Man this sucks!' she thought to herself.
Ems mother gave her a comforting hug, 'You can stay with me for as long as you like you know! 'Ems smiled through her discomfort 'Thanks mum, I may just take you up on that offer!' Her mother smiled back. Her light greying tightly curled permed hair, grey eyes and a smile that would light up any room. Ems mother, Amelia, now in her sixtieth year was of country heritage. Amelia’s mother was also a powerhouse of a woman very traditional in every sense and very strong willed. Amelia though wasn't as traditional, but she had qualities that would remind Ems of her grandmother.
Cooking and baking were a tradition in the family, and sometimes Ems would bake for her friends, when they would come over for a visit. They loved her homemade apple pie, a recipe handed down through three generations of the family. The apples were always cut to chunky size with hints of sweetness. ‘Moreish!’ was how one friend described Ems apple pie! Spending time at her mums to recoup was all well in good, but it meant that she could not go out and do regular stuff. But perhaps writing some articles on photography would be a good idea.
In the midst of her writing, she took a break and went online to the chat website. He wasn’t in the room! Ems felt for some reason a little disappointed, which she tried to analyse, but understanding her feelings right now was not a good thing for her. Because it didn't make sense! She didn't know the guy personally or anything. So why would she miss him?! In the middle of her own questioning, a familiar name Bold as Brass appeared in the tab bar on the site. It was him!!...She felt a small rush of relief wash through her.
‘Hi, how are you?’ He asked.
‘Hello, I’m ok but staying at my mums for a while, since I hurt my ankle!
‘Oh My God! Are you ok? What happened?’ He wrote. ‘Come chat to me on AIM my account name is: maxkenndall. I can add you there if you have an account? If not I can make one for you or you can make one yourself. I would like to talk with you.’ Ems sat and looked at the screen. For some reason this guy seemed interested in how she felt. She wondered about it and whether she should if at all create this AIM account! What would be the risk in doing so? After a few moments of hesitation she decided to give it a go. In just under five minutes she had the account set up and seconds later, he was there in the chat box. Bold as Brass was no longer and here he was, Max, and not some shying hidden unknown person. He was here chatting with her. He repeated his request for her to explain what had happened! She responded in answer to his question, plus he could see her typing the words out, as it was for him when he was typing. This was all new but yet exciting Ems thought and yet..,
A voice suddenly sounded in the room, ‘Would you like a cuppa?’ Amelia snuck her head round the door.‘ I'm just putting kettle on.’
Ems nodded her head. She looked down at her ankle from where she was sitting on her bed...thinking of Max.
'So you're to blame for this' ...and smiled.
A day later Ems sat staring at her phone. She wondered at the dilemma and what could possibly go wrong if she did do it! This was not an easy choice, something’s were, but this was like borderline going a personal route and being in normal contact. Max had given her his phone number and left it with her to text him or not. He never asked for hers, just casually gave his while saying he would love to her from her and to drop him a text if she liked! He had included the fact that she didn’t have too if she didn’t want to text him, and that he would understand. So here she was, having written a small text to him and wondering whether to press the send key! ‘Ah go on do it, what harm could there be?!’She spoke out loud and with that, pressed 'send' key! She leapt off of the bed she had been sprawling on and got up awkwardly, she felt her ankle complain.
'Ouch!' and promptly sat back on the bed, grabbing her ankle.
Within minutes an envelope symbol appeared on the screen.
‘Hey Ems are you havin’ a nice Sunday?’
She smiled at the message and sent him one back.
She waited for a reply, but didn’t get any.
For the rest of the day Ems pondered if she had made a mistake and that by giving him her phone number if did she done the right thing?! After turning the lamp off, she closed her eyes and pulled the duvet above her ears.
‘I'll think about that tomorrow,’ she thought.
Chapter Six
Tomorrows Dream...
A few weeks later, her ankle now less painful, she took a few hobbling steps in the kitchen to put the kettle on. While doing so, he phone rang in the sitting room. By the time she got to the phone whoever it was had rung off. Then just as she dropped the phone onto the sofa, it rang again!
‘Hello!’
'Hi there!' answered a deep warm rich male voice. ‘How are you?’
It suddenly dawned on her that she was speaking with Max! Oh my! She thought. For some reason she could feel the immediate pulsing rush of blood through her veins. Her heart seemed to be in her ears as she felt it thump quickly! ...
Wait! How can I be like this?! What’s wrong with me?! She thought in a fraction of a second!
‘I'm good,’ she replied, trying not to sound over excited like a school girl! ‘And how are you?’
‘Good too. You havin’ a nice day?’
She was about to reply when the phone cut out! She looked at her phone. It was dead! The battery had run out! She had forgotten to charge it earlier!
‘DRAT! OH MY GOD!’ she exclaimed out loud. Frustration now set in! Where was the charger?! She hobbled and even attempted to run upstairs, eventually finding it next to her bed. She plugged the phone in and pressed the phone to turn it on. It wouldn't come on!
‘OH MY GOD!’ She exclaimed again!
It just simply would not come on.
She hobbled back downstairs, put her laptop on and sent him an email. She was so embarrassed and so frustrated that right in the middle of his first phone call to her, her battery had died! The frustration stayed with her the rest of the day, until she found her email inbox had a message. It was from him!
From:
[email protected] ‘Hi I had an idea it was something like that. Don’t worry its ok. We will talk again soon.’
He signed with his name followed by a single x mark.
Ems let out a deep breath of relief. She had been so
worried about it and found there was nothing to worry about at all!
Starting back to college after her ankle incident was good, which was now healed, she could take her mind of the increasing thoughts about Max. Also because she had not heard from him for the past few days, tt seemed strange. Lots of conversations had taken place but suddenly nothing but silence.
She had looked online for him, but someone told her he was away somewhere, most likely work related! She felt although they were chatting, she really didn't know this guy. He seemed a mystery! The silence stretched over five days.
Ems sat on the floor of the sitting room talking with Alice and surrounded by a mountain of books from the shelf she had been cleaning.
‘So you haven't heard a squeak out of this guy?' Alice asked while pressing a cup of tea to her lips.
‘No and I am not going to leave any messages for him either! What’s the point? I don’t even know him really and I don't even know why I am feeling the way I do!' Ems picked up a book and placed it back on the shelf when suddenly her mobile sounded. It was a text.
‘I'm guessing, replied Alice, it’s because you like him. Well like him a bit more than you ought too!' she grinned!
Ems picked up the phone in a nonchalant manner.
Her hand immediately flew to her chest...It was HIM!!
'Hi I'm back,' the text read... 'I missed you. I missed chatting with you. I will ring you a bit later. Hope you are good,’ and signed off with a kiss.
Ems felt as though the world had been lifted from her shoulders.
Alice laughed and reached for Ems forearm, ‘You ok? Looks like you’re smitten by this Max person!’ she smiled.
‘Oh I don’t know. I just don’t get why I’m reacting the way I do. I haven’t met him yet. Oh gee...hmm. I wonder!'...
Ems looked for her college diary and skimmed over the dates
'Aha! May the 22nd. Perfect!' Alice looked confused at her.
‘I'll go to see him on the 22nd of May!’
‘Wow!’ Alice exclaimed with a concerned look. ‘Are you sure about meeting a strange guy in a place you have never been too?!’
'Oh I don't know, she replied looking down at the carpet and then back to Alice, 'I guess I have to go forward and see where the road takes me. See what happens!'
Chapter Seven
Destiny, Fate or Whatever...
A couple of months later Ems stood on a platform in a train station on her way to meet Max. She looked at her watch every other minute. Nervousness had kicked in. This would be her second train to catch.
She had arrived late in the afternoon, which meant that she would be meeting him rather late in the evening! Having talked with him on the phone a number of times, since she left Marlin City and at one point she actually felt like turning back home. Anxiousness added to all of this. Ceaseless questions flew through her mind...
‘What was she doing? Why was she here?!’ Then berating her own actions.
Meeting a complete stranger in a station at night in a strange town in a strange city!!
Dammit! She thought. Stupid Ems she should know better! She thought, again berating herself for doing something so not her.
Her thoughts were flying through her mind as the train pulled into the station.
The last train!
The one that will take her to him!
Goosebumps travelled through her skin. Her mouth was dry.
She took a sip from the bottle she had bought earlier at the previous train station.
The phone rang...
‘Hello!'
‘Hi! Where are you now?’ He asked.
‘Mason Green!’ She saw the sign as the train pulled into one of the stops along the way.
'Ok so you’re about fifteen minutes away!' His voice both soothed and excited her, but also made her feel so nervous right now.
‘How are you feeling?' he enquired
‘I'm ok I guess, just tired now from the travelling.'
‘You can rest when you get here. We will talk too and’...
Ems phone cut out...the battery was exhausted!
‘Oh My God!!’ She said out loud but in a low tone so no one but her could hear.
She tried to switch the phone on again but it would only flash on for a second and then switch off!
All she could do was wait until she got to 'Loft Park' train station.
She checked herself in the mirror a good few times and looked at what she was wearing. A beautiful fine white sheer sequinned long sleeved blouse underneath it a white strappy top, blue boot legged jeans, a light soft pink leather jacket that wasn’t shiny and white ballet pump flat shoes. Her long hair was loosely curled. Her makeup was natural and her eyes although looked a bit tired were sparkling back at her, but she could also see the signs of nervousness too as it were hard to smile right now.
The train pulled into Loft Park at just gone 10pm. It was dark out and the station looked cold and strange, as Ems looked out from her window seat. There were people on the platform and looking for Max amongst them was both scary and exciting.
She left her train seat without seeing him. Alighting the train and followed the people as they made their way up the stairs to cross the bridge over the tracks.
When she got to the top of the stairs, and just as she was about to turn the corner.
She heard her name being called...
Ems looked back down the stairs, as a man climbed up them two steps at a time! Suddenly he was there in front of her looking directly into her eyes.
He was different, different from what she had expected but a lovely un-expectation. The eyes that looked back at her were life’s eyes, someone who had been through a lot but smiling through it all. His dark short hair just shone in the light. He was wearing a beige corded jacket with sheepskin collar. A check shirt, loose fitting jeans and beige shoes. He also smelled of aftershave.
He opened his arms to embrace her. Ems wrapped her arms around him and felt immediately safe, the nervousness seemed to flow away!
‘You are different than I expected,’ she stated.
‘How is that?’ he said with a smile.
Ems distracted by his smile, lost her words for a few seconds, tried to gather her composure and make some response.
‘Oh it’s just that you look different that is all'
He laughed.
‘Wow! What a laugh! She thought. So nice and so warming'...Wait! Why am I thinking like this? I don't know the guy'...
Her thoughts were interrupted by him reaching down to take her bag,
'We best get out of here' he said and moved back down the stairs.
Ems followed. She was wrapped up in her thoughts again and didn’t notice the silence that befell the two of them as they walked to his car which was nestled in the parking bay of the station.
When she got into the car, she looked at him again. 'I think he likes me' she thought as he smiled at her again.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two things. A bar of her favourite chocolate ...and a piece of folded note paper!
'Aww thank you,’ Ems said when he handed her the chocolate.
'I thought you would like that,' he said as he snapped his seat belt in.
The piece of paper contained an address for a hotel in Loft Park. She looked at the paper for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts. She was in a strange city, a strange town, at a strange hour with a stranger! She was on her own and knew no one here. What is the best thing?! Stay alone in a strange hotel? Stay with him at his place for a night? But would she be safe? With that thought she looked across at him, felt instantly that she would be ok and it would be a chance to get to know him better!
‘Can I stay at your place instead of the hotel? I don't want to be on my own. I've never actually done this before and it would be a good way for us to get to know each other better, besides its late too!'
He looked at her, looked away and then replied.
'Ok ‘'he replied. It was said
quickly, so quick that Ems could not make out how he meant it and with that proceeded to start the car engine. The radio came on instantly, he turned the music volume down so it was playing softly, the car backed out of the station lot and drove out into the night towards his house.
Chapter Eight
Finding Foundation.
Alighting from the car, Ems stretched her stiffened body and look around. The driveway to the house was small but perfect. There was no garage for the car. The front door of his house was a deep solid oak door with a lovely six panelled glass in the middle. It was perfect! She stood there waiting while he locked the car door and went around to the back of the car. Ems reflected on their majoritively awkward silent drive to his house. He took her bag out of the boot and made a gesture for her to follow, once he had opened the hall door. Inside the hall was carpeted in cream wool carpet and white walls. A coat rack was on the left, filled with his jackets and below that a pile of shoes. The lounge he brought her into was cosy. The walls were painted in a shade of deep blue, with matching curtains. He placed her bag on the chair and turned to her...
'Would you like a drink?'
Ems flopped onto the sofa, which was deep and wide with an assortment of five large cushions.
'Just water will do fine, thank you.' she replied in a small voice. She was consciously aware of the strange atmosphere and wasn’t at all sure if she had done the right thing but she was here now at his place. Ems wondered at it all, but she was too tired from the journey to comprehend it all. Looking around the room and what she seen so far, the house and the room were the essence of who he was.
He arrived back in the room, passed a glass of water to Ems and sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. He reached down the side of the sofa and extracted a large litre bottle of lemon and lime. He took his empty glass and filled it.
‘You keep the bottle down there?!’ she asked
‘Yes, not too keen on keeping it in the fridge as it loses its carbonation easier!'
‘Didn’t know that,’ she added.
With that he raised his glass and took a couple of mouthfuls of it and placed the glass onto the coffee table that sat on the middle of the rug in front of the sofa.
He then got up and took his jacket off and threw it on top of Ems bag!