Page 10
Tonia slept for days to get over the emotional pain Raph and Ayra brought her and the physical tiredness of sleeping with Sammy over and over again. She started to feel like herself again after a while.
She didn’t like takeaway, and there was a tiny grocery store close by. She went on a shopping spree and filled Sammy’s empty fridge with food. Before that, it just had a few cans of beer in it.
His flat was big, with more than 1,000 square feet of space. But since he lived alone, only the main bedroom showed traces of use. The study and gym had nice furniture, however the treadmill was dusty.
Tonia cleaned the property from top to bottom for three days because she had nothing else to do. She finally felt like she was back to normal after making her own meals and enjoying the clean space.
She had felt like a different person during her fight with Raph because she was so angry. She hadn’t lived; she had just gotten through the hard days.
Tonia sometimes missed the time they spent living in the small cellar in Busta City. Raph’s heart was small back then, much like the place. It only had room for her.
It looked like his heart had grown big enough to hold other women now that they had a big house to live in.
Tonia liked to make a lot of different kinds of food. After filling up the fridge again, she suddenly wanted to go all out and make a big meal.
It was right then when Sammy came back. When he saw his usually vacant kitchen full of people and his dining table full of food, he was shocked for a moment.
He saw Tonia through the glass door. She was wearing a pink apron and had her hair loosely clipped up, with a few strands falling across her face as she focused on cooking.
She didn’t hear him come in since the pan was so loud. Sammy didn’t stop her. He silently took off his shoes, leaned against the kitchen door, and watched her prepare.
Tonia almost screamed when she saw him come out with a dish in hand.
Sammy held her steady with one hand, then immediately let her go to get the pot of soup and put it on the table.
“Why are you back?”
Sammy clicked his tongue. “I wouldn’t have known you were getting ready for a feast if I hadn’t come back.”
Tonia was a little ashamed and added, “I didn’t use your kitchen tools. I bought my own. When I leave, I’ll put everything back the way it was.”
Sammy lifted an eyebrow and opened the refrigerator.
Tonia ran after him quickly. “I’ll take all of this with me when I leave. By the way, your beer was expired. I’ll get you some new ones.”
Sammy then looked at the gym and the study.
Great. Not only were things back to as they were, but it was like she had never been there.
Tonia trailed following and laughed awkwardly. “Um, about the dust on the desk and treadmill… I can try to put it back if that helps?”
Sammy didn’t say anything.
“I’ve been looking for a place to live. I’ll be moving out soon.”
Be quiet.
“Sammy, say something. It’s kind of scary when you don’t say anything.”
Sammy looked back. “Did you get new forks and knives?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Come on, let’s eat.”
Tonia paid close attention to his tone and could see that he wasn’t very furious. She was relieved and ran passed him. “Sit down first. I’ll get you a new bowl and some cutlery!”
She ran off, and her wavy hair bounced as she did.
Sammy sat at the table and looked about his flat, which had just been changed. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw Tonia move around so quickly.
Sammy had seen Tonia for the first time as he was leaving the library after studying for the night. She had been hiding in a nook at the entry, crouching down with several stray cats.
She was so little that she was only a little bit bigger than the cats. It had been pouring outside, and she didn’t have an umbrella, so she was definitely stuck there by the rain.
He had began to go towards her with the intention of giving her his umbrella, but Raph had gotten there first. The latter had run up from behind and asked, “Sammy, do you know her?”
Sammy had said no.
“Then let’s go,” Raph said. He didn’t know why Sammy hadn’t moved. He looked back at Tonia and saw that she had been crying. Her face was pale and her eyes were red and puffy.
Sammy would find out many years later that it was the day Tonia’s parents got a divorce.
Her father had cheated on her mother and had another child with his mistress. Her mother had grabbed Ayra and moved to another country out of anger, leaving her behind.
Once their beloved daughter Tonia was completely alone.
“Sammy, you have a lot of schoolwork to do. You should go home. I’ll take her back,” Raph remarked.
Sammy wanted to speak up and offer that he could take her home. But before he could finish what he was saying, Raph had already stepped closer to Tonia and knelt down next to her.
A teacher had just called Sammy away, and he had to leave right away.
The second time Sammy saw her, Raph was carrying her on his back and smiling as he introduced her. “Sammy, this is Tonia, my girlfriend.”
Tonia had immediately slipped from Raph’s back and tiptoed over to wipe the wetness off his face with a tissue. She always had a small bag with her that was full of handy stuff, like a magic pouch.
She would give Raph a damp wipe when he was sweaty after a basketball game. His uniform was constantly untidy, so she would stand on a step by the flower bed and meticulously fix it. She would pretend to be a rabbit to make him feel better if he had a fight with his family.
Raph was right when he mentioned that Sammy had seen their whole relationship from start to finish. Sammy just looked up to Raph at that time and wished he had what Raph had.
But every now and again, in the middle of the night, he would think about that stormy night. He’d think about whether he would have been the one with her if he had been the first to talk to Tonia and take her home.
She didn’t like takeaway, and there was a tiny grocery store close by. She went on a shopping spree and filled Sammy’s empty fridge with food. Before that, it just had a few cans of beer in it.
His flat was big, with more than 1,000 square feet of space. But since he lived alone, only the main bedroom showed traces of use. The study and gym had nice furniture, however the treadmill was dusty.
Tonia cleaned the property from top to bottom for three days because she had nothing else to do. She finally felt like she was back to normal after making her own meals and enjoying the clean space.
She had felt like a different person during her fight with Raph because she was so angry. She hadn’t lived; she had just gotten through the hard days.
Tonia sometimes missed the time they spent living in the small cellar in Busta City. Raph’s heart was small back then, much like the place. It only had room for her.
It looked like his heart had grown big enough to hold other women now that they had a big house to live in.
Tonia liked to make a lot of different kinds of food. After filling up the fridge again, she suddenly wanted to go all out and make a big meal.
It was right then when Sammy came back. When he saw his usually vacant kitchen full of people and his dining table full of food, he was shocked for a moment.
He saw Tonia through the glass door. She was wearing a pink apron and had her hair loosely clipped up, with a few strands falling across her face as she focused on cooking.
She didn’t hear him come in since the pan was so loud. Sammy didn’t stop her. He silently took off his shoes, leaned against the kitchen door, and watched her prepare.
Tonia almost screamed when she saw him come out with a dish in hand.
Sammy held her steady with one hand, then immediately let her go to get the pot of soup and put it on the table.
“Why are you back?”
Sammy clicked his tongue. “I wouldn’t have known you were getting ready for a feast if I hadn’t come back.”
Tonia was a little ashamed and added, “I didn’t use your kitchen tools. I bought my own. When I leave, I’ll put everything back the way it was.”
Sammy lifted an eyebrow and opened the refrigerator.
Tonia ran after him quickly. “I’ll take all of this with me when I leave. By the way, your beer was expired. I’ll get you some new ones.”
Sammy then looked at the gym and the study.
Great. Not only were things back to as they were, but it was like she had never been there.
Tonia trailed following and laughed awkwardly. “Um, about the dust on the desk and treadmill… I can try to put it back if that helps?”
Sammy didn’t say anything.
“I’ve been looking for a place to live. I’ll be moving out soon.”
Be quiet.
“Sammy, say something. It’s kind of scary when you don’t say anything.”
Sammy looked back. “Did you get new forks and knives?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Come on, let’s eat.”
Tonia paid close attention to his tone and could see that he wasn’t very furious. She was relieved and ran passed him. “Sit down first. I’ll get you a new bowl and some cutlery!”
She ran off, and her wavy hair bounced as she did.
Sammy sat at the table and looked about his flat, which had just been changed. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw Tonia move around so quickly.
Sammy had seen Tonia for the first time as he was leaving the library after studying for the night. She had been hiding in a nook at the entry, crouching down with several stray cats.
She was so little that she was only a little bit bigger than the cats. It had been pouring outside, and she didn’t have an umbrella, so she was definitely stuck there by the rain.
He had began to go towards her with the intention of giving her his umbrella, but Raph had gotten there first. The latter had run up from behind and asked, “Sammy, do you know her?”
Sammy had said no.
“Then let’s go,” Raph said. He didn’t know why Sammy hadn’t moved. He looked back at Tonia and saw that she had been crying. Her face was pale and her eyes were red and puffy.
Sammy would find out many years later that it was the day Tonia’s parents got a divorce.
Her father had cheated on her mother and had another child with his mistress. Her mother had grabbed Ayra and moved to another country out of anger, leaving her behind.
Once their beloved daughter Tonia was completely alone.
“Sammy, you have a lot of schoolwork to do. You should go home. I’ll take her back,” Raph remarked.
Sammy wanted to speak up and offer that he could take her home. But before he could finish what he was saying, Raph had already stepped closer to Tonia and knelt down next to her.
A teacher had just called Sammy away, and he had to leave right away.
The second time Sammy saw her, Raph was carrying her on his back and smiling as he introduced her. “Sammy, this is Tonia, my girlfriend.”
Tonia had immediately slipped from Raph’s back and tiptoed over to wipe the wetness off his face with a tissue. She always had a small bag with her that was full of handy stuff, like a magic pouch.
She would give Raph a damp wipe when he was sweaty after a basketball game. His uniform was constantly untidy, so she would stand on a step by the flower bed and meticulously fix it. She would pretend to be a rabbit to make him feel better if he had a fight with his family.
Raph was right when he mentioned that Sammy had seen their whole relationship from start to finish. Sammy just looked up to Raph at that time and wished he had what Raph had.
But every now and again, in the middle of the night, he would think about that stormy night. He’d think about whether he would have been the one with her if he had been the first to talk to Tonia and take her home.