Chapter Thirty- Five: A warm Pat
A warm pat caressed my legs taking me out of bed as my eyes struggled to keep open.
“Ryan,” I called out, still unable to see clearly as the room had now had its gloomy edges as the night came.
“No, it’s me.”
I rushed out of bed, almost falling over as soon as my eyes became less sleepy.
“Patricia, what are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“The door was open. After a knock and you didn’t respond, I tried the door knob and it opened. I realised you might have forgotten to lock.”
“What are you doing here?” I could hear a slight quiver in my voice as I moved back, finding my way out of bed.
“I came to check up on you.”
“What? Why do you want to check up on me? I thought you didn’t like…”
“Like you? Of course I don’t. I mean who would like the woman who has stolen the heart of her best friend from her?” She chuckled, sounding unusually calm.
“Did Lady Ana put you up to this?”
“And why would my mother do that when she had tons of things to do keeping the manor in place now that Ryan is out of town? This is all me and a bit of Ryan though.”
“Ryan?”
“Yes, he asked that I look after you. So that’s why I am here. Sorry if I scared you.”
“No, this must be some prank.”
“Relax Clara. It is almost dinner time, I know that you should be starving. What would you like to have for dinner so I can have the chef prepare it for you? Maybe I can have them serve you here if you want.”
I watched as she spoke, her eyes no longer holding the hurt that they did. Could she be real and the childish hurt of having to see another woman with her boyfriend finally left her? I so much wanted to believe her so I would finally breathe in a breath of real fresh co-sleeping with two eyes closed without the thought of anyone wanting to harm me.
“Hello?” She called out again and I turned to face her, forcing a smile.
“I know that you would find it hard to believe that I have changed but I never really hated you. I just wanted to be sure that you were good for him. You do like him right?”
“I…”
“It’s okay you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. So about the meal, are you in?”
“Patricia,” I finally found my words again, “Thank you very much for your kind words and gesture but I think I’d pass for the night. I still feel a bit tired and I think I should return to bed.”
“Oh that’s fine, if that’s what you want. But I was only considering the safety of your child. Look I know that you don’t trust me enough and it’s fair to think so considering the fact that I had been a jerk for a while. But I like Ryan too much to want to hurt the woman that he cares about. Ryan and I have been friends since I knew how to say my name. I don’t want anything to ruin that.”
“I am not taking Ryan from you. I can’t take away the many years you have spent with him. It’s impossible, I see the way you are with him and I wish that I had that in someone. Although I used to.”
“Really?”
“Yes, her name was Racheal. We did everything together.”
“Why talk in past tense?”
“Because it’s all in the past now. They are just memories, memories that I would cherish until it is all forgotten.”
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“It’s a pretty long story that I wish to tell some other time.”
I didn’t intend to open so much now, I was still on the verge of buying her trust.
“I think I would eat.”
“Finally! I should let the chef know at once. What would you like to have so I can relay it to them?”
“You know what? You don’t have to. I think I’d have to show a little of my culinary skills. It’s been a while, it will be all rusty by now.”
“That would be fantastic, I wonder what skills you have up your sleeves.”
“Wait, till you see,” I said, getting out of bed.
“I seriously can’t wait.”
The memory from when I was dragged off from stealing food resurfaced as soon as I stepped into the kitchen, most of the chefs had retired for the day. A few of them left who showed me where most of the ingredients were kept as I made some boiled rice and chicken broth sauce.
The sweet aroma filled the entire kitchen as everyone with free access to the kitchen would come and peek on who the new chef was.
“You are really a good cook.”
“You haven’t even tasted the food yet.”
“The aroma alone is worth dying for already. I wonder what other skills you have up your sleeves.”
“Not much though. I have always wanted to be more advanced in the world of science and also take up more cooking classes until everything changes.”
“What changed?”
“What is going on here?”
I froze on hearing her voice, Lady Ana. She was the only one left to buy into my happiness. As much as I understood where she was coming from, I still wanted to be able to feel a little at ease whenever I was around her.
“Hey Mum, Clara was just showing me a little of her cooking skills and from what I can perceive here, I think that she is really good at it. What do you think?”
“Patricia, are you seriously asking me that?” She barked and I knew coming down to cook was only a bad idea and a figment of the imagination that I would finally be accepted and appreciated even for a little bit.
“Have you come to steal another food from the kitchen again?” She turned towards me as I hid away.
“Mum, come on, you don’t have to be like that.”
“I wonder what he sees in you though.” With those words, she walked in.
“I’m sorry about that, I know how mother can be when it comes to matters like this.”
“It’s okay, she’s right though, I shouldn’t be here.”
“Clara for once I would tell you not to listen to what she said.”
“I wonder why she doesn’t seem to like me. It’s not like everyone would eventually like me but at least not with so much lever of hate. ”
“It’s not hate though and I am not saying this because we are family. But I do know why she acts the way that she does towards you, it’s nothing far from the way that I did as well.”
“Olay?”
“You know watching us grow up, Ryan and I, she has always thought that we would end up together.”
“I see, I guess I understand then.”
“Well, I hope what you are cooking is almost ready because I am famished.”
“About that, while we were talking I kind of added a little too much spice.”
“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Even with the extra spice and the nostalgic feeling of having to talk to Patricia that much, the food tasted well just the way mother used to prepare it with her extra special spice.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
I ignored the question but couldn’t help the smile that crept on my lips.
“Oh, I see that glint.”
“What glint?” I asked.
“The one that says that you do like him.”
“Well, Ryan is a good man, although he was a bit of a jerk from the beginning,” I paused and stared at her.
“What?”
“I still don’t feel comfortable talking to you about this.”
“Look, I understand Clara. But what I have for Ryan is just brotherly love like he said the other time. It took me a while to realise this though but it’s the truth. So feel free to speak to me. We are on the same side. And this tastes even better than it smells,” she said in-between a mouth full.
Maybe I could have read through a little bit more before feeling all relaxed and accepting that I have found a friend in her.