CHAPTER 7 COME WITH ME

(Zhio POV)

“Light yours then we’ll pray.”

I attempted to use it although never in my life had I held something as such. I’ve got a Zippo that was probably on the car so I just took one stick and stroked it against the side of the box. It didn’t light up. Second one broke. Third one did too until it slowly ran out of content.

Something like that should be too easy to use then why can’t I do it?   

She held her stomach in laughter, “Do it gently.”

I tried more gently as she instructed but still failed miserably. She held my hand and helped me lit the stick together, “Do it like this.”

I tried for the last time and finally gave up, “Why is this thing so difficult to do?”

“Lighting a match takes heartfelt dedication you know,” she teased again. “You’re like a kid; can’t even light a match.”

“Shut up and just pray there,” I hissed. My devilish horns were sprouting yet again.

We spent some time in silence. Her eyes where tightly closed in sincere prayer while I watched and imitated her. I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes like she did. I don’t have anything to say to God but confusedly, all the wishes I longed to ask for went to mind. I was praying, for real.

When it all ended, the lonesome feeling of separation surfaced. Breathing in the cool air again, I spoke in admiration of that little place. “This chapel is beautiful…quiet. Although it looked a little haunted.”

“Surely is. Didn’t you know a priest hanged himself inside? Since then, this chapel has been avoided and eventually abandoned,” she narrated.

“Really? Did his ghost scare them off,” I thought and smiled when I noticed she was a little frightened. I suddenly remembered she was afraid of those things, “Well, restless souls becomes apparitions to scare, ask for help, or even take revenge.”

I expected she’d leave first but she seemed to be staying longer. “Aren’t you going home yet?”

“I’ll still wait for sister Ema,” she shrugged cheerfully “As long as the ghost don’t show up I’ll be fine. Aren’t you going home?”

“You’d be left here alone if I leave. I guess I’ll stay for a bit.”

Her face lit up. “Thanks. What’s your name?”

I was taken aback by her question. For a brief second I considered making up a name for myself. One day she’d see my face on TV or anywhere else and think I’m a liar. So amidst all uncertainty I told her, “Zhio.”

“A namesake,” she smiled. “With the infamously snub young billionaire.”  

My heart raced in surprise. She knew Zhio. But she didn’t know I am that Zhio.

Infamously snub young billionaire, huh? The media made people, even her, to describe me like that.

“Deaf,” I blurted. “It’s Zhion.”

“Eh, that’s just a letter different,” her gaze was suddenly far away “He’s a really lucky guy but I heard his father died recently. That’s sad but he’s still lucky anyway.”

“It’s sad, really.” I confessed. “But how could you say he’s even lucky?”

“He’s rich. He doesn’t have to worry about money,” she happily answered fast. “He was left with two big companies on his hand. Doesn’t that make one lucky? I bet even you, at one point in your life, wished to be him. ”

It was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life and I couldn’t help but laugh. I’ve always wished to be someone else, just not as Zhio. And being left with huge responsibilities was no way in eternity, fun. “Never. I would never envy someone who’s got no freedom. He’s no more than a caged prisoner.”

“He doesn’t suffer financially. It’s enough reason for me.”

“Not because he doesn’t worry about money doesn’t mean he does not suffer. There are many kinds of suffering,” I gazed at the rustling trees.

“In what way do you think?” she challenged me through raised brows.

“Tough decisions, I guess.” Emotionally. Mentally…the list goes on.

Our eyes met. I withdrew mine first.

“Right. Decisions are hard to make. He’s smart. And knowing him, he’s got resources and advisors. It should be easy for him.”

“It’s hard to say until one goes through what he’s going through,” I defended my concealed identity.

She suddenly pinched my side. “Are you really going to disprove everything I say?”

I scrunched my forehead, “Because you’re making too many false assumptions about his life.”

“You just don’t want to lose,” she pouted “And because you’re also rich.”

“Fine,” I turned my back and slowly walked away.

“Hey, are you walking out on me? I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

“Don’t apologize, you’re making a fool out of yourself,” I remarked.

“You’re the one who looked like a dejected fool when I first met you,” she spat. “The dark rings around your eyes proved you’re worried about many things. But there’s nobody you could really talk to about it. At least speak to me because if you keep it all repressed, you’d lose your mind sooner.”

Nonsense. I scoffed and resumed walking to towards the car. She continued after me and grabbed me by the arm.

“I’m not here to argue with you,” she smiled “I’m here to listen to your problems. And don’t ever tell me you don’t have any.”

I leaned in to meet her eye to eye. “Everybody has problems…”

“Then...” she stammered but I pressed a finger to her lips to keep her from talking.

“…But not everything should be told to anybody.”

I distanced myself when she looked at me.

“You need to sleep. Your eye bags look terrible.”

“Are you going home?” I asked to stir the conversation.

“Why?”

“Just answer me?”

“Depends...”

“If you’re planning to idle here alone then just come with me,” I suggested.

She fidgeted the strap of her bag and feigned the sudden need to go home. “Right…I have to go. It’s late already.”

I shrugged and resumed walking, “Alright.”

“Where are you really going?”

“Never mind. Just go home.”

I was starting the engine when she came by the window.

“Hey, I’m going with you. But take me home after. Whole,” she said.

Whole? Did she really thought I’d be doing something sinister? I opened one door to let her in.

“What made you change your mind?” I smirked.

“Are you happy now?” she recoiled.

I noticed she was so tensed when I leaned closer to her seat. Did she really think I’m going to…?  I extended my arm and reached for her seatbelt to buckle it up. She sighed in relief and although wordless, I could totally read her mind.

Very well, let me do something sinister. I drove off at full speed and it took her screaming on the top of her lungs. “Slow down! Are we car racing or what? Do you want to kill yourself?”

“Why not?” I drove a little faster and watched satisfied as her eyes widened in dread.

“I said ‘slow down’!”

This was a traffic-free highway and driving here at such speed could do no harm unless one is drunk or inexperienced. I was neither.

“Zhion!”

I still wasn’t used to that made up name but I didn’t show. I continued on ignoring her pleas and drove consistently fast.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I might puke inside your car,” she hollered as she placed one hand over her mouth.

That made me instantly hit the brakes. The car swerved out of control before it went to a stop and luckily the tires were caught in a small muddy pit or else we’d hit the electric post by the sideway. We almost flew out if it weren’t for the seatbelts. If I had been that careless to forget, both of us would either be dead or badly injured.

I glanced at her who turned to a tinge of purplish red in an awful mixture of fear, breathlessness, and nausea. Eriez’s lecture came to mind and I remembered high amount of gravitational forces from increased acceleration or sudden deceleration could cause some serious fluid imbalances and cerebral asphyxiation that in consequence would lead to fainting or worse, heart attack and death.

And she wasn’t used to this type of reckless driving.

“Are you okay?” I asked in panic.

“Hey…” she slurred as she was about to retch. I turned my head away when the gooey liquid filled the car floor in front of her. I, too, felt like puking at the fetor of her vomit.

“You aren’t even pregnant!” I mindlessly remarked as I went out the car.

“Hey mister I told you to ‘slow down’ and you didn’t listen!” she glanced at me in annoyance and wiped off the stains of it from her dress.

“Go clean the car,” I ordered.

“A couple arguing in the middle of the street at this kind of place?” an old man concluded as he and his wife peacefully passed by us at the other side of the road, “How strange. They must be from the city.”

“Don’t be silly dear. You used to be hot-headed like him,” the wife replied and they both laughed a little.

Hot-headed? I frowned and looked back to the woman in front of me. She has started the cleaning with the handkerchief she had. “Done.”

I went in and sprayed some air sanitizer near her seat.

“Don’t drive like crazy if you don’t want that to happen again,” she pointed out in a motherly tone.

“Whatever.”

Minutes passed and everything grew quiet. We’re a few hours away from sunset but the sky was a gradient of purplish orange already. It was beautiful. I turned to look if she was gazing at the picturesque view as well.

@DEATH WISH 

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