Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sheila kept stealing glances at Garrett on intervals. She will stare at him for a while, and when he turns to his side to look back at her, she will quickly look away.

She felt the urge to engage him in a conversation but didn’t know how to imitate it. “Garrett,” she gently called his name looking down and unable to look into his eyes.

“Yes,” Garrett who knew exactly what her question was replied.

“Sheila dear, do you always have to talk?” he quizzed, letting out a smile.

“What!!” Sheila exclaimed! Looking into his eyes this time around.

“Garrett, do you mean to say that I talk too much?” she asked, giving a mean look.

“Okay, that’s fine. No more talking!” she vexed, folding her arms and maintaining a straight face. ‘She wouldn’t talk to him again’ she thought

“Okay, I’m sorry Sheila. Believe me, I didn’t mean to upset you. I mean, it wasn’t intentional.” He apologized.

“Apologies not accepted!” she blurted, still maintaining a serious face.

“But I said I am sorry! Listen, I’m sorry. Okay?”

Sheila sighed, unfolding her arms and trying to look into the eyes of Garrett.

“Okay, Garrett. So tell me about what happened last night.” Sheila quizzed, dropping the bombshell.

“Actually, nothing happened last night.” he replied.

“Oh please, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I had seen you last night in a cave. You thought I was sleeping but I wasn’t, I followed you. I had seen you lock the café with a padlock yelling at me to run away but I didn’t. You even went as far as chain handcuffing yourself and….”

“Shuuu,” Garrett stopped her from talking any further, placing his index finger on her lips. He turned around to see if anyone was looking at them or if anyone had heard what Sheila was saying.

He notices that everyone in the plane is just minding their business.

“Sheila,’ he said, starting his statement.

Nothing of such happened last night. The only thing that happened last night was that I carried you on my arms and made you sleep by gently patting your hair and telling you a story.” He narrated.

“But…I had seen you…” she stuttered.

“No Sheila, it wasn’t me you saw. You were simply hallucinating.”

“Hallucinating you say?” she asked looking confused.

“Yes, hallucinating. I think it’s your imagination playing a trick on you.” Garret blurted.

“Yeah, you may be right!” Sheila retorted.

she didn’t know what was real to her anymore. Maybe she is not really inside a plane, she might just be hallucinating as well.

“Garrett,” she anxiously called.

“Are you real? Like I’m I really inside a plane or I’m still hallucinating. I may end up finding myself in the diner again because it seems I’m still hallucinating. she pinches herself.

“I may later end up realizing that I had been dreaming or hallucinating.” she said, looking furious and having some goosebumps, a shiver ran through her body. A chill of fear swept over her and goosebumps sprang over her arms. She looked frightened all of a sudden and began to shiver. Garrett gently pulled her close to himself placing her head on his shoulder and gently rubbing her arm.

He grinned, blinking his eyes.

‘She may end up realizing that she had never really left the diner or stop serving milkshakes.’ She thought.

“Sheila, relax okay. This is really happening. You are not hallucinating.” he said, slightly giving her a pinch.

“Ouch! That hurts,” she cheerfully smiled.

“Yeah, just so you know that this is real. I promised to protect you and give you a good life and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Be happy, my Luna!” he whispered to her ears.

She didn’t know what it meant to be a Luna. So she just waved that away.

They both grinned cheerfully as Garrett kissed her hair. She blushes and looked up into his eyes when again he kisses her forehead. She smiled broadly, relaxing herself more on Garrett’s shoulder. She didn’t know when she wrapped her arms around him and in return, he chuckled. It was obvious that she had started developing feelings for him.

Later that day, Eva received a text message from an unknown number, sending her an address and telling her to meet him there. She wondered who would have sent her such massage. She replied the message, considering it to be a wrong number.

“Wrong number, please!” she texted back. She was still feeling embarrassed at how Agent Jacobs had treated her the previous day. She laid on the bed like one who was down with fever. As a matter of fact, she felt feverish after the incident the previous day.

“It’s not a wrong number Eva! Its me Agent Jacobs Books. I’m outside the diner, please come meet me here.” he informed.

Eva screamed in excitement. It was the least thing she ever expected. She considered that as the best message she had ever received in her entire life.

She hurriedly sprayed some perfume and dashed out to see him.

The moment he sighted her coming out, he began to laugh again.

“Good morning, sir.” She curtsied.

“Common Sheila, get into the car.” He replied.

She hoped in and agent Jacob Books began to laugh hysterically which got her irritated.

“Listen, if why you called me here is to make mockery of me please, just let me go.” She said, trying to get down from the car but noticed that Agent Jacob had locked all the doors.

He apologized for the way he was laughing asking her to pardon him. He explained to Eva that he had always been admiring her but didn’t have the courage to ask her for a date. Also informing her that he had been the one always sending her love messages anonymously.

Eva busted into laughter on hearing that. she had thought the text messages was from one of all those random guys around.

“So you had always had your eyes on me but never got the balls to tell me?” she teased.

They both laughed.

“I love and salute your courage Eva. You are so bold and I love that.” he said.

“I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept the note you had written right beside my bed, staring and laughing at it” he informed.

“Oh my God!” Eva grinned, covering her face with her palms.

“Common, stop being shy. The good thing is that we are now together!” he blurted driving off. It was like a dream come true to Eva. They both stole glances at each other laughing at themselves.

Sheila and Garrett got to their destination and got off the plane. They had walked few steps away from the airport when Sheila remembers that she left her bags in the airport.

“Oh my God! Garratt, I forgot my bags in the airport. Please, we need to go back and get it.” She pleaded.

“No Sheila, we can’t go back.” Garrett informed.

“Why not? Please, let’s go back and get my bags. Please.” She pleaded.

“Sheila no! we can’t go back!” Garrett said, almost yelling.

“Garrett, my things are important to me. I need to get my bags.” She said almost crying.

“Sheila, we can’t go back. I will definitely get you new things.” He assured.

“No Garrett, I want mine.”

“Sheila, I said we can’t go back its dangerous to go back. Tell me, what makes your bag so special that you can’t let go. I said I will get you a new one.”

“No Garrett, everything I have left of my mother is right there in the bag.” She said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

‘It’s okay Sheila, please don’t cry, but we can’t go back. Please understand me.” he said.

Sheila’s countenance changed. She begged and begged but Garrett refused to oblige.

Everything she has left of her mother was inside the bag, except of the ring she wore on her index finger. She stared at the ring for a while and kissed it. She was unhappy. Those are the only memories she has been holding unto. She kept turning back looking at the airport from afar. Her mother’s pictures, necklaces, bangles and many other things are inside the bag. She had lost them all.

If she had her way, she would have gone back to the airport. For the first time ever, she wished it was just a mere hallucination. She wished she had been dreaming or hallucinating and had never forgotten her bags at the airport even if it means her waking up to find herself in the diner. She was sad that Garrett didn’t understand her. she sighted an old woman from afar holding a bag that looked like hers.

“Garrett look!” she said, almost yelling. “That woman has my bag!” Garrett looked to the direction she was pointing at but didn’t see any bag that looked like that of Sheila’s.

“Sheila, that bag doesn’t look like yours.” He blurted, holding her hand as they continued to walk.

“Garrett, look at that old woman holding a purple bag. That’s my bag!” Sheila stated.

“Sheila, that’s not a purple bag. It’s a blue bag.”

Sheila looked at the bag again only to discover that it was truly a blue bag, the bag wasn’t hers.

she heaved a sigh. ‘but she had seen a purple bag’ she thought. How sudden has the color of the bag changed? She wondered.

They kept walking without saying a word to each other. Sheila was still mad at Garrett for not allowing her go back to take her bag. She wondered what danger he was speaking of. He had said that it was dangerous for them to go back and get the bag but Sheila knew not what danger he was talking about.

They haven’t killed anyone or committed any crime, so what danger was Garrett talking about? She wondered.

The thought that she would never be able to see her bag again bothered her greatly. Garrett knew that Sheila was angry with him but he decided to ignored her.

They had walked for a while when Sheila suddenly removed her hand from his walking a bit fast. She had sighted a cute flower from afar. She gently picked it up sniffing it with her eyes closed. She enjoyed the smell oozing out of the flower so she inhales it and kissed the flower. Garrett chortled seeing how elated Sheila was.

“You love flowers a lot right?” he quizzed. But she didn’t respond. She was still mad at him; she had promised herself never to talk to Garrett again until he gets her bags.

She ignored Garrett. Sniffing and kissing the flower she had picked. Garrett took another route that was different from the path they were walking on.

Sheila quietly followed him. “Stay here while I go to pee.” He said. “Why should I wait here? Are you shy? I’m coming with you; I’ve seen that before.” Sheila said, following him.

“Sheila, don’t be silly. Stay right here I will be back.” He reiterated, and walked away.

She turned her back giving him some privacy. She reminisced on the day she had seen him naked and couldn’t stop laughing.

She kept laughing over it. She laughed some more when suddenly, she became very sad, remembering how her mother died. Her mother died in an accident when she was almost a decade and eight years of age. And now, everything she has in memory of her late mom was lost except for the ring she wore on her index finger. She saw more reasons to cherish and protect the ring at all cost.

“Hello my Luna,” a voice echoed from behind.

Sheila turned her back only to see Garrett standing behind her with some flowers.

“Oh my God! This is so beautiful” she screamed in excitement taking the flower from him without looking at his face.