I woke up early because my back hurt. I'm also not used to sleeping in a small bed. I stretched before I stood up. I took out my wallet and pulled out a few pages of money. I folded the blanket and put it on the pillow. After that I put the money I took from my wallet under the pillow. I hope the money I left at Richmond will be able to help him and his mother. I got out and immediately went to my car. I decided to roam around early and maybe I could see my wife walking on the street at this early hour. As I was driving I thought of calling my friend Keigan. "Yes? It's too early to call, Theron. What now? What do you want?""I almost circled Syracuse but I didn't find my wife here. Are you sure she's here?"My friend gasped. He doesn't want to wake up too early. He's always partying even when he's alone. Partying is his life so he is always up. When he's not partying, he's busy taking care of children at his charity. "Dude, look for it thoroughly.""Keigan, look, I've been to all
140 Westbrook Hills Dr. #34-5. I saw an advertising poster and that's the address I saw on it. I have never been to that apartment. Now, I am hoping to see Athara there because that's the last place I never search. I immediately drove to the location of the apartment. It took me a while to get there because I was hungry so I ate for a while. When I was in the apartment I immediately looked for the owner. An old man came out with a cane in his hand. I went to his way. "Good afternoon, sir. I just wanted to ask a question.""If you're asking if there's a vacant apartment here, I'll tell you yes. The woman who rented here just left. She's only been here for a few days but she left just before dawn," he told me. I have a hunch that Athara is the woman who rented here. I immediately took out my phone and looked for Athara's photo. When I saw her photo, I immediately put my phone in front of the old man. He fixed his eyeglasses and came closer to my phone screen. "Sir, is she the wom
I didn't feel like going out of the apartment that Athara had rented but I have to. I was carrying her clothes slung over my lower arm while her letter was in my left hand. I knocked on the door of the old man's room. After a while, the door opened and old man looked at me straight to the eyes. "Come in, sir," he invited me. I smiled a little and immediately entered. "Take a seat," he said. I nodded and sat down on the soft sofa. I looked around and noticed that the apartments had the same design. It's small but comfortable inside. I even tried to spy to find out if the old man was with someone inside his apartment. "I know you are wondering why my home is so peaceful, sir," he said. I cleared my throat before I spoke. "I'm sorry," I said. He placed on the small table the tray he brought with a pitcher with only juice and two transparent glasses. "You don't need to be sorry. We just buried my beloved wife three days ago, so I will am alone now. Our children are in another c
The morning came. I opened my eyes and just sighed after realizing that I am still above the sofa where I rested last night. I closed my eyes tightly again. I took a deep breath and immediately stretched after I opened my eyes. I sat properly. I bowed because my head hurt. My palms immediately supported my head. I gently massaged the side of my head. Nothing has changed yet. Instead of the pain going away, the pain got even more worse. I raised my gaze. I'm looking for something but I don't know what it is or who it is I'm looking for. "Athara, prepare me a soup," I said, closing my eyes and massaging the side of my head again. "Fuck, Athara, I said— Shit, Theron! Don't you know she's gone? Don't you know she's out of this house because of you? Fuck you, Theron! Fuck your shits! Fuck your dumb ass, Theron," I said to myself. I gasped. I slapped myself because I was annoyed with it. I forgot that she is no longer here. I forgot that she left me. She left me because of my own doin
A few months passed when I started to have my skilled men search for Athara. I am now sitting in my swivel chair in my office. I was constantly thinking about their search for Athara. I hope I don't hear bad news from my men. My men have been almost all over the Asian countries but they still haven't found my wife. The trepidation I felt became even more intense because my men left two countries to search over.The telephone rang on the table but I couldn't pick it up. I was nervous and I just looked at the phone dumbfounded. The telephone stopped ringing for a moment but within a minute it rang again. My hand was shaking and I reached for the phone and immediately brought it to my ear. "Hello," I said on the phone. "Good evening, boss. We're in Taiwan right now and my colleagues are currently circling every corner of the country," said Mark, who was the leader of the group I paid to find Athara in that country. I closed my eyes. This was not the news I wanted to hear from him.
I am preparing my things now. I hope that the Philippines would be a welcoming place for a person like me– for a person hoping to see his departed wife.I sat down and immediately looked again to see if the things I needed to bring were complete. I put my things in two pieces of luggage. I will stay in the Philippines for a long time because I know it will be difficult to find my wife there. I just smiled at my thoughts. I was imagining the appearance and shape of Athara's body. It's been a few months so I'm sure her belly is big now. Well, I know that she will still be gorgeous no matter what her body shape is. I'm also sure that her being pregnant will give her more beauty than anyone else. There was a knock outside the door. I'm sure Maid Tanna is the person outside. "Come in, Maid Tanna," I told her. I stared at the doorknob that moved until I saw Maid Tanna enter after the door was totally opened. I couldn't define the expression on her face. I don't know if she is sad or not
I was gone for a moment because nature called me. I sat back in my seat on the plane, my eyes fixed on the clouds outside. As I gazed out, I couldn't help but think of Athara, hundreds of miles away.The distance between us always seemed so immense when I was on the road, and it weighed heavily on my mind. I shook my head because of the thought. I must think positively that our distance would become narrow. Whenever I thought of her, a warmth spread through my body that took the edge off the separation.I remembered the last time we were together, I took her for granted and I was afraid to tell her I love her. I smiled at the thought of her infectious stare and the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled.I reached for my phone and scrolled through pictures of her, feeling a sense of comfort and connection despite the physical distance between us. I hope this comfort won't be taken from me. I longed to hold her close, to wrap my arms around her and feel the beating of her heart against
It's been months and my wife decided to live with me. I bought a two storey house in the Philippines near the church where Athara is volunteering. Her tummy was slowly enlarging and it made me worried because her volunteering might harm our child. I decided to visit her to the church. As I approached my wife, her deep focus was evident. She was methodically wiping down the pews as she hummed an old gospel hymn to herself. When she saw me, her face lit up, and she greeted me with a warm smile."Hey, love," she said, her voice cheerful and light."Hey," I responded. "I didn't realize you'd be here the whole day.""Yeah, it's been a long one. But I'm happy to do this," she replied, gesturing to the space around her.I looked around the cramped, dimly-lit chapel, the sound of rustling paper and soft voices filling the air. "Listen, I was hoping we could spend some time together. Maybe grab a meal and take a walk or something?"She looked at me, her expression apologetic. "I can't, not