Chapter 30
Alodia had no clue how she got home because of the memories and different thoughts that bothered her. She felt like a zombie walking after she off the bus. It was even a miracle for her to arrive home still in one piece. She was so damn tired! And she fell into the couch like a defeated soldier.
She stirred from her disturbed nap because of the doorbell. It was like there was an emergency. She did not know she had fallen asleep when her body hit the couch. When she glanced at her wristwatch, it was already past six in the evening. "Shit! Nicu!" She ran toward the door to open it.
Then, she stepped back when she saw Harman with Nicu. The kid came in and looked at her desperately for a second or two.
"You're such a loser, Alodia!" he said gaily. "You forgot to pick me up at school!" he complained in his usual gay tone. There was no grudge in this boy, which amazed her.
However, she frowned at the kid who left her with Harman. Then she looked at him who was still staring at her without words though his eyes asked her some things.
"I just happened to pass by his school on my way home, so I offered him a ride." He was about turn around when she spoke.
"If you want my thanks, then thank you," she offered without thought. Or perhaps, as cold as she could be, like the wintry air outside.
"I hope to talk to you again soon, Alodia. With no one around, nothing between us and... damn it!" he said and faced her just to embrace her and kiss her on the mouth. "I just missed you so, so much!" Then, he left. Just like that. She was so speechless, and she was as still like a candle.
"Hey! Don't you think it's getting cold in here?" Nicu complained with a grin on his face. He was standing by the staircase. He already changed from his school uniform, and he closed the door for her since she was still standing there like a
statue.
"Did you...?" she asked but was clueless what to ask.
"I didn't do anything. I just told him the truth," the kid said and shrugged his little shoulders.
She blinked looking at the kid. "W-what did you say? What truth, Nicu?" She put her hands on her hips. "What did you tell him?" she demanded. Her voice went a little higher than usual.
"Well, nothing much." The kid frowned. "Just what I heard you talked with Mama the other day." Then he shrugged again.
She swallowed while her heart hammered crazily against her rib cage. She thought it was going to cause her injury.
Her eyes went round "Everything? Everything you heard? Word for word?" There was that chance because Nicu was such an intelligent boy. But he just shrugged again and laughed at her face. Then he ran away when she playfully threatened to throttle him. It was just like their old game because the kid was ticklish in the neck part. "Nicu! You imp! I'll get you for that!" She was ready to come after him at the foot of the stairs.
"Hmm... you seem to have a lot of fun here." Nicoleta took notice when she came into the house and hung her coat behind the door. Her son's laughter rang all over the place. "Ah... it's just..."
"Mama! She forgot to pick me up at school! I was sooo lucky though that her boyfriend was on his way home," he busted her. The kid peered down at them from the top of the stairs. Then he stuck his tongue out at Alodia before he dashed back to his room.
Her friend was looking at her in disbelief but with a smile on her lips. Then she crossed her arms. "What was that? You should tell me all about it. I'm not going to reprimand you for missing on picking him up from school even though I should! As he said, he is sooo lucky, so let's leave it at that." Her heavy Romanian accent was on just as usual.
Alodia pushed the lump of her throat with her spit and took a deep breath. She told her friend everything. And Nicoleta seemed to be in awe when she seemed to realize something. "If that is so, then perhaps he has an idea about the baby? If Nicu got the hint and told Harman, perhaps... Oh, my God! Alodia! What if...?" Her blue eyes almost bulged. "But he already has a wife, Nic!" she butted in.
"Or, they could've separated or something..." Nicoleta pulled her lips down and shrugged one shoulder.
"He's a Gypsy, Nic. What's with you? And because we're both gadzo, we don't know if they have some kind of divorce or something, right?" She refused to give herself some hope that Harman could be a free man. After all, what was the point of leaving him then?
***
Early the next day, Alodia and Nicoleta were surprised to see the delivery man bringing them flowers. At this time of winter season, they knew that those were not easy to find and that they were not cheap at all. The yellow flower was like a lady's shoe, with maroon and green furled leaves.
"That's a rare orchid we call papucul doamnei, meaning a woman's shoe," Nicoleta told her. "And I can just guess what the meaning it stands for. He must think you're rare!" She chortled.
She grimaced at her friend. With a frown, her eyes were dragged to the man across the street, when the delivery man already turned to leave. She saw Harman waving at her with a smile on his cherry lips. And her heart skipped a beat. "Hmmm... As if I didn't know. We both know he has something to do with this, right?" Nicoleta said airily and drank the cup of coffee that she was holding and locked the door. The other woman eyed the bouquet of orchids in her hand. "Nic, do you know what these flowers mean?" She asked her friend seriously. Her feelings and mind were confused at this moment.
Nicoleta sighed. "Even the kids would know, Alodia. Where's your head?"
"It's not what I meant," she protested, giving her friend a scowl.
"He's just right across the street. Why don't you go and ask the one person who sent you this rare bunch of orchids?" Nicoleta made a face while her hand gestured in the air.
She was speechless and Nicoleta left her with an amused and teasing smile.
She blinked and looked down at the beautiful flowers. She smelled them and loved their pleasant scent. Her heart was troubled, but she felt happy deep down inside that she knew Harman still cared for her even after all those words she said to him.
Just when she thought that Harman would be following her that day, he did not. It was uneventful when she sent Nicu to school. But when she came back to the house, she noticed a car parked on the street, just in front of the gate.
Her jaw hung open when she recognized the woman who had her back on her. The latter was staring at the big house of her employer. She held her breath and decided to turn away while the woman had not seen her yet. What in hell is she doing here? Is it because of her husband? Her heart thumped.
"Alodia!" She heard her named called by Laili.
She stopped in her tracks, thinking whether to face her or not. But seconds later, she slowly turned to face the other woman.
"It's a miracle you didn't call me gadzo!" she said to the other woman bitterly. She gave her a hostile look.