84: Neighbours and sad stories.

KIKI.

I woke up the next morning with a severe headache and there a note taped to the table saying, “Hi, it’s Rose… couldn’t stay till you got up, I got called to work. Made you a hangover meal. Will call you this evening.”

I peeled it from the table after reading before nodding my head unconsciously. I really need one of those Kim Kardashian jobs where they pay me to simply exist.

I struggled to get out of the bed and soon after afterwards I was tidied up. I changed into a flowery dress and tied my hair in a ponytail before making my way to the kitchen to see the soup that was still hot.

Smiling, thankful that I had a friend like her, I ate it while trying to recall what happened yesterday. It was all blur and I mean totally.

After talking with Luca and him leaving, I couldn’t remember anything else. I couldn’t help but wonder who took me home because I knew it definitely wasn’t Rose. She wasn’t invited and none of the ladies there would give a damn about me.

Probably Luca.

I heard the door of my neighbor opening and I quickly got up and stashed my plate in the sink. It had been long since I talked to her so I decided to chat her up. Besides she always knew what happens around here so she might know something about whi had brought me home.

Opening my door, I beamed a smile at the

Beautiful black woman and greeted, “Good morning, Grace, how was your night? Hope you slept well?” I asked as she looked up and smiled, “Kiki, wow. I am fine and you? Are you going out? You look pretty today.” She said as I beamed.

And that was the reason why she was my favorite neighbor of them all. I preferred coming in contact with her than any other one of them, Paul especially. He creeps me out each time I see him.

“Not going out today, Grace. Just decided to say hi to you, that’s all.”

“Oh really, what of Jojo, is he fine?”

“Yes, he is. He’s out already though, had a Sunday brunch to attend at his friend’s, it was all he talked about all week.” I responded with a smile on my face.

“Oh, that sweet boy. Well, in that case, I would like to invite you over for tea and some cookies. Please come over.” She said as I smiled.

“Sure thing, of course I would be glad to come.”

We entered her apartment as she shut the door and made her way to the kitchen. “It is really nice talking to you, you know? It gets lonely around here whenever I’m not at work, you’re hardly around these days too, that work must be draining you. Besides, I saw you yesterday, you looked so beautiful and peaceful in that man’s arms.” She said as my heart stopped for a minute and started again.

Grace actually saw who I was with the other night? That made my job a lot easier as I sat on the stool beside the counter before speaking, “You did? Tell me more about this man. I want to know everything, what does he look like?” I said as she closed her eyes as if trying to remember every little detail.

“He was very handsome, he had that authoritative aura around him, muscular, toned and he also had very visible tattoos on his body.” She described as my heart began to sink..

I think I had an idea of who she was talking about but before I could say something, she replied, “It’s all in the past now. Looking at the man made me feel that I had a special connection with him. Do you know that I once had a son and he would probably be the exact same age like the man now.” She let out casually as I choked on my tea. I placed the cup down now in shock.

Grace had a son? All the time I’ve known this woman, she was always alone, I’ve never seen a child nor relative with her. Not even friends. I was the only friend she had and she had been such a wonderful mother figure to me.

“Did you say you had a son? When? Where is he now? What happened?” I asked eagerly, ready to know more.

“It’s a long story but I guess I will tell you.” She said as I held her hand for support, ready to listen.

“You know, I had been taken over to Italy in search of greener pastures by someone I thought of as a good samaritan and as a young black lady, it hadn’t been in any way easy for me. First off, I was an orphan who had ran away from my orphanage and lived on the streets as a teenager so when I got the first help ever, I took it. I was introduced to my first ever boss to work for them as a maid, I was to get three square meals and at the same time get paid good wages, it was a good deal. My boss was a powerful man in the Italian society with a wife and a son as at that time. My boss’ wife however hated me so much, you’d think I did some evil to her somehow even though I was always so obedient to her, she made me go through various physical and emotional abuses but I continued to take it since I had no where to go anyways and I knew absolutely nowhere in Italy.

But then just when I thought physical abuse was going to be the height of it, my boss himself started to take interest in me, his attention on me was so overwhelming as I had never been offered such love before, he got me gifts and I found myself trusting him such that even when I felt like I had gotten enough from his wife’s hands, I’d stay just because of him. Not until a faithful day when his wife was not home and he took advantage of me by raping me, he begged me afterwards saying he loved me and all sorts of sweet talk and being the naïve girl that I was, I forgave him, thinking of it now, I’ll say I think of him as my first love. I forgave him for that ordeal but then he soon turned it into something that he did day in, day out and all I could do was cry myself as silently as I could to sleep each dreadful night.

And then the worst happened, I got pregnant, my boss’ wife was the person who found it out first and she locked me in the basement as soon as she also found out that it was her husband’s, despite all of my explanations to her that I was raped, she turned deaf ears to me. I waited in the dark basement for days that turned into weeks and in turn turned into months while eating the little food that I was given once a day. My stomach grew bigger while I was locked up in that same house and not once did I lay my eyes on the husband. Not even during my birth was I given a good attention, they only gave medical attention when I had given birth.

By the time I was conscious after going through labour, I couldn’t find my son beside me, they had given me good drugs and injections and then they threw me out with some cash despite my pleas to let me see my son even if it was one last time. They also made sure that I was sent back to my country before they let me be. Right now, despite being so sure that my son is alive somewhere in Italy, I don’t know what he looks like yet I don’t stop missing him with each passing day.

I have this beautiful hope that I will one day see my son and that is the day that I’ll be honestly fufilled.”