Chapter 13 GROUNDS FOR HOPE

After a heartfelt conversation with Mr. Nathan Alberto, it is nice to know that things at the orphanage are all good, and the donation which Charles makes is being put to use. My husband is one gem of a person for choosing to make a generous donation to the orphanage every month after getting to know that I was raised there.

He didn’t even tell me that he was planning to do that nor did he let me know when he was doing it for many months together. It was only after my warden’s call that soon after my marriage that I got to know that my husband had been the biggest donor and his money was being used for the kids’ education and healthcare facilities.

Not only did I feel proud of being married to such an obliging man, but I also felt grateful to him for taking care of my home. I have called the orphanage my home ever since I learnt that every place that has contributed to your upbringing is your home as that’s what the actual home also does. So, why not celebrate what you have by making the most out of it and not miss the things you don’t have; hence, the orphanage is my home.

I’ll have to plan to go to the House of God’s Children, which is my orphanage, to do a talk with the kids presently living there as Nathan sir requested me for it. I used to look forward to such talks that were given by different people when I was living there because I would imagine my life to turn out just like theirs. And that would keep me happy for a couple of days as I would also try my best to behave and respond to others just like them.

Thinking about the talk takes me back to the talk that I had with Charles in the car when we were coming back from the museum. After quite some consideration about putting it right, I asked, “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Charles shaking his head and turning it from side to side was enough to make me aware that he didn’t want to talk about it at least in the car. So, I kept quiet and started to focus on getting out of here as soon as possible in order to avoid such a turn of events from happening once again. It seemed to me like the most difficult thing to do back then.

On reaching home, Charles and I sat down on the couch and opened a can of beer. We spoke about random things but not about what he said at the museum. Soon enough we were both tipsy, and from there I controlled myself. I was drinking very slowly as I wanted to completely enjoy the talk that we were having, whereas, Charles in no time got bombed.

It was then that he started giving me hints about what he thought of me. At one point I even stopped drinking completely only so that I could be in all my senses to hear everything very clearly that he was letting out from within, obviously wanting to get closer to the man I really liked.

He was talking about how he used to feel staying alone in this house all by himself and why he gave me the option of living here with him. No matter how happy a person is while staying free and engaging with multiple partners, there is a part that no one can cover except for a true friend or a lover. He must have had one hell of a time before, but I was talking to his soul when he said, “I… was… been very lone-ly…”

The way he said it made me even smile slightly as he had never messed up English that way, and now that he was drunk, he was so confidently mixing up the tenses. I comforted him to let him know that I was there with him by gently soothing his arm and blaming it on the alcohol, the hard muscles of his felt something different at that point.

His biceps, triceps, shoulders were so well-built that as I moved my hand on his upper arm, something in me just happened that made me want to beg him to give me a taste of him. But because it might have been inappropriate of me to cross any of the boundaries that were set between us, I chose waiting in the wings for him to initiate something.

After a while, when we wanted to go back to our respective rooms to take a nap and feel normal, of course, it was very difficult for me to help him with it. So, I asked a servant to help us, and that was the day I really used the elevator to go to the first floor.

When the door of the elevator opened, Charles showed his hand to the servant telling him that he would manage from there. It got me a little worried because he was walking to my room to drop me instead of taking my help to go to his room as he was sloshed. I was at least able to walk straight unlike him who kept falling to every side in the corridor.

We reached my bedroom, and I looked at him to understand if he wanted me to help him in going back. But he kept standing there even though it was very difficult for him to maintain his balance. So, I quickly entered my room and even he walked to my bed with me, which was right in the center of the room.

The few steps that he had taken trying to walk behind me in a straight line must have been responsible for him to completely lose his balance. I myself was walking very slowly because, first of all, I was drunk and, secondly, to see if Charles needed any kind of help. Fortunately, I was quite near the bed when he pushed me, and we fell down on the bed.

The tough hand of his was on my back as I keeled over on to the bed and his body followed mine. Looking at each other as we had our faces only a few inches apart, I couldn’t help not notice his full, moist lips that were crimson and looked very appealing.

I almost forgot to look back up and kept staring at his lips, I anticipated the much awaited smooch to happen..