Thrust Into His Arms

Song Recommendation; Cinnamon Girl by Lana del Rey

*********

"Thanks. For escorting me." I tell Richard as we got to the motel.

"No biggie. I’d hate for you to kidnapped off a sidewalk."

"Goodnight." I said just before I enter the motel. It is on the tip of my tongue to ask him how he plans on heading to his home this late by himself.

It comes to my mind just then as I remember that this place is like a turf for him as the restaurant is said to have been there a very long time.

He knows this area like the back of his hand. And he seems like a strong guy telling by his muscles. There’s also his mother’s strong genes that he most likely inherited.

Anyone who plans on attacking him would have to really think it through.

"You’re not gonna add "sweet dreams"?"

I hear him ask.

"No. Someone like you wouldn’t need those wishes." It is only for unhappy people like myself.

I did the usual pleasantries as well as the Q&A session with Margaret where she would ask how my day went. I would answer, "Fine." I would also ask her for politeness sake. And I also appreciated her again for the chicken pot pies. Complimenting and flattering her on how good it was. I have noticed that she is a flattery person. She likes it so well and bask in it.

She and my mom are somewhat similar when it comes to food and cooking. Do not dare criticize it even if it is criticism-worthy. Say it’s the best you’ve ever had and flatter as much as you can.

"Goodnight! Sleep well!!"

"I will. You too!" I responded just before I passed through a separated corridor and make my way to the hallway where my room is with one other.

It is the less occupied compared to the other room sessions. Only two other people had been my neighbors here. A couple.

Very sexually active. I could barely fall asleep because of the unabashed loud noise of their activity.

I was very glad when they left after spending two days. I just hope that I don’t get neighbors like that again.

I slumped on the bed right after I had put on my pajamas and dried my hair that is crazy drenched from a long shower.

Throwing apart my hands and legs, staring up at the celling while trying to deceive and convince myself that this the Beach instead of a room.

CALIX

"Good evening, ma’am. I need a room." I say to the advanced lady I met at the front desk. I also want to ask her about Gweneth, what room she is in and see if I could get a room close to hers. But that might give this woman some wierd ideas. And the last thing I need now is coming off as a creep.

"All the rooms are occupied except for one. I don’t know if you might like it."

For her to tell me this means it must be really really bad. But that’s okay. I will take it no matter how bad it is. I was fully expecting it to be as bad as the one I had already been to or even worse.

I am very surprised to see that it is not bad at all. It’s ridiculously small but it is looking neat and in order.

Not dusty and unkempt. Why did she think that I might not like it? It’s good.

"The wall is made of cardboard, not bricks." She soon informs.

"It is the only room here like that."

Ha, no wonder.

"It was too large of a room so I decided to partition it with the cardboard wall.

The person on the other side can hear any sound you make and vice versa. So you would need to be silent so you don’t disturb yourselves.

You do not need to worry about the person on the other side because she keeps to herself. She seems to like the silence." We hear a sound of something falling just then.

The woman instantly puts her ear on the cardboard wall. "Are you okay in there, Gina?" She asks, shouting.

Wait—Gina?

"I’m fine. It’s just the lamp." I couldn’t believe that it is Gweneth’s voice answering for the first few seconds. All the glad and happy feelings hits all at once realizing that she is just on the other side of the wall.

She is so close. Thank goodness!

"You just got a new neighbor. Be careful okay?"

"You got it." She shouts back.

The woman turns to me with a smile I’m reading as awkward. "I forgot that she is withdrawn and antisocial for a second there.

I was kinda expecting her to say hi." She says in a light whisper.

"Are you going to take it?"

Of course.

I will be crazy and foolish not to. This is one hell of a lucky chance that I just got. I will not be throwing it away.

I reply with a positive nod.

She leaves after telling me to come to the front desk where I paid the motel fees upfront for a few days. I have never seen anything so low cost in my life.

I had questions that I wanted to ask her about Gweneth but I decide not to because she might tell Gweneth. Or Gina.

Why did she lie about her name?

Does she want to change it? Perhaps as a way of trying to forget what happened?

I sigh, that must be it.

I return to the room and go to the wall with slow, careful footsteps and place my ear on the wall to hear her.

For long I did not hear a single sound. But later on I started hearing something.

A snore.

So she snores. I think, smiling sheepishly to myself. It is heavy but endearing. Good to know that she can sleep soundly.

I sat down with my back against the wall still listening to her snoring and thinking of how to approach her.

That is not getting any easier no matter how much I keep thinking about it.

I don’t think she would want to go back. It just does not seem like it. So what will I do then?

In what ways can I compensate for her suffering?

How exactly??