WHEN I FALL EPISODE 8

BY RUTHIE LEE

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We made an eye contact as she failed to not look away and so did I and there again I felt that inner shock in my body. It made me flinch on the outside and she smirked before walking away.
What the hell was that, or could it be I’m getting old. Of course I’m getting old, my body structure will be changing too. I’ll be twenty six soon. I am really getting old.

I watched Kathleen walked away, and was left with no words, that awkward feeling I just had.
I took Mary to the bathroom, gave her, her normal morning bath and she couldn’t stop talking, talking about important things I couldn’t understand.
As I took Mary out of the bathroom, I wrapped her up in her towel.
I made it to the living room and Kathleen who was sitting quietly suddenly jumped up from where she was seated and followed Mary and I to the living.

“You don’t act like a guest!” I said as I dropped Mary on the bed.
“Really? What do I act like then?” she asked.
“A very bad visitor!” I said.
Walking to the other side of the room and going through Mary’s diapers and clothes.
“A bad visitor? But i am not a guest, neither am I a visitor!” Kathleen said.
“You are both of what you just said you’re not!” I stated.
“But i don’t want to be your guest!” Kathleen stomped her feet.
“Can you quit acting like a child Kathleen!” I scoffed.
“I am a child!” she stated.
I glanced at her and shook my head.
“From my perspective you look way more older then twelve!” I tell her and smiled as Mary laughed when I wore her, her stockings.
“That is very insultive sir, Joseph!” she blurted behind me.
“It’s not insultive, it’s just the truth, now if you excuse me, I’d like to go make breakfast now!” I said picking Mary up.
“Then can I hold Mary while you make breakfast?” she asked.
I sighed and nodded.
~
And like that, Kathleen held Mary and they both watched me make breakfast, Mary yelling at the top of her voice, saying damn things I couldn’t understand.
Kathleen asking me a whole lot of question as I cook.

Finally it was time to eat, and honestly it felt like Kathleen was part of the family as she set the floor table, placed Mary on her legs saying she would be the one feeding Mary today.
We were having pancakes and maple syrup, and also hot chocolate to go with it. While Mary was having oat for breakfast.

“Will you be able to eat and feed Mary at the same time?” I asked a little bit worried.
“If you can do it sir, Joseph, then I can too!” she smiled.

“Oh okay, don’t spill hot chocolate on her okay?” I said as she grabbed her mug ready to dilute the chocolate drink.

“Wow this is so good!” Kathleen said happily as she dropped the mug of chocolate on the table, grabbing Mary’s baby spoon.
“Yeah who doesn’t like chocolate!” I muttered to myself and looked up to see the top of Kathleen’s mouth covered with chocolate.
“Seriously, you can’t wipe that?” I sighed.

Taking the spoon out of Mary’s mouth she looked up at me. “Wipe what out?”
“The chocolate above your lips!” I said gesturing with my hands.
She touched her lips, and it wasn’t on her lips but above them, I sighed and grabbed a napkin from the tabel. My hand traveled across the table and wiped above her mouth.
“There!” I said dropping the napkin in front of her.
She looked at the napkin shyly.
“Th..thanks sir, Joseph!” she stuttered.
“It’s no problem!” I sighed.
We had breakfast that morning and just like I’ve come to know her, Kathleen wouldn’t stop talking about the way the food tastes and how it tasted familiar like a food she had when she was little.
She was like a child.
+.
The day came by and left so fast and before I knew it, it was starting to get dark. Well darker than it was supposed to cause rain clouds were actually taking over the bright night coulds.
I walked into the living room to see Kathleen and Mary having one of their happy play dates together.
“It’s seven p.m and it’ll rain any time from now, don’t you think you should start leaving?” I asked.
Kathleen looked up at me and then stood up, her expression was sour and it looked like she just heard bad news.
“It’s about to rain?” she asked and I nodded.
“And if you leave now, you can actually make it home in time before the rain starts, or if you want I can help you with an umbre–
“Sir, Joseph!” she called. “Can I stay over for tonight please!”
“Huh why?” I gave a nervous laugh.
Not again.

“Don’t worry, you can leave, I can give you a ride in my car or you can take an umbrella!” I offered but she shook her head Negatively.
“I…i… don’t have a very good home!” she began. “The roof is all crooked and when it rains, the water gets in!”

“Oh!” I was speechless.

“And everyone leaves home when that happens!” Her voice was low as she stared at the floor.
“I didn’t know, so sorry about that!” I said quietly.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to feel sorry for me, just let me stay over and I’ll pay you back for–
“Enough with the paying me back stuff” I interrupted. “You can stay if you want to, I don’t need you to pay me back or anything!”
Kathleen suddenly flew around my body giving me the tightest hug ever.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much sir, Joseph I promise I’m going to pay you for all this kindness!” she said pressing her ear to my chest.
I removed her hand around my back and disengaged the hug.
“You are not paying anything back, and please do not do this again!” I stated referring to the hug and she nodded “Got it!”.

“Heard that Mary! I’m staying with you tonight!” I heard Kathleen’s voice scream as I made it to the room.
+
It was quarter to eight p.m, the rain had begin to pour heavily, and I was in my room having a conversation with Martins my assistant via SMS.
Talking about work and all, I left my daughter and Kathleen in the living room, it’s been forty minutes and just as I dropped my phone.
Kathleen walked in the door.
“Sir, Joseph!” she called and I looked up to see Mary fast asleep in her arms.
“She fell asleep!” Kathleen said quietly.
“Oh,” I said, she fell asleep before having a nice warm night bath.
I took Mary from Kathleen and placed her on the bed.
Covering her legs with her baby blanket.
“Uh, thanks” I glanced up at Kathleen.
“No, there is no need to tell me thanks!” she smiled and walked inside the room.
“Sir, Joseph!” she called and I looked at her.
“Yeah?” I asked as she looked away.
She stuttered… “I…need a bath!”
“Oh!” my eyes blinked rapidly by itself.
“Okay well you can just go to the bathroom, you can use the bath tub or the shower, which ever way you like.!” I expound.
“the bathtub?” she repeated. “you mean that white boat wide enough to fit a single person?”
I laughed. “it’s not a boat, it’s a tub that’s for bathing!”
“Oh okay!” she said shyly and walked away.
She kind of seemed a little bit different tonight, I didn’t know how to put it but she was different.

Trying to sit down beside Mary I heard Kathleen’s voice calling from the bathroom.
“Sir, Joseph!” her voice could be heard clearly despite the falling rain.

I huffed and got up from where I was seated, I got to the bathroom and stood in front of the bathroom door, I wanted to barge in but a taught came across my mind.
“Kathleen?” I called.
“Yes? sir, Joseph” her voice echoed from inside.
“You’re putting on some clothes right?” I asked.
“Yes! Why?” she said and I opened the door and walked in.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing her fully clothed and nothing actually being wrong.
“The tub! It’s empty!” she said pointing.
“Then you just fill it up with water!” I said and helped her turn the faucet above the tub that let’s out water into the tub.
“Whoa.” she said.
“Where did you normally shower, or you don’t have a bath tub at home?” I asked.
“I don’t!” she said fascinated by the way the water filled the tub till it reached the brim and then I turned off the faucet.
I pointed. “That is an extra towel, you can use that after having your bath and now I will be leaving!”
“Okay, thank you sir, Joseph!” she said very calmly, as she waited patiently for me to walk out and I heard her locking the door.
*
I made it to the room and the rain starts to pour every heavily.
I laid beside mary scoffed at myself. Who would have thought, having another female at my home besides Suzanne, taking a shower in my own by this time of the day.
When did it all come down to this.! If i were a bad person I would have… I shook my head from that thought and sighed. I am not stupid.
–
Minutes later Kathleen walked into the room with her clothes on but her hair wet and all over her face and neck.
“I’m done!” she announced as she walked into the room.
“Your hair is wet, You’re going to get cold, didn’t you dry it?” I asked standing up.
“I did clean the water with a towel!” she said touching her now short hair.
“Didn’t you make use of the hair dryer?” I asked.
“Hair dryer?” she repeated.
“Or you don’t know what that is?” I asked in a mocking way actually being serious at the same time.
“Of course I do know what a hair dryer is!” she laughed.
“Okay, I hung one at the wall of the lobby beside the bathroom, I don’t know why you didn’t use that, but it’s okay! You can use this!” I said pulling out another hair dryer from the drawer in the room and placing it on her hand.

She looked confused as she stared at the ‘machine’ in her hand.
“You don’t know how to use it?” I rolled my eyes and she gave a small nod.

I walked up to her and snatched the hair dryer from her hand.
“Seriously where were you born?” I asked as I shoved the plug into a socket on the wall.
I moved a small foamy chair under the dryer and told her to come sit.
She let’s out a smile walking up to me and sitting down on the chair.
I turned on the dryer and starts to dry her,
She flinched at the first heat she received and smiled at the remaining. I’ve done this to Suzanne a lot of times, but this wasn’t like Suzanne’s. I don’t think anyone would ever be.
–
I turned off the dryer and unplugged it, dropping it on the drawer.
“That was… amazing!” Kathleen shyly said.
“You mean, you haven’t had your hair dried by a dryer before?” seriously where is this girl from!.
“Yeah, and I’m not talking about the hair dryer!” she shook her head.
“Then what felt so amazing you were grinning from ear to ear?” I asked, lackadaisical.
“You!” she stated.
“Huh?” I was confused.
“You, your hands on my hair, it was amazing!” she smiled to herself and she gently touched her hair.
She quickly stood up and turned to me.
“Sir, Joseph… I’m having this feelings inside my stomach that I can’t decipher!” she smiled at me with a glance.
“I… Don’t… Understand what you mean!” I stated.
“inside my stomach, it suddenly feels like there’s a thousand fairies dancing to their favorite music in there!” she said placing her hand on her stomach.
“Oh!” I laughed. “You mean, you’re having the butterfly stomach feeling, that kind of happens when you’re nervous or too excited!” I explained.
“Whoa, then maybe i am Nervous or too excited!” she smiled and looked up at me, but I looked away.
Why?
I had no idea why I looked away.
“And what made you so nervous or too excited?” I asked and looked at her immediately her eyes left mime.
“You!” she smiled. “When your hand touched my hair, that was what I felt sir, Joseph!”
.
T. B. C
BY RUTHIE LEE