WHEN I FALL EPISODE 9

BY RUTHIE LEE

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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 mine.
“You!” she smiled. “When your hand touched my hair, that was what I felt sir, Joseph!”

“What?” I was speechless but still managed to ask that.
Or maybe she’s nervous cause she haven’t had her hair touched by anyone before.
“Well it’s your first time right, drying your hair with this!” I said pointing at the hairdryer.
She nodded and I smiled. “Well that may be the reason for your butterflies since it’s your first time!”.
“You think so?” she asked with a gasp.
“I know so!” I assured her and she nodded, still looking a little bewildered.
*
She seemed okay with my theory about the butterflies though, I don’t know how a person needs another person to know what they’re actually feeling.
That night I showed Kathleen the room she will be sleeping. It wasn’t too big, but warm and comfortable, it’s not a guest room it was just an extra room but it’s cozy enough for one girl.
Kathleen got on the bed and thanked me, just as I was about to turn of the light, she told me not to, and I left the light on and walked away.
I got to my own room, closed the door and joined my daughter on the bed.
Listening to the sound of falling rains hitting the roof of my house, the rain beating the lake in front of my house. It was a sweet melody, and just like a lullaby it put me to sleep.
–
The next morning I woke up with full force and sitting up, breathing heavily and looking sideways.
I just had one heck of a dream, but I couldn’t remember the details, it was all there in my head the dream, but I can’t reach it and grab it and know what I dreamt about.
But I did know one thing for sure. Kathleen was there. Kathleen was everywhere in that dream, but why? Why can’t I recall what I just dreamt, it’s like forgetting what you want to say when it’s right there at the brim of your lips.
I got up from the bed and my bother shook when I found out Mary was not on the bed with me.
I quickly rushed out to the living room, she wasn’t there.
I rushed to the room I told Kathleen to sleep in and surprisingly too she wasn’t there.
My head was about to go crazy, my daughter!
Did Kathleen take my child??, I ran around the house going up and coming down like a crazy man…
But still I found no one. My eyes were getting heavy and my chest was having that same feeling.
My Mary.
I quickly rushed out of the house barefooted, and stopped on my track when I saw Kathleen standing outside with my baby in her arms, both of them in front of the house staring at the clean lake.
The grass in front of my house was wet as I placed both of my feet on it walked on it. I walked towards Kathleen and my daughter.
“Kathleen!” I called and she turned.
“Oh, sir, Joseph!” she smiled. “Good morning!”
I sighed. “I’ve been looking around the house for a while now looking for you and my daughter, why are you guys out here so early!” . This story is written by Ruthie lee.
“Oh Mary was crying real loud and I had to get her cause she wouldn’t stop and you were still fast asleep and wouldn’t wake up, so I took her out here to calm her down and give you less noise!” Mary expound and I breathed out a sigh of relief.
What kind of sleep was i so into that I couldn’t even wake up when Mary was crying.
“Okay, thank you for what you did!” I said, taking Mary from Kathleen.
“You’ve helped more than what I could call help, I’m very grateful Kathleen!” I smiled.
Kathleen laughed. “Sir, Joseph, it’s strange and uncomfortable when you thank me, because as far as I am standing here, I should be the one thanking you, you let me stay come here everyday, you let me leave anytime I want to, I get to have delicious meal with you and Mary, and you let me stay over last night, I should be doing or saying just more than thank you sir, Joseph, you are one of a kind, you are one of the kindest people I know, no you are the only kind person I know, your hospitality towards me is just unexplainable. Thank you very much sir, Joseph!”

I smiled. “Well I’m glad you feel like I am all that to you, but if you put it that way, we should be thankful to each other, and I don’t really mind sharing dinner, lunch and breakfast with you cause having someone finish your food in just a day is kind of overwhelming, so you’re welcome anytime. ” I laughed and she laughed too.
“Are you giving me the honour of eating more?” she asked.
“What? Your normal spoon take is just enough, I don’t need a hand full” I tell her and she smiled…
.
“Sir, Joseph!” she called.
“Yeah?” I replied.
“I like it here!” she tells me.
“Oh… Okay!” I didn’t know what else to say. I mean she just gave the reasons why she likes it here. Free food is one of the reason to be precise.
“And somehow l don’t want to leave!” she said and turned to the lake.
“What?” I was sure I heard what she just said.
She doesn’t want to leave?.
“I don’t want to go back!” she sighed.
I watched as her hair got carried by the wind. And I imagined how it would have been if she hadn’t cut her hair.
I couldn’t tell what her expression was since her back was the only thing I could see.
“Why would you not want to go back? Don’t you have a family that would want you back?” I asked.
I heard her loud sigh. “I do have a family, but trust me they won’t be worried if I’m not home for decades, my family loves me sir, Joseph, but they do understand I am not a child!”
“But still, why would you want to stay here. You can look for an excellent job, get a house yourself and live on your own!” I expound.
“anybody would have thought of that, but… I want to live here, it’s quiet, peaceful and I don’t know but when I see either you or Mary I get excited, too excited to be precise, so if you can just let me…
She paused and breathed out heavily.
“Just let me stay here with you and Mary and I promise I will leave one day, I know no body but you!”.
“Honestly… I don’t know what to say!” I answered sincerely.
“You just have to say fine it’s okay, you can stay!” she stated and turned back to me.
She looked really sad and her brows were down.
I sighed, not knowing what to say, I mean she already comes here everyday, it’s like she’s already living with us, so it can’t be any different.
“I promise not to be inconvenient to you or Mary, and I’ll do everything you tell me to do I promise! Please just let me stay here!” she pleaded.
I sighed “Fine!”
Her head snapped up at me immediately.
“Fine?” she repeated.
“You can stay!” I tell her.
She gasped and before I knew it, she landed on my body, giving me a surprise hug.
“It’s nothing!” I said holding her hand so she’d let go of me, but she didn’t. It was like Mary read my mind and with her baby hand she pulled Kathleen’s hair that was laying on my chest.

“Ouch, Mary that hurts!” Kathleen said disengaging the hug and letting Mary laugh to her satisfaction.

“So I’m finally going to live with you guys, this is the best day ever and it’s just getting started.!” Kathleen yelled with her wildest smile.
“Yeah no surprise there,” I scoffed. “So when are you going to grab your things?” I asked.
“What things?” she repeated.
“WHAT THINGS?” I yelled and she nodded. “your things like your clothes, shoes, don’t you understand?”
“Oh, I have none of those!” she smiled.
“What? Then what do you usually wear?” I asked,
She glanced at me and then at the floor staying super quiet.
“Okay, am I going to get a reply or you’re going to keep quiet forever?” I scorned.
“planning to keep quiet forever!” she muttered but I heard her.
“Great, you’re planning to keep quiet forever!” I shook my head.
“Sir, Joseph we should all head inside now!” Kathleen said, grabbed me by my hand and start to pull me inside.
“Wait!” I grabbed her hand instead.
She paused and turned to me. She looked me in the eyes at a very brief moment.
Being the nice gentleman I am I asked. “Then would you like to go to the mall to get new stuffs, like clothes shoes and all?”
Her eyes widen as she let’s out a gasp.
“You’re going to do all that for me?” she yelled and I nodded.
What’s the point of not doing it, she has really helped a lot.
“This is honestly the best day ever, so when are we leaving?” she asked.
“After breakfast!” I said.
“Then let’s have one immediately” she said and ran inside.

I laughed seeing her behave like a child. Mary laughed seeing me laugh and we both just laughed.
Dad and daughter being crazy together. Classic.
*
I walked inside the house and dropped Mary on the warm floor of the living room.
I placed her stuffed toy in front of her and she got busy immediately.
I started to prepare Mary’s bath, I made it to my room and back getting her small plastic tub and towels ready.
As I made my way to the bathroom to get the hot water ready, I passed by Kathleen’s room to see the door slightly open.
And there I saw her seated on the bed, her face, facing down and tears crawling down her eyes.
Kathleen? Crying? Believe me when I say it was hard for me to believe. She’s always so cheerful you’d think she hardly cries.
I didn’t know when my legs walked into the room.

“Kath, are you okay?” I asked,
She glanced at me and shook her head Negatively.
“What’s wrong then?” my voice sounded so calm.
She sniffed and stood up.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” she cleaned her tears, but the more she cleaned them, the more it gushed out.
She walked up to me with her face down and in a whimper she asked.
“Can you hold me while I cry?”

“hold you?” I repeated, a bit confused.
She circled her hand around my body and laid her head on my chest letting out every cry she was holding back.
She sniffed “It’s so embarrassing crying beside you!” she let’s out a Wail and I almost laugh.
“It’s okay!” I said and consoled her by patting her back.
“I understand if you don’t want to talk about, but don’t worry, I’m here for you, it’s going to be fine, just cry all you want, crying helps a lot and I am talking out of experience you will feel better in no time!” I gave her words of encouragement and she sniffed.
I felt her head release on my body and she stepped back and she disengaged the hug.
But her hands crawled up to my neck and she pulled me down giving me a kiss…
.
T. B. C
BY RUTHIE LEE