4. BACK TO THE LIFE
John entered his studio with some packets in his hands. Satine was standing in the bed, watching the space in front of her. The young artist left the clothes on the chair and used the moment to watch her. In the last few nights he couldn't stop watching her, while he was curing her fever. It went really bad, with high temperature and all symptoms. He got very tired but tried to stay awake to give her the medicine. The thought of this beautiful creature was burning fire in his heart. What was that strange feeling inside? No, he didn't know anything about her. Today, five days after this fatal morning, Satine was much better. John coughed and the woman turned to him.
"Hello, Satine, how are you now?"
"Fine!" Her voice was cold and there was ice in her eyes.
"Sorry you are dressed like this, but I felt uncomfortable to undress you, so I just put you the warmest thing I had." He started explaining worried of her behavior. I took some new clothes for you."
John was quite embarrassed of this silence, so he started unpacking the things in front of her. She was just standing still.
"It's nothing special, just the basic things. One nightgown, surely you are not very well with this shirt and some dresses."
"Do you really think you can buy me with some rags?" Satine cut him off.
"What?!" It was too much for John. He could understand that she was still confused, but to accuse him in such a way. But he helped her so much, why she couldn't trust him. He had to make the things clear to her. "Listen what, Satine! I don't want anything from you. May be you haven't noticed but I had got so many chances to rape you that I can't calculate them! I kept you and saved you from death in this park. Do you realize how sick you were there? Don't misunderstand me! I don't need gratitude. I would do that for anyone, got it? So, just don't make me feel like a villain.
"I'm sorry!" She said holding herself tightly. "I just. I wasn't sure I could trust you. And you did so much for me."
"Hey, I know how you feel. When I left home, I was still young and didn't know anything of the world I was like this. It's normal. I'm not malicious so let's forget about this, ok?
"Yes." For first time Satine smiled and her face became more beautiful.
"So, everything's clear. I'll leave you alone to dress. Call me when you are ready."
After a few minutes he heard her voice from the other room. It was great the ice between them was melted now. John opened the door and saw her laying on the bed, dressed in the nice pink nightgown. He had moved it away from the fireplace early this morning.
"Well, you are looking better now. You just have to rest and soon will be completely recovered."
"I'm glad to hear that." Satine stood silent for a moment and then smiled again. "You did so much for me and I even don't know your name."
"Oh. I'm John, John Green." He introduced.
"Nice to meet you, John!" The young woman laughed.
"Me too." He stood still and silent. "So. how are your memories? Did you remember something else."
"Nothing. Just shadows. I had some strange dreams while I was fevered."
"Tell me. what dreams?" He exclaimed.
"Well, I remember red. a lot of red. And someone's eyes. Green eyes. That's all. Such a blur!" She ran fingers through her crimson hair.
"Don't worry now. These are piece of information and ideas, which will arrange in a special moment. Then you'll be able to see the picture. I always draw like this. First you have to get some idea what is going to be, then you leave it to develop and when you've got all pieces, express them.
"You are drawing?" Satine asked with interest.
"Well, yes. I'm an artist. Actually, when you found me I was finishing my last picture. Are you tired? You have soon recovered, I think you should get more sleep now."
"Oh, I'm not sleepy at all. May be I'll rest a bit later but now I need to talk. about anything."
"OK, I'm glad you asked me. I haven't got a lot of things to do today. Sometimes living on your own is quite boring. I used to have a room mate, but he left for France last year."
"France." She uttered thoughtfully. "That reminds me something."
"I caught some French accent in your voice. May be you are from there or you have lived there."
"It's quite possible." Satine looked down and bit her lips. Then she tried to smile again and asked him. "Will you show me some of you works?"
"Do you really want?" John asked surprised. "Well, I've got some things here. Most of them are not something remarkable, but I hope you'll like them.
He went to the other room and came back with a pill of papers in his hands. Strange, but for first time in his life the artist felt nervous showing someone his paintings. It was quite new feeling. "One of so many." His inner voice told him. "What happens to you? It seems like you are falling in love with this woman. You know you shouldn't feel like this." John sighed while Satine was examining the pictures. It was quite right. No matter he knew her only for a week and she spent most of the time sleeping. It had nothing to do with the fire bursting in his heart when their eyes met. It has nothing to do with the fact that he only knew her name and nationality. John loved her in such a passionate way. And it got scared him.
"Are you listening to me?" Her voice crossed the confused thoughts in his mind.
"Oh. sorry, Satine, what did you say? I was thinking about something.
"I see." And this gorgeous smile that was melting him. "I told you your painting are wonderful. It seems you've got gift.
"I'm glad you think so. Most people said that. Actually everyone except The Witch. This is Cecilia, my stepmother. But she is not very impartial, because she was quite annoyed by my stupid Bohemian ideals for beauty truth, freedom and love. Well, I used that to annoy her telling about how wonderful love is. That was driving that old malice mad."
Satine stared at him thoughtfully. For a moment she grew very serious, the expression on her face changed again.
"What?" John asked carefully. "Is there something wrong?
"No. nothing. just. you remind me someone."
"Someone you have known before? May be another Bohemian. From France?"
"I don't know. Your words seemed familiar to me. Like I have heard them before, but when and where - I can't tell you."
"Do you see it's getting better!" The artist exclaimed affecting joy. He wasn't sure he wanted her to remember the past. "Soon you'll have more details.
"Yes. I think I'll go to sleep, I'm still weak."
"Ok, I just recalled I have to see one friend."
She nodded and laid on the bed pulling the blankets tightly to her. His hand was on the lock when Satine said.
"Hey, you cared for me while I was sick all the time, haven't you? Aren't you tired?"
"No, Satine. Don't worry about me." John smiled, while he was going out. He needed to confess with someone about his feelings.
John entered his studio with some packets in his hands. Satine was standing in the bed, watching the space in front of her. The young artist left the clothes on the chair and used the moment to watch her. In the last few nights he couldn't stop watching her, while he was curing her fever. It went really bad, with high temperature and all symptoms. He got very tired but tried to stay awake to give her the medicine. The thought of this beautiful creature was burning fire in his heart. What was that strange feeling inside? No, he didn't know anything about her. Today, five days after this fatal morning, Satine was much better. John coughed and the woman turned to him.
"Hello, Satine, how are you now?"
"Fine!" Her voice was cold and there was ice in her eyes.
"Sorry you are dressed like this, but I felt uncomfortable to undress you, so I just put you the warmest thing I had." He started explaining worried of her behavior. I took some new clothes for you."
John was quite embarrassed of this silence, so he started unpacking the things in front of her. She was just standing still.
"It's nothing special, just the basic things. One nightgown, surely you are not very well with this shirt and some dresses."
"Do you really think you can buy me with some rags?" Satine cut him off.
"What?!" It was too much for John. He could understand that she was still confused, but to accuse him in such a way. But he helped her so much, why she couldn't trust him. He had to make the things clear to her. "Listen what, Satine! I don't want anything from you. May be you haven't noticed but I had got so many chances to rape you that I can't calculate them! I kept you and saved you from death in this park. Do you realize how sick you were there? Don't misunderstand me! I don't need gratitude. I would do that for anyone, got it? So, just don't make me feel like a villain.
"I'm sorry!" She said holding herself tightly. "I just. I wasn't sure I could trust you. And you did so much for me."
"Hey, I know how you feel. When I left home, I was still young and didn't know anything of the world I was like this. It's normal. I'm not malicious so let's forget about this, ok?
"Yes." For first time Satine smiled and her face became more beautiful.
"So, everything's clear. I'll leave you alone to dress. Call me when you are ready."
After a few minutes he heard her voice from the other room. It was great the ice between them was melted now. John opened the door and saw her laying on the bed, dressed in the nice pink nightgown. He had moved it away from the fireplace early this morning.
"Well, you are looking better now. You just have to rest and soon will be completely recovered."
"I'm glad to hear that." Satine stood silent for a moment and then smiled again. "You did so much for me and I even don't know your name."
"Oh. I'm John, John Green." He introduced.
"Nice to meet you, John!" The young woman laughed.
"Me too." He stood still and silent. "So. how are your memories? Did you remember something else."
"Nothing. Just shadows. I had some strange dreams while I was fevered."
"Tell me. what dreams?" He exclaimed.
"Well, I remember red. a lot of red. And someone's eyes. Green eyes. That's all. Such a blur!" She ran fingers through her crimson hair.
"Don't worry now. These are piece of information and ideas, which will arrange in a special moment. Then you'll be able to see the picture. I always draw like this. First you have to get some idea what is going to be, then you leave it to develop and when you've got all pieces, express them.
"You are drawing?" Satine asked with interest.
"Well, yes. I'm an artist. Actually, when you found me I was finishing my last picture. Are you tired? You have soon recovered, I think you should get more sleep now."
"Oh, I'm not sleepy at all. May be I'll rest a bit later but now I need to talk. about anything."
"OK, I'm glad you asked me. I haven't got a lot of things to do today. Sometimes living on your own is quite boring. I used to have a room mate, but he left for France last year."
"France." She uttered thoughtfully. "That reminds me something."
"I caught some French accent in your voice. May be you are from there or you have lived there."
"It's quite possible." Satine looked down and bit her lips. Then she tried to smile again and asked him. "Will you show me some of you works?"
"Do you really want?" John asked surprised. "Well, I've got some things here. Most of them are not something remarkable, but I hope you'll like them.
He went to the other room and came back with a pill of papers in his hands. Strange, but for first time in his life the artist felt nervous showing someone his paintings. It was quite new feeling. "One of so many." His inner voice told him. "What happens to you? It seems like you are falling in love with this woman. You know you shouldn't feel like this." John sighed while Satine was examining the pictures. It was quite right. No matter he knew her only for a week and she spent most of the time sleeping. It had nothing to do with the fire bursting in his heart when their eyes met. It has nothing to do with the fact that he only knew her name and nationality. John loved her in such a passionate way. And it got scared him.
"Are you listening to me?" Her voice crossed the confused thoughts in his mind.
"Oh. sorry, Satine, what did you say? I was thinking about something.
"I see." And this gorgeous smile that was melting him. "I told you your painting are wonderful. It seems you've got gift.
"I'm glad you think so. Most people said that. Actually everyone except The Witch. This is Cecilia, my stepmother. But she is not very impartial, because she was quite annoyed by my stupid Bohemian ideals for beauty truth, freedom and love. Well, I used that to annoy her telling about how wonderful love is. That was driving that old malice mad."
Satine stared at him thoughtfully. For a moment she grew very serious, the expression on her face changed again.
"What?" John asked carefully. "Is there something wrong?
"No. nothing. just. you remind me someone."
"Someone you have known before? May be another Bohemian. From France?"
"I don't know. Your words seemed familiar to me. Like I have heard them before, but when and where - I can't tell you."
"Do you see it's getting better!" The artist exclaimed affecting joy. He wasn't sure he wanted her to remember the past. "Soon you'll have more details.
"Yes. I think I'll go to sleep, I'm still weak."
"Ok, I just recalled I have to see one friend."
She nodded and laid on the bed pulling the blankets tightly to her. His hand was on the lock when Satine said.
"Hey, you cared for me while I was sick all the time, haven't you? Aren't you tired?"
"No, Satine. Don't worry about me." John smiled, while he was going out. He needed to confess with someone about his feelings.