Aljinon, Bodo, again, thank you for reading and keeping up!
Chapter Eight – Silas Learns Something New
Silas didn't know what to do about the crying woman in front of him. He had never dealt with other people crying before. People usually just left him alone so that's what he did. Rachel silently sobbed as she continued cleaning the floors, letting her arms flow in an automatic rhythm. She really didn't want to cry in front of him, so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable, but even so as she sat near the door, almost finished, the sponge dropped from her hand in weakness. She sat in a slumped position and sniffled. Silas had been watching her, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw what looked like a flicker of sympathy. His whole body twitched, as if unsure about what to do, and Rachel said, "My baby, she was beautiful. When I looked in her eyes, it was like looking into a mirror." Silas nodded as he shifted in his seat. "I remember," Rachel continued, "she grabbed my hair and smiled at me. I didn't want to give her up, but I had to. I was seventeen. The family who would've adopted her couldn't have any children, so I was forced to give up my baby. All because of my goddamn parents." Silas saw her body begin to shake again, and as if possessed by some invisible force, he rushed over. Before he could do anything, Rachel had thrown herself into his arms and began sobbing loudly. Silas, slowly, unsurely, lifted his arms, one holding Rachel, the other stroking her hair.
Rachel found strange refuge in the monk's arms, and yet, she felt ashamed. There's nothing shameful about this, he's comforting me, she wearily thought to herself. When she cried herself out of tears, she lifted her head up to stare at Silas. His eyes were closed, as if in deep thought or prayer. Nestling her head on his shoulder, she finally felt something she had never felt before since living in the orphanage, cared for. Silas opened his eyes and asked, "Are you okay now?" Rachel nodded and stood. "Thank you. I think I ruined your shirt, sorry." Silas looked down at his tear and snot stained shirt. He shrugged. "It's okay, I much prefer a cloak. More durable that way." Rachel laughed and wiped her eyes. "Okay, bye." She said as she began to leave. "Bye." Silas said, standing. Suddenly he remembered something and ran out in the hallway. "Rachel!" he called and Rachel spun around, "I want to have lunch with you today." Rachel smiled and said, "I'd feel insulted if you didn't!"
Rachel pulled her limp hair into a bun and changed her shirt into a black one. Grabbing her wallet by the chain, she headed out the door to meet Silas at the nearest Chinese food restaurant. Since there was only one within a block of the Opus Dei building, she knew where to go. As planned, Silas was waiting for her, and wearing a different shirt. A blue one. "You look nice Mr. Albinism. Why, pray tell, are we at a Chinese food restaurant?" Silas attempted a smile again and said, "Shrimp lo mein. It is good, have you ever had it?" Rachel smiled and said, "What human hasn't?" Silas opened the door for her and said, "A person with shellfish allergies." Rachel laughed and went inside. Ordering the food, Silas paid for it, and they ate there in the restaurant. They ate in silence, and Silas couldn't help but watch her eat. She had a delicate way of doing it, instead of just biting and stabbing at it like Silas had. He then realized it might have been a skill she learned from prostitution, and Silas spilled his drink in his lap. On purpose. Rachel had jumped up with napkins and tried to help but he pushed her away. "No, I'm fine, I got it." and dried himself up. He could feel his cheeks grow warm, and noticed he was blushing. Rachel noticed too and grinned smugly. "Silas, you are so fun to be around." She said as she finished off the last bit of her lo mein. "Ha, you should see me in –" He was about to say, "bed" but then realized the error in saying that. I'm coming off too strong, he thought to himself as he threw their trash away. Rachel knew what he was going to say, and she knew exactly why he didn't want her help. It's amazing what a girl can get a guy to do with a few suggestive gestures, she thought to herself. When he came back, he handed her a fortune cookie.
Silas had never eaten one before, and didn't know there was paper inside. Before Rachel could stop him, he had already bit into it, and spat it back out. He was ready to strangle somebody (although that wasn't his preferred method of killing. He much rather enjoyed hitting and breaking.) Rachel said to him quickly, "That's why they're called fortune cookies. Inside is a fortune. Watch." She broke open hers and pulled out a slip of paper. "Do not misguide people along your way, even if you do not mean to. What does yours say?" Silas pulled out the paper. "Things are not as they seem, or even as you want them to be. Don't be tricked." Silas regarded this as a sick little joke that ended off meals where everybody could take a time to relax, and left it on the table. Rachel cleared up their trash this time, and they left without a word about either's fortunes.