Hello... Hello... Anyone still here?
I'm sorry readers.I'm a bum but I'm back now. You forgive me?
To everyone that reviews thanks alot b/c I love reading ur feedback. Without further adu... Chapter 4!
"Feeling a little home sick?", Ray asked her leaning against the door frame to her room. She sat on the floor with photos strewn all around. Pictures of her brothers, sisters, mom and dad, Michael and other miscellaneous people were smiling up at her.
"If you can even call it that. I don't know where home is any more."
"Home is where you run to." He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to be Neela. So far from her family, friends, and husband, everyone she truly cared for. To top it off she was stuck with him.
"I guess you have a point." She looked at him sadly before picking up a framed picture of a teenage Neela standing next to pretty young woman. They were smiling brightly in the camera, hugging one another tightly. Desperately trying to end the silence he barreled on.
"Who's that?", he asked curiously
"My big sister, Anya.She was my best friend growing up and the black sheep of the family. No matter what I did, it was never worse than what she did."
"Sounds a little like my family. You are living with the Barnett family black sheep." He said modestly and took a bow.
"Lucky me." He knew she was waiting for an apology. She looked so sad sitting Indian- style on the carpet, it was kind of cute.
"Bout earlier…" He shuffled awkwardly trying to think of the "right" thing to say.
"Forget about it okay. I don't have time for your groveling. I should be use to this by now." She looked dejectedly at the pictures thinking about where she went wrong. This wasn't where she was supposed to end up. This was the last place she envisioned herself to be. She imagined a lot of crazy thing in her youth but even this was out of her league.
Realizing we let her once again all he could say was, "Thanks for understanding, Neela. You know you're my best friend, right?" He helped her up and gave her a bear hug. His body engulfing her smaller one until hers almost disappeared. This was all that was needed to melt her anger away.
Two days later…
"Ray! I'm late! Where are my keys?" Neela scurried around the living room looking on the floor and table. Ray was enthralled so by the game he didn't hear a word. She continued to search until she realized she had lent them to Ray earlier that day. He had lost his at a friend's party the previous night.
"Ray. Keys. NOW!" She said as she turned off the television snapping him back to reality.
"Um.You see what happened was …"He trailed off desperately trying to think of a good reason that wouldn't make Neela want to scream.
"Today please." She glanced sourly at her watch. "I'm late as it is."
"I threw them in the pond by accident." Ray flinched reflectively, expecting her to lash out.
"You threw my keys into the pond." Neela said cautiously. She wasn't sure if she had heard the right thing." How did mange to do that?"
"I was feeding the ducks-" He avoided her gaze slightly embarrassed as he started the story.
"You were feeding the ducks in the park?" She stared at him with genuine curiosity and interest.
"Yes, feeding the ducks helps me unwind after a long day. So this afternoon I put some bread in my pocket and went to the park. I was pulling the bread out my pocket and started to feed the ducks and your keys were in the same pocket." He gave her a puppy dog face in hope of a lesser punishment.
"Are you telling my keys are at the bottom of the pond?" Neela asked, trying to make sense of what Ray had just told her.
"Yes."
"Bloody hell, Ray. No matter though, you'll just have to come with me. If I leave unattended you might burn down the building."
"I'm not that incompetent." Ray protested indignantly.
"Whatever you say." She said in a disbelieving tone. "You're still coming." Tossing him a jacket and they headed out the door.
Twenty (long) minutes later…
"Are we even in Chicago?" Ray had been walking so long he had no idea where they were.
"If you had your car keys we wouldn't have this problem." Neela snapped as she turned another corner.
"You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
"Not anytime soon." She stopped walking and turned around "Stop your whining we're here."
He looked up at shabby apartment building and watched as she marched through the front door. Thankful he didn't live there, he apprehensively walked through the threshold. Neela was already down the hall and around the corner so, he hurried after her.
"We have to take the stairs; the elevator is broken…again." Three stories, two drug dealers, and one crack head later she stopped at a door. The door flew open before Neela even raised her hand to knock.
"Girl, I thought you forgot about us. What took you so long?" A young black girl answered the door looking excited and out of breath. Her large pregnant stomach protruded through the open door and into the hall.
"So sorry I'm late but I had some technical difficulties." She glared at ray who gave a sheepish grin.
"It's all good sweetie." She gave Neela a tender hug before scrunching her face and looking at Ray with a puzzled expression. Neela rolled her eyes in his direction and gave the younger lady an annoyed look.
"Aren't a little old to be babysat?" Neela clearly didn't warn her about him tagging along for the ride.
" Aren't you a little young to be pregnant?" At this quip her face broken into an evil grin and she let out a laugh.
"Touché"
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