Chapter four: I need an artist
“Hello Lilac. Yeah, I just arrived and I’m on my way coming,” I said on the phone as I waited for the Uber to come and pick me up to my location.
“The master is calling you ma’am,” a deep voice came from behind and I turned my neck to face the person who spoke.
“Tell your master, that I am a master too and that he should go to hell. If you dare touch me, I am going deal with you,” I retorted without moving a foot. Maybe the man thought that I was just some little girl who was going to be tripping on his demand.
“Come here!” The man said, grabbing me by my arms. I flung my palm on his face and used my feet to hit his crotch, and people turned around and looked at us.
The guard looked around and held his crotch for a second as he closed his eyes, “You dare let a woman beat you? Oh shame!” The rich dude let out, folding his hands.
I shot a glare at him, ” Leave her”. The man moved backward and I heard their master say, ” You are fired.” Inwardly, I let out a chuckle and in a blink of an eye the Uber driver arrived.
Getting into the car, I shut the door behind me. “Damn… I can’t even hold this any longer. Do you know you are so beautiful! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen since I was born,” the driver exclaimed, looking at me with his jaw dropped.
“What’s going on here?” said in my head and averted my face. My heart started beating unknowingly for no reason. Looking at the driver who was still in shock with his hands placed on the steering, I snapped, “Please drive.’
He hit the pedal, “No honey. You are the driver, because you drive me crazy already.” The car started moving slowly and the cool breeze lifted my hair and covered my face.
“Now can you please stop that? I find that offensive.” I reprimanded him, keeping a straight face at him. “I’m sorry here. But um… I hope you didn’t already pay for the ride. Because I’m going to be riding you for free.”
“I beg your pardon?” I snapped back as it was getting annoying. “I said, I’ll ride you for free.” He repeated and I tapped on my laps speedily. “Just don’t say a word to him anymore Ava,” I said In my head.
That didn’t stop him from hitting me with commentaries about how beautiful I was till I reached I reached my location. He stopped the car and I got down, as I had already paid for my ride.
“How’d you rate me?” The man grinned as he asked. I looked at him and hissed, “Bold of you to ask for a rating. I would have given you a two out of five but I won’t do any.” I replied and walked away.
As I walked away, a slender blonde skin girl walked towards me. “Are you Ava Smith?” She asked staring at me. There was this thing about the way she looked at me that made me slightly uncomfortable.
“Who are you?” I replied with a question as I was also trying to hide my identity. “Lilac,” She responded. “She’s the one,” I said in my head. “Yes, I am Ava Smith. Lucas’s sister right?”
“Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you. Lucas told me about you and you look so beautiful. I mean, I ain’t even gonna lie. You have that face for a model.” She said and held my hands.
My face blushed pink as she spoke, “thank you,” I replied curtly. As we walked down the street, I noticed people turn to look at me, “See, you are like an angel,” Lilac added, “I feel so proud walking with you right now,” She giggled.
“Thank you, but I don’t think so and I feel like you are exaggerating.” Lilac freed my hands and touched my cheeks, “No honey, I am not. Can’t you see the heads turning to look at you? I even feel jealous right now.”
I took a deep breath in, “Welcome to my humble abode, this is where I reside.” Lilac pointed at the house beside us and took the lead while I followed her behind. “I’m so happy to have someone to talk to. This house was always so quiet and calm,” she added while I smiled.
“Girl.. I have no energy for talks,” I said in my head as I smiled at her. “You don’t talk? I’m so sorry I talk a lot i think Lilac didn’t tell you about me,” Lilac rambled as I got in.
“Here is where I stay. Feel free and make this place like your small secret heaven,” she took a stuffed animal and sat down. “Lilac, can you let my ears breathe!!” I let out and brought out my eyes in a funny way.
“No, I won’t. I want your ears to bleed.” She giggled even though I could sense that she was hurt. “I’m sorry I said that.” My conscience couldn’t let me with her poor soul.
“No no no, I’m fine. I chest all sarcastic and ironic talks,” She dramatically acted. “Umm, I’ll get you something to eat now. My bad, I couldn’t even get you something. I was so busy when I got back from work and my foodstuffs ran out so I was about to go shopping but I’ll get you some grilled chicken cause that’s the only thing I’ve got right now then I’ll run off to shop. I hope you ain’t vegan?”
“No, I’m not,” I said, my eyes scanning the entire room
Lilac left me sitting on the couch, doubling her steps as she climbed the stairs. Within a blink of an eye, she climbed down with a tray of chicken wings and laps alongside a bottle of wine.”
“This is a big feast you have for me Lilac.” I teased and without waiting, I took the chicken down my throat.
While eating, my phone beeped and I picked it up. “A message notification,” my voice barely audible. I tapped on the screen and it opened the message. “I MISS YOU AVA. I MISS THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR GRAVE.”
I flung the phone aside and gritted my teeth. “What’s the problem, Ava? You don’t look happy,” Lilac said. I didn’t know she was still in the room. Turning to her, I said, “Yes I am not happy. I am not the real me. I got myself a face surgery so that I could hide my identity but still, he doesn’t stop.” I broke down.
Lilac stood up from her seat, “I’m so sorry sweetie. You can talk to me, who is this idiot of a person.” Without answering, I handed over my phone to Lilac, see that? That is me before I got the surgery. Now I want you to help me do something.”
Lilac looked at me with bewilderment, “anything for you honey,” She said, wrapping her arms around me. “I need an artist. A very good one who could draw me or make everything look realll”
“What do you want to do because you just have one sitting next to you,” Lilac exclaimed and stood up. “Okay… take this picture. Draw me, murdered in cold blood, make everything look real, and if it’s possible to make it in a video form that would be really nice. I have to send this to Addams. Not me, anyone, no I can’t be the one sending it to him”
“And who the fuck is this Addams of a person? The person who lied against Eve?”
“My husband. He killed my family and he killed me or so he thought. This Addams didn’t lie against Ava, he killed her and he discovered that I didn’t die. The most shocking thing Is that he is dating my sister and my sister revealed that to me the same night I was with your brother. I could hear her giggle with happiness, she wasn’t even feeling any remorse that our parents were murdered by ..” I broke down into tears as I couldn’t complete the statements. My heart felt heavy
Lilac’s mouth open in surprise, “He deserves to be locked up………”. Lilac slammed. She hugged me for close to ten minutes while I poured out my eyes on her. My chicken wings stared at me but my mouth was too weak to eat anymore.
Weeks later, as Lilac went to work I stayed mostly at home. I stayed at home plotting and mapping out my business plans which I was going to have and start up. I was also going through my father’s documents but it was a shame to see that the properties, none of it were in my name.
“Hmm..”I took a deep breath in. Was there any reason to be angry that my father died or was murdered? Could there be a reason why he was killed by Addams? He didn’t even keep any for my sister I think that’s why she isn’t even feeling anything.
“So all this and nothing under my name?”I sighed, “Why give it to your son-in-law? Are you gay?” I said in my head while still holding the paper in my hands.
“Hey mama, I’m back home now. Got you something.” I looked up at Lilac who walked in, snapping me out of my reverie. It’s the way she gets to buy me stuff whenever she returns like I’m a lover or something and this comforts me ninety percent of the time.
“Here,” She handed over two Channel bags to me. “You got me clothes? Thank you but why?” I asked, opening the bag to look. “Actually my friend’s boyfriend is throwing a night party and I’m inviting you over. It’s a come with a friend edition” She happily said, as always.
“I don’t think I want to come anywhere. I don’t have energy for any parties honey,” I replied. “And besides, I don’t like going to places where I am not invited” I added.
“Don’t say that honey.. still mourning the death of your father? He is gone now. Yesterday is not ours to lose but tomorrow is ours to lose or gain. Listen up here, you have to shake your body and free your mind of every pain which was embedded in it. Through that, will you recover yourself?” Lilac said, shifting the bags away and she sat next to me.
“I still don’t feel like coming!” I murmured. I was already starting to get really comfortable around Lilac.
“You don’t have to feel like coming, you would. Your body needs that and your soul does too” Lilac continued and slouched on me.
“Okay… I get you. I’ll see what I can do about it.”
Lilac snapped, “You don’t have to see what you can do about it. It’s gonna be rich guys coming and bloody money demons, you..”
I cut her off, “am I there for the money or fun?” I sarcastically asked. ” Both.” She replied and stood up from the bed. “I’ll be leaving now. Let me go prepare myself and by the way, since you moved in here you haven’t even stepped your feet outside. You scare me”
Yes, even I scare myself.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Later in the evening, I could hear footsteps walk into my room and this followed with a soft tap on my skin. “Ohh…” I murmured and opened my eyes to see that Lilac was already dressed.
“We just talked twenty minutes ago and you claimed that you were going to get dressed. Is it in the dream you were talking about?” She asked, folding her hands as she looked at me.
My eyes were very heavy, I felt like I should cancel the outing at that last moment. After all in the first place, I never really agreed.