Acceptance - Chapter 15

“Thank you… for everything. I really appreciate it.” Irene stood near the gate of her home, expressing her gratitude to the stranger fellow who did not seem much of a stranger anymore.

“Anytime.” He flashed her a smile, and started his bike, ready to leave.

“Hey, wait. I don’t know your name.”

He raked his fingers through his hair after he turned off the bike. “But I don’t think you are supposed to know.”

The glint of mischievousness in his eyes made her grit her teeth. She drew her brows together, darting a glare at him.

Before she could open her mouth with an aggressive reply, he ceased his mischief. “Fine. Sorry. Ilyan. My name is Ilyan.”

“Nice name. Haven’t heard it before,” she forwarded her hand for a hand-shake, “I am Irene.”

The smile that had crept over her lips upon hearing his name faltered as she found him staring weirdly at her hand.

“What happened to the ‘my hands are dirty’ chanting now?” Raising his eyebrows at her, he thoroughly enjoyed teasing her.

“Well,” she advanced a step toward him, “someone told me that he doesn’t mind them.”

“I surely do not. Ilyan is glad to meet Irene.” He nodded, slipping his hand in hers. “Next time I see you… I would like to see you doing a lot better.”

She did not even bother to ask him why he said that. He had already narrated things he knew about her based on his understanding. She had not revealed it to him that he was right regarding quite some things and she was not planning to do that either.

He was just a stranger who was going to leave.

She was going to meet only once to return his handkerchiefs. “Don’t forget to text me. I have to return these,” she hurriedly reminded him just before he left. He had given her a nod and disappeared.

“Irene… I have been looking for you. Where did you go?” Melissa peeked from the door and when she noticed Irene, she came out.

“Jogging.” Irene was still staring at the way Ilyan had gone when she absent-mindedly answered.

“Oh my god. What is this?” Melissa rushed toward her, seeing her knees covered in the brown scarfs.

“Nothing much.” Irene walked inside, followed by Melissa.

“You can’t properly walk, Irene and you are saying it is nothing?” Melissa raised her concerned voice before she made Irene sit on the couch and she sat on the floor to check what it was.

As soon as she took those handkerchiefs around her knees off, she was horrified. Her eyes immediately looked at Irene who hung her head down.

“I am fine, Angel… I just fell on the road. It was not a hard fall, trust me. I don’t know why it is this bad.”

Melissa hummed in response, still staring at her knees in dejection. “Did you go to the hospital?”

“Angeeel,” Irene stretched in a bit annoyance, “does this look like a professional dressing done by a doctor to you?”

Melissa adjusted her spectacles as she thought about it. “Oh, this does not. Who did this?”

“Ilyan,” Irene mentioned his name casually.

“Who is he?”

It was then it struck Irene that Melissa did not know Ilyan. She felt like a fool, for making it sound like he was her regular friend.

She gave a sheepish grin to Melissa. “Sorry. He is… Ilyan.” She did not know what else she could tell Melissa about him. She herself barely knew anything. “Uhm… I don’t know him, Melissa. Just a stranger who helped me with this and also dropped me home.”

“Wow. Sounds like a nice boy. Did he drop you? Why did you not call him in? The least we could have done is offer him tea or coffee… whatever he prefers. After all, not a lot of people offer help to the ones in need.”

“Angel… he is going to take a hundred pastries from me for this help,” Irene told her mechanically.”But, I do agree that not a lot of people help these days. He does seem nice that way.”

Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise. “A hundred pastries?”

“Yeah. Sounds weird, right? Feelings are mutual.” Irene shifted on her place to stretch her legs to soothe the pain.

“We should see a doctor. We would get some painkillers for you also,” Melissa suggested.

“I don’t need painkillers but a proper dressing… I am sure I do.” Irene got up after informing Melissa that she would have to shower before they head to the hospital. It was anyway quite early in the morning.

“Damn it. Why did I sit? The couch is dirty now.” Irene frowned as she stopped in her place.

Melissa just sighed, used to Irene’s hyper nature when it came to staining stuff. “I will wash it. I am going to make breakfast. Let me know if you need any help.”

Even after Melissa left to prepare breakfast, Irene was still standing there, looking at the couch.

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“Ah… please le…ave me.” Irene cried uncontrollably, continuing her futile attempts to get her hair out of the rough, and painful grip.

“How dare you spoil the bed with that blood?”

Irene startled as the loud scream filled her ears and she shut her eyes hard when her hair was pulled mercilessly. Wuxiaworld for visiting.

“So…sorry… I… fell. Pl…ease leave me. I… won’t… do it again.”

“No….no… please open the door.” Irene banged her small palms on the door as she was pushed inside the dark room.

“Your punishment is to stay there for two days… without food.”

“Noo… open… open.” Her tiny fists ached but she did not stop hitting the door, pleading to get her out.

Little Irene had been sitting by the door for hours, continuously begging to let her out but nobody had come to listen to her cries.

“Da…da. Da…da.” With her closed eyes, she screamed while she let her hands fall down in defeat.

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“Irene. Why are you still standing there?”

“Ye…yes. Yes, Angel.” Snapped out of the past memories, she had to take a couple of moments to assure herself that she was no longer there. She was out of it. She was safe. She was with Melissa… far away from those people who could hurt her.

‘I wish I could change my past.’ She hated the way simple things could take her back to the time that she desperately wished to forget. She hated the way she froze every once in a while when terrifying memories took over her mind.

She had always wondered, why healing never came to her even though acceptance did.

Perhaps, to heal, her acceptance was not enough.