My Dear Ellie (Love & Friendship Book 1)

by Aisha Urooj

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you will be too busy signing autographs for your students.”

  “I should be called Ellie the autograph signer then?”

  “Maybe…Or you could become the newest Muse to be added to the lexicon?”

  “Lexicon? Fancy university language there Cassie. It sounds like you are fitting right in.”

  I cant't help but smile at Ellie’s words.

  ∞∞∞

  During my first year at University, I take all the courses that I could manage in my syllabus in order to see what I would like. It was now time to come to a decision.

  After much deliberation, I decide on my major and break the news to Ellie. She doesn't say anything but I do see her looking outside the window.

  "What are you looking at?"

  "Oh I was just looking at the sky."

  "Why? Is something there?"

  "No..not yet. The sky hasn't ripped open... there are no signs of any impending apocalypse. I didn't see a flying pig either but I just wanted to make sure. So you have finally decided huh?", Ellie says.

  "You can stop looking for signs of impending calamity Ellie...I know I had been indecisive about it. My indecisiveness registering 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, but now I have chosen my major."

  "That scale seems underrated."

  "What scale would you use then?"

  "More like you were indecisive on a scale of 1 to Hamlet."

  "...that scale would work as well."

  "So what did you choose?"

  "I chose Hamlet."

  "I mean what major you choose Cassie?"

  "er...English Literature."

  "That would make sense..so you going to be a writer then?"

  "I haven't thought about that yet..."

  Ellie sighs. "That makes sense too...I didn't expect you to have decided that yet." She looks out the window again.

  "Ellie you can stop looking out the window, the sky will not fall just because I finally decide what I want to do with my life", I say laughing.

  "It might!", says Ellie laughing too. "Congrats Cassie! Your favorite professor must be delighted at the news?"

  "Yeah...he said I made a major decision choosing my major."

  "He said that? Does he often make jokes like that...and still you chose English Lit?"

  "It is not that bad...and I like it the most out of all my courses."

  "I was just kidding Cassie. I see how your face lights up when you talk about it and how happy it makes you."

  "It does make me happy", I say beaming.

  "You finally find your ikigai Cassie?"

  "What is that? Excuse me for being an ignoramus."

  "It is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to 'finding your purpose' or 'a reason to get up in the morning'. Iki means life and kai is the realization of hopes and expectations. The theory is that by finding your ikigai and keeping busy with your purpose, you will enjoy a long and happy life."

  "Wow that is beautiful Ellie. Maybe I have...hopefully I have.. maybe some day I will?"

  "Ok Ok no need to solve all of life big questions in one day. We should celebrate this momentous occasion!"

  Ellie takes us to a glamorous two-Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms inspired by the Salon de la Paix at the Palace of Versailles. The dishes were amazing and I am sure the bill was as well. Ellie hushes my concerns and says that good food and friendship are included in her ikigai, so we should live life and celebrate.

  Chapter Twenty: A Book's Worth

  I continue with the quest of reaching minimalism nirvana in my small apartment and go on a cleaning spree to get rid of things that I don't need. I go through boxes of boxes of things that I hadn't seen or touched since I left high school. In one of the boxes, I come across a book that I remember John had picked for me on our second date.

  John takes me to a local bookstore in town and I am surprised to discover that it was my first time there. When I had wanted to borrow books, I would usually go to the school or public library. I must have missed seeing the small bookstore before because it was hidden behind an huge oak tree. There were so many books there, stuffed in every little corner and in no particular order, that it was hard for us to decide where to first start looking.

  John comes up with the idea of looking for a book that we had already read before and to exchange it to one another. We spend some time browsing and we find what we were looking for.

  "What book did you choose?"

  "The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko."

  "Why do you want me to read it?", I ask looking at the book with interest.

  "My father says that habits can make or break a person and that I should always aim for healthy habits in life. He says that I should read about successful people and learn from them. I had read this book for that reason."

  Seeing John talk fondly of his dad makes me smile, "Your dad sound nice."

  "Yeah he is great... he has made a lot of sacrifices for me and my siblings. I want to make him proud of me too."

  I smile again and then look at the book,"What did you learn from this book? Did you like it?"

  "I did like the book because it showed that anyone can become rich and that you don't have to be born wealthy to be successful in life, most successful people aren't."

  I look at the back of the book and see that it is listed under 'Business & Investment' and as a must read for 'financial independence'. Since I have not heard those terms before, I am curious to learn more and to start reading the book.

  "What book did you want me to read?", asks John.

  "The secret garden."

  "Isn't that a children's book?"

  I blush at his question. "It was my favorite book when I was in elementary school."

  "Your favorite? You must have really liked reading it then?"

  "Yes I did!", I say happily. "It made me wish that I had a secret garden of my own to play with."

  "What is the story about?"

  "It is about a girl named Mary Lennox who is all alone in the novel at first but then she makes friends with kids her age and with some animals too." I find it hard to explain the themes in the book and to explain that the story is more than just being about children. I finally manage to say, "The story is about hope and happiness, that is why I like it so much."

  The book shop owner had curiously been looking over while we were talking. He overheard our conversation because he comes to us with a smile and says, "Usually I don't get many kids in my bookstore and I like it that way. Forgive this old man for being biased and set in his ways but you two reminded me why I opened this store many years ago. I see myself in you both. I would like to give you two the books that you have in your hands. Don't refuse my gift as I insist. The books' cost are pennies next to their worth to you two as I am sure you will always cherish them."

  I remember being surprised and blushing at his generosity, while John had graciously thanked him and accepted his gift gratefully. The shop owner had been right about the book's worth, I put my cleaning frenzy to a stop to make myself some tea and got set to reading the priceless gift once more.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Innocence Defined

  Ellie was fuming about a guy she turned down. I thought it was odd and not like Ellie to get so worked up over a guy asking her out.

  Usually she is the one calming me down from an unexpected date offer. Ellie always takes it as a compliment when she gets asked out and even if she turns the offer down, she is sweet about it. I asked her what exactly caused her to be so annoyed. Ellie said a cute guy came up to her and started to compliment her. Things started out friendly and nice enough. He then asked her out and gave the reason why he was doing it. He asked her out on a date because he thought she looked really "pretty and innocent" to him. Ellie wanted to say yes but something didn't seemed right. She said that he didn't seem to take her hesitation well.

  "Thanks for the compliment but if you don't mind, what did you meant w
hen you said that I looked innocent?" He seemed confused by Ellie's question.

  "I need to understand what innocence means to you. It is a reason why you are asking me on a date isn't it?"

  "Yes it is sweetheart. You are all innocence."

  "Can you explain what you mean? I know some guys say innocent when they really meant naive."

  "You know...innocent..like trusting and such..."

  "But I don't simply trust anyone blindly..."

  "No I didn't mean gullible, you are smart...but you look innocent. It's a compliment, no need to overthink it. You are innocent, I know it."

  "Well I haven't done anything that falls under a major bad...no cheating, theft, fraud, murder...so no, I am not guilty but I still don't know what defines innocence for you. I can ask you the same question, are you innocent? There isn't any police record that I need to worry about?"

  Ellie said the last sentence laughing as she meant it as a joke but the guy started to sweat. He seemed shocked at Ellie actually having a backbone and he became especially shifty when she asked him that last particular question.

  Turns out he was a fox trying to seduce her with flowery compliments. Ellie said that she was most surprised when he didn't have anything else to say when she asked him a few questions. He eventually made a run for it and she saw him cosying up to another girl not five minutes later calling his latest prey "cute and innocent".

  "Good thing that you chased him off with your questions Ellie! You don't want to date a guy like that. He seemed so shady!"

  "Yeah it's good I have a brain on me and went with my gut feelings. Hope no other girl falls for his tricks...trying to blindside with compliments and not telling anything about himself."

  "He was right about you looking innocent though..."

  "Really you too Cassie? It will drive me nuts...you have to tell me what that means??"

  "You are all goodness my dear friend, you are like a light that attracts dark creatures. They better stay out of your way because you can totally kick their butts! Like a angel with ninja skills... criminals and fraudsters better beware!"

  "Lol Cassie! You are too much..."

  Chapter Twenty-Two: The Four Horsemen

  Ellie, at the age of twenty-two, is taking a break from dating right now she says in order to restore back her faith in love and man kind.

  She has been in a few short-term relationships before and likes to affectionately refer to her ex-boyfriends as the four deadly horsemen. Each of the biblical four riders represent an element before the prophesied apocalypse, they are war, famine, pestilence and death. The horsemen in Ellie's relationship had similar characteristics.

  Her first boyfriend came riding into her life on a figurative red horse. She was fourteen and the relationship lasted three weeks. They broke up over a video game as he wouldn't concede to being defeated by a girl. She grew tired of his combative nature and excessive competitiveness saying that it only ignited her own anger and bad mood.

  Her second boyfriend she said was the rider on the black horse. She broke up with him at the age of seventeen because he wouldn't share his food with her. The last straw in the relationship was when she made sandwiches for both but he ended up eating everything unapologetically and leaving her hungry and famished. Ellie said that she wouldn't tolerate being with someone as selfish and greedy as him.

  Her third boyfriend was after high school and at the age of nineteen. I didn't even get to meet him as Ellie found out through an incensed ex that he was a notorious cheater and had multiple 'girlfriends' at any given point. Within a month, he was sent riding away on his white horse out of Ellie's life for good. The cheat kept his player ways and continued to be a source of pestilence in the community.

  I did get to meet her last boyfriend but I was surprised when they had broken up after only seven months. I ask Ellie if she had been unfair to him and to ask how he became the last of the four horseman.

  "But Brad was nice...he was such a gentleman. He wasn't like any of your other boyfriends. Why did you break up with him Ellie?"

  "It wasn't who he was, but rather what he did that made me break up with him."

  "I don't understand. I met him a couple of times but he was always friendly. I can't imagine him doing anything bad to anyone."

  "No technically he didn't mean to harm anyone...and I agree that he was perfect in every other way."

  "Then why did you two break up? Why do you keep calling him Death on the pale horse?"

  "Cassie....do you remember your conversations with him?

  I think back to our conversation but don't remember anything unusual...except there was this one thing.

  "Ellie, I do remember that there was this one weird thing...I kept sneezing whenever he talked. But that was me and not him..."

  I remember when Ellie first introduced me to Brad, I kept interrupting our introduction by a series of sneezes. He could barely finish a sentence in front of me without interruption by a sneeze. Come to think of it, that happened every time that he came over.

  "Cassie, that was part of the reason why I broke up with him.."

  "So you broke up with him because you think I was allergic to him?", I ask confused.

  "No dummy...you weren't allergic to him. He was a smoker and you kept sneezing because of the lingering smoke smell coming from his clothes."

  Ah! Now it made sense..I am very allergic to any smoke and can't help but sneeze if it is in my vicinity. One of my many charms besides being hopelessly indecisive.

  "His smoking was the dealbreaker? I think that he really liked you Ellie, he could have quit...Did you talk to him about it?"

  "He had told me that he was a smoker on our first date but I didn't mind it at first because he was so cute. I thought that he would eventually give it up but he kept smoking cigarette after cigarette on our dates. I finally had to break up with him when all my food started to smell like cigarettes."

  "That is a bummer. What a lousy habit to get stuck with. It is unfortunate, he could have been such a catch too..."

  "Yeah I know but it was his decision to keep smoking. I had to decide what was best for me and my health as well.."

  "I understand now Ellie that you didn't randomly break up with him. So are you still going to take a break from dating?"

  "Yes...it will probably be for the best right now. I still have the memories of the four horseman to deter me from doing so at the moment, after that, I can't deal with a dating apocalypse!"

  We both look at each other glumly, afterall, we were both warriors from the dating world with our own scars from the battles.

  "Why is dating so hard Ellie?"

  "I wish I knew Cassie, I wish I knew..."

  "When will it get better?"

  "I guess we will just have to sift through the bad to reach the good. Maybe a break isn't such a bad idea once in a while."

  I see Ellie thinking deeply. I ask what she was thinking about.

  "I have already named my ex-boyfriends after the four horseman. I was thinking what else could I name the new ones after? The seven deadly sins?"

  "Seven deadly sins? Oh no Ellie, I hope you won't have to deal with a bad boyfriend ever again!"

  "You are right...it is better to think positive. Amen to that!"

  "Ellie, do you think there is such thing as the One?"

  "Hmm...I know that some people believe in such things.."

  "You sound pessimistic?"

  "No, I am just tragically aware that people are people."

  "And?"

  "People are bags of emotions and feelings including frustration, annoyance and disappointment. It is too much to say someone is the One, unless you can be the One for them too."

  "That makes sense. We shouldn't put all our hopes onto one idea or person unless we are willing to commit and sacrifice for them as well?"

  "Or Cassie, we could just delude ourselves into thinking we are both the Ones and live happy til we die?"

  "That could work as well."

&n
bsp; We both look at each other and smile at our conclusion.

  Truth be told, no matter what Ellie says, she is a hopeless romantic at heart and after her break from dating, she will be back to her optimistic self again. Her heart is too big for setbacks or resentments when it comes to finding love.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Lovesong

  Ellie has been all over the news lately. She attended a awards ceremony held somewhere in Europe. She looks ethereal in her fitted light blue gown with her golden hair done in soft waves. It had been raining that day, making it slippery condition for high heels. I had gasped when I saw Ellie slip on live TV....right into the arms of a handsome attendee!

  A very desired and eligible someone.

  It turns out Ellie was in the enviable position of falling in the well-defined arms of the biggest K-Pop singer in the world.

  The press goes wild! The picture is featured in all the entertainment magazines. I see Ellie apologize profusely to the singing sensation for her misstep, he looks a bit dazed...but was he angry? It is hard to read his expression. I want to reach out and give poor Ellie a hug!

  We would later find out that the singer had actually been instantly smitten with Ellie! Soon after his fateful encounter with our golden heroine, he writes a romantic ballad and it becomes his biggest hit. In the song, he croons about meeting a falling angel one rainy day and the song is titled "Eleanor." Ellie had inspired her very own romantic lovesong!

  My empty heart and lonely eyes

  Searches you in the open skies

  For your name I had been calling

  My beautiful angel you had been falling

  Raindrops, raindrops from the sky

  Heart pounds, heart breaks, and I cry

  Eleanor, my love how far have you come?

  To see me from the heavens above

  Eleanor, sweet angel how far have you come?

  To embrace me from the heavens above....

  I walk in the room to see Ellie dancing to the same melody. She freezes when she sees me. She has a guilty expression, like she had been caught red-handed.