Stranger At The Other Corner

by AnonYMous

  CHAPTER 22

  A short circuit breaks in the default wires, it was on the fourth floor sub-fuse box and suddenly all the electricity on the fourth floor gets fuse with a powerful short which cause a fire in the circuit. With the fire alarm everyone on the floor runs down through emergency exist, the alarm alert everyone in the building and everyone starts evacuated the building, Annie was on the phone with Andy when she heard the alarm “what happen there Annie” Andy asks as he heard it too.

  “I think we got fire emergency” Annie said confusingly because she was looking for Claire, everyone was going down. “Annie gets out of the building” Andy said. Mr. Bradley going in the meeting room when he saw the news and Andy was worried, he goes near to Andy to ask.

  “Claire… Claire” Annie shout but she was not there, “Annie what are you doing” Andy asks.

  “I can’t find Claire, Andy. She went on fourth floor” Annie said, fire alert cause fire showers to open but on fourth floor there was no electricity and fire was growing. “Get out of the building Annie… she must be out” Andy shouts.

  “What’s going on Andy?” Mr. Bradley asks when he looks all his staff watching the news which showing “fire flames coming out the BAA building and fire ambulance, police was securing the building, he freeze there. Andy look at Mr. Bradley but before he tell him anything Annie says

  “She’s not here Andy… I told you she was on fourth floor” Annie said crying, she was out of the building.

  “What… Claire was on fourth floor, but that’s where the fire breaks… do anybody seeing her getting out?” Andy said then turns to Mr. Bradley but he was gone.

  Mr. Bradley’s office was about 35 minute distance from Claire’s building but he was running like crazy, like his world was about to destroy. He never runs that fast but he was not in his sense, only thing matter most for him right now was Claire, his life was depends on her life.

  Claire heard the sound and because of the fire, washroom was getting fill with smoke, she tried to open the door but it get jammed, there was no electricity and no passage of air. It makes difficult for her to breath; she beat the door several times and call for someone to hear her but there was no one, she was coughing because of the smoke. She was praying that someone listen to her, in her heart she was calling Mr. Bradley.

  He reached the building, and saw everywhere but he didn’t see Claire but Annie saw him and he saw her crying “calm down Annie… I’m coming, okay just hold on” Andy said as he was getting in his car. “Andy… what is Brad doing here?” Annie asked in surprise, and it makes Andy surprise too “what?” Andy shouts.

  He understands Claire is not here, he runs inside the building before police men could stop him. He moved to the stairs for emergency exist and runs, when he reached on the fourth floor, fire was very high, the glasses of door get break and there was smoke everywhere.

  He takes off his coat and covers his mouth, he can’t see anything clear and it was getting hot. When he move inside, he heard a voice of door beating but then suddenly glass wall on his right arm breaks and badly injured his arm. He didn’t feel the pain because all he wants was to save Claire.

  He move forward, trying to stay away from fire but he can’t open his mouth because of smoke, and then he heard the voice again “help me… I’m here” he runs toward his right then stop at ladies room.

  He hit on the door, and Claire move away from the door, then again he hit and door open. When he gets inside, she was so shocked. She knows, she’s been calling him but how he heard her voice was surprising.

  They both look for a moment then another glass break and Mr. Bradley hold her hand to get away, they were trying to reach to the stairs but fire was growing everywhere. Mr. Bradley start coughing badly and Claire hold him, smoke was increasing. They feel like, it’s their last moment because they can’t find a way exist, they look at each other. She was holding his arms and that’s when the fire fighter came with the spray, he wearing a gas-mask and gives them a sign to follow him.

  They came down and out of the building, when Annie sees her she quickly hugs her which makes Mr. Bradley to leave Claire’s hand.

  “Thank God… you are okay… I was so worried and you take hell out of me” Annie said everything in a breath. “I’m fine Annie… its okay” Claire said, and then looks at Mr. Bradley with love.

  “Oh… Claire Thank God, you are okay” Simon came as Annie move away from her then notice Mr. Bradley. “Thank to him… he save Claire” Annie said pointing at Mr. Bradley.

  “I’m always thankful to you, for saving my wife” Simon said as they shake hand, Mr. Bradley smile and nod.

  “Brad… you okay?” Andy said, as he reached there and saw his wounded arm “Oh shit… Brad your arm, man what are you doing? If anything happens to you then what I said to Judy and look at your arms, it’s a deep cut and” Andy stops when he look at Claire who was looking at Mr. Bradley and leaving with Simon.

  “I didn’t feel it, I don’t know when I got the cut” Mr. Bradley said, looking at his wound. Andy looks him for a moment when they move toward medic, then says smiling “I think I know why didn’t feel the pain…” Mr. Bradley feels Andy understand everything.

  CHAPTER 23

  They were in Mr. Bradley’s bedroom and he was sitting in bed and Andy was sitting on chair infront looking at him with sharp eyes.

  “I think I’m fine and I call Judy, she’s coming too so you can leave if you want” Mr. Bradley said, not looking at him.

  “It’s her… right? Brad” Andy said, Mr. Bradley shocked, “what… who… who are you talking about?” Mr. Bradley shutters.

  “Stop it… just stop” Andy yells, “So it’s her… the one, you wait for all these years. The one you used to write your poetry for, you used to dream about her. all those thoughts I used to laugh on… you walk to your work just to see her every day… you really find her and I thought you been dreaming and I was like how that can be happen if you just do believe that there is someone for you and you will find her. But you did it… you find her Brad, you were right after all” Andy said excitedly, putting his hand on his head.

  Mr. Bradley looked in his hand and rubs it with other hand’s thumb “I was dreaming… she is a dream. A dream I saw every morning with open eyes for few second then I wake up in the real world… and wait whole day to pass so I can dream again”

  “What are you saying Brad… she’s real and you love her right, and she… oh now I understand why she look you all the time during her presentation , I see so much love in her eyes for you today Brad… and if that’s not love I don’t know what you call love… what’s the problem Brad?”

  “It’s not gonna happen Andy… I don’t love her. I’m married… she’s married, it just a day dream and it’s going to be over, she’s leaving soon… story ends here” Mr. Bradley said in low tune.

  Andy gets angry on him, he hold his arm tightly and said loudly “marriage… what marriage are you talking about Brad. It’s not a marriage, it is a contract in which you are bonding because of your ego and stupid rule that you don’t want to hurt Judy and story end… let me remind you what is real love, you taught me all these years. First, you can’t live without seeing them… you walk 25 min from your house even now that you have a car, just to see her for few seconds. Second, you understand each other… for Christ sake’s Brad you never go out together, never talk to each other, you never kiss her but still today you know she’s in trouble” Mr. Bradley look at him

  “Third, you both express your feeling through poetry… you hurt yourself so bad but you only care about her, you have asthma minor but you still run all the way to her office and remember you told me, that you will hurt her if she met you after your marriage because you feel right on her more than Judy and you know why… because you don’t love Judy” Judy put her hand on her mouth, she was standing behind the bedroom door and
she heard everything.

  A tear drop through her cheeks, when she listen Andy saying “c’mon Brad… it’s enough, please you… you write the whole journal about what you will say to her and now… now you don’t want to talk to her. Tell me; for how long are you going to kill yourself …kill your feelings… for Judy. All these years with her, Judy never feels for a single moment that you are not happy with her and…”

  “And she never will, it will always go like this. Claire has decided what she will do and I decide what I will do”

  “Surprisingly, you both choose the same thing… to go on with your life” Andy said folding his arms. “Brad… this is your chance doesn’t let it go… don’t do this to her… you already suffer too much without her, now it’s enough please… love is about being selfish”

  “I can’t… I can’t be selfish, I can’t break someone heart to be happy especially not Judy. She love me so much and I can’t hurt her, even if I have to be in this pain forever” Andy get upset with him so much and turn to leave but stop to say “you are wrong Brad… you are being selfish, you don’t want to get bad infront of someone and for that you are hurting the only person you should care about… and trust me you will regret it” then leave.

  Judy hide quickly as she feel Andy coming, he leave the house. Judy moves toward the half-open bedroom door and see Mr. Bradley sitting on his bed, head down like he was regretting.

  Later in night when Mr. Bradley was sleeping, Judy wakeup. She confirms first that he’s sleeping by waving her hand over his face then quietly gets off the bed. She was wearing her red night dress, then quickly leaves the room and closes the door softly.

  She walk in his studies, she knows where he could put his diary. She takes it out and sits on chair to read it, on its first page a title was written.

  “For the one whom I write these all”

  She lifts pages because all she wants to see was her name…if it is written on it, on front pages there were poems after poems. She stop at the page where a date was noted, she start reading…

  “25-MAY”

  “I never thought I write on this diary again, after my college years. But today, like any other normal day for me turns out the day I always want in my life. I met someone, well actually not met we kind’a run into each other. I was looking in my phone to call Andy because I was late and she hit me, I was walking on this way for almost a year and it never happens to me before. I was about to shout “watch it lady” when I saw her deep blue eyes, my heart stops there. Her terrifying face still in my mind, I want to stop the moment. I want to put her hair strand back to her ear, which falls on her face. I really want to say something, but my word hide somewhere I don’t know and I can’t find them. Then I get up as she did, as I realize people were watching us. We both start walking in our way, I want to turn to look her but I can’t. I am still thinking why she was looking at me like that? Why she didn’t say anything to me? I feel that her heart was pounding so fast like mine. Could she be that girl I been waiting all these years… impossible, I’m married. If she knows that, she will never see me again… great, tomorrow I will tell her… if she show up, which I think she will not”

  She lifts the next page, but the date was after a week.

  “2-June”

  “I don’t know and I don’t understand what’s happening to me, I’m keeping thinking about her. I want to see her every day and every day I promise not to see her again then again I break my promise but every time I see her, I feel more alive than ever. I show her my marriage ring and I know that she sees it, because I saw her marriage ring too. She shows it to me as she was putting her hair strand back, I think she do that on purpose. She’s married too, what’s going on in my life. She’s not a distraction but… an inspiration, I want to spend my day complete, I want to do all my work. I don’t understand where I get all that power… maybe because I know I will see her tomorrow and I want to spend my day with all the work came in my way so this day end soon. But the weekdays passed to quick and weekends come, sitting in home make me feel more curious. I was so disturb all weekend and I want it to be over soon, why I have this curiosity to see her? I take out Judy for dinner on Sunday but all I could think about was her. Even I know that she’s married then I’m thinking about her… Oh God!! Why does it hurt me? Why I feel disappointed? But it will over soon… I mean how long she will walk on this way… one day she will give up… because it’s hard for me to change my way, it’s not that I didn’t try… but I fail and honestly I don’t have strength to change my mind… but she will, I know”

  She lifts another page then another but she didn’t see her name, and then lift another page and stop.

  “2-Feb”

  “Why the time has to fly?

  When I want every second…”

  “It’s going to be a year, I got promoted. I been employee of the month for four time, my boss is happy. I brought a new car, Judy is happy. I do all my projects on time; my clients are happy… why I am not? I ready to go work every morning, wear my goggles, and still walk all the way to my work. Stop at the signal and she… she’s there every weekday same time, perfectly dressed and then those few seconds… which I fail to stop and they pass but why those few second give me everything… everything I want to spend my day. How can those few are all I need to live? I still don’t know her name, where she comes from? Where she go? Where she work? I never turn to see that she’s still there or leave because I know she left. I feeling of her presence in my heart told me, if she’s near to me somewhere I will know and I don’t know how? I don’t feel like I ever talk to her, because my words will not support me when I see her”

  Judy eyes fill with tears; she put her hand on her mouth when she reads…

  “I feel like I know her… how? I never smile at her, she never smiles at me but how I know that she’s happy or sad… I understand her expression like I know her for so long. She never stop me to ask, why I look at her like this? Maybe she knows about me too… between all those stranger, she makes me feel I know her. But how do I know her? How does she know me? All these question in my head and no answer for any. I just want to spend rest my life like this”

  Judy closes the diary, and sweeps her tears. She moves her fingers in her hairs and holds them. She never realizes, what Mr. Bradley going through. Then again open it and start reading the next page.

  “25-May”

  “Today two years passed and nothing changes in my life… not my routine, not the roads, not the signal and neither her. She still came every day at same time for two years… for two years; I don’t know who she is? She came without caring about anything… any weather and never stops, like she knows what happening. Maybe I don’t want to know her, I started to trust her. I know she will be there, when I walk toward the signal, I will see her on other side standing… waiting for me. I think I like her to wait for me, if I get late sometime. I can feel she’s upset with me, it makes me feel I have right on her and she have right on me. I can feel if she’s upset… happy… confuse or excited, those few seconds are the best moment of my day”

  Judy start crying again, her tears drop on the diary

  “I think I’m in love with her… no! I know… I love her and I feel she love me too but how can I be so sure. I have never asked her, I don’t know her name… I never touched her; we never talk to each other than how can I be so sure… I met so many girls in my life… so beautiful girls but I never feel like that before… never found myself struggling to control my mind from someone thoughts, never thought I will be that much helpless infront of someone. I found her, the most beautiful person I ever met… could she be that girl… for me?”

  Judy was crying she was very surprised to read this diary. She knows Mr. Bradley would never feel like that for someone, she thinks she knows him. She thinks and he makes her feel that he’s happy with her but this diary shutter her image in pieces completely.

&nb
sp; Now when she lifts the next page, she surprised to see the date, it was the same today when Mr. Bradley runs away from the party.

  “22-Nov”

  “It’s her… it’s her… why? Why now? Oh God… you put me in so much trouble… she know me, she’s the one I been waiting for 15 years and how I know she’s the one... Tonight, she sings a song for me, tell me what she feels for me… she do know that only person there who understands her… was me. And the lyrics she sings were the same one I write when I was in my college years… thinking about the girl I will fall in love, which was…

  “Stranger on the other side

  “You take away my soul…”

  What do I do? I can’t do this… why I feel like a cheater, am I really cheating on Judy? Judy loves me too and she reminds me that every day… every day when she says “I love you Brad” I feel guilt in my heart. She is my wife I can’t hurt her. I vow to spend my life with her, to keep her happy, to keep her safe. But what about my heart… what about my feelings? No! I can’t hurt Judy, she trust me. I never touch Claire; never even hold her hand for few seconds but why I feel like I betray Judy if only I think about Claire. I don’t care who she is… who she is to me!! My life is with Judy now and it will end with her. If Claire was for me… we met before I get married. It’s too late now and I will not change my life for someone… I will not break my rules for someone. I will burn every paper I write for her, I will change my way if I saw her. I will hurt myself if I remember her… I will destroy everything which reminds me of her, I will change my thinking about love. It is not for me… not now. No matter how much pain it cost me… I will forget about her. I will spend my life like this… with my cold heart”

  CHAPTER 24

  It was last page written on the diary, she lifts other pages but nothing else was written so close the diary and put it back on its place. She thinks about Mr. Bradley, she never thought Mr. Bradley have so much pain inside of him.