Apollo's 11

by Anna Collins

  God! All this seemed like a nightmare. And it all started on our wedding day. That was when I saw him for the last time. Robert Hudson was wearing a black tuxedo. His hair was back brushed giving him the look of a charming prince. I was living the most beautiful dream, the dream that I had never dared to dream. Yes, I was afraid to dream about getting married because I always had this fear in my heart that my desired person would never find me good enough to spend his whole life with me.

  Robert had taken his vows, but when my turn came, I couldn’t say anything. I passed out on the floor, and my eyes opened on the hospital bed. Rick and Kate told me that I had been unconscious for about two days, and they also told me that Robert had an accident and was declared dead on the spot. All they were informed of was that he was driving his car in a drunken state and his car hit a truck. The area was too remote, so it took ages for the ambulance to reach there, and he died due to severe blood loss.

  I was too shaken to react on anything. I wasn't even able to take in all the information that the police officers were trying to deliver. It actually felt like a part of me was dead! And I had no idea how to live this long life without him. My own thoughts surprised me. I never expected that I would ever utter these dramatic lines. I used to mock those actresses in the soap operas who would shed thousands of tears for their boyfriends. They were the ones whose life depended on the existence of a guy…but why me? I was a strong independent girl so why the hell was my mind trying to find ways to kill me? Why was I unable to control my own feelings?

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Freya

  "You can't do this. You are not being fair to yourself," Kate stomped.

  "I hate to agree, but Kate is right this time. Sis, we are sorry for his death, but that doesn't give you the right to suffocate yourself. You are young, and you have a life to live. You can't lie on this bed and wait for someone who is never going to come back," Rick tried to explain in a loud voice.

  I looked at my friends carefully. The wrinkles of worry were very much prominent on their foreheads. Kate was sitting right next to me on the bed, but she was busy staring the floor and on the other hand Rick was looking at me with that lost puppy eye look on his face.

  I was trying to find the correct words to explain to them, when the door flew open, and Danny barged into the room. He had that look of panic on his face. "I heard Freya quit her job?" he asked.

  Both Kate and Rick gave a sad nod. Danny reached beside me, on the bed, pushing Kate away. She looked disturbed for a second, but Danny's apologetic look managed to calm her down.

  Danny looked at me quietly for a second as if he was trying to read me. I wondered what my swollen baggy eyes told him. He shook his head, "what have you done to yourself? All I can see is a girl who has lost every hope of living. Why did you turn down this job when Kent was all set to promote you? Jeez! Freya it is your dream job, remember? How can you break your own dreams?" He asked looking extremely shocked.

  "That's the same thing I..." Rick's pause was followed by a threatening glare from Kate, and then he continued "I mean us, we were trying to make her understand. After coming back from Robert’s funeral, she hasn't moved an inch from this bed. Kate practically forces the food into her mouth which she vomits after a while. All she does is lying here with that continuous frown on her face. And you know what? She hasn’t even shed a single tear for Robert. She never cries!" Rick exclaimed.

  Danny held his head. "Yes, she didn't even cry at the funeral. Can you believe that? Some ladies were even gossiping about it, they were pointing at Freya and were saying, look Robert's fiancé is not crying at his demise. All pointed the fact that she was standing like a wax statue."

  Kate moved closer to me and wrapped her hands around my shoulders. "I just want her to start living again. She can't destroy herself like this," she uttered giving me a look that spoke concern and care.

  I sighed, unable to stay silent anymore. "I really appreciate that you people are looking out for me. I may be broken, but I can still hold myself, I know what I am doing," I said.

  Danny looked at me with a challenge in his eyes, "and what exactly are you trying to achieve by leaving your job?" He asked.

  I held Danny's hand, smiling sadly. "I am not destroying myself. I quit my job at Kent's because I got a better job offer in Seattle. I am going to be a daily news reporter, the payment is better than this one. Plus they are also ready to offer me accommodation facilities. I mean what else do I need?" I asked, trying my best to put a smile of satisfaction on my face.

  "Are you freaking kidding me? How can you even take this decision of leaving this place, leaving us, without even a single discussion?" Kate stood up from the bed. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out.

  "Kate, relax! It's her life; she doesn't need to consult us before taking a decision. I mean who are we?" Rick looked away.

  Danny was slow at absorbing things, that's why he was still staring at me like a fool.

  "Guys it's not like that, please try to understand, you people are like a family to me. You are the only ones in this world whom I can depend on" I explained.

  "Really! Then why are you planning to leave us?" Kate smirked.

  I looked at the window, to the setting sun and sighed deeply. "Because I can't endure this emptiness anymore. Everything about this place, this city, reminds me of him. And I want to forget him, I want to rub away all of my memories of him. I want to go somewhere where the thought of his will not be able to reach me. "I swallowed while my heart ached with unbearable pain.

  "I think we should let her go." Danny spoke finally, and his words shocked everyone.

  We gave him a questioning look, and Rick was about to protest when Danny stopped him by raising his hand. "We can't even imagine what she is going through at this moment. And if she thinks that her condition can get any better by moving away to Seattle, then I think we should totally support her decision," he said softly, giving me an I-am-there-with-you-look. That was really sweet of him, and I couldn't help but smile a little at his gesture.

  Then Rick reached up to me for a bear hug. "Sis, I love you too much to let you go, but if it gives you happiness then I'm not going to stop you" he uttered, and his voice sounded like he was about to cry.

  "Ahh leave her already. Are you planning to suffocate and kill her?" Kate rebuked, and Rick moved away with an I-am-sorry face.

  "Listen up girl, your plan is bullshit! Running away will never solve anything. You must accept what life has given you. And being alone is going to make you feel worse than ever!" Kate threw on my face and walked away angrily.

  "I don't know what I am doing, but I feel that it is going to be better for me. I need to get out of this, I need to go ahead with my life." I sighed, feeling lost.

  Danny kept his hand on my shoulder, "don't worry about Kate; she is going to come around sooner or later. And I am happy that you haven't given up on your dream of becoming a celebrity journalist" he said.

  "Ditto that" Rick added.

  I smiled sadly; truly speaking I had no idea how to deal with any of this.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Freya

  A few months later, In Seattle...

  "Our show seems to be going well. And it means that I haven't made a mistake judging your abilities," Mr. Frank smiled at me as he passed on the TRP file to me.

  "Thank you, sir, I will try to deliver my best" I promised.

  He gave me a slight nod and left the office.

  Was my boss happy with me? Well, that was a first. He usually wouldn't stop pointing mistakes of my work. I guess my work was improving. That seemed like good news; finally, I was able to concentrate on stuff. Rick and Danny would be pleased to hear about this. Kate hadn't spoken to me for three months; I guessed she was still angry with me.

  Pulling my white furry jacket close to my chest, I started walking back to the place I called home, nowadays. It was my own place, where no one had the right to call me a burden. It was really satisfying
.

  Last week, when we Face-timed, Rick told me that I had lost weight and my hair seemed to have grown a bit longer too. Normal, I thought, considering the fact that I hadn't gone for a haircut for ages. I really missed my friends, but at least I was learning to live alone, and it wasn't that bad. I mean things were a bit edgy, but that's how it should be right? It was never easy for me and I never even expected it to be.

  Life seemed to move at a slower pace. It was the same old routine every day; going to work, coming back to my one bedroom apartment, and staying up with my loneliness and sleepless nights. Come on Freya! It has been almost six months, why the hell can't you stop thinking about him? My inner self kept asking me this question on a regular basis; it was a question for which I had no answer. I wanted to forget him, but I didn't want to let go of all those beautiful memories we had created together. A small part of me was still hoping that one day Robert would appear right on my doorstep, wearing that black tuxedo that made him look like the most handsome man on earth. And the same part of me was still hoping to wear that ring that he never got the chance to put on my finger, the ring that would have marked me as his.

  But I knew it was impossible. Robert had gone to a world of no return, but even that harsh reality couldn't kill my feelings for him. I had managed to stop him from inflicting that torturous pain to himself, but I had no idea that God would transfer that pain to me. Though in a different way, I could still feel the pain within me. The suffocating pain of losing my most beloved person in this whole world. He was the only person in the world with whom I had felt safe, he had even promised to protect me from all kinds of trouble. However, his death broke all the promises he had made to me.

  I was preparing dinner for me, most of the time I used to suck it up on the leftovers, but as it was Friday, I decided to go for pasta. I had no idea why I grabbed it in the first place. After Robert's death, I had tried to avoid eating the things he liked the most. Then I remembered a few lines from an article I had gone through recently. It said that one needed to face their problems to get rid of them. That almost sounded like the words Kate had spoken to me when I decided to leave New York for good.

  Arghh! These thoughts, why wouldn't they leave me alone?

  To distract my attention I turned on the TV, thinking that I would hear some good news. I began chopping those green and red peppers on my new wooden chopping board.

  The reporter started speaking : ‘It seems like the black cloud of despair is not ready to leave the city of New York. Business Industry is already facing a huge loss by the sudden death of Robert Hudson, yet another tragic incident of death has occured. Ben Wyatt, the sole owner of Wyatt telecommunications, passed away. Last night the seventy-five year old man died in his sleep. The reason of death has been reported to be a heart attack. His only family, his beloved daughter, is in deep shock as she clearly has no idea how to run this business empire all by herself. We offer our warm condolences. May his soul Rest in peace.’

  The knife slipped, and I cut my index finger. What? This couldn't be true; the news of the death of Ben Wyatt came as a huge shock to me. That man was nothing less than a father to me. He had always been there for me and who on earth gives 70% of the shares of his company to a girl who just happened to save him from a bunch of goons?

  He had a heart of gold, and I could feel my eyes getting all moist up at the thought of him leaving this world. We had no blood-related, but he really meant a lot to me.

  Shit! Emily, that poor girl must have cried her eyes out.. I should check up on her. I thought and began reaching for my phone. That's when I realized that I had cut my hand. Ouch! Blood was dripping from it. Silly Freya! I cursed myself and applied some antiseptic cream on my finger.

  I found my phone and quickly dialed Emily Wyatt's number. She was not picking up the phone. God! Was she all right? I knew how it felt to lose someone who meant the world to you. I sighed and was actually feeling very bad for Emily.

  Ahh, she picked up the phone at last.

  Without giving her a chance to speak, I went on with my rumblings. "Hey Emily how are you? Listen be strong okay, and don't think you are alone, I'm with you in all this." I took a breath after saying all this.

  But she was not saying anything. All I could hear was some loud song playing in the background, it totally sounded like she was in a pub, disco or something like that.

  "Who is this?" A guy's voice asked.

  Did I dial a wrong number? I mean there was no way a girl could hang out in a pub with her friends in that state.

  "Is this Emily's number?" I asked to confirm.

  "Yes, it's her number; she gave me her phone as she is busy dancing with her boyfriend. Can you call later? Thanks." And the guy hung up.

  I dumped my phone on the couch and held my head in frustration. Was it even for real? Her father died two days ago, and she is partying? What kind of daughter was she? I felt like going up to her and give her a tight slap. How dare she not get affected by the death of such a loving parent?

  I really hoped that Mr. Wyatt was not watching his daughter from above. Cause this scene of his daughter not giving two hoots about his demise would be really painful for him, and I didn't want the man to suffer anymore.

  It would really hurt him that his own child was not at all affected by his death. That's when I found myself walking restlessly. Something was bothering me, and it was not only the death of uncle Ben. But I couldn't bring it to myself. Why was I getting all worked up like that?

  Maybe the shocking news had caused me to get a nervous breakdown. Yes, that's why my body had been acting so weird lately. I went to the freezer to gulp down a cool bottle of water. After finishing up almost half of the bottle, my mind cooled down a bit, and I figured out the reason for my restlessness.

  Damn! Those shares! After the death of Ben Wyatt, now I was the official holder of those 70% shares of Wyatt telecommunications.

  Keeping the blue water bottle aside, I covered my hanging mouth with both of my hands. I was in deep shit. "How will I be able to handle such a big business empire with zero knowledge about business?" I said out loud. The extreme shock made me forget that except for me there was not a single soul in that apartment. Then to whom was I asking the question?

  I really wanted to yell loudly and cry like a small baby, I wanted to scream my lungs out, but there was no use. There was no one who would be able to help me with my self-created problem. Why did I agree to accept that damn offer? Oh yes! It was all because of Robert Hudson! If he hadn't instigated me, I would have never fallen into this mess!

  God! Why did you make me so impulsive?

  I stomped my foot on the floor. Even clenching my fists wasn't helping. I had signed up for a task which was impossible for me to complete. I was lost in my own thoughts when the loud buzzing of my cell phone almost made me jump. "Relax Freya, it's just the phone," I said to myself and answered the call. Thankfully it was Rick. Ahh finally a bit of relief, at least I would be able to share my problems. I thought.

  "Hey bro! Whassup?" I asked.

  "Sis, don't panic but I might have some bad news for you," Rick hesitated.

  "Ahh! I know that already," I uttered; I figured he was trying to inform me about the death of Ben Wyatt.

  "How do you know? By the way, those men from Wyatt telecommunications were looking for you. They said they couldn't contact you by phone as you deactivated your old number. They want to discuss the company policy with you as you are their new boss," he informed.

  "Oh no! That's bad, I mean really really bad. How am I going to handle all this?" I was biting my nails while speaking.

  "Chill! You just transfer all the responsibilities to Emily. After all, she should be the one handling her father's property, right?" He suggested.

  "But bro, what about uncle Ben's wish then? He wanted me to handle everything," I sighed.

  "Just ask yourself; are you in a state to take up this huge responsibility?" He asked.

  "No! Not at all. And may
be you are right, Emily is the daughter of a businessman, she must know how to...umm...handle everything" I said.

  "Great, then come over here and settle everything. See you soon".

  "Hmm...I guess that will be the best option. Thanks, bro," and I pressed the end button.

  Maybe Rick was right, maybe Emily would be able to handle everything. I was getting worried for no reason.

  "What do you mean by this is none of your business?" I yelled at Emily whose face looked like none of my words were reaching her ears. I came all the way to New York, to meet her, to hand over the shares of her dad's company and there she was? Sitting on the beach chair of her swimming pool looking exactly like those red haired bikini models from the fashion magazines.

  I mean what else did she want? And why was she acting like nothing in this world affected her? Jeez! Did she ever realize how lucky she was? All her life she got to live in that beautiful house, with a dad who was ready to fulfill all her wishes even before she spoke them out loud.

  She had been living the life of a princess. And that house of hers was nothing less than a palace. Though it was smaller than Hudson Mansion, the two storied bungalow had a certain charm and class in it. I loved the way the interior decorator made a sync of colors with the walls and furniture. The living room was decked up with the iconic Nashville decor; the chocolate brown triangular wall racks contained several gold records and music awards, which implied that Ben Wyatt was a veteran musician. Wow! That was a new thing; the man was very talented indeed. But why didn't he give any of his ‘good' genes to his bratty daughter? Was she good at anything except for looking pretty and wasting her dad's hard earned money?

  God! She wasn't even looking at me. I mean this was a new thing; wait...was she trying to ignore me?