Lovefool (Introduction)

by Amalia Angellinni

#38 ME AND MY MONKEY

  A couple of moments later, he helped her to sit down on a chair in the bathroom, the same chair she was sitting on the night before. He took off the bandage and looked at the wound. It looked like a good job to him. Of course, it wasn't the best sight, because every stitched wound looks scary at the beginning: blue, scarf-like, and creased.

  -It will leave a scar after all, but it looks OK. You have to take care of you and your leg. – He said gloomily.

  -Where did you learn it? – Mia asked with a normal tone pointing at her wound. She was apparently not carrying about her leg right now. He doubted whether she was taking into consideration to take care of herself. Probably not...

  -Oh, it is no big deal.

  He was lying and she felt it. It was something important for him and he didn't do such things for the first time. It was a great job. Her father was a doctor, a surgeon, and she could remember some of his work. Sometimes he took some work home to compare some pictures, some scans and he sometimes practised at her dolls. He always explained what he was doing and how to make stitches properly. She remembered his words. She hadn't had enough practice to do it herself, but she remembered his instructions.

  -It is indeed complicated. It is a big thing and I am very thankful for your help.

  They didn't exchange a word for a couple of moments. Then Mia asked:

  -When will you take me back?

  -Don’t you like it here?

  She smiled. She did, and that was the reason why she couldn't lie about it.

  -Yes, very much. I really enjoy it. – She answered with hidden enthusiasm.

  -So, just stay another day.

  -I can’t. – She said sadly.

  -You apparently didn't want to go home yesterday.

  -How did you know?

  -I am good in guessing, too. – Julian smiled. - You came to Sebastian and you could have easily gone home. You couldn't or you didn't want to. If you had someone who cares about you, you wouldn't go with me and you would have protested at the latest in my car. You should have told me where you wanted me to bring you yesterday. You didn't. You let yourself fall and I caught you. Therefore, if you would like to, you can stay here for a while.

  -Are you…

  -No, I’m not. You are the very first person to whom I offered it. I... – Julian stopped and took a short break. – I feel you need some help. And I can help you.

  -I don’t understand. I don’t need any help. I can manage everything on my own.

  -This wound as well. – He noticed calmly, but with a hidden thought, she did catch.

  Julian tried to read her, but it was impossible. She was a stranger for him and he couldn't do anything against it.

  -This was an accident. A really bad accident... In addition, it is not your business. Please bring me to Warsaw. Where are we?

  She looked around like there could be any indications. They were in the bathroom and there couldn't be any indications.

  -You promised me to leave me alone.

  -We have not finished. I will not help you until tomorrow. You should appreciate my work, if you already accepted my help.

  Julian was a little bit angry, because she wanted to throw away everything he was rescuing for her. She had a problem and she didn't seem to get it.

  –I keep my word. I will bring you back to Warsaw tomorrow to any address you will tell me. Do we have a deal?

  -Do I have any choice? – She asked resigned without any hope for an answer.

  He bandaged her leg again, she stood up, and put the pants on. She was angry not because of his attitude, but because he said the truth. There was no warm place for her to go. Mia was still looking for a place, which she could call home, even if it was only for a short moment. She was looking for a place where she could get rest and allow herself a short moment of undisturbed peace. She was afraid she wouldn't find such a place. Therefore, she had to look for people with whom she could find moments of being happy.

  Mia was in a very bad situation and she didn't want to admit it. If she would, it would mean a resignation. Moreover, she wasn't able to give up. Mia was a fighter. She has been fighting against the plan of Jonas and everything around her, which obviously wanted to integrate her. It wasn't the right time for assimilation. She couldn't share her secret with anyone and she had to endure this alone. God had to be busy, if he didn't change this situation. On the other hand, God sent her two wonderful guys, who were able to tame her. Maybe Julian and Sebastian were signs of a better future. For having hope for a future?

  She left the bathroom and she was confused where to go.

  He didn't make it easier for her. He didn't show up and she didn't intend to go back and apologize although she knew that this option was the right one. She looked around and admired the paintings on the wall and items of decoration that made this house so special.

  One painting seemed to be Canaletto’s vedute of Venice. It was a large-scale painting, which portrayed the city's famous pageantry. Its innovative atmospheric effects and strong natural colours unmodified by adding light and shadow or any other distortion were perfectly connected. She remembered works of Canaletto in her schoolbook and already back then, she was impressed by his work. Now she was watching a painting, which was so gorgeous: generally, early artwork painted from nature and the blobs of colour used by Canaletto were so admirable and so beautiful. She just stood watching this painting for a while and in any cartoon movie, she would look like a person with a jaw hitting the floor. She stepped closer and looked particularly at the people in the painting and then she watched the city’s buildings and thought about colours and colour combinations. Then she looked at another painting and it looked similar to Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol where he painted his wife and his son. Mia was deeply impressed. She even touched this painting to prove herself it was real. And it was... It even had a signature of Monet! It was incredible!

  He observed her astonished by the paintings from the dining room. She was like a little child that discovers a world for adults. She was flabbergasted, overwhelmed and just adorable. The way she shyly touched his paintings, the way she analysed the colours, technique and directions of paintbrushes with a concentration written on her face was just amusing and delightful.

  He observed her hidden under his invisible form of being. He came closer to see her face better, because he discovered there so many emotions. He wanted to smell her scent, feel her breath, and see her impressions. He couldn't take his eyes of her. She was like a drug to him. From the first time he saw her she was someone special to him and since she got into his car and he saw her so close she became very important for him. That is why he couldn't stop searching for her and that is why he looked here and there, days and nights.

  He once had a vision of her. It was many years ago and this vision wasn't clear. He saw her and he knew she was determined for him. Julian asked even other beings like him whether they had any experience like that, but it seemed to be very rarely and almost nobody admitted having visions. His kindred spirits didn't comment the fact he had one. They were surprised for a short moment, but didn't think about it long. Julian should not think about it, either. It made no sense. If he had a vision, then it was a fact and there was nothing to contemplate about for years.

  Here and now, he had other responsibilities and Mia wasn't a part of it. She was just his own business. She was his thing. Every time he looked at her, he wondered how she could get such a wound and why she had so many bruises. Was it family violence? Maybe that is why she couldn't or didn't want to go home? She seemed to be sporty and she could easily run away, but for some unknown reasons she didn't. She was a sensitive person. That was for sure. The way she acted and the impression she made on him and on other persons just confirmed this statement.

  Yesterday at the party, he read minds of others and they were curious about her.

  Magda for example wondered who that girl is and where she came from. She was curios whe
re Sebastian met Anna and how intelligent she was. Anna seemed to be a cute young girl. The question was whether you could talk with her about serious things.

  Karolina was surprised seeing Anna and by noticing that Anna is pretty. Karolina wondered whether Anna studied and whether she was a party girl. Anna didn't look like a party girl right now and her sweater was a fashion disaster. Anna made an impression like someone fading like a flower or like a candle in the wind: you could look at them for a long time, but they remain a mystery.

  Joasia was a little bit jealous because of Anna and didn't want to have her in their group, because Anna made a great impression and you had to look at her from the moment you noticed her. She held Stefan's, her boyfriend, hand, stronger for a moment. Therefore, Stefan liked Anna from the very beginning. She looked pretty and made a good impression. In addition, Sebastian was very proud to present a girl for whom he was waiting for the whole evening. You didn't have to read minds to see his relief as she came.