The Night

It was a dark night. A call came up. “Dear, could you prepare some food for me? I miss your cooking”. In spite the couples are not living together, they live a life of husband and wife. The wife would do whatever to please the husband.

“Sure. But I want you to promise to open the gate for me. I know I have keys, but I just want you to open the door for me”, special request from Jessica. “OK, will do so”.

When Jessica got there, the door isn’t open. She got disappointed and started to ring Daniel but he isn’t answering. Getting more disappointed and sad, she opens up the door with more anger as Daniel had never done what he says. She got up to his room and started to bang the door. Daniel opens the door. He was sleeping and had totally forgotten about her.

“If you want to sleep, why do you ask me to come over? You say you would open the door but you sleeps”, with frustration she starts to question him.

“Why you come straight talking noisily?! I’m sleeping!”

“Fine! Since that’s your answer, your stuff is downstairs, take it yourself!”

Daniel isn’t satisfied with Jessica as he felt his sleep has been disturbed. He went downstairs, looking at Jessica angrily. “If you want to show your power, go elsewhere to show!”

Jessica get mad and hit him at the back. “I come because you ask me to come and you acted like that to me! All I want is for you to do what you say! All this while, you never do anything for me! Can’t you understand what I need from you?! I just want you to pamper and love me like any other guy shows their love to their loves one!”

Daniel on top of his anger hit Jessica right on the face and hand. Almost fall down to the little stairs and shock, Jessica started to cry, in sense of laughing. “What are you, sick?!” shouted Daniel. “Are you crazy?!”

Before this, Daniel had always say s out bad words towards Jessica. Hearing this, Jessica laughs and cries more. “So now I am sick? I just want you to improve in the way you treat me!!”  Jessica takes a few steps backward, getting far away from Daniel. “Fine!! You do not have to treat me like how I expect from you! You have said it last time that you don’t have feelings for me!” Getting more frustrated, Jessica’s heart has smash into pieces. This is also the second time Daniel had ever lay hand on her. In her mind, she keep thinks whether Daniel knows what he himself want. Is it he really loves Jessica or just a crush.

Getting in the heat of the argument, Jessica says “Fine, no more talk! Just take it as my fault! I want to go home now. Enough about all this talk! Just take it as I’m crazy. I know what I should expect from you in the future! Hope you enjoy the food and I will leave this door open. Remember to close it”.

With a broken heart, she got into her car and drive home, didn’t even look at the road. Angry, frustrated, sad and broken, Jessica weeps in the car. She keep tell herself “Jess, don’t expect anything from Daniel”, “Be yourself”, “Go home and sleeps”.

When she got home, Daniel called again, asking her to pick him up to repair his watch. “My watch has break when I hit you”, says Daniel.

“I just got home and I’m getting ready to sleep. Also, it’s late now. The shop should have close by now. Wait till tomorrow.” However, Daniel insisted. The broken hearted Jess too, insist on her decision. Daniel hang off the phone, feeling annoyed. All that is in Jess mind is to sleep and wake up tomorrow morning ………..

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Office, the Next Day

Waking up in the morning, feeling drowsy. Sitting beside the bed, thinking of future. Jess knew the key to an enternal relationship is mostly based on trust. Love alone isn't enough.

Thinking hard, she decided to end all this misery. Question is "How..". Feeling lost & unapreciated is very hurtful.

"Argghhh, God I need a break!", deep inside, Jess thought of what life really is. Slowly, get up from the bed, she prepare for work. How she wish that all this would ends one day. Why did she pick complication in love. She thinks of the future & her current boy friend.

After taking her morning bath & breakfast, Jess drove her way to work. As a vet doctor, time really flies very slow. She keep thinking of her future. Something keep playing in her head. "Where am I? Why can't I be myself? Lord, please bring the old me back to life".

Accros the room, sitting there is Shawn. Being her best friend, but she couldn't have the nerve to tell him anything. Somehow, she felt a little warmth if she sees Shown smiling at her. In her mind, she do have halusination to be with Shawn. "If only Shawn is the one".

"Jess, wants to go for some refreshment?" Shock, Jess look to whose talking. It was Shawn. "Oh, errmmm, well, I think its ok".

"Shawn, have you prepare the report of the meeting by today?" Suddenly, Shawn's boss interrupt him and Jess in their conversation. "Well, ok", says Shawn. Looking at Jess, Shawn is too reluctant to tell her that he can't go with her for a tea break.

"Is ok, I understand. You go ahead to finish up your work", says Jess. Deep inside her heart, she is dissapointed. "Well, we will have tea break tomorrow". Shawn walk away.

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Home after a Tiring Day

"Justify to me where you have been everyday!" Jess heard voices out from the house. "What now", deep inside her heart she felt the stress of reaching home. Her dad has being a spy for so long on her behaviour. She can't even breath in her home sweet home. Sometime, she felt as if it is the end of the world.

Work sucks, loves failed and now even at home, there isn't any peace. She would just imagine to go away, far away from this place. To places with beach in front of the house, some birds singing on the sky and just sitting there, watching sunset. When she opens up her eye, it's all gone. "God, what do my dad wants to ask now".

"Why are you always coming home late? It's almost 9:00pm now. What kind of girls that go around until late at night?! If you come back late again tomorrow, I'm gonna lock all the door!" scolded her dad. All she could do is just keep quiet and hear what is being said out.

Sitting in front of the newspaper, she saw an article:

"4 DAYS 3 NIGHT PROMOTION TO PEACE ISLAND! For enquiry, please contact us!"

Thinking a while, she decided to contact the agent. She really need to get out of this place for a while. I will go alone this time! Says Jess in her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PEACE ISLAND, here I come

"I have a reservation under my name, Jessica", says Jess to the girl on the counter. "Let me check, yes, reservation for 4 days and 3 nights". After check-in, Jess went to her room. It was a nice place. Opening up the window, she could she 3 guy, fishing on the beach.

Deep inside her, she could feel the wind of the sea. How she wish she could be free from trouble. She walk to the bathroom, trying to figure out what should she do during her stay there.

"Swimming", the first thing that pops into her mind. Yes, I will go swimming. Taking her bikinis and towel, she went out, heading to the swimming pool. That's the only things she could think of now.

.........

"Sir, can I have the towel?" While waiting for the pool attendant to give her the towel, she took some photos of the pool. "Great". There is no one but herself and the pool attendant. Walking slowly to the edge, she could view almost the whole island. What a beauty creation of God, thought in her heart.

She took a sit nearest to the edge. While enjoying the sunny day with sound of the island, Jess thought for a moment. The thought of far away from home didn't make her sad but instead peaceful.

.........

"Hello", says Jess on the phone. "How's your trip?" ask her boyfriend who called. "Any guy attracted to you?" Gosh, that's not what Jess would want to hear from him. "I'm alright, don't worry as I'm all alone. I'm going for a walk. Talk to you later?" Jess felt a little annoyed with the question that Daniels ask.

While having her dinner, she would wish that Shawn is there with her. Somehow, she really felt warmth whenever she thinks of him. When she first knew Shawn, they were just colleagues. As time past, it seems that work has bring them near to each other. She begin to know him in depth and started to have illusion.

Back in reality, she felt that her life has no directions. All this while, her life is being directed. When she first fall in love, she put her whole concentration on the guy. After being dissapointed, she felt that her life is meaningless. What does she have to lead a happy life? At home, her life is directed by the family. When she is with her boyfriend, her life is directed by her partner. Only in office that she could sense a little bit of control. "I am useless!" That's what Jess says to herself.

Being lead by a life without any reason, Jess felt that she could be as free as the fishes in the ocean. She admires dolphins that always travels in one big family and swims as if nothing to be worried of. Deep inside her, she wants to find back the meaning of life. Her minds swept away ......

Chapter 2 - The illusion