Chapter 39: Forbidden First Gift

I was almost done unboxing my stuff when the phone rang.

The first call on my very own telephone...

"Hello?" I ask hesitantly, picking up the receiver.

"Hi." A manly voice replied immediately.

"Who's this?"

"Am I speaking to Miss Sarah?" the person asked.

"Who are you?" Suspicion arising in my voice

"I thought you knew me."

"I don't like to play guessing games," I said sternly and heard a dark chuckle on the other end.

"Really? I thought you'd guess me right away Sarah..." I looked at the receiver, trying to search my brain for any person who this could possibly be. "After all we spent childhood together until everything changed between us...."

My breath hitched.

My eyes went wide.

I nearly dropped the receiver at the admission.

I couldn't hear anything except the silence on the other line. The silence felt like cold water over my skin. A shiver runs down my spine and it made me numb, I wasn't able to utter a single word, it was like someone shut my mouth with a tape but inside I was screaming, somehow struggling with myself to speak something.

The voice chuckled again.

The laugh grew harder.

I blinked my eyes which felt like blinking after a whole year.

He continued to laugh and I was numb.

I tried to make out words.

"D-da-"

"I got you, Sarah! I totally got you! Oh lord! I can't stop laughing." The voice said between laughs.

"W-What?" I stutter as confusion blurred my thoughts.

"It's me, Sarah! It's Samuel! I can't believe you didn't recognize my voice." He continues to laugh.

I let out a breath.

I put a hand on my heart, my heart rate getting normal.

"Say it! I got you, didn't I?" His laughter fading slowly and I clear my throat before I lean to hold the receiver closer to my ear and mouth

"State your business or I'm hanging up." I hiss at him.

"Hey! hey! Okay, I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming over all right?"

"Okay."

"And uh...."

"Yeah?"

"Did you doll up for me?" I can see his smug smile even through the phone.

So I hung up on him...

An hour later the bell of the apartment rang while I was settling plates in the kitchen cabinets. I rushed out of the kitchen and went to the front door. Before opening the door I peeked through the peephole and made sure it was Samuel.

As I opened the door I found him very neat as usual, dressed in coat and pants while holding a bottle with a bow on its neck and a gift box in the other hand. I moved aside for him to come in. I eye the things in his hands while he comes in.

He looks around the apartment when he enters "Wow. You've done mostly everything on your own." He says, looking at me and I shrug.

"Didn't have much to do anyway,"

"Oh! And these are for you."

"Why?" I ask him, confusedly.

"Because we're celebrating your new house?"

"It's not like I earned it." He rolls his eyes at me and hands me the things.

"Take it." He forces the things on my hands.

"No, I can't," I say, shaking my head and passing it back to him.

"It's a small gift from me. Please accept it."

"No, I can't. You didn't have to-"

"It's disrespectful to reject a gift someone specially brought it all the way for you. Isn't it in your town?" he arches an eyebrow at me.

"It is but-"

"No buts you are taking this!" He shoves the things back to me.

"What is this drink?" I ask as I look at the green bottle and a pretty little bow around its golden foiled neck.

"It's champagne."

"I could read that too." I glare at him.

"Wait- you've never drink it before?"

"No? Is that a bad thing?"

"Lucky you, you're going to taste the best champagne of the country with me today." He winks at me and I roll my eyes. "Wait have you ever had alcohol before?"

"WHAT?!" I shriek, involuntarily. "W-what did you say?"

"Umm... Alcohol? Have you-"

"No! And don't ever ask that again!"

"Why? Had any bad experiences?" He cocks his head, coyly at me.

"No! I don't drink alcohol! I never did!"

"Why? Is it another town thingy?"

"It's... yeah. It's in our culture. We don't drink, it's forbidden." He scoffs at me.

"Seriously? Not even once in a while?"

"No. Never. It's bad for health and that's why it's forbidden." I shrug my shoulders. "It's like when you drink it once you'll have the urge to have some more and then you'll drink again and then again and eventually fall into addiction and that is bad for health so even a drop isn't acceptable." He just looks at me with wonder "But it's acceptable in case of any medical drug with certain conditions."

"Then I guess I'll take that back." He says, taking away the bottle back in his hands hesitantly.

"This is alcohol?" I ask with astonishment.

"Yeah... Sort of-"

"You are not drinking this here and that's final." I accuse a finger at him, authoritatively and he quietly nods at me.

"I wasn't planning to anyway." I could see him gulping, his Adam's apple moving up and down and I raise my brow with delight and smile at him.

"Can I ask you something?" He asks, following me as I put the gift box on the kitchen counter and work on setting my plates into the cabinet.

"Hmm?"

"I'm very intrigued to know about your town. It's a mystery that people live there, have every facility but are still unknown to the outside world." He leans behind the counter and says looking nowhere in particular.

"Not every facility." I object while doing my work.

"Okay... but it's still interesting that it isn't found on the map. Tell me something more about your town."

"Well, it's a beautiful place. Surrounded by heavy trees and ponds, the river flows from between the town. Wildflowers are everywhere, their smell keeps you fresh and the atmosphere is cleaner there... What else do you want to know?

I move towards the fridge after I finish settling my plates. I have already made some food and take it out to reheat it as I move towards the stove from the corner of my eyes I see him settling the glasses in the cupboard which I previously left in the middle and forgot. A smile forms on my lips as I see him.

"Tell me more about the people over there."

I stir the spoon into the chicken stew as it slowly heats up "People over there are very carefree, our routine is much like the same every day. Everyone knows every other person in the town and we all are like a family. We have festivals there, we have picnic points, and we enjoy parks and so much more... It's a separate world in itself." I smile inwardly as I remember my hometown, the people over there and the love they have for each other, such affection cannot be found anywhere even if I searched the whole world.

The stew boils and I turn off the stove and shift it into a serving bowl.

"If only it were like this everywhere else, the world would have been a happy place." I turn to look at him and he had already taken out plates and glasses where I have already put the pita bread on the kitchen island.

"It can be. We just have to play our part right." I give him a polite smile.

I move towards the dining table outside the kitchen with the serving bowl of hot stew and place it there. Samuel follows me with plates in his hands and I return to the kitchen to get other things

I take out a bottle of juice from the fridge and move to the island to pick up the glasses in another hand, I turn back and almost hit Samuel's chest, my eyes widen up to him and he looks at me and slowly leans very close to me.

Enough close that I could smell his perfume.

I tried to back away but he suddenly backed away, not giving me enough time to realize the situation. He had the pita bread in his hands which he held in front of me with a mischievous smile on his face.

He does not need to play innocent with me.

I shove him away rather forcefully with the back of my hand from which I was holding the juice and walked past him to the table.

"Hey! No touching, where is your town manners girl?" I hear him say behind me.

I put the things on the table and turn to look at him "You also have to respect the personal space, city boy." I say crossing my hands over my chest.

"You didn't tell me about it before. I'm not complying that." He pouts like a kid and I shake my head.

"Let's eat so that you can go back soon." I huff out and sat on the chair.

"Not fair. I haven't even started knowing about your people." He pulls out a chair across me and sits.

"Why do you suddenly want to know about my people?" I ask as I serve him the stew on his plate.

"Because... I don't know. You people are interesting, I like learning about different cultures... I just want to know." He places the pita bread on a separate plate. "And it's my first time having chicken stew with pita bread. We have it with rice only."

"I'm sorry; we mostly have everything with pita bread... I can make some rice for you." I was about to stand but he suddenly stopped me by holding the plate of pita bread I was about to carry back.

"No! No need for that. I want to enjoy your culture." He smiles at me, reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" I asked still not sure if he was just compromising or being honest.

"Sit down Sarah. I'm sure you're a good cook." He takes back the plate from me and places it next to him again. He leans in to take the first bite and I stare at him.

"Mhmm."

"What?" I ask as he chews the food with closed eyes.

"Mhmm."

"Say something!? Will you?"

"Mhmm." He opens his eyes and gives me a blank look.

"How'd you like it?" He gulps down the food, forcefully.

"Is it that bad? I wasn't much of a cook back home, my sister used to cook mostly. Ah! I told you I can make you some rice. I'll just go get you some-"

"It's delicious Sarah." My heart suddenly swarms up at his words. I look at him and found an honest smile on his face.

"Really?"

"The best I've ever had in years, Sarah." My eyes twinkle up and I bet he saw it and his smile widens at me.

"You know... My dad. He always used to praise me and Maria, my sister, when we cooked. He always ate it with a smile on his face. One day I accidentally added too much salt in the stew and didn't notice it until the dinner time. My father praised the food with every bite he took. It was the day when he actually praised me more than he ever had, saying; it's the best I've ever made and I was happy, happy like a little kid who just received a chocolate bar; but when my mother took her first bite she immediately spurted it out, admitting that how my father was able to finish half the bowl all by himself when the salt was too much. When I tasted it I couldn't even shove it down my throat..." I realized the dampness on my cheek and when I pressed my hand on it, I could feel the tears falling from my eyes. I looked at Samuel and he was looking at me with pure kindness and I just pushed back my tears inside, trying hard to not think about my father.