IN TOUCH

Fae stands doing the dishes instead of Elija. everything was ordinary. it was as if they had a life of their own away from the suffering they already went through. as if they live at the farm in peace where there was a discarded area away from people. its disturbing too think of how life would end up like if it wasn't for that phone. distractions were all around Fae. she was craving to be distracted from the current situation. she starts to drown in her thoughts slowly losing her breath. every time she would take a breath it would be harder. it was a hard task on its own to take a breath, but how was she expected to do that and keep up with the events around her at the same time.

slowly, she rubbed the plate she had in her hand staring at the wall in front of her eyes intensely.

She takes another plate and starts to wet the sponge. She started feeling alone. did Elija feel the same when she fainted? It's indeed that feeling she's been trying to avoid though. She came back here to her hometown so she can avoid it in the first place, but with her father gone what else has she got but Elija.

it's a conclusion she came up with after everything calmed down. she was only with Elija because she didn't want to feel alone. other than the fact that she's trying to understand what that phone is she is also trying to warm up to the idea of always having company around her.

it's funny how different both of them were. Elija was going through this whole process because he had promised to not give up ;however, in contrast to what Elija does she didn't even consider that same promise. if she had the chance to run away with someone she would do it as long as she is not alone. that fact disgusted her. she knows it's a hundred percent true , yet she doesn't want to acknowledge it. ignorance is bliss after all.

but no matter how unapproachable or intimidating she might seem , she still cares too much about the people that she likes. they are the only kind of people she can tolerate.

She mourned her father for a while. but it doesn't feel like she took her time with that. she still didn't sit down and to take time to think of the fact that he was actually gone. he stole away the comfort of being alone. being alone and lonely are both different concepts. being alone is when no one is around you and being lonely is when you can't find anyone to be around you, but the fear she felt because of them is so similar. had she even thought about any of her other family members? at that thought her eyes dilated as her eyelids rose in surprise. she couldn't even stop to think about how she would break the news to her grandma. No one tells the poor lady things like that. as soon as she hears the news her health will be risked and the possibility of her ending up in a hospital is to be guaranteed.

was it even right to tell grandma? the news of her fathers death came down on her like a brick wall when she found out, but for the lady who raised him to be the man he was , her grandma would not be able to handle the news. Her brain was going a hundred miles per hour and that's why it didn't surprise her when the plate fell from her hand and shattered on the floor. she stood there staring at the ground in silence. the plate shattered and the parts separated very fast. the plate that was once a piece stuck together separated. it came to remind her of her relationship with her family. she should have gotten out of the way so the glass wouldn't harm her, but it was like her reflexes abandoned her just like her conscience.

Picking up the remains of the poor plate she heard the door bell ringing.

"yes, yes I'm coming hold up a second." as she finished cleaning up, the door opened on its own.

"if you had the keys then why did you have to ring the door so loudly?" she said wiping her hands as she walked towards him. she had to hide the fact that she broke the plate otherwise he would worry for nothing.

"I had ice-cream in my hands." he said as he held the bag up for her to see.

"I told you to get soda, and you go and get ice cream instead." she grabbed the bag and started digging in to find her favorite flavor. she instantly opens the package and starts eating as if she changed her mind about ice cream and is suddenly craving it.

"so I've been thinking. how are we going to pay the rent for this house. its still due for a few years right?" he rubbed the back of his neck. thinking about this made him feel adult again. when he looks at Fae he goes quite, she gave him the 'are you really talking about this now' look.

She shoved the ice cream in her mouth, and a little bit of it stayed giving her a rosy red color to decorate her lips with. " we can talk about such a topic like that since I'm already in a bad mood, but don't expect me to have an answer." she was in fact always in a bad mood. Elija knew that as he chuckled he wasn't gonna say that out loud.

"I was thinking I can convince the boss to let me work more even if I would stay late at work. as long as I can provide enough money that's not a problem, but you should rest in order for me to not worry about you now. and maybe I can find another part time job along with the company-" before he can say anything he gets cut off. Fae , with the ice cream in her mouth, puts both her hands in front of her to suggest he stops talking.

"I was just testing you. dad has a secret stash of money he keeps for the rent," at that Elija falls on the couch and breaths a breath of relief. " but I have something else I need to talk about." fae said starting the conversation.

"and what would that be?" Elija said thinking about it for a second to see if he knows what she wants to say.

"I think we should move out to live with grandma ."

"I have no problem with that, but why?" he turned to her with a pout on his face, ice-cream on his nose and hair falling on his face. did she not miss the house they used to live in as kids? he sure did and he thought the feeling was mutual.

"I just miss her." she said. he stopped eating the ice cream for second. she misses something far more important than home. she misses family. Elija scolded himself for being disappointed at her for a split second. if only she could read his thoughts, she would understand how kind he really is.

"ok ok just give me five second and I'm ready."

The rest of the day was spent consisting of Elija whining and Fea dragging him along from his ears. As they take the luggage with them out of the house they move along the trees surrounding the house touching the branches as if to say goodbye.

the ride to the house was uneventful. Every five minutes Elija would ask ,are we there yet, or try to hint at the question smoothly but would always get rejected by Fae.

"your grandma's still alive huh. I mean, sorry, that's a good thing that she's still alive. But you didn't tell me she even existed." he was blushing at the blunt comment he just made. how can he be so straight forward like this. I should take care of what I say he thinks as he scolds himself.

"well Elija. When you see your family slipping away like that you always reach out to the ones who are still alive, But you wouldn't know that your an orphan." look who was making blunt comments now? he laughed at the irony for a second. "ouch that hurts." he said reaching out to his chest. "I did end up losing all of them at a young age and didn't really reach out to any. Guess I should've taken your advice back then."

"well before we go, there is something I have to tell you about grandma. she isn't really normal she acts in a weird way that... You'll see, but I just wanted to tell you before we go just in case." it's not like she is ashamed of her grandma but she just didn't want him so he'd be ashamed instead. if he goes there knowing what's to happen it might be a little less weird on the other hand.

And just like Fae says the grandma does really act strange. Elija stands in front of the lady as she sits on a couch and stares at her grandchild.

" yes. Nana" Fae said extending her hands. "it's me, Fae."

"where did I lose my glasses?" the lady says ignoring Fae completely. she stood up and passed by Fae who had her hands extended for a handshake with a smile on her face, but soon for her smile to disappear as soon as realized what her granny was getting on.

"forget about the glasses I don't even wanna see you at this point. Alex come kick those kids out." a fairly tall handsome man with red hair appears at living room. he had an apron around his waist and was wiping his hands using a kitchen towel.

"Nona. we have guests over please stop yelling at me." he takes off the apron and passes the old lady her glasses which were beside her this whole time. he gives her a glass of water and pates her back telling her silently to not overwork herself and it seemed like he was her loving son for a moment there.

"are you stupid kid? I don't talk to the likes of her since she and her mother left my son and abandoned him. it's why I take medication. it's because of her. what is her name again? Adline? " the lady said as she crossed her arms and Elija began to wonder what she meant.

"Nona. that's mamas name, and she took me to Germany away from dad remember? I couldn't do anything about it, but I swear to god I missed you every single day, and now that mama's not here I can see you again." Fae stood up. her eyes were watering . her grandma was her only escape from reality , yet she didn't even accept her. let alone remember her name. She looked desperate. Trying to grab at her grandma's legs to stop her from moving if she can. Fae was on her knees. She came all the way to be recognized by her family member, but she gets rejected instead.

"well. Where is your dad? I wanna see him. I can't call him now days and sometimes kyle answers instead. functioning on that phone is not easy but a least he should call" the granny said. but how? how would he call you if he doesn't even exist anymore? stupid lady don't you know that if your dead you don't take your beloved ones with you? did you even know that he was dead in the first place? were you trying to mess with my emotions? if your not going to remember my name at least remember I'm human. I have emotions too. That's all it took for Fae to shut up. Would she dare tell her that he's dead, no, of course not. her grandma lived in an area far away from chaos. she wouldn't be able to handle the chaos to come her way.

All she did was just sit at her grandmas feet as she began tearing up even more with her hand in the way of her face to obstruct anyone from seeing the view.

"Nana." she heard the red haired man say. "Nana. Oh, hey umm. Fae right? I think your bleeding." h pointed at her and started to direct the old ladies attention away.

Elija gets up to check. He has been feeling awkward this whole time but he wanted to see what that man was talking about. was she crying blood or where did it come from?

"oh, it must be because of that dish that fell on the floor I didn't even feel it." you could hear that she gave up just by the tone of her voice . that she wasn't going to tell her grandma what happened by the tone of her voice. that she was going to accept any kind of treatment from the lady even if it hurts.

"well Nana doesn't like the sight of blood as you know. can you go treat it please. The supply kit is in the bathroom at the end of the hall on your right." he said taking granny away as the lady mumbled about how disrespectful Fae is coming to her while she's bleeding like that.

Elija picks her up like a baby. his hands on her back and behind her knees. "where are you bleeding exactly?"

"my ankle." and he takes her somewhere safe immediately. the whole time she stares at nothing, water dripping from her eyes. she looked liked she had a lot to think about ,but was thinking of nothing at the same time. as he sets her aside on the bathroom counter , they sit in silence. Elija treats her wound as he lays on the floor.

"why is your granny like that. No offence but I would be happy to see you alive and not dead you know." he dabbs the cotton on her wound and sticks his tongue out in concentration. he looks up to find her patting herself on the back unconsciously. he gets up and takes her hand to stop her and starts patting her on her head like you do to a child to indicate appreciation, and that's exactly what he was trying to indicate.

"well since my mum took me and left grandma hasn't been the same. she always treated dad as a child so it must have been heartbreaking knowing the fact that the woman he loved left him. she couldn't bare the sight of her sad depressed son so she moved here in hopes of escaping. she ended up having insomnia because of the stress and neglect , and about the blood thing its just a fear or a phobia that she always had since a kid." she pauses for a while smiling at the memory as she wipes her tears.

"I remember hearing the story of how she found out. she used to live in a farm too and would stray in the forest beside it to have a look at something she hasn't seen before until she fell down because she got scared of her own shadow. and that one time they were taking a sample of her blood and she fainted, but that's a story for another time." she was smiling now picturing those scenarios in her head and how her father would tell her about them on the phone.

"you know, me and grandma are the only ones that wear glasses in this family. they say that I got bad eye sight because I used to watch a lot of TV , but I know that its hereditary. even though she caused me to have eye sight I would always be proud to wear glasses so I can look like her.so I can see her. I also take her height . she was as tall as me back in the days so it just makes sense. " she was bringing out every positive thing she remembers of her grandma, but as soon as she remembered the way her grandma treated her she broke down sobbing.

Elija immediately buried her face on his chest. he could feel the desperation in the way her body was going up and down from the sobbs. he was drying her tears in his shirt. as soon as he could hear her crying as much , he pulls her head to face him. she looks at him with stray strands of hair falling on her face and drool dripping of her mouth. " yoanbuk would always tell me to never let the people who made you cry see you in the state you are right now. your just gonna give your grandma the satisfaction of giving her what she wanted, and that's not what we're aiming for."

",and you say you haven't been in touch with your family? Hell even if I had a family I wouldn't know all these details about them. You don't have to physically be there to be in touch. Your in touch with them just by knowing how they're doing or what they love or what they fear or what they hate or how they act and why they act the way they do. you truly are such a considerate family member" he pats her legs with a smile and stands up. "I'm sure your grandma is a sweet lady but the way she is is because she is just jealous you took her sons love away and escaped. ill go check on her so come when your ready. " he was blushing so he had to get out of here. He has never comforted anyone with success before and doing that now made him feel nervous for some reason.

As he steps out he sees that other guy who he always spots with the granny. " oh, hey man. " he says as he sets aside what happened back there the blush disappearing but still leaving him with rosy cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name earlier. What was it again?"

"are you guys crazy? nana could have fainted from the sight of blood and you had to come here injured like that." he said baring his teeth at Elija. he was just running around trying to get medication for the bossy lady who was usually not like that because of them.

"nice name I guess." as soon as he finishes his words the door bell rings.

"ill get it." Fae says appearing out of nowhere. she stayed at the bathroom for a while processing what Elija just told her .she went out to tell him he was wrong about her , only to be cut off by the doorbell. As she opens the door she looks in front of her to see a man wearing a black suit. and the colors on her face got drained.

"Fae Frank, Elija Eskoban we're here to escort you to our boss."

"shit."