~Anonymous
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Craig woke up with a very bad headache the next day. He checked his wall clock and saw it was past nine. He sat up and realized he was still in his suit and shoe. How hungover had he been?
He heard footsteps moving round. Probably Nana, his black-American doting cook who had been his for as long as he could remember; ten years maybe. And whenever he asked her to resign, that he'll pay her pension, she gets all weepy and sad, saying that there was no one to take care of him.
Her footsteps became loud. It seemed she was walking towards his room. Craig panicked. If she saw him in his suit and shoes, she would suspect, and definitely tell his mother that.
Grabbing the sheets, he threw it over his body to his neck, his head the only thing showing.
She knocked. "Craig? Are you awake honey?"
"Yes." His voice sounded cracked. He cleared it. "Yes Nana."
"Can I come in?"
"No!" He said almost immediately and Craig grimaced silently, knowing that had given him away. He could imagine Nana narrowing her brown eyes suspiciously at the door.
"Why? " She asked. She is folding her hands, Craig thought. She folded her hands whenever her voice sounded that way.
"Uh..because I'm naked? " He said more like a question.
"Are you asking me?" Wow. That wasn't a comeback he expected. Wasn't she 60 something years anymore? Old and haggy and forgetful? No. Not Nana.
"You don't know when you're naked anymore? Craig, I'm coming in."
Before he could say something, the door was opened, though slowly, in case he was really naked. She was that considerate.
She looked at him all wrapped up in the sheet and her eyes widened in shock.
"Craig? Are you okay? "
This time, due to the heat of his suit and very thick blankets, Craig was already sweating.
"I'm fine. "
"No you're not."
"But Nana I - "
"Shut up! " She commanded. "Have you said your morning prayers?"
Craig shook his head.
"Have you brushed your teeth?"
He shook his head again.
"Why aren't you speaking? Have you gone suddenly dumb? Shaking your head like an agama lizard. "
"I was supposed to 'shut up' " Craig explained. "And what's agama lizard?"
"A lizard with red head. You know what a lizard is don't you? "
Craig made a face. "Nothing except I'm scared of them. "
Nana shook her head. "Girl. " She clicked her tongue. "Now I'm gonna prepare you a nice cup of herbal remedies. I'm sure you're down with fever." She touched his forehead. "Poor thing. "
Craig smiled at the attention. "Thank - "
"Shut up your mouth stinks. Now make sure you pray and brush your teeth before I get back, else I'm gonna spank your white ass. " She walked out then.
As the door closed behind him, Craig made sure to wait to hear her footsteps down the stairs before he yanked the sheets off.
With speed, he ran to the bathroom and started pulling off his clothes. Soon, he was in naught but his shorts. Then he said 'the Lord's prayer' before brushing his teeth thoroughly.
Not long after he was done, Nana returned with a tray of sweet smelling Scrambled eggs, Greek yought, oatmeal, berries, a cup of the herbal remedy and a cup of coffee.
"Wow. All these?"
"Yup. You're gonna eat and drink it all. The best thing to take in the morning.".
"Thanks Nana. I really appreciate it. "
She smiled. "You haven't gone to work and it's almost ten. I know something must be very wrong. You're so addicted to your work. "
Craig held his breath. She doesn't know about last night, does she? He took the cup of herbal remedy and downed it.
"Hey! It's after eating! " Nana scolded.
"I thought it would cure me of the fever very fast. "
"Indeed, " She said sarcastically, then turned serious. "This fever is really bad."
"That's why it stopped me from working." Then he grinned. "I'll work from home today. It's Saturday after all. "
Nana grinned back. Her teeth diastema came into view. Craig had this thing for females with space between their front teeth. He thought it very beautiful.
"Now what you starring at?"
"Nothing. " He smiled and she sighed sadly.
"Let's talk about what happened yesterday morning. "
Craig groaned loudly. "No."
She sat beside him. "Please. Talking can be of great help."
"I don't want to. " He sounded serious.
"Craig...please. What happened? Why did you barge into the house, angry? Then you left almost immediately, like you were confused. "
Craig sighed. It was too painful to think of.
"Father has arranged for my engagement to Miss Sofia." He said, swallowing the bile that suddenly rose in this throat.
"But Miss Sofia is a wonderful girl! She's successful, she's beautiful, her marriage to you will strengthen the company's shares! "
"Exactly. I'm marrying her because of the company; not for love!"
Nana scoffed. "Love?"
"Yes. Love. Father and mother did not marry for love, it was for the money. Now, they're together just because of the kids, but inside, they're thousand miles apart."
She sighed. "And you don't want that kind of marriage. "
He shook his head. "No." He picked his nails. "I also want a say in my life. I have always been the good child. Loving, studious, hard working, obedient - "
"No, you're not obedient to me." Nana chipped in and they both laughed, then became serious.
"I have done everything for them. Now they're forcing me to marry a woman I haven't even met. All Father said was she's a gold fish. "
"He didn't! That old hag!"
Craig ruffled his blonde hair. "I am twenty - eight, yet it seems like I'm just ten."
"But Sofia is not that bad - at least from what I've heard about her from Maria José."
"Mother wants me to marry her. What do you expect? "
"Why don't you wait till you meet her? Don't judge her yet."
"Yeah. I'm traveling to San Sebastian in two weeks. "
"Awwwnnn" Nana cooed smiling widely. "My Spanish baby. How do we say good morning in Spanish again? "
"Buenos dÃas. " Craig said.
"Yes! Buenos dÃas, dormiste bien? What's dormiste bien? "
"Did you sleep well?" Craig translated calmly.
"That's right. Oh honey, mere looking at you, no one would know you're Spanish. "
Craig smiled. Nana knew how to make him forget his sorrows. And that was the best method, for his desperation to forget had made him go to a club. A club! A respectable son of Vicario. And what he had done made him so shameful, he could never forgive himself. But that was the last of it, he assured himself.
"Okay, now eat up and start working. I don't want your Father hounding me about you."
"Yes, Nana."
"And Craig? "
"Yes?" He was about wolfing down the eggs.
"Sometimes, what you're most afraid of doing is what will set you free."
Craig didn't doubt that.
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☆I would love to read your opinion about this; please comment!
With love,
M.Jay
Click for chapter 1 <←Chapter 1
Drinkwel hangover vitamins is really good. There is this thing named Detoxicated which is really helpful in getting rid of the hangover. Some doctors even recommend these pills to get over with the hangover.
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