From A Stranger | ✓

27 September 2014

How could I be so stupid? I should have at least thought once before taking an action that she must be in Miami and not in Raleigh. What am I to do now?

I stood on the entrance of that house trying to figure out a way to reach Miami. I could easily go there in a car but then where would I get one from? I don't even know this place and nor the people who live here.

Wait. Or maybe I do. 

I take out my phone from the pocket of my jeans and dial the number of the only person I know in this city - my mom.

"Jer?"

"Yeah mom. I need your help."

"What is it?"

"Actually I am here in Raleigh to meet Emily. But she is not here. She is in Miami. Could you just tell me how do I get there?"

"You are here? Where are you? Tell me. I'll come there and spend your night at home. You may leave tomorrow."

"No mom. I'll come to you later. I need to go to Emily now. Just tell me the way."

"Alright son. I'll give you a number. Just dial that and call a cab which would take you to Miami. Do you have money and everything?"

"Yeah. Just give me the number."

She told me the number which I immediately dialed after talking to mom. It was the number of a person from some taxi agency. They easily agreed to take me to Miami. 

30 minutes after I had talked to them, the cab came over to the place where I was. I shifted all my luggage in the car and my journey to Miami began.

___________

It took me 12 hours to reach Miami. 

My heartbeat was faster than it ever had been. 

"Where in Miami ?"

"Just a minute."

I took out aunt Cara's letter to show him the address and within 15 minutes I was in front of a penthouse situated on the shore. It was really amazing. The things around were exactly the way Emily had once told me. 

I took out my luggage from the car and went to the doorsteps. 

I wanted to ring the bell but a certain fear stopped me.

Come on Jeremy! What are you waiting for? Go ahead and meet her. Did she ever hesitate to talk to you? No. Then why are you being so coward? She needs you. 

And so my inner voice helped me to ring the doorbell.

DING DONG

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1...

And the door opened. 

A lady in her mid 50s stood there on the entrance. Her blue eyes were fixed on me. Tears flooded into her eyes as she kept staring me.

"Jeremy? You are really here?"

"Aunt Cara?"

"Oh Jesus! You are here, my son. You are finally here. I can't tell you how happy I am the moment. I'll be grateful to you for my entire life."

"Don't say that aunt Cara. It's me who should be grateful to you and ....Emily."

Her name didn't come out as loud as my other words did. It came out more like a whisper. 

She took me inside her house and we sat on the couch in the living room.

"Oh son! I feel really sorry for you. You came here all the way from New York to meet her even when she...she doesn't remember who you are."

"I..I hate this for sure. But maybe this is my destiny. Maybe this is my punishment for leaving her and giving her so much pain."

By now aunt Cara had actually started crying.

I could do nothing to make her feel better. And in fact she wasn't the only one with a broken heart here. 

Just then I heard a voice from one of the room inside. A cry. My heartbeat started really fast as soon as that voice reached my ears. 

"I..Is that E..?"

"Yes. It's her."

"Why is she crying? May I go and check on her, please?"

"Sure."

With a heavy heart and small steps, I moved towards the room from where the voice came. 

On reaching the room, I peeped inside and saw a girl of nearly 20 sitting on the bed and watching the TV. Her face was buried in her hands as she wept.

My heart broke into a million pieces after I saw that. I wanted to engulf her in my arms. I wanted to tell her that she no longer has to drop those tears from her eyes. But I couldn't.

Yet I decided to get inside and go to her. Maybe we won't continue writing our story but we could start a new one.

I walked inside and went to her. 

"Emily?"

She took out her face from her hands and slowly looked at me.

Oh those eyes! I could die for them.

The next moment she did something which I never thought would happen.

She.Hugged.Me.