A Bride Worth Billions
Page 30
“Yes.”
“Do you believe you are suffering from it?”
“Not really.”
“It’s okay; we need time to accept it. What’s been the best part of your army life?”
“There’ve been many.”
“I know it is a rewarding life at time because you feel you have a sense of purpose. Aaron, would you share the experience of joining the army for the first time. What did it feel when you were conferred with this honor of being the man, a lot of kids were going to look up to?”
Aaron stared at him and for reasons he didn’t know and couldn’t quite understand, he narrated a lot of stories which he had kept locked inside him. He remembered the anxiety and exhilaration which he had felt when he was first enlisted.
He spoke about how he was shit scared when he started his training. He told of the times when he came to know that he would be reporting to his brother and even shared some of the happy times they had made in the toughest of situations.
He had never thought that he would bare so much to a stranger but he had to admit, this Potter guy knew his business. He could make a stone speak. As Aaron had refrained from most public contact after retiring, it finally felt good to have someone to talk to, even if it was a very tight assed therapist.
He did find a big knot of tension easing around him and just as he was beginning to relax, Potter threw in the dreadful question.
“What is the worst nightmare?”
Aaron froze as he slipped back into the moment. He could see everything. The shriek of his brother, the commotion all around, the closing of the enemy camp and how he had failed; failed as a brother, failed as a soldier. He saw himself lying in a pool of blood. His leg badly injured as he couldn’t move and his brother had disintegrated into a mass of bones. Everything was so dark that it made it hard to breathe and he could see the lights fading out and before he understood, he had fainted.
Aaron didn’t know how long he had fainted but when he woke up, the clock read 1: 30 PM which means it’s been a long day. He looked around to trace where he was and then he heard a singsong voice that stirred something inside of him.
“Oh! Little bird
Don’t give up
The wings are there
You shall fly
Don’t be scared
Of the heights
Oh! Little bird
Don’t give up”
Someone was singing these beautiful lines which somehow felt like they were strummed for him. He didn’t know what it was about those words but he was attracted like a moth to fire. He raced past the room to the place where the sound was coming from. It was like a drug that called on to him. He kept going closer and the voice grew louder and it felt like someone was calling to him. What was it about this song? None of them had ever felt like this before. Was he, the bird refusing to fly? Who was the girl with the singsong voice?
As he opened the door to the room, he saw a young girl with freckles on her face. She had the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. Her hair was strangely cut like someone had just chopped them off and she still looked ridiculously beautiful. Damn, she was young and he just stood there catching her sing freely like a person who belonged to the world. As he was mesmerized by her looks, her personality and the way her song could bring a dead to life, someone tapped him on the shoulders. He brushed the movement aside and kept glancing at the little girl. He felt like he was in a trance or maybe he was dreaming, he thought. Except he had never dreamt of beautiful women with such an addicting voice.
Someone jerked hum again and he cursed and turned to find his therapist staring at him.
“What are you doing here, Mister?”
“I, ah” he fumbled for the words, and then said, “just came to hear her sing.”
“Now that you’ve heard her sing, do you think we should leave?”
“Uh, I...”
Just then, she stopped singing and swirled across the room in her fairy like gait. “Dad, don’t scare him. You know I like an audience.”
Dad! Holy Shit! Aaron stood their dumbstruck. The guy didn’t look more than 30 and the girl was perhaps 16 or 17. Was this therapist guy really a wizard!
The look on Aaron’s face gave him away as Potter knew what he was thinking. He gestured Aaron to go back to the room as he kissed his daughter on the forehead and said, “I will be back soon, sweets. Stay here.”
Potter came in the room and looked at Aaron. She is my brother’s daughter. He passed away when she was three and she has always known me to be her dad. Not that it’s any of your business but as a therapist, I believe in sharing personal stories. So, stop judging me or my age and don’t give that predatory look to my daughter as she is not your prey.
He got the message loud and clear and sure she was a lot younger in years. He had just been fascinated by the voice; that was it. He nodded and then Potter went about the details of his therapy session.
The fact that he had fainted was something serious and so he arranged for a follow-up meeting. He told Aaron that his condition was a lot more serious than what he thought and it was important that he took the therapy seriously.
He was called back in a week. Aaron didn’t know if he would turn up, but when he let his mind recall the song of the bird, he just knew that he was going to be back. The bird was calling to him, the song was still playing.
As he stood up to leave, he turned back and told Potter, "I have a question for you.”
“Yes ask away!”
“Does the scar still hurt Potter?” and then he grinned.
“Son of a bitch”, he barked and Aaron swore he could see the faintest smile on the doctor’s lips and then he shut the door on his face locking the sound of the angel voice.
Aaron walked back, unaware that he was singing to the same tune. It’s been 7 years since he last sang. Maybe, the bird would learn how to fly after all!
Another week passed by in a blur. Life went at its usual slack speed for Aaron. He still woke up in the middle of night, panting, sweating hard and with incoherent thoughts. The nights were usually spent looking at the stars and remembering the old times; however, there has been one little change which he must admit was making him feel better.
He had started to hum. It hadn’t happened much in the last few years. Aaron remembered how he had loved singing and playing his piano. He still remembered how he was picked by the guys in his class because of his love for piano. There were tones of mean boys who had come up to him and called him gay just because he liked playing the piano. He never got what playing an instrument had to do with sexuality but he had left singing after too much brutal bullying. His brother had stood up for him and kept the boys off, but somewhere his muse had died.
On a few wintery nights at the war field, he remembered singing with Alastair. Al was tone deaf and had the worst singing voice. However, together they had sung and Al had told him that he should sing more because he had a talent. Ever since Alastair passed away, he never sang, but the piano was calling to him a lot more strongly since he had heard the bird song at Potter’s place.
He was due for an appointment at the therapist’s house at 11 AM again. This time, he made sure, he was there before time. So, he rang the bell and smirked as he saw the watch. It read 10: 45 AM. He chuckled and thought of coming up with another smart comment on Harry Potter only to find the gorgeous lady open the door.
“Hi, may I know who you are?”
It wasn’t the first time that Aaron was seeing her, but there was something about her that knocked him down. He found himself getting lost in the subtle green hues in her large eyes. Her face looked like God had spent a day, carefully and artistically working on it. Her cheek bones were full and the geometry of her face was so appealing that he wanted to touch it and brush his hand on those perfectly sculpted areas. “Excuse me, Sir. I asked who you are!” she said a bit too loudly, perhaps because she wondered if he had a hearing disorder.
He chided himself mentally for infa
tuating over a little girl. Hadn’t Potter said that she was too young or had he assumed. Either ways, he asked his mind to get a grip and said, “I am here to see Potter. He is my therapist.” Although, he resisted, but he found himself adding, “Remember I was here last week when you were singing the bird song.”
She tried to recollect and then said, “Uhm, perhaps. I am afraid, I don’t recall much. Anyways, come in. Dad will be back in 10 minutes. Is he late for your appointment or did you come early?”
“I am early. He gave me a disgusted look when I turned up 5 minutes late last time so I thought I would make up for the loss,” he grinned and flashed what he thought was his sexiest smile.
She smiled and just like that, the world seemed a little happier. He didn’t want to waste whatever time he had before Potter came in and so he found himself asking more about the beautiful girl sitting right in front of her.
“Do you mind asking me your name?”
“Of course not. I am Elsie and you would be?”
“Aaron, Ex US Army Man.”
The moment he said that, he regretted it. He didn’t want her to go into the details of his army life. He wanted to have an identity that didn’t include an ex life. He wasted to make something of his current life. He thought Elsie would pry but she simply said, “That’s awesome”.
Before the moment could slip away, he asked, “So, Elsie, did you learn singing professionally?”
“No, no. My dad says I was a born singer. I am working on my vocals but I really love learning musical instruments.”
“Which ones do you play?”
“I can strum the guitar but it is the violin and piano where my heart lies and I don’t really know how to play either.”
“Wow, you like the piano?”
“A LOT! Why? Do you play it?”
“Ah, not really!”
“Are you lying?”
“What makes you say that?”
“You had that predatory and sensual look when you spoke about the piano. It was like the look a stalker gives to his ex. Pardon me for my choice of phrase. I have been reading too many crime thrillers these days.”
He couldn’t help buy chuckle. Looks like she really was Potter’s girl even though not biologically. He found himself saying, “I used to play the piano like a pro, but I don’t anymore.”
“Why? Would you teach me please?”
“Ah, I might have forgotten how to play it.”
“Don’t give me that shit. No one forgets to play an instrument they have played like a pro.”
“Ah! Perhaps, I wasn’t that good”
“Okay”
“Sad?”
“A little.”
“Maybe...”
“Maybe, what? Maybe yes.”
“I have to say that you have tremendous energy. I like talking to you. You’re an amazing person.”
“Is it so, Mr. Aaron?”
Aaron jerked to find the vicious Harry Potter standing at the door and he instantly checked his watch to find it was sharp 11 AM. This guy ruled time like he owned it. He cleared his throat and said, “I came in early to make up for the delay last time. You weren’t here so I was just catching up with Elsie.”
“I saw that very well,” the way he emphasized VERY told Aaron this was going to be another ridiculously long day. Before he could say something, Elsie jumped the sofa separating them and hugged her dad. “Daddy, Aaron plays the piano. Why don’t you ask him to teach me, please?”
“I shall talk, sweets. Go get ready for your college. I and Aaron will be in the reading room for my session.”
“Sure Dad”, and then she turned back and winked at Aaron and mouthed bye to him.
Potter then gestured Aaron to move to his reading room and he followed. Once inside, Potter settled down and said, “Before we begin our therapy session, I want to make this clear. She is my daughter and you are not going to f*ck around on my watch. Yes, she adores music and knowing your history, I now know that you love it too. Music has a way of healing the soul and I often recommend it as a therapist. You can have sessions with her as it will help the two of you, but remember, you are not going to mess with her. Am I clear?”
That was just too much information to process. Was he really ready to play the piano or have music lessons with her? Would he be able to resist her charm? Was he simply attracted to her or was there something deeper? Was it the sign of a trouble about to brew or was he simply reading too much into things?
Regardless of the tsunami of thoughts swirling inside his mind, he ended up saying, “sure, Sir”
He raised his eyebrow and said, “Sir? Why would you say that! You’re not dating my daughter, Mister!”
“F*ck you, Potter. This works better?”
Aaron was pretty relaxed and he could see that his mother wasn’t wrong in her decision. They spoke about his days at the war field as Potter wanted him to share his experiences. He recommended Aaron to maintain a diary of his events at the war field and gave him tips on how to make the diary a reminder of the good times.
The session lasted for just over an hour and this time, Aaron didn’t faint or even have a headache. It went smoothly. Yes, Aaron didn’t share all the information because you don’t bare your heart to a therapist on the second visit itself, but he knew he was headed in the right direction. He did let him know that he had nightmares consistently and hardly slept more than 4 hours a day.
To this, Potter had asked him to start with music therapy at the earliest. Though reluctantly, but he agreed to Aaron enjoying music with his daughter. He did give her the names of a few music classes which he could join, if he wished to. It didn’t come as a surprise when Aaron chose to spend time with Elsie over the music academies. He still wasn’t prepared mentally for professional singing and there was part of him that knew that being with Elsie would bring a lot more comfort to his heart, mind and soul. Overall, this was the first good day in a really long time. All that was unsettling was the fact that he felt a little like a teenager who has just developed his first crush. So much for Potter’s threat of staying away from his daughter!
As he got up to leave, Potter called Elsie and told that the two of them could arrange a time as Aaron could use some music and if he wished, they could play the instruments too. He murmured something in her ears and Aaron could see the instincts of a protective father. Elsie’s expression didn’t give anything away and then she simply smiled and asked Aaron, “what time would be comfortable for you, Aaron?”
He sheepishly smiled and said, “Whatever works best for you. How about tomorrow at 2 PM?”
“Cool. “
“Where do we meet?”
“Of course at my home”, said Potter a bit too loudly. Both of them agreed and smiled.
Aaron finally left and all he could think on his way home was why does a day need to have 24 hours. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.
No matter, how hard he tried or whatever reasons he came up with, he knew Elsie was a drug and he was having a hard time sticking to his rules of not seeing anyone. Maybe, life was all set for one big change. He was approaching 30 and she would be what, 18! He chuckled thinking Alastair would have called him, “You! God damn pedophile” and then, out of the blues, the loss of his brother hit him all over again. The war scene came back to him and right in the middle of the street, three blocks away from Potter’s home, he found himself getting claustrophobic as he murmured, “I am here bro. I am not going anywhere!” Perhaps, recollecting the memories of his time at the army camp was making him more vulnerable.
“It’s not a date”, he told himself for the umpteenth time, wondering who he was trying to convince. Despite knowing that it was not a date, he put on a red shirt and combed his hair, styling them just right. He also put on his cologne, something which he hadn’t done for a long while too.
He looked at his face, wondering if it seemed bit too dressy and then chided himself for being so girly. What did he think it was, a prom date! Still, he could
n’t escape the fact that he was pretty nervous. Perhaps not having courted the girls for a long time had a way of making you feel like a teenager all over again. He could use Alastair right now. He always knew what to do to impress the girls. Sigh! No matter what happened, the ghost of his brother was not leaving him. He suddenly felt a big dread in his stomach as the signs of stress started to victimize him.
He needed to be composed and so he quickly took a glass of cold water and gulped his tablets. So much for stress therapy! Stealing a look in the mirror and convincing himself that he didn’t look like his mind was deep in shit; he decided, he would not fuss further.
So, he marched away and found himself waiting at Potter’s porch at 1: 55. Always a gentleman, he whispered to himself, justifying his early presence of what was perhaps a date! As he rang the doorbell, Elsie opened it and Aaron was dumbstruck. She had dressed up in a short floral dress that reached to her knees. She was barefoot and that image in itself was enough to conjure his fantasy.
She had applied just a little dab of lip-gloss which gave a very reddish touch to her luscious lips. A little mascara on the eyes accentuated their beauty and he swore that he had never once in his whole life laid eyes on something so magically beautiful.
Before he could control himself or process his mind, he blurted, “Damn, you look gorgeously sexy!”
She blushed and said, “Thank you. You are looking extremely hot and handsome too. Come in Aaron.”
As Aaron sauntered inside, he saw that Elsie was a little nervous too. May be, he wasn’t in it all alone.
“Dad’s not home. He has been called for a conference on inner psychology of patients with MPD. He will be back in 10 days. He asked me to relay the information to you because you will be missing out on the therapy session scheduled for next week.”
“Awesome!”
“Sorry? Did you just say awesome? Ha ha, you’re a funny man Aaron.”
“I didn’t really mean that... it’s just... I thought... I mean”
“That he will not let us talk alone?”