"Hola." Felina said in a low, raspy voice. Michael watched and listened as he sat up on the couch wiping the sleep from his eyes, still a little drunk from the expensive vintage. Felina stood by the phone, in her long black night gown and robe, listening to the caller. Michael was a little surprised when she began speaking in English; which she did for Michael's benefit as well as her own. "No Xation, I was not robbed at the pub last night, I was raped!" Felina screamed into the phone, her face turning a pale shade of purple as she yelled at her brother "Oh, thank you so much for getting back to me right away! I left that message six hours ago, and now you two decide to call me? Oh you just woke up! I really do not wish to discuss this anymore with you, Xation! I am still too tired and drunk to deal with this situation! Now leave me alone! I have company!" Felina slammed the phone down and just as she turned, with tears welling up in her eyes, the telephone rang again.
Felina snatched up the phone and shouted "Leave me alone!" she slammed the phone back down again, rudely hanging up on her brother, who was devastated by the shocking news. Ring, ring, ring, Felina picked up the receiver holding it to her ear but not speaking into it. Then she heard the sound of her best friend Bengiman's voice on the line and she broke down in tears, her mood turning from rage to an infinite sadness "This is all your fault Bengiman, this would never have happened if you had done the payroll before you left on Friday! I couldn't get down from the Estate until last night." Felina paused shaking a little as she remembered the terrible events just hours old "I let everyone go home early, they forgot to lock up while I was back in the office.., and" she paused swallowing hard as Michael averted his gaze away from her and out the window as she relived the nightmare for her friend. "This.., man.., indigent, wretched, horrible, disgusting, man came back into the kitchen and found me in your office..," she closed her eyes seeing everything clearly in her mind as if she were watching it play out in a film. "Bengiman!" Felina cried out to him across the telephone line "He, dragged me down, and I fought him Bengiman! I fought so hard, but I was not strong enough, and when he forced me down onto the kitchen floor I heard someone screaming so loud, and then I realized it was me!" hot tears of raw emotion streamed down Felina's face and Michael went numb inside as he listened to her tell her horrific, true tale. " That is when he wrapped his his filthy hands around my neck! Then I could not breathe! And just as I was about to close my eyes and give up hope, I saw a man, an American tourist who had come to the pub to get a bite to eat, burst in to the kitchen and when he realized what was happening he grabbed a sharp, long knife, off the wall and sliced my attacker's throat, right in front of me!" Felina let out a few more sobs as she tried to catch her breath "I should be dead! You both could have received a call today about my death, and you would be planning my funeral, picking out a spot for my grave!" here her tears of misery changed to tears of gratitude as she looked over at Michael, the American tourist. Felina paused listening to Bengiman speak, of what Michael did not know, then she kept repeating "You should have been there Bengiman! You should have been there for me! After everything I have done to help you! You should have been there instead of me!" Felina wiped away all her tears with the back of her right hand, and then she spoke in a tone as bitter as a cobra's venom "Oh and by the way! I am shutting down the pub as of today! And I will NEVER step foot in that place again!" Felina slammed the phone down, letting out a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. Once again just as she took one step away from the telephone it rang. "Oh! Dios Mio." she said softly, her throat sore from all the screaming and strangulation. Felina picked up the phone then set it back down hanging up on the caller. Then she, wisely, took the receiver off the hook and she looked back at Michael saying sadly "I am so sorry you have to see me this way." again the bitter tears flowed like water down a mountain.
Michael stood up going over to Felina trying to comfort her, hugging her close to his chest saying in a reassuring voice "Felina, you are a wonderful, vibrant, beautiful woman. You never have to feel embarrassed, or explain yourself to me." Michael took her by the shoulders peering into her dark eyes with a very serious, sympathetic look he told her "Remember, you are not alone in this situation. I was right there with you. Fate put me there last night, at the right place, at the right time. Do you believe in Fate Felina?"
Felina smiled, shaking her head, saying "No, I do not believe in Fate, but I do believe in you. Thank you." here, on her tip toes, she gave Michael a sweet little kiss on the lips, as she felt the tension in her body ease up just a bit.
Michael felt a warm wave of trust and love pass between them as he held her close in his strong, protective embrace. Felina trembled a little as she said, her voice shaking "I am so tired and I do not feel well, I just want to go to bed and sleep forever."
"Yes, we should rest, I think we only got about three hours of sleep."
So Michael helped the exhausted, tormented woman upstairs, when they approached her bedroom door, Felina would not open it, instead she turned and said, with a deep pain gushing up from her soul "I want to sleep in my brother's bed! I was so mean to him, I shouldn't blame him! I love him so much!" here Felina nearly collapsed from the weight of emotion that overcame her, and she fell into Michael's arms. He lifted up the petite woman carrying the grief stricken Felina into Xation's room and over to the massive bed, where he covered Felina up safely under the sumptuous, silken sheets and gold-embroidered, warm duvet. Michael sat down on the bed next to her as Felina rested on her side, staring over at a few photographs of her family on the nightstand. Michael held her hand speaking in a calm soothing voice to help ease her troubled heart telling her everything would be better tomorrow, how he would stay with her as long as she wanted. Then she gave Michael a pleasing smile asking in a small voice "Will you lay here beside me Michael?"
"Of course." Michael gave her a an affectionate smile squeezing her hand a little, then he stood and walked to the opposite side of the bed. As a sign of respect and honor Michael crawled ON TOP of the blankets, as he did not wish to make Felina feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, for he thought to curl up underneath the sheets with her would be some sort of violation. So on Xation's bed they laid together on their sides, like two spoons in a drawer, Michael resting his arm around her tiny waist, Felina felt like a doll next to him. Then Michael whispered to Felina saying "You can cry as much as you want to. It will help to get some of the anguish out." Michael closed his eyes, his mind weary, his body numb from the shock and horror, as he thought what a very strange last ten hours he had spent in Buenos Aires. Michael Cullen fell asleep secure in the knowledge that things could not get any worse than what he had just gone through, the whole bloody scene. If only he could have foreseen what the next year of his life would bring, but alas he could not predict the future so he closed his eyes and dreamed a dream.
Felina snatched up the phone and shouted "Leave me alone!" she slammed the phone back down again, rudely hanging up on her brother, who was devastated by the shocking news. Ring, ring, ring, Felina picked up the receiver holding it to her ear but not speaking into it. Then she heard the sound of her best friend Bengiman's voice on the line and she broke down in tears, her mood turning from rage to an infinite sadness "This is all your fault Bengiman, this would never have happened if you had done the payroll before you left on Friday! I couldn't get down from the Estate until last night." Felina paused shaking a little as she remembered the terrible events just hours old "I let everyone go home early, they forgot to lock up while I was back in the office.., and" she paused swallowing hard as Michael averted his gaze away from her and out the window as she relived the nightmare for her friend. "This.., man.., indigent, wretched, horrible, disgusting, man came back into the kitchen and found me in your office..," she closed her eyes seeing everything clearly in her mind as if she were watching it play out in a film. "Bengiman!" Felina cried out to him across the telephone line "He, dragged me down, and I fought him Bengiman! I fought so hard, but I was not strong enough, and when he forced me down onto the kitchen floor I heard someone screaming so loud, and then I realized it was me!" hot tears of raw emotion streamed down Felina's face and Michael went numb inside as he listened to her tell her horrific, true tale. " That is when he wrapped his his filthy hands around my neck! Then I could not breathe! And just as I was about to close my eyes and give up hope, I saw a man, an American tourist who had come to the pub to get a bite to eat, burst in to the kitchen and when he realized what was happening he grabbed a sharp, long knife, off the wall and sliced my attacker's throat, right in front of me!" Felina let out a few more sobs as she tried to catch her breath "I should be dead! You both could have received a call today about my death, and you would be planning my funeral, picking out a spot for my grave!" here her tears of misery changed to tears of gratitude as she looked over at Michael, the American tourist. Felina paused listening to Bengiman speak, of what Michael did not know, then she kept repeating "You should have been there Bengiman! You should have been there for me! After everything I have done to help you! You should have been there instead of me!" Felina wiped away all her tears with the back of her right hand, and then she spoke in a tone as bitter as a cobra's venom "Oh and by the way! I am shutting down the pub as of today! And I will NEVER step foot in that place again!" Felina slammed the phone down, letting out a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. Once again just as she took one step away from the telephone it rang. "Oh! Dios Mio." she said softly, her throat sore from all the screaming and strangulation. Felina picked up the phone then set it back down hanging up on the caller. Then she, wisely, took the receiver off the hook and she looked back at Michael saying sadly "I am so sorry you have to see me this way." again the bitter tears flowed like water down a mountain.
Michael stood up going over to Felina trying to comfort her, hugging her close to his chest saying in a reassuring voice "Felina, you are a wonderful, vibrant, beautiful woman. You never have to feel embarrassed, or explain yourself to me." Michael took her by the shoulders peering into her dark eyes with a very serious, sympathetic look he told her "Remember, you are not alone in this situation. I was right there with you. Fate put me there last night, at the right place, at the right time. Do you believe in Fate Felina?"
Felina smiled, shaking her head, saying "No, I do not believe in Fate, but I do believe in you. Thank you." here, on her tip toes, she gave Michael a sweet little kiss on the lips, as she felt the tension in her body ease up just a bit.
Michael felt a warm wave of trust and love pass between them as he held her close in his strong, protective embrace. Felina trembled a little as she said, her voice shaking "I am so tired and I do not feel well, I just want to go to bed and sleep forever."
"Yes, we should rest, I think we only got about three hours of sleep."
So Michael helped the exhausted, tormented woman upstairs, when they approached her bedroom door, Felina would not open it, instead she turned and said, with a deep pain gushing up from her soul "I want to sleep in my brother's bed! I was so mean to him, I shouldn't blame him! I love him so much!" here Felina nearly collapsed from the weight of emotion that overcame her, and she fell into Michael's arms. He lifted up the petite woman carrying the grief stricken Felina into Xation's room and over to the massive bed, where he covered Felina up safely under the sumptuous, silken sheets and gold-embroidered, warm duvet. Michael sat down on the bed next to her as Felina rested on her side, staring over at a few photographs of her family on the nightstand. Michael held her hand speaking in a calm soothing voice to help ease her troubled heart telling her everything would be better tomorrow, how he would stay with her as long as she wanted. Then she gave Michael a pleasing smile asking in a small voice "Will you lay here beside me Michael?"
"Of course." Michael gave her a an affectionate smile squeezing her hand a little, then he stood and walked to the opposite side of the bed. As a sign of respect and honor Michael crawled ON TOP of the blankets, as he did not wish to make Felina feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, for he thought to curl up underneath the sheets with her would be some sort of violation. So on Xation's bed they laid together on their sides, like two spoons in a drawer, Michael resting his arm around her tiny waist, Felina felt like a doll next to him. Then Michael whispered to Felina saying "You can cry as much as you want to. It will help to get some of the anguish out." Michael closed his eyes, his mind weary, his body numb from the shock and horror, as he thought what a very strange last ten hours he had spent in Buenos Aires. Michael Cullen fell asleep secure in the knowledge that things could not get any worse than what he had just gone through, the whole bloody scene. If only he could have foreseen what the next year of his life would bring, but alas he could not predict the future so he closed his eyes and dreamed a dream.
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