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“Sorry, Dad.”
“She’ll be here often, so please, I beg you try and get along with her.”
“She won't even see me, I promise you. I'll stay out of it.”
“That’s not what…” I tried to explain what he meant by that, but she looked too tired to care. Flights can be exhausting.
“Don’t worry. I know exactly what he meant, but I just got back from my trip, and I need to rest. Can I go?” She first spoke to me before asking Ron. He glanced at me for a split second before turning his attention back to her and nodding.
“All right. I'll see you all when I see you.” Finally, she smiled but it might have been the fakest smile I’d ever seen. Maddy then climbed up the stairs, heading to her room.
“Wow,” I said, looking at Ron.
He shrugged. “I told you.” He was not wrong; this girl would be a handful. That wouldn’t stop me, though. I was determined to connect with her, not just for Ron, but for Maddy, too. She didn’t look like a happy person.
“I know you're a bundle of joy, Maryam, but this is a different case. if you are not careful, Maddy is going to make you lose your shit,” he said with a smile.
I hugged him. “Welcome.”
“Thanks, Babe.”
“Welcome, Sir,” Draya greeted.
“Draya, how are things?”
“Fine. We have your food right in the dining room.”
“Thank you.”
I spent the entire night awake trying to figure out a way for Maddy and me to be friends. My mind wandered to other things, but the primary focus remained on Maddy. By the time I was ready to sleep, morning had already hit. I saw the first traces of sunlight. So, this is what Ron meant when he said people pleaser. Why would I spend the entire night thinking about a girl who was well asleep, not even considering me?
I slept just before Ron normally woke up, around 5:49 a.m. On waking up, I saw Ron had left for work. Checking the time, it read 12:03 a.m.
I didn’t need to produce music today, so I could relax a bit. Coming down from my bed, I went to the bathroom and had my bath. After that, I chose to visit Maddy instead of heading downstairs. I felt like we had not started on the right foot. I needed to rectify that and get into her good graces. For her, for Ron, and myself. We needed to be able to live in harmony. On getting to her door, l was surprised to find it open.
“Hello? Maddy? You here?” I entered her room, looking around. She looked like an orderly girl, with everything seemingly where it should be. Her clothes were all folded neatly, though I didn’t know if the maids did that for her. There hung a nice poster of a woman that looked somewhat like Maddy, but older. That might be her late mother, I thought. Suddenly, I heard coughing.
“What the hell?” I turned, trying to trace the voice back to the source. Going to the bathroom, I gasped at what I witnessed. Maddy sat on the floor, a trail of blood from the sink to the ground following her. She must have heard my gasp because she turned around to look at me. Maddy had blood running from her mouth to her chin, with some on her hands.
“What are you doing here?! Leave!”
“What is this?! What happened to you?!” I rushed to her side to help her stand up, but she flung her hand away from me. “Let me help you, Maddy! You are coughing out blood! You need help!”
“Get off my case, okay?! I’ll be fine, and I can get up by myself…” She started coughing vehemently again. Realizing this girl was too stubborn to receive help from me, I ran to the door, shouting for the maids. I feared leaving the room because she might have just locked me outside by the time I returned.
Thankfully, one of the maids was cleaning upstairs and heard me. She came to see me, and I told her to go back and call Draya and some others. No way I’d leave Maddy. My attention returned to Maddy, who was standing by the sink and washing her mouth. She looked distraught.
“Maddy, I don't care what you say, I'm not leaving you. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you.”
“You don't know me,” Maddy snapped at me. “You just met me yesterday. Don't try to act all innocent and nice to get in my good graces because you like my dad; it won't work. I see through all that bullshit.” The sadness in her eyes became more ostensible the more she spoke. I could tell that this girl was hurting more than I could ever imagine.
Part of the reason I became the person I became was because both my parents were alive, loving, caring, and present. I didn't cough blood at random times either. This was more than what any girl her age should go through.
“Did my dad tell you to spy on me to try and get me to loosen up, and then you get us to talk about our feelings?” She said, mockingly. I shook my head, not out of anger, but sadness.
“Right now, she was letting out her emotions and insecurities, and I needed to let her. Let them go. Release it all.
Maddy got progressively angrier as she spoke. “Just leave me alone, okay? I'm just tired… I'm so tired.” Something about seeing this sixteen-year-old girl staring back at me with teary eyes made my eyes start to water as well.
