• Chapter 8 •
 

Previously,

 

"What!? What is it so important for whoever you are to call me in precisely 10:30 p.m. disturbing my peace, provoking my anger, increasing the intensity of my rage and most importantly your ignorance to not understand that I didn't want to pick your call hence you should stop dialling!"

 

Silence.

 

[Um, hello?]



 

• Chapter 9 •

 

Recovering from her sudden outburst, Mina's chest rising and falling as she breathes out. There is a moment of awkward silence hangs in the air. She could only imagine how perplexed the person behind the phone. Irritated from the absence of response, she was about the end the call when a soft and calming voice suddenly speaks up. She freeze. It steals the air from her lungs until her ribs become steel traps. By the first words and within a second, she recognizes the owner of the voice.

 

How could she forget a part of her life that was once special to her heart? Every single moment she had with him. Every single feature of him.

 

[I-I'm sorry, have I caught you at the bad time?] His question was followed with a nervous chuckle and a hint of guilt lies beneath his tone.

 

The past few days, Mina had tried so hard to busy herself with work and only work, leaving no space for her mind to think of him, no space for her heart to feel. She was successful and proud of herself that although she lived like a programmed robot, at least she managed to stop dwelling over the past. She wanted to let him go, and that was the first step. Yet, with just a random call at night, just by his voice, all her effort turns to dust. Each broken part of her heart misses him like her heart missed him as whole. Her attempt to move on, to shut her feelings and to be normal, failed miserably.

 

[Hello, Is anyone there?]

 

Mina pulls the phone away from her ears. 'How could you be this cruel, God' She thoughts, squeezing her eyes close. Her grip tightening around the digital device. She needs to recover from the shock, and utter something, yet she unable to do anything. And so the quietness grows deeper and she hears her own heartbeat quickening from within. She knows tensing against the shaking of her limbs is useless but she does it instinctively, trying to suppress for a few more moments.

 

[Miss Sharon?]

 

Mina's eyelids flutter open. She takes a deep breath and brings the phone back to her ears, "I'm sorry" She faked a cough in between her sentence. She realises too late that she has misjudged the rapid onset of the shaking. Her limbs are no longer taking directions from her mind as she slides the red button on her phone screen, abruptly ending the call.

 

She looks at her phone blankly for few minutes before picking it up, hesitantly clicking the new number then presses the message icon. She starts typing on the keypad. Her thumbs timidly dance across the board, forming, deleting, and paraphrasing her words over and over again until she sticks with a simple and sounded proper text.

 

"I am Sharon, what's the matter?"

 

[Hello, I'm the artist C.Y. I was informed that you had bought my artwork Eternal, yesterday. Firstly, thank you for liking and purchasing my artwork. However, I'm deeply sorry but can you cancel your purchase?]

 

A slow smile works its way across her face and into her eyes. Maybe because she had spent more than ten years with him, seeing each other grew up. She could hear his voice behind the text even visually imagine him sitting beside her. He feels so close, and Mina is thankful for the warmth it provided. Just by the thoughts and feeling he is there with her.

 

Her muscle relaxed, "Why is that?" She asks.

 

[It's an artwork I didn't plan on selling. I'm very sorry but please cancel the order]

 

Mina isn't aware of how her lips automatically form a pout. She is not artistic or knows how to read art, yet that painting reached out and