June, 4th 2005. 

You all wonder who I am? Paul is my name. I recently migrated from Kenya to USA for work. I used to live alone in one of the many posh apartments in Brooklyn Heights. My childhood friend, Jake, happened to live a few blocks away from my house. During the weekends, we would hang out in clubs at night.

It was 3 AM in the morning, my best friend and I were just hanging around outside the club doing nothing. Mind you, Jake and I were party animals, we just loved partying. We had arrived pretty early and the rave party hadn’t started yet. 

The mean-looking bouncer refused to let us in, so we had no choice but to wait outside. We were informed that the party would start in about an hour. Being 2005, it was all about partying, if you stay at home, you’d get bored. So, we had to wait inside the car while reading magazines inorder to pass time. Outside, I noticed a girl standing all alone in the middle of the lane. 

“Hey, Jake, wake up! Quit sleeping fool and wake up!” I said.

“Hey, man why are you waking me up? Has the party started yet?” Jake asked.

“No but I just saw a girl over there standing by the mall. She seems stranded,” I said.

“Stop disturbing me, man. Are you sure you’re not high? That weed we smoked yesterday sure had a lasting impact on you,” he said.

“This ain’t weed, dumbass! Look over the window!” I said.

“If it is one of your silly jokes, I swear to God I will whoop your candy ass!” He said, looking over the window. “Lord have mercy! Look at all that beauty! You know what, I gotta go get her number,” He said.

“Now hold on one second, Romeo, I saw her first, now get your ass back to sleep! I shouldn’t have woken you up in the first place,” I said.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“To ask for her number. What else?” I said.

“If I were you, I’d be careful, never trust a stranded woman in the middle of the night!” He said.

“Thanks for the advice, mom. Now go back to sleep, I’ll call you when the party is over,” I said.

“I don’t trust your silly ass one bit,” he said.

I alighted from the car and approached her. Jake just looked at me from inside the car. The girl was as pretty as a swan, she looked way out of this world. She had this aura of beauty around her. Her wavy ginger hair was perfectly adorned on her head like a golden tiara. She had this pale white skin that I just can’t take my eyes off. Her eyes were hazel green and they seem to stare right through my soul.

I was so dumbfounded by the beauty of this red head that I forgot my middle name. She just looked at me, although a little bit nervous at first. I assured her there was nothing to worry about.

“My name is Paul, what’s yours?” I asked.

“Olivia,” she said.

“Nice name for a beautiful woman like you,” I said

“Thank you,” she replied.

“Why are you standing here all alone by this time?” I asked.

“I lost my way home, l live in another town far away from here,” she said.

“Where?” I asked.

“Springfield,” she replied.

“There are so many states with Springfield,” I said.

“Springfield, Kentucky,” she said.

“That’s like 640 miles from here. Well, I reside here in Brooklyn, I’m sure you know the state you’re in right? Do you have a phone?” I asked.

“No, I lost it on my way here,” she replied.

“Well, in that case, let me take you to my place, it’s cozy,” I said. 

“I’m not sure,” she said.

“C’mon, you can trust me, I’m not like the others, okay?” I said.

“I…,” she said.

“Okay, if you feel uncomfortable, then I’ll take my leave,” I said.

“No, wait!” She said.

“So?” I asked.

“I’ll come with you, just don’t do anything stupid with me because if you do…,” 

“Whoa! Relax there Lara Croft! I ain’t gonna hurt you, we’re good guys,” I said.

Jake couldn’t take it anymore, so he got out of the car and came to us. He had this frustrated look all over his face.

“Hey man, I’ve been waiting for like ten hours! What took you so long, the party has already started!” He said.

“Forget the party, I’ve got other big fish to fry,” I said.

“You didn’t carry your fishing line, so where’s the fish?” He said.

“Really nigger? It’s a metaphor, dumbass,” I said.

“It’s actually an idiom,” added Olivia.

“She knows better than you, man,” he said.

“Does my English bug you?” I asked.

“Chill dude, relax. So, this is the “big fish” you wanna fry huh?” He said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I swear one of these days, I’ll book you an appointment with a psychiatrist,” I said.

“Just joking” he said.

“Olivia, meet Jake, my best friend,” I said.

“Nice to meet you, Jake,” she said.

“Nice to meet you too,” he said.

“So, what’s your plan? Are you coming with us or are you staying for the party?” I asked.

“I’m staying, I’ll pay you guys a visit when I’m sober,” he said.

“Yeah right. Like you would be,” I said.

“What did you just say?” He asked.

“What I meant was, take care. Those girls might spike your drink and run away with your credit card,” I said.

“I get your point, dad. You two have fun,” he said.

“You too,” I said.

“Your friend seems like a nice guy,” said Olivia.

“Yes and hideously funny,” I said.

We arrived at my house, l quickly cleared the table removing beer bottles and an ashtray full of residue from the previous cigar. I rearranged the pillows and picked up a few magazines from the floor.

“Welcome to my humble aboard, I call it, the man cave,” I said.

“Nice place,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Have a seat please,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said.

“What can I offer you?” I asked.

“Nothing I’m full, thank you,” she said.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

Something was off about her, she seem to be staring outside through the window as if she’s waiting for someone. I asked her if she was expecting someone but she brushed it off. 

Weeks turned into months and she was still leaving with me. We were already dating and we were good. I quickly fell in love with her. A year later, she was heavily pregnant with my child. All those months I lived with her, I’ve noticed that she wasn’t interested in going back home. 

When I asked her about her parents, she replied that they died in a car accident. When I asked about any of her closest relatives, she said she doesn’t have any.

I’ve also noticed that she doesn’t like cemeteries, whenever we drive near a cemetery, she would urge me to make a U-turn. But in real sense, who in their right mind would like cemeteries? Nobody wants to be associated with the dead. So that didn’t matter to me.

But despite all of these, I still love her. Olivia had changed my life for the better ever since I met her. I changed from a carefree party goer to a responsible family man in an instant. I even stopped smoking and drinking because of her. Jake hadn’t change one bit, I urged him to get married and settle down. But he insisted on being a player till death do him part.

But all in all, all of these weird things made me want to do some background check on her. So, I waited for her to give birth. On the 16th of January 2007, her waters broke and I had to take her to the hospital. After a while, the nurse informed me that she’d given birth to a bouncing baby girl. I was the happiest man on earth. Jake was there too and he congratulated me. I gave up keeping tabs on her.

I named my daughter, Elizabeth, after my mother. Which reminded me to call my mother and tell her the good news. After that, I felt homesick, I’ve been so busy working that I’ve forgotten about coming back home in Africa. I had to make arrangements, I asked Olivia if she would come with me and she happily agreed. 

I was so excited until the day we were supposed to leave. I had already asked for a week’s leave from my boss at my workplace. I didn’t ask him through the phone as he was an old man and he was bound to forget. So I paid him a visit at his house and he agreed. He even wrote me a written leave permit just in case.

It was on a Monday morning, I came back home to no one. I looked everywhere but still nothing. I panicked and started looking for my phone, then I realized that she didn’t have a phone. I can’t believe I forgot to buy her a phone! Darn it! 

My head was literally spinning with worries. I had to rest on the couch while I think of something. I stood up and went to the bedroom, that’s where I saw a letter on top of the bed. It was a letter from Olivia, she wanted me to visit her hometown in Springfield. She didn’t state anything else, just the house address. At least, I knew where she was.

Early the following morning, I drove to Springfield. I located the address to a certain house. When I knocked the door, an old woman opened it.

“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m looking for one Olivia Sullivan, is she here?” I asked.

The woman was so shocked when she heard that name that she leaned on the door. She looked kind of weak. I was so afraid that I had second thoughts of leaving, maybe I was in the wrong house. Being a white lady, I was afraid she might call the police on me. Or even worse, reach out for a gun or something. But luckily, she didn’t.

“I’m so sorry ma’am. Is there a problem ma’am? Did I say anything wrong?” I asked. 

“No, young man. You didn’t offend me, it’s just that, the name is so familiar,” she said.

“Do you mind telling me where she is,” I asked.

“Come on in,” she said.

“Thank you,” I said.

At the house, I came across an old black and white photo of Olivia. She looked very young and beautiful. I was perplexed, I had so many questions on my mind. How did Olivia’s photo end up in her house? I decided to ask her, what she said next, literally shook my bones to the core.

“Olivia was my only daughter,” she said.

“Wait, what? But she said her parents died in a car crash?” She said.

“You saw my daughter? Where?” She asked.

“Ma’am, we’ve been leaving together for over a year now. We even have a child together,” I said. 

I became more and more confused. The old lady broke into tears. Tears welled up in her puffy eyes. Something wasn’t adding up. 

“Where’s the child?” She asked.

“They left the house yesterday, in my absence. She even left me a note telling me to visit her here. Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked.

“Listen to me very carefully. My daughter, Olivia, died twenty years ago. She was unmarried and had no children. She died in a car accident a few distance from here,” she said.

“What?!” I shouted.

“I’ll even show you her graveyard. Come with me,” she said.

I hesitated at first and remained dumbstruck for like thirty minutes. Later, I followed her to a nearby cemetery and she pointed at a tombstone indicated: OLIVIA QUEEN SULLIVAN, BORN IN 1962, DIED IN 1982. All of a sudden, everything was pitch black and l felt a burning sensation in my heart.

The next moment, I woke up with a big gasp. I realized that I was in the intensive care unit. A nurse whispered a sigh of relief.

“How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Worse. How did I end up here?” I asked.

“You were admitted in here twenty years ago,” she said.

“Twenty years ago?!” I was shocked.

“Please calm down, sir. You were in a coma for twenty years, we almost gave up on you. The doctor even suggested euthanasia, but there’s a reason they didn’t want you to go just yet,” she said.

“Where is my friend Jake?” I asked.

“You mean Jacob Costa?” She asked.

“Yes, him. Where is he?” I asked.

“Uhm… He died ten years ago,” she said.

“What? How?” I asked confused.

“He was killed by unknown assailants in a deadly knife fight at the club. It was alleged that he owed them money,” she said.

“Nooo!” I shouted.

“Please calm down, sir,” she said.

“Give me your phone,” I said.

“But sir…,”

“Give me your phone, please,” I pleaded.

While calling my mother, I was shocked to hear someone else’s voice saying that my mother passed away because of me. She heard about me being in a coma. Once again, I became so hysterical that the nurse thought that I was going nuts.

“Give me a mirror please,” I said.

She gave me the mirror and I saw an almost ageing man infront of me with streaks of grey hair. The aftershave suggested that I had had numerous shavings. I didn’t realize how much time has passed. I gave her the mirror back and leaned back against the pillow. I was fighting the tears in my eyes and I didn’t want the nurse to see me cry.

“I want to be left alone,” I said.

“But I need to…,”

“Leave me alone!!!” I shouted.

The nurse turned and sprinted away without looking back. God knows what would have happened if she did. I took a scapel and stabbed myself. Minutes later, all was dark. My heart stopped and I felt so cold… I saw Olivia standing beside my bed…

I was surprised to see Olivia and my daughter, all grown up. My daughter, Elizabeth, was holding her mother’s hand while smiling. I tried to touch them but I couldn’t. My hand just passed through them.

“Why did you leave me, Olivia?” I asked.

“I’m sorry for lying, I hid the truth from you because I didn’t want to hurt you. You are a good man. Thank you for being a caring and loving husband and father to both me and our daughter. But we don’t belong here, we belong in another realm,” she said.

“I want to join you. Please don’t leave me here all alone. I have nothing to live for,” I said.

“Come with us then, my love,” she said. 

She stretched her hand towards me. I held it and it felt solid. I was teleported to another dimension where I saw a big garden with so many flowers. There were so many departed souls, all dressed in white, walking to and fro. My family and I joined them and we walked through the path of destiny. The end.