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He wouldn’t be surprised if he could already distinguish who was at the door, so I gently knocked, which is unusual for when I come to his house.
The door opens.
“Lea…” I blurt out as my mind tries to comprehend the figure before me.
“What are you doing here?”
She seems lost in her thoughts of surprise and hesitates to answer my question while staring at me like I have three heads and dragon wings behind me.
“Lea!” I called her again.
“Damien!” She screams in realization. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Same here! I am surprised to see you here, and it’s been a while,” I said.
“It’s been a while, too. I am shocked to see you as well.”
I am more shocked. Why did Kelvin not give me the heads-up that she was going to be here?
Because of our parents’ closeness and my friendship with Kelvin, Lea and I saw each other a lot of times. Although we did not agree on a couple of things back then, I intentionally started many of those arguments just to piss her off.
Whenever Kelvin and I were engrossed in a video game, she would make popcorn or whip up a quick mac and cheese dish for us.
Lea was always the one who saved our backs whenever we got into trouble for causing mischief.
The effect of the death of her parents was apparent on her face. Through her smile, her pale countenance was glaring even as she asked me to come in.
The light that used to fill her eyes is almost nonexistent. Death has no mercy when it comes. It takes life from both the dead and the living.
She speculated that I should be on an exotic island, not Los Angeles. I also exposed how her brother had helped me get my house and how long the renovations took.
I remind myself to make sure Kelvin pays for this surprise he just gave me by keeping the news of this new contract from him. I couldn’t care less if this act was deliberate or not.
She describes how my house was before I moved in and the huge disparity between how it was then and now that I have touched it up.
I can see drops of paint on her overalls, hair, and underneath her eyes.
The same paint drops are now on my shirt as well. They must have been from the hug we shared by the door.
We talked about life after college, and she let me in on her jobs since then. She has carved a commendable career path for herself, a stellar achievement.
I’m happy about her career progress and inquired about this new place where she got a job.
A call interrupts our conversation, and from the look on her face, I can already tell who it is. Kelvin Carlo, my jerk best friend, who keeps information to himself.
She scolds him for not letting her know I lived next door, and I can see his mischievous smile in my mind.
While she is on the call, I move around to observe her progress with the painting. Some areas were devoid of fresh paint. I guess her hands couldn’t get there while she painted.
I heard him ask about the contract, and I burst into laughter. He would be in the dark about this for a few days, waiting for a taste of his own medicine.
Once she drops the call, I request to help her with the painting. She seems tired already, and my body can still offer some services before shutting down on me.
I move to collect the paintbrush from her hand. Paint already stained my shirt, so I might as well get messier.
“Were you trying to draw something here?” I point to a side of the wall towards the kitchen island, where there’s a blue and black mural that looks like a half butterfly.
Lea has always had a thing for arts, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her turn this place into her canvas.
