ROOMMATES 3

Their lunch was lively with Ms. Harley leading the conversation. Ivan would sometimes chipped in some info here and there while Kaye was listening to them talk.

When they finished their lunch, Ms. Harley sent them back to Kaye's apartment room. Kaye was holding one of the suitcases as she unlocked the door.

"Let me guide you for a while since you are not familiar with this room." she put a change of slippers in front of him and took the suitcases to the vacant room.

"Thanks." he walked towards the living room with his walking stick tapping the floor and stuff around him.

Kaye looked around her and started explaining. "Right now you're standing at the center. Behind you was the door of course. Straight ahead are the rooms. The ones on the right is mine and on the left is yours. If you turn left now, you would reach the living room. If you would turn to your right, you would reach the dining area. At your five o'clock is the dirty kitchen. Across the kitchen is the bathroom. Let's familiarize these areas first." after telling him the main areas of the room, Ivan started walking around.

He was poking things here and there, bumped into this and that and was trying to grasped on things. 'Good thing I don't have fragile furnitures.' she heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing this. 'Just a fragile heart.' commented another side of her brain.

Kaye went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for them. Ivan was still "exploring" the place. Once he was done, he walked toward the kitchen where he heard her movements.

"I'm thirsty." he was panting from all the exploration that took place.

"Your glass of water is on your left." she gave emphasis on the word glass lest he would break it if not carefil.

"Thank you so much. I hope I'm not a bother." he gulped twice before finishing the glass of water. Kaye was mesmerized by the movement of his Adam's apple that she forgot to reply. She just looked at him silently. When he frowned, Kaye found it cute as well.

"This is bad. I'm taking advantage of his blindness." she muttered under her breath.

"Are you okay?" Ivan asked her when there was no response from her.

"I'm fine. Let's go to your room." her voice sounded breathy and the words sounded like an invitation of something else. When Kaye noticed it she was so horrified that she choked on her saliva. She heard Ivan chuckled before turning around and find his way to his room. For the first time she felt glad he's blind or else he would see how embarrassed she was.

Ivan went inside the room and felt his way around. Using his sense of smell, he found the bed that smelled fresh and clean. He found a bedside drawer with a lamp in it. He kept walking around and found the wardrobe. When he touched the wardrobe, the drawers and other stuff around, he found out that this room is cleaned frequently though it's empty.

"You clean the apartment by yourself?" Ivan asked Kaye who was standing at the door.

"Yes. I do the cleaning every weekend. If I get too tired, I would ask the helper at home to come and clean. But that is very seldom to happen." Kaye said as she walked inside and checked the aircon to see if it's still working.

"Do you need help arranging your stuff?" she asked though she knew he would decline her. Those things were his personal belongings and they were still considered strangers.

"No, but thanks. I can do it myself." he walked back to the bed and sat down for a while. Kaye also started walking out back to her room.

"Alright. I understand. If you need any help, just let me know. Just knock on my door." she reminded him before closing the door.

Kaye went inside her room and took out her phone. It's almost one in the afternoon. She was about to call her mom when her phone rang startling her. The caller I.D was her father.

"Hello sweetie, did I wake you up?" her father's voice was full of worry about her.

"Not really. I just got home. Is there something wrong? I was about to call you and mom." she pinched the space between her brows when she felt dizzy.

"Oh that. Your mom wants to go to Malaysia next month. She wants to know if you could come." she heard her father's excitement on his voice. They're used to have a vacation with all three of them. However, this time she couldn't come with them.

"I want to but I can't. Daddy, did mom forget that I still have a training class? How about this, you spend this vacation as a date and we'll go on a trip together next time?" she suggested to get out of this predicament. She didn't like going somewhere when her work is pending.

"You really are my daughter. I was also thinking the same thing cause I know your class will end next month." her father was whispering on the phone, afraid of being heard by her mom. They both laugh after hearing her dad's words.

Ivan heard Kaye talking on the phone happily with her father. Though he didn't know what they were talking about, he could feel the closeness between the father and daughter base on Kaye's response.

Ivan remembered his mom telling him to call his father and sister once he settled in. He took his phone out from his pocket and dialed his father's number. It rang thrice before it was picked up.

"Ivan, how are you?" his father sounds panting and tired.

"I'm doing good. The apartment Auntie gave me is great. Did you just get home from work?" he asked his father remembering his work schedule from midnight to morning with additional voluntary overtime. His father won't just work eight hours a day, he would always work overtime.

"I got home an hour ago and was jogging, so I might sound tired and panting." his father explained. 'That's exactly what I'm thinking.' Ivan commented to himself. "Have you called your sister? You know she'd freak out if she won't hear anything from you."

He chuckled when he heard his father's comment on his sister. Indeed, she would freak out if she won't hear from him. If a week passed and there was no call or text, the next thing they knew, she's back from States.

"I would send her a message later. She must be asleep now." he knew it's past twelve so it should be night time in States already.

"Alright. Don't forget what you said. Make sure to visit us sometimes." he could hear some papers being shuffled which means his father went to the study room. "Let me know once you change your mind."

"I will remember that, dad. Send my regards to mom."  They talked a couple more minutes before the call ended. He listened for any noise from the other room as well. 'Looks like she's asleep already.' he sighed and started arranging his clothes.

He made sure that he's not making so much noise to avoid waking her up. He remembered her Auntie asking her about her work.

"Next time, let the guard send you out. I know you love your job but we love your dear life." his auntie was worried that she would meet danger on her way to work.

"Don't worry too much. I've got pepper spray with me and my teaser gun." Kaye said confidently to his Auntie.

It's obvious that she's working at night which made her Auntie so worried. Base on her voice alone, he can conclude that she's beautiful and has good character.

When he was done arranging his things, he went to the bathroom and took a shower. He changed into a simple clothes and went back inside his room. He left  his sister a voice message before going outside again and sat at the living room listening to voice messages.