My Dream Marriage

Aniston

“I can’t believe that this happened to me. The girl that I had started falling in love with just got married to another man. Wait. I think I am already in love with her. Oh no. I am in love with someone else’s wife. This is unbelievable. I thought I could meet with her, talk to her about my feelings then we would take things to another level. But no..”

“Oh Aniston, I think you are getting crazier and crazier by day,” Sara remarks, walking in on Aniston talking to himself for the umpteenth time.

“I am crazy in…” He starts talking but Sara cuts him short before he can finish talking, “love? Oh Aniston. This girl better be beautiful than I am because I don’t want to take you to a mental hospital because of an ugly duckling. Please, you are my only brother,” she says.

“Sara, that is not what I wanted to say. Moreover the crazy thing just slipped my tongue,” he says. ” I know that because you were thinking about just that,” she says.

“Sara, don’t be ridiculous. What are you doing here in my room?”

“So you want to get rid of me so you can continue with your business eh? Anyway I just wanted to let you know that the chandelier was brought in today. As we speak it’s being fixed in my room. I can’t believe that that stupid girl is the one who got married to Edward. I wish I had called the police that day.”

“Sara, you can’t just accuse people like that when you know she wasn’t really the only one at fault.”

“She should thank her stars that you were there. I will take my revenge someday,” Sara says ignoring what Aniston tells her.

“It seems you don’t like this woman. Could you please tell me why. Do you know her from somewhere else? And how the heck does her marrying Edward concern you? Is that the reason?”

“No it’s not. I didn’t even know her before I met her that day she broke my chandelier. I just developed dislike for her since that day.”

“If you say so. I see you just have natural hatred for her. Just don’t let your dislike get you into trouble. You don’t want to mess with the Lawanson family. I hope you understand what I am trying to say,” Aniston says.

“Alright I won’t get into trouble because of that woman. Why are you defending her anyway? Do you know her? Who is she to you that you want to fight with your own sister?”

“Look Sara, I said what I said and from now onwards I don’t want us to fight about her again. We have talked about her enough. Unless you want to get wrinkles this early. Are you tired of your skin? I think I can even see some grey hairs on your head,” he says touching some strands of her hair.

She touches her face and smiles, “of course I love my skin,” she slaps his hand off her hair, “I will leave now. I have to check the progress in my room now.”

“Alright then, I will join you soon,” he tells her.

“I will have to keep my feelings at bay. Maybe we were not meant to be,” Aniston sighs and stands up, to follow Sara to her room.

*****

This is the third day I am sitting on this big rock in the afternoon. It is the coolest place I prefer on this island. There is no one around here, just the chirping of birds and the steady flow of the water from the river. I discovered this place on one of my boring afternoons after I had taken a walk some yards away from the house. I was instantly in love with the serenity of this place and my afternoons have never been the same again.

Occasionally I collect pebbles and throw them into the water. The splashing of water is so relaxing as I watch some of them being carried away by the current while others just settle down at the depths of the clear water.

I take my magazine and go through the pages one by one. This environment is really the best one for reading. The trees providing a cool breeze as the wind blows.

Edward has been leaving the house early and coming back late when I am already asleep. I don’t even know the exact time he comes home. Grace is the one who tells me. Even when I try to wait for him, I end up sleeping. So I usually spend some time with her before I come here and before I go to sleep.

Hmmm, I might as well just lie down and read my magazine. The trees swaying their leaves make me close my eyes since I can’t look up while thinking about something falling into my eyes, unfortunately. So I just support my head with the magazine and enjoy the sounds coming from the breeze, the birds and the water. So relaxing.

I flutter my eyes open and curse at my sleeping habits, they are really getting out of hand. Although I am sure I don’t mean it since I enjoyed it and what could I have been doing? Nothing. Just sitting and admiring nature at the same place. I have been here doing that for sometime, remember? Though I don’t really get tired of it.

I stretch my body and sit upright and before I know it an ear piercing aah! escapes my mouth when I notice that I have company- an unexpected one at that. A man, not a wild animal that devours flesh at a slight given chance. Aniston.

“Sorry. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you like that,” he apologizes. “Oh I am okay, I wasn’t just expecting you here,” I say.

“I was just enjoying a nature walk when I stumbled upon you, and because I know you I couldn’t just pass by before greeting you.” Wow. He is here at Marina Island? What a coincidence.

“That is so nice of you.”

“I came for a business investment here in Marina. A lot of meetings. Endless discussions. So when I got a chance to have a moment to myself, I thought I couldn’t waste it. That’s how I ended up here. I live not far from here,” he says.

Did he just answer all my questions without me asking him about a single thing? Or does he read minds? “Oh I see.” That is all I can say. “I presume you are on your honeymoon but what are you doing here by the way?”

“I live not far from here too. I came here to appreciate nature too but I got carried away too much. You could see I was sleeping,” I say and he flashes his perfect white teeth in a grin and say, ” it could be dangerous, you know. Alone in the woods.”

“I don’t think there are dangerous animals here,” I say.

“People can be dangerous too, not just animals,” he says and I agree with him. “I know I shouldn’t be asking you about this but how is your husband? To be honest, where is he?” He asks. I am not gonna narrate my married life with him but, ” he has some investments here in Marina. He had to check up on them at some point and I didn’t want to bother him so I stayed back,” is what I manage to tell him.

“The tabloids really do not lie about him. He truly is a business man,” he says and I agree with him. If only he knew how he stays up late immersed in work that I might even forget the last communication I had with him, he could have found another title for him. Not even a workaholic is not the best one. If only there is another term.

The sunset is almost taking over. We have been chatting with Aniston for sometime until I got lost into the conversation. He is easy to talk to and sincerely speaking, I enjoyed his company. He has told me about his achievements and I have come to know that Sarah is the only sibling he has and that they are orphaned. His parents left him the business to take care of since he was twenty two when they died while Sarah was only sixteen. That’s so impressive. A twenty two year old running a business empire and from the looks of it he has made a really big impact in developing it. It is one of the biggest businesses in Sura City after Lawanson’s – of course.

“I must say thank you for saving me the other day. I wasn’t careful that day when I broke your sister’s chandelier,” I apologize genuinely.

“Don’t worry about that one. My sister can be quite dramatic, I know her. You weren’t the only one at fault you know,” he says casually like it was just some random staff that fell down.

“Thank you so much. I hope I didn’t disrupt your nature walk anyway,” he said he was on a walk and it ended with me here on the rocks.

“Oh no, just the opposite. I sure enjoyed your company,” he says what I was afraid of telling him.

I pick my magazine up and stand up and he does so. “I should be going now,” I say. “Yes. Me too. Where do you live?” He asks and I point towards the direction of the house.

“Maybe I should walk you there. What do you think?” He asks. ” If you can, I’d appreciate it.”

****”

Today of all days I find Edward at home. He doesn’t have his phone glued to him like every other time. He is sitting on a couch putting on a pair of black jeans and and a grey sweater. His left leg is placed on top of his right one and is sipping some tea or coffee. He just turned the little couch seem like a throne all in his glory.

I walk towards him and he looks up when I get infront of him.

“Hi Edward,” I squeak.

“Where have you been? Is this house too boring for you?” He asks.

“Not at all. I just took a walk,” I answer.

“I see. You had company. You already have friends in this island. I thought you weren’t the social type.” He saw us. But where? Probably not when we were still at the stream.

“It was Aniston,” I say in hopes that he won’t find him a stranger.

“The same Brian Aniston?” he raises his eyebrows and asks. I nod.

” Oh I thought he looked familiar when I saw him at the gate but you were blocking my view so I couldn’t see him properly. So how long have you known him?” This is probably going to be a fight between us. A married woman sitting by the stream chatting with a stranger.

“Actually he is one of our clients who usually buy books from our bookstore. That is how I know him. He isn’t much of a stranger to me,” I say.

“Why would you stay outside until this late. Nobody knew where you are and you didn’t bother to tell Grace where you were going to?”

“I thought I would just stroll for sometime before you come back. There wasn’t anything else to do in the house,” I defend myself.

“Okay, should you want to meet other men, be sure to inform someone beforehand. We can’t be stressed here while you are enjoying yourself,” he says.

Now that is quite offensive.

“I am sorry. It won’t repeat itself. I really am sorry,” I say. I do not want this fight to go on. I am not good at arguments like this one. I might as well give up on this. It is not even healthy for a new couple like us.

“Good for you then. Anyway I brought something for you but when we couldn’t find you here I just kept it in the bedroom. There is no need to see it anyway, I might as well discard it,” he says and I look at him sideways and he raises his eyebrows.

This is not happening. I sure will beat him to it. I have to see what it is that he has brought me.