Lost in Freedom- Chapter One (partial)


Laila and I had shared most things throughout our lives, but who we were meeting here and why, were not among them...yet; but I did have to tell her... soon. I sat on a concrete bench outside a motorway cafe, waiting for her to return with our drinks. The sun was bright, the light was pleasant, not harsh or blinding and not directly overhead yet. From where I sat I could see the heat haze warp my view of the cars in the distance. 'Anya!' Laila pushed the ice cold cola bottle onto my bare arm, and jolted me from my deep thoughts. She smiled at the fact that she'd startled me. I didn't smile back.
' What?' she asked as she handed me the bottle.

I didn't answer, I just took the bottle. She shrugged, then sat down beside me.
'You should stop thinking' she said. You think too much. We're going to Auntie Haava's, we're gonna enjoy ourselves Annie. Why so serious?'
I shrugged, and took a slug of my cola.
'It's that job isn't it? You're worried I won't let you finish that assignment they set you. Haava should be here soon, cheer up for Goodness sake.'
She was wrong, I couldn't tell her that though, not yet.
We should have been sitting there deeply contented that there was only one pleasant intent and purpose to our journey, but now because of my orders from her father and that letter, that was no longer possible. We should have been on our way to stay with her Aunt Haava, as we had done countless times as children.

We sipped our drinks in silence and I watched intently as the other customers rushed by us; some filling up their cars with fuel, some quenching their thirst and satisfying their hunger, and some doing both or neither, just answering nature's call. They all moved with purpose, busy in their own little worlds. I felt disconnected from them somehow, even though they were only metres away, they didn't seem to see us. We watched them as one watches ants, and they like ants, ignored us. I sneaked a glance at her from the corner of my eye, Laila Rhamani, Tall dark, wealthy, everything I wasn't, and the daughter of an Iranian diplomat. At that moment I really wished we were going to Havva's house. My mind was using avoidance tactics, taking me there, I could almost see it , smell it. Daydreaming was a much better choice than the reality of today.
Haava had definitely created a a customized living space, which she'd started in the late 1980's, and which was still a work in progress. The hallway appeared endless with room after room leading from it, each one more surprising than the last one. The one I liked the most was the one she called the 'yoga' room. The high ceiling had brightly coloured festoons of Persian silk hung across it, criss-crossed in alternate red, gold and tangerine ribbons. The wall that faced the garden narrowly framed the window. A very pale yellow, sheer shimmering gauze like fabric hung from the top to the bottom. As a child the gauze reminded me of a dragonfly's wings. As a young child I loved watching the old willow tree sway, with my nose pressed up against the fabric, which smelled like the incense that she sometimes burned. The whole room looked like a Persian palace I'd once seen a picture of. Thinking of the house was comforting.
'Annie, Anya!' Laila's voice interrupted my musings. 'What on earth is wrong with you? You're on another bloody planet today, I might as well be sitting here on my own. Going to browse the shops in there.' She pointed towards the huge complex that was billed as Motorway Services.'You coming?'

'Nope, I'll go to the loo in a minute.'

'Ok. Please yourself, and for petes sake, cheer up!

Three days earlier I'd had a phone call from her father. When the phone rang I was scribbling in my notepad, as most writers do, and wasn't happy that the ringing stopped my train of thought. I ran downstairs to the phone,
'Oh, hi Mr. Rhamani, mums not here, remember she gone to see her sister.' I'd assumed it was mum he wanted as she was his housekeeper.
'Hello Anya, no, I know where your mother is, I need to speak to you. If your free?'
'What now?'
'No, can you come here, later, some time this afternoon - about three?'
'Anything wrong?, Laila okay? The trip to Auntie Haava's still on?'
'Please don't worry Anya, I just need a favour from you. Can you come?'
'Yes. I'll see you at three then.'

'Oh, and Anya, your mother knows about this, but could I ask you ot to mention it to Laila? You'll understand why when you hear the favour.'
It was all very strange. What was that all about? I remember thinking. I felt like I'd been 'summoned'. I couldn't settle back to my writing, so I carried on packing for the trip to Haava's. All the time, trying to guess what favour Mr. Rhamani could possibly ask of me.

Two o'clock came and I left the house to walk to the bus-stop. As I walked along the tree lined avenue where Laila's house was I felt nervous without knowing why.