As a last resort I decide to check my facebook and Instagram messages. While scrolling through facebook I notice a friend request from the guy from Sammy’s. His name is Devin Winchester and I notice that he also sent a message request. I accept it and begin reading right away.
“Hey babe, the other night was a lot of fun. I dunno why you won’t answer my calls or texts; I would love to see more of you. Not naked of course, lol well maybe sometimes but I’d like to get to know you Aria. Hope you were safe that night. That guy hanging around your apartment was kinda creepy; he kept staring at me as I was leaving. Please call me sometime, you have my number or message me here. I really like you and want to see you again! Love Devin.”
My blood runs cold, what guy hanging around my apartment? The reality sets in that I am in over my head and without thinking I call the only person who can comfort me like no other.
CHAPTER TEN
My mom answered the phone on the second ring and once she heard my whole story she insisted on coming to Atlanta to help me discover the truth. There is nothing more embarrassing than telling your mother that you may have slept around and can’t remember a thing. My mother the cherub that she is, listened without judgement and rushed to my aid.
Sadie called to check in on me, she wanted to come over but for the first time in a long time; I didn’t feel like her company. “Ari I’m worried about you” she pleaded. “Please let me come over and stay with you tonight”, she begged. “I’m gonna be alright, go take care of your family”. My mother would be coming in the following night and I was certain I could manage one night by myself. In the meantime I decided to check my accounts. I promised to refund my mom the cost of her airplane ticket and spending money and though she refused, I intended to make good on my promise. I login online to find that I have only $63.24 in my checking account. That’s impossible; I should have more than $10,000.00 in my checking account. I check my money market account and I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize that it is untouched. I scroll back up to my checking account to check the last balance and transactions. There are two large withdrawals for $6000 on the same day. I have no idea why I would withdraw $6000 twice in the same day. I would have had to go into the bank to do it and I know I have not been to the bank in months. The withdrawals were done three weeks ago. I grab a note pad and start writing down things I need to check out futher. Since my memory is unreliable I need to start writing things down.
The next thing I do is message Devin on Facebook.
“Hey Devin, I’m really sorry I have not gotten back to you. I’m just going through a lot lately. I’d like to talk to you about that night we spent together and the strange guy you saw lurking around my apartment. Perhaps we can meet up somewhere for a drink, my treat of course. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
I am too ashamed to ask Devin for his number again. I’m guessing that I deleted his number and messages by accident. Feeling a bit tired, I take a shower, brush my teeth and retire for the night. By tomorrow night this time my mother will be here. I cannot wait to see her again. I reach for my little notepad in the drawer and write a note to go shopping for groceries. I also write a note to check my credit card balances.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I rest my hand on my tummy as I get up from bed. I feel some discomfort in my lower abdomen and I rush to the bathroom in case I need to vomit. After several minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor staring aimlessly at the “snow green” painted walls. I decide to get up and go into the kitchen. “H’mmm snow green”, I say to myself. That was the precise name of the paint colour that I had chosen to paint the bathroom two years ago. It is odd that I can’t remember sleeping with Devin, how I got pregnant and withdrawing $12,000.00 from my checking account but I can remember the exact name of the paint colour I chose for my bathroom two years ago.
In the kitchen I make a cup of tea and a sandwich, as I sit down to eat, I see something that startles me. On my kitchen table a candle is lit. I remember buying the candle last week at Bath and Body Works in the strawberry poundcake scent, and I know for certain that I never lit the candle. Somebody is or has been in my house. I know I am not losing my mind so I grab a knife from the draw and check each room cautiously but there is no one. Feeling relieved I call Sadie; she is the only person who has a key to my house. I’m thinking that maybe she came by and lit the candle to avoid turning on lights that would surely wake me. As soon as she answers the phone I tell her about the candle and she denies coming over.
“Ari, you know I would never come over without you knowing and I would never light a candle and leave it burning. I have a cousin who died in a fire because she forgot to put out some scented candles in her bathroom. I’m very cautious about these things. Are you sure you didn’t light the candle and just forget?” She asks.
“Sadie, no I did not light the candle. I know that for sure! Somebody is messing with me”.
“Look I’m coming over, gimme 20 minutes”.
This time I don’t fight her, I accept her offer to come over.
By the time Sadie arrives, I’ve got an action list written down on my little notepad as follows:
1. Install Security Cameras
2. Change the locks
3. Lock my bedroom door at night
4. Speak to other tenants and landlord to find out if anybody has seen a lurker
5. Find out whether landlord has security cameras installed outside my apartment.
6. Take time off work
It feels stupid to have to write things down but I don’t know what’s happening and I’m dealing with a lot. I don’t believe that I’ve lost my memory but I take precautions just in case.
Following up on last night’s notes, I login to check the balances on my credit cards and everything seems fine. I take a quick shower so that I can run out for groceries after Sadie leaves.
I am in my bathrobe and out of the shower when Sadie rings my door bell. “I’m coming” I yell as I scurry to make myself decent. I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and make my way to the door. Sadie throws her arms open to envelope me in a giant bear hug.
“How are you holding up doll?” she asks.
“I don’t know, terrified I guess”. My answer is the truth.
“My mom will be here this evening, I’m picking her up at the airport at 8 pm.”
Sadie looks surprised, “you called your mom? Don’t you think that’s a little unnecessary? I mean you’re getting that hypnosis treatment with the psychiatrist lady and you’ve got me. I’m here for you Aria”.
Tears start to well up in my eyes and I don’t know why. I guess I could blame it on the pregnancy hormones. “Sadie”, I say. “I can’t keep putting all my responsibilities on you. You’ve got a family of your own. I have to do all I can to figure out what is going on in my life. My mom is going to come and take care of me and help me to sort out this mess that happening in my life. Sadie I slept with that guy from Sammy’s and I don’t even remember a thing. I’m pregnant and I don’t know how. Other strange things are happening and you can’t even begin to understand what I’m going through. I literally feel like I’m losing my mind. I just need my mom Sadie. I can’t put this burden on you. You understand?”
Sadie nods her head in reply, “okay but I’m here if you need anything. You know that right?”
“Yes I do! Thank you for always being there for my annoying ass every time.”