Looking at the clock, Hannah slipped out of bed and into the shower. Hannah was tall about 5ft 8; she had a womanly figure it was well proportioned. Her looks were very dark, hair that came to the centre of her back in long dark coils of deepest brown. Her eyes as dark as her hair had stopped shining long ago, olive skin wrapped tight to her medium frame. A year had passed since that day had left Hannah’s soul broken. Over the last few months, her self-loathing was beginning to take its toll. Time just could not erase something’s. Inside her head, she was going insane. Her loneliness was slowly killing her. She had buried her soul deep with in her to protect it from further pain. She had decided to get her life back; the way she was living out of reach, she knew the only way she could do it was to lay ghosts to rest, and begin to bloom once again. Friday had finally come, the first day of her new life. It was the day she was leaving the office to start working from home, then off to the cemetery and that night there was going to be a bit of a gathering at her mums. She was dreading it she knew that it was time to relent, but relenting is not always as easy as it seems. This had to be the day to say goodbye and move on.
Taking a deep breath, she began to walk through the office. Nearly everyone stopped her as she went to her desk. Her throat was getting tighter as she fought back the tears, but all she could think about was the beginning of her life. Working her way through the day Hannah began to clear out her desk, putting all the old stuff in the bin and the rest in a box. As she reached far into the draw, she grabbed a frame. Immediately she knew what it was, dreading the thought she removed it there in the frame was her best friend, her lover, the man she was to marry. Before she could dwell on it, Melanie called for her to come into her office.
“Hannah, come in, come in and shut the door, do you want a coffee?”
“No thanks Mel I really need to get off earlier than I expected. I need to do a few things before tonight, you are coming aren’t you everyone else in the office is.”
“Yes course I am coming I’m going to finish early tonight pick up Tony go home grab a quick shower then off to your mum’s”
“Thanks Mel for this I really appreciate it, I think working from home is a lot better”
“You know Hannah that as long as your work is done there is no problem with that. However I still think that you should start mingling, you know get your social life back together.”
“Mel last night I had exactly the same thought and yes I am doing something about it.”
“Good Han I’m pleased and when you are good and ready to come back to the office your desk will always be here for you.”
“Mel you really don’t understand how much this means to me.”
Melanie smiled at Hannah as she left the room calling behind her ‘I’ll see you tonight’
Hannah worked the day, finished clearing her desk then said goodbye to her colleagues, smiling receive flowers and such as, she left.
From the office, she drove straight to the cemetery. Parking her car she removed the frame from the box, she walked over to a grave. The grave settled but still fresh. Hannah walked over. Crouching down a single tear slid down her face, and then followed several others, she cried softly into her chest. Passing her hand over the grave, she laid the frame onto it. Loosing her best friend, her lover, the man she was going to marry was devastating. Over the last year, she had taken herself deep within, not letting anyone in for fear of yet more pain. Her moods had been as dark as her looks. Looking at Stephen in the frame she finally laid him to rest, letting him go so that she could live. The thoughts of the past overwhelmed her, but she knew that they to must be laid to rest. Walking back to the car she let out a huge sigh, in the car she turned off the radio and headed for home.
Arriving home to a darkened flat, Hannah was not happy; this was the third time this week that there was no electric. Although she could not really complain, she did receive a letter to say that over the next few weeks there maybe short power cuts due to technical difficulties. Kicking off her shoes and laying down the box from the office, she slumped on the chair that faced a large window over looking the apartments across the way. Pulling her feet up and under her, she saw silhouettes from behind a curtain, looking harder she saw the form of a man and a woman. ‘Least some one has electric’ she thought to herself. Sitting down in the chair, she caught herself staring at the figures. Their movements were fiery back and forth but she could not quite make out what they were doing, even though in her mind she knew what they were doing.
It was time to get ready to go to her mum’s for the gathering. If she could have got out of it she would have, but there was no way out. Hannah grabbed a few things, deciding to get ready at her mum’s house.
“Mum, mum where are you? It’s only me.”
“Is your electric off again dumpling?”
Her mother said to as she crossed the kitchen to welcome Hannah.
“Third day mum, it’s driving me nuts.”
“Oh I say Han that’s bad”
“I’ve got to get ready mum is the bro in?”
“Yeah he’s upstairs in his room sweets.”
Running up the stairs Hannah threw her stuff on her mum’s bed then went in to see her brother. Tapping on the door, she heard a mumble and walked in.
“Hey you, my little flutter bee.”
Hannah loved Zach her older brother by 6 years he was her rock. A towering 6ft 3, dark brown hair, eyes, and a solid build. He was the one to lift her out of any black mood.
“Zach, hey not staying just popping in got to get ready for this bloody gathering.”
“Looking forward to it then bee?” He laughed at her knowing that curled up on her chair with a good book would be her preference.
Hannah moved off to her mum’s room after talking with Zach and started to get ready. Looking at herself, she looked great, dressed in a pair of plain black trousers and a smart but dressy top, her hair up loosely on her head.
People began to arrive Hannah looked about the place, her dark eyes searching for somewhere to belong. Everywhere she looked, she saw mixtures of emotions. Walking from person to person, she felt that she just did not fit with anyone. Catching her brother’s eye from across the room he gestured to her to keep her chin up and smiled silently before yet another well-wisher began to talk. The night went on and all Hannah could think of doing was going home. Smiling pleasantly, the mind numbing conversations were beginning to become monotonous… Her mood was darkening she needed to get out. Walking to the kitchen she opened the back door, sat on the step and lit up a joint.
“Those things will kill you bee.” Zach said to her crouching down and caressing her softly.
Hannah turned half-smiling and shrugged.
“You know Zach if you had said that to me a while back I would have said yeah, is life really worth living.”
Frowning back at her he said nothing; the look upon his face was enough. Seeing his look, she carried on.
“Oh, come on Zach I lost everything, I lost my life, POOF just like that gone, but hey I’m starting a fresh.”
“Bee I never knew, I honestly never knew how you felt, how was I to know? You shut totally down. I thought we could talk about everything.”
“Yeah we can Zach, but sometimes things are best left unsaid.”
“You know I love you bee and there is nothing we can’t talk about.”
