Chapter 2 please Save me
MAEVE
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Come on, Maeve. You know you will be late for your interview.”
Niamh's voice came through my phone again as I hurried around my room, trying to get everything ready.
I glanced at the time and my eyes widened.
“Oh my God.”
I picked up my documents from the table and quickly checked them again.
Thank God for Niamh. She had been calling me since morning to make sure I woke up. She knew me too well. If I turned off my phone and went back to sleep, there was no way I would wake up on time.
“If you hadn't called me, I would have missed this interview,” I said, letting out a breath as I searched for the last thing I needed.
After four years at university, I had stayed at home for another year without getting a job. One whole year had passed, and I was still at home.
Now that I finally had an interview, I had almost ruined the opportunity by sleeping too late.
Niamh had warned me the night before.
“Don't turn off your phone when you go to sleep,” she had told me.
She knew exactly how I was.
The moment my head touched the pillow, I could sleep through anything.
I smiled to myself as I remembered her warning.
That was Niamh. She had been my childhood friend for years, and she knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.
I quickly slipped into my black corporate dress and put on my black heels. Then I stood in front of the mirror.
I turned from one side to the other, checking my appearance. My fingers moved over the dress, smoothing a small crease before I looked at myself again.
“I won't fail you, máthair, athair.”
My voice came out softly.
“You have tried a lot for me, and now that you have retired, it is time for me to take care of you.”
I stared at my reflection for a moment.
My parents had spent their entire lives trying to give me everything they could. Now they were retired, and I wanted to be the one taking care of them.
My eyes dropped to the necklace around my neck.
I touched it gently.
The ring hanging from it caught my attention.
My fingers stopped. Damiano's ring.
For four years, I had worn that ring on my finger throughout university. I had carried it with me everywhere, even though the person who gave it to me had been gone for five years.
I slowly touched the ring with my fingertip.
I had removed it from my finger because the aunties in my area wouldn't stop asking questions whenever they saw it.
“Maeve, are you married?”
“Who gave you that ring?”
“Is your husband abroad?”
Their questions always made me uncomfortable.
Even my máthair had asked me about it.
I had looked at her and lied. I told her Niamh gave it to me.
“Astaghfirullah,” I whispered.
The guilt made me lower my eyes.
I slipped the necklace back beneath my dress, hiding the ring against my skin.
I didn't need to keep wearing it.
Not when Damiano would probably never come back.
But even as I told myself that, my fingers remained on the necklace.
I wished he would come back.
Even if it was only once.
I just wanted to see him again.
For five years, I had missed him every single day.
There hadn't been a single day when he didn't cross my mind.
Sometimes, when I was alone, I remembered his face from high school. I remembered the day he stood in front of me and told me we would never see each other again.
I had tried to move on. I went to university. I studied. I made new friends. I continued with my life.
But somehow, a part of me had remained in the past. With him.
Sometimes I wondered if I would ever get married.
I let out a quiet sigh.
The thought of loving another man felt almost impossible.
I didn't think I could ever love another man the way I had loved Damiano.
“Are you done preparing?”
Niamh's voice suddenly came through the phone again.
I blinked.
I had completely forgotten that we were still on the call.
“Oh.”
I quickly picked up my phone and my bag.
“Yes, I am ready.”
Niamh had used all the connections she had to help me get this job. I knew how much effort she had put into helping me, and I couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her.
“Are all your documents ready?” she asked.
I opened my bag and checked them one more time.
“Yes, all intact, ma'am.”
We both burst out laughing.
“I won't let you down, Niamh,” I said.
“Sure. I trust you, Maeve. I'm rooting for you here.”
Her words made me smile.
“Got to go now.”
I ended the call and quickly rushed out of my room.
“Athair! Máthair!” I called as I hurried downstairs.
When I reached the sitting room, I found my dad sitting in his usual place with a newspaper in his hands.
He was already reading the news.
That was his habit.
Whenever there was no electricity, he would read the newspaper early in the morning. Whenever there was light, he would sit in front of the television and watch the news instead.
Later, he would tell me everything he had read or watched, and we would discuss it together.
Even when I wasn't interested, he would still find a way to tell me about it.
I smiled as I watched him for a moment before hurrying toward him.
My mom rushed out of the kitchen, still holding a spoon in her hand.
“You are going already?” she asked.
“Yes, máthair.”
“Won't you eat?”
She looked at me with concern.
“You need something inside you so that you can answer any questions they ask you.”
I glanced toward the kitchen.
“I am already late.”
Before she could say anything else, I wrapped my arms around her.
She hugged me back.
Then I hurried over to my athair and hugged him too.
“I will be home early,” I promised. “And I will make you proud.”
I pulled away and looked at them.
My parents were getting old, and they were already in debt, but they tried their best not to let me see how much they were struggling.
They smiled whenever I looked at them.
They acted as if everything was fine.
But I knew.
I knew how much they had sacrificed for me.
That was why I needed this job.
I needed to start taking care of them.
“Ma'am, you have to wait. In the next three hours, we will call you back when the result of the interview is out.”
I nodded at the lady.
“Okay.”
Three hours.
I walked out of the company building, holding my bag tightly against my side.
My interview was over, but the nervous feeling hadn't left me.
I had answered every question as best as I could. Now there was nothing else I could do except wait.
I took a slow breath. I had faith in Allah. I would surely get this job. I looked around and realized I was hungry.
There was a restaurant close to the company, so I started walking toward it.
As I walked, I looked at the restaurant and smiled to myself.
“If I get this job, this will be my junction.”
I laughed quietly.
“I will be eating here a lot.”
I walked inside and took a seat.
A lady approached me with a smile.
“Ma'am, what can I get you?”
“I'll have a packet of Tayto crisps and a cup of water.”
“Okay, ma'am.”
She walked away. I reached for my phone. It buzzed almost immediately.
“So, how was the interview, girl?” It was Niamh.
A smile spread across my face.
“It went well. I was told to wait for three hours. They will call me back for the result.”
I sent the message and placed my phone on the table.
A few moments later, the lady returned.
“Ma'am, here is what you ordered.”
She placed the food in front of me.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome, ma'am.”
She smiled before walking away.
I picked up the crisps and took a bite.
My eyes widened.
“Oh, this is so delicious.”
I reached for my phone again and took a picture.
I sent it to Niamh.
“You should try this here.”
I clicked send and placed my phone beside me.
I was busy eating when something outside caught my attention.
I slowly looked through the glass window in front of me.
The peaceful street I had been watching a few minutes earlier had suddenly changed.
People were running.
My hand stopped halfway to my mouth.
I stared through the glass.
“What is happening?” My heart skipped a beat.
One person ran past the restaurant.
Then another. Then another.
I looked around the restaurant. Everyone seemed to have noticed it too.
Then two black vans suddenly stopped two buildings away from the restaurant.
My body went still. The doors opened.
Several men stepped out. They were all dressed in black suits.
Their faces were covered with nose masks.
I watched them carefully. Who were they? What were they doing here?
The men moved together toward the building where they had parked their vans.
My hand slowly moved toward my phone.
I took a picture of them.
The moment I lowered my phone, I caught sight of one of the men.
He was looking directly at me. My breath caught.
Even with the nose mask covering part of his face, I could see his eyes.
Cold. His gaze didn't move.
He was staring straight at me.
“Hell no.” My stomach tightened.
“Don't tell me he caught me taking a picture just now.”
I quickly lowered my phone and hid it. I kept my eyes on the table.
My fingers tightened around my phone. I didn't dare look up immediately.
After a few seconds, I slowly raised my eyes.
He was still staring at me. My heart began beating faster. I needed to leave.
I looked away quickly, pretending to focus on my food.
I waited again before looking up for the third time.
He was gone. I let out a quiet breath.
My fingers moved to my bag. I picked it up.
Something inside me kept telling me to leave.
I didn't feel okay anymore.
Even though I had done nothing wrong, I no longer felt comfortable sitting there.
Just then, the lady who had attended to me earlier walked toward me.
She lowered her voice.
“Ma'am, it is better you stay inside. Those men outside are dangerous.”
I looked at her.
“Do they come here frequently?” She shook her head.
“No, ma'am. It has been five years since we saw them last, not until today.”
My heart began beating faster.
Five years. I looked around the restaurant.
Nobody was talking anymore.
The place that had been peaceful when I entered was now completely quiet.
I could see fear in people's eyes as they watched the street outside.
I swallowed hard.
I slowly nodded and looked back toward the place where I had just been standing.
Why today of all days?
Why would they choose to come today, on the exact day I came here to eat?
My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.
“Allah, please. I have been faithful to You. Please save me.”
