Left Behind


    A few days after wrapping up the funeral, I was moving along smoothly in the process of moving on


    with my life. It had been almost a week, but I haven’t made up my decision regarding what to do with


    my life in rtion to the mafia. It was a very difficult decision to make and no matter how hard I thought


    about it, the answer did not immediatelye to me. Perhaps, I already had an answer in mind, but I


    was just too scared to admit it even to myself.


    While I was on break from teaching my art ss, I got a phone call from the building manager’s office


    of the penthouse where I used to live with Hayden. For some reason, I still had the number saved so I


    knew who the call was from right away. I wondered what they wanted after all this time. It had been


    many months now since we’ve moved out.


    “Hello. Miss Malissa, sorry for calling out of the blue,” a woman’s voice said.


    “It’s ok. How can I help you?” I asked.


    “We were in the middle of clearing up the room as the rent contract had just expired and we think you


    left something important in the penthouse,” the woman exined.


    “Umm…I don’t think that I forgot anything…” I said with confidence.


    I did not forget anything. I definitely checked when I moved out.


    “Well, the penthouse had been closed since you moved out so I’m assuming that it must be yours,” the


    “Didn’t the rent contract expire the day that I moved out?” I asked, not quite understanding what she


    was saying.


    “Not exactly. The contract just expired at the end ofst month. So, although you have moved out, no


    one has entered the room due to the contract. Of course, rent was being paid in a timely manner,” the


    woman exined politely.


    Ok…I didn’t know that…


    “Anyways, pleasee over when you’re free to pick it up. Are you freeter today? We need to clear


    the ce so I would highly appreciate it if you could hurry a bit…” the woman said.


    “Oh…I see. Ok, I’ll go over when I’m done with work for today. Maybe like 6:30PM?” I suggested,


    although I was uncertain about what was going on but I didn’t want to inconvenience the building.


    “Sure. I’ll wait for you. Thank you for your help,” thedy said brightly.


    “Thank you…” I replied softly before hanging up.


    After my ss ended, I headed over to the building where I used to live with Hayden. Staring up at the


    building brought back many memories. I sucked in a deep breath and walked into the lobby. As


    promised, thedy was waiting for me in the lobby and together we took the elevator up to the


    penthouse. Although it’s been months since I’vest been here, it felt so familiar that it might as well


    have been just yesterday that I was here.


    “What was left here? I’m pretty sure that I didn’t leave anything behind,” I said as I followed the woman


    inside the penthouse.


    The penthouse waspletely empty now with all its furnishing gone. My heart ached a little at the


    sight of the deste rooms where Hayden and I used to live together. I wasn’t sure what she wanted


    me to fetch from here because there was nothing here.


    “It’s this way,” the woman said as she led me to Hayden’s bedroom.


    If I remember correctly that day when I moved out of this ce, Hayden’s room was taped close. The


    tape on his bedroom door was gone now. The building’s staff must have removed it to clear out the


    things from his room. Did he forget to clear out his room? Was that why I was called back here?


    “This isn’t my room. I think you have to contact…” I began exining before the remaining words that I


    wanted to say died on my lips.


    Hayden’s room was as empty as the other rooms in the penthouse that I had walked past. All empty


    except…


    “This painting seems to be for you...” the woman said as he gestured to therge painting hanging on


    the wall before she smiled at me.


    It can’t be. My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat at the sight of the 300-million-dor


    painting still hanging on the wall. Had it been here all this time?


    “Maybe Hayden forgot it? You should contact him or whoever rented this penthouse for them toe


    and collect it,” I suggested.


    I watched as the woman picked up a small paper card and handed it to me. Feeling slightly confused, I


    reached out and took the card from her.


    ‘Cheer up, Malissa’


    The note written on the card was short, but I could feel his intentions so clearly that it brought tears to


    my eyes instantly.


    “You’re Malissa, right? So, this must have been left here for you,” the woman said with a kind smile.


    “Thank you…” I whispered as I tried to hide my tears from her.


    “That’s not a problem. It’s quite big so let me know when you’re avable. We can get it delivered to


    your new ce,” the woman quickly suggested.


    “Ok. Thank you again,” I replied as I tried to hold in my tears.


    The woman quietly left as if she wanted to give me some time alone and I highly appreciated her


    considerate act of kindness. My eyes were blurred by tears, and I quickly wiped them away. Standing in


    front of the building, I felt that the colors of the painting looked dull and a little depressing today.


    Although I knew that it was just the result of what I was feeling, it still saddened me to see one of my


    favorite paintings looking so sad.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    I re-read the note from Hayden again and suddenly the colors of my world seemed brighter then


    before.


    --To be continued…