enola_power-of-love-2

THE POWER OF LOVE By Enola <<< part 1

PART 2

That same day Sasha went again to hospital before going to work at the club. As soon as a nurse saw her she told her that Yuri’s doctor needed to talk with her at once. She rushed to his office scared to death of what he would say. But she got astonished when he welcomed her with a hint of a smile in his face. He said an ‘anonymous donor’ had offered the money for the operation. She didn’t even ask who that mysterious person was. Firstly, because she knew he would never told her and, secondly, because she already knew who HE was.

Before her show Sasha asked a guy she had seen talking to James if he could contact him for her since she needed to talk to him. The guy made a phone call and a moment later told her that James was going there. She said the barman to send James to her dressing room when he would arrive.

Half an hour later, while Sasha was finishing putting her make-up on, there was a knock at the door. She stood up and opened the door and stepped backwards stopping in the centre of the room. James walked in and closed the door. None of the two said anything for a while and Sasha didn’t either watch him.
“Tell me why you did it,” she spoke softly.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. Travis is Yuri’s best friend. He told me you made a bunch of questions. And a nurse saw you talking to his doctor.”

James put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath while trying to collect the right words to say and avoid fucking everything up again.
“Your brother’s got a dream which was mine too. If mine came true, I don’t see why his couldn’t. He’s far brighter than I was at his age. I just wanna help him to realize it.”
Sasha kept silent for a moment, then, as she had got his answer, she asked him to leave because she had to finish getting ready.
“Now you have the money for your brother, why you keep doing this shit?” He shook his head confused. “Or you like it?”

Sasha threw the first thing her hand could find at him. “Go away!” she cried.
James went closer and grasped her wrists without holding her too tight. She turned her face to avoid to look at him.
“Answer my question before.”
“I must do it,” she whispered while her eyes filled with tears.
“What the hell means that you must?”
“The owner lent me some money”
“How much?”
“12,000.”
James let her go immediately and left the room quickly. Sasha burst out weeping and ran after him. She saw him talking to the club owner, so he went closer to her and spoke softly,
“Collect your things, you don’t work here any more. I’ll wait for you outside. Ah, please, remove that muck from your face.”

There was a cab waiting in front of the club. James was having a cigarette and when he saw Sasha he opened the door and told her to get in. As he got in after her, she said he didn’t need to accompany her, but he wouldn’t mind to. During the journey James could perceive her uneasiness and when the cab stopped in a slum it was quite clear to him that she didn’t want him to know where she lived. She got even more nervous when he insisted walking her to the door. He didn’t like the place and didn’t want to let her go alone. They entered an old crumbling building and went up three flights of stairs. That place gave James the shivers. He could hear people quarrelling, children crying, loud music and telly. He saw rats and rubbish all along the corridor. Sasha took the key out of her beg but dropped it since her hand was shaking. James picked it up and opened the door. He had to feel in the dark for the light switch and when he found it, he turned it on but it wouldn’t work. Just then he saw a lantern over the floor next to the door, so he switched it on. He couldn’t believe his eyes as he stepped in. It was just a small, cold and damp room with no furniture. He just saw an old mattress in a corner with a few covers over it, two boxes with clothes and shoes, two pictures frames, a bag of biscuits and a bottle of milk almost empty.

“When you last had a decent meal?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
That was too much for him. She had saved all that she could for Yuri’s operation. She had suffered hunger and cold, she had deprived herself of the most essential things as food just to help her sick little brother.
He knelt down, took the picture frames and put them inside one of the boxes, so he puts one box above the other.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
He stood up gathering the boxes and said, “Now you come with me. Don’t say a word. I won’t let you spend one minute more in this –”
He couldn’t finish the sentence because there weren’t words to define that place. Sasha didn’t speak a word not because he had asked her not to, but simply because she didn’t know what to say. Her first impression on him had been correct; he was a wonderful person and that made feel her uncomfortable. She had never met anyone so sensitive and kind since she had moved to London. He hardly knew her but that hadn’t prevent him to save her brother’s life, and also hers.

During the taxi journey to James’ flat they both stayed silent. Once there, James guided her straight to his spare room where he left her boxes. Afterwards, he showed her the bathroom saying she could have a hot bath if she wanted to so, in the meantime, he would prepare her something to eat.

Having taken a quick shower instead of a bath, Sasha joined him in the kitchen. The table was already set with napkin, glass, water, cutlery, bread, cruet and some fruit. He invited her to sit down while he finished cooking some meat. One moment later he put on the table a dish with a steak, some salad and a tomato cut into cubs. He couldn’t help but notice her hands trembling as she picked up the cutlery and tried to cut the steak. He grasped her hands gently and took the knife and the fork in his hand and cut the meat into small pieces so that it was ready to be eaten. She carried a piece to her mouth and chewed it slowly.

“Isn’t it good?” as James worried as he sat opposite.
“No, it is. I’m just slow,” she said with a little smile.
“By the way, I was thinking to give you one or two suitcases.”
“I think one will be enough. I don’t have much.”
“I’ll give it back to you.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of them.”
“I meant the money.”
“How do you think you’ll do? How many dicks you’ll have to suck?”

She dropped her fork and the sound of it hitting the dish made her start. She lowered her eyes and didn’t say a word. James, who was aware of his words’ cruelty, cupped his face in his hands devoured by a deep sense of shame. He stood up and paced the room thoughtful.
“I’m sorry,” he uttered. “Sometimes I forget thinking before opening my mouth.”
One moment later Sasha felt his hand stroking her hair gently and heard his voice full of regret speaking softly behind her,
“I’d better look for that suitcase. You finish eating, ok?”

When he returned he found her clearing up the table ready for the washing-up.
“You don’t need to do it,” he said.
She watched him and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t mind. I haven’t done it in ages.”
He let her go on understanding that to her, a banal thing as doing the dishes, meant a sort of return to normality. He sat down and lit a cigarette.

“My real name’s Aleksandra,” she said. “Sasha for short, and I come from Russia. My hair’s dark blonde and my eyes blue as you could see. I dyed my hair and wore brown contacts because I didn’t want anyone to recognize me and tell my brother what I did. Then I bought a wig and let him believe I had cut it. Yuri was born with a congenital malformation and doctors immediately said he would need an operation around ten or would die. We had to control him continually, he couldn’t play with other kids ‘cos every effort weakened him. But he’s always been a good child, he’s never complained about his poor health. He spent his time listening to our mum playing the piano or playing himself. When he was very young our mum sat him on her lap and taught him simple chords. Music made him feeling better. His health suddenly worsened one year ago when our parents died. We constantly needed money and they worked at nights too in an oil refinery. One night there was an explosion, my mum died at once whilst my dad suffered from burns in 80% of his body and died two days later. Before dying, he pleaded with me to look after Yuri. Some months later, I sold our house and we moved here. My old ballet teacher helped me to find a job in a school, but money was never enough. Three months ago I found that job as lap dancer but Yuri’s health kept worsening. Doctors told me he needed that operation as soon as possible, we couldn’t wait any longer. I didn’t know what to do, so I asked the club owner a lending. When I asked him another, he said he couldn’t help me, but since I was a pretty girl, I could have earned a lot of money in a different way. He said there were men who would’ve done follies to be with me. I had no choice. The first time was horrible. I had been only with a man before, who I loved. That man, the client of the club, said he would’ve given me 500 pounds if I had done ‘something special’ for him. At first, I didn’t know what he meant, then he pushed my head towards his groin. I almost vomited up at him. That night I couldn’t sleep. I was disgusted with myself and I couldn’t give up crying. The next morning I didn’t have the guts to enter Yuri’s room, I was scared he could notice something.”

She took a deep breath, then she turned towards James and added,
“How could you think I liked it?”
Her eyes was full of sorrow and shame. James had listened to her in total silence and now he was astonished. He would like to say so many things but he couldn’t articulate his feelings.
“Yuri’s all I have, I can’t lose him too.”
Sasha, who had managed not to cry, couldn’t fight back her tears any longer. James was on the verge of tears too, stood up and went closer to her, but she ran away before he could touch her. She didn’t want any man to touch her any more.

Part 3 >>>

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