The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven

Chapter 6

The road dipped downwards, and I could see the outline of a bridge in the distance that stretched across an unbidden stream. I watched it stream downwards, jutting down the sleek brown rocks to descend from a small waterfall. The scenery was so calm, it was a pity Teddy could not feel the same way.

His car soon drove over a stony bridge, so I quickly rolled down the window to hear the water gushing downstream. Teddy pulled over to the side of the road and turned down his music so that I could truly hear the falls. It was a kind gesture, something I greatly appreciated, but I could not find the words to express it aloud. I sat perfectly still, listening attentively to the water, and once I felt satisfied, I turned a gaze to him. “Thank you, Teddy.”

“I will have to take you down there sometime. There are some trails you can follow, they lead naturally to the ocean.”

“Oh, but I wouldn’t have time for that.”

He arched up his right eyebrow in question. The car was put into drive, and then he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal to set his vehicle in motion.

The soft keys of the piano soon filled the air after the stereo’s volume was turned up more. Teddy kept his gaze focused on the road, following the pathway that wound left and right to take us to the low valley where a small village was situated. I glanced at the tiny houses, the modesty of the surrounding that lacked the grandeur that Teddy possessed. His car slowed down once we entered the natural traffic of the village, and without anything picturesque to look at, it felt right to start a conversation with the man beside me. “Do you come down here often?”

“To buy groceries,” he relayed with disinterest.

“Nothing else?”

“No, not really.” He stopped the car at a roundabout, waiting for his turn to enter traffic. “I see nothing of interest here.”

“Do you ever go into the shops?” I inquired. “The restaurants?”

“No, never.”

“Don’t you meet your friends down here?”

His voice was incredibly low as he answered: “No, I don’t.”

“Then they meet you up the hill? At your place?”

“I don’t really have friends,” he surmised. “Not anymore.”

“Oh?”

“You are shocked by it,” he observed. The brake pedal was pressed downwards to allow his car to slowly ease into traffic. “I thought you would be the only one to understand.”

“Why?”

“Just a thought,” he relayed softly. “Intuition.”

“I don’t have a lot of friends,” I acknowledged. “But I have one or two I can rely on. A person needs that, you know. Someone to talk to on the phone. To go out and spend some with them. Life can’t always revolve around work.”

“What would you like for lunch tomorrow?” he asked at random. “I was thinking salmon. Would that agree with you?”

“Salmon is expensive,” I countered. “And wouldn’t it be better to have that for dinner?” The man beside me was silent, though he paid extra attention to the road since he was exiting the roundabout. There was a sign up ahead to show we were approaching the bus terminal. I experienced a heart-sickening feeling at the sight of it, for I was surprisingly enjoying Teddy’s company.

“Dinner would suit it more, but I wasn’t asking you for that,” Teddy finally relayed to me, while purposefully slowing down the speed of his vehicle. “Would you like salmon?”

“I am grateful for whatever you serve me. After all, I don’t deserve it.”

“Shouldn’t I be the better judge of that?” he questioned me in an irritated voice. The terminal was right ahead of us, already crowded around by small buses that would take the people to nearby villages. “And I believe you do.”

The car was put into park at the side of the road, resting in a carpool area that was away from the bustling traffic. Teddy turned off the engine, letting his keys stay in the ignition as he slowly dropped his hands away from the steering wheel. I could feel his patient gaze on my profile, but I was too afraid to look in his direction. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Thank you for the drive again.”

“Anytime.”

“I will try and find some way to make it up to you.”

“Tempting,” he jeered. “But I would never ask that from you. I am a gentleman after all, Sela.”

I found enough nerve to turn my head to the right of me, finally making eye contact with this strange man. It held for a long time, to the point that I felt my breath was caught in my throat from the sheer intensity of his gaze. Eventually I let my gaze focus on my lap instead as I tried to calm my nerves.

“Would you like me to walk you to the station?”

“You have done enough already,” I answered him in a shaky voice. “I can make my own way now.”

“Do you live quite far from here?”

“Southwards,” I informed him. “It would be another twenty minute drive at least.”

“I imagine the time would go by quicker if I was you,” he cleverly quipped. “Until tomorrow then.”

I nodded my head slightly. “Goodbye, Teddy.”

He waited for me to raise my gaze away from his chin, so I could take in the darkness of his rich brown eyes. “I will see you first thing in the morning. Ten o’clock sharp. Unless you want me to pick you up at the station as well?”

“No, please don’t. I couldn’t bear it!”

“Why?” he questioned me with a look of pain.

“I couldn’t ask that from you. Not when you have done so much for me already.”

He tilted his head to the left as he took in my words. “Very well,” he droned with a hint of annoyance. “Then goodbye for now.”

I let my hand rest over the door-latch, but I found it was rather difficult to leave him. Teddy was watching me, sensing my inner conflict, but I would not give way to this shadow of temptation. I pushed the car door open wide and wished him a quick goodbye before I headed towards the bus terminal as fast as I could.