Chapter 41
Clara Russo Point of View
Intricate!
Their hearts has been knotted together into a complicated relationship and situations. Neither of them can stay nor leave each other. They are bound to get heartbroken at whatever decision they take.
In eighty years of my life, I thought I had seen so much in the world and I had always taken pride in reading people and come up with good solutions. But I guess, even at this age and with so much experience, I still have a lot to learn about.
Till now my head and heart only considered my Niccolo’s struggle and pain. Though I did understand Phoebe’s reasons and hurt, I kept Niccolo’s problems in a higher rack of priorities.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
I did not understand why Phoebe had to think so much to get back with him when he is crazy for her and can protect her from everything. But I was wrong.
I was wrong in analyzing the whole situation. My first mistake was to think that accepting Phoebe in to the family is the best option. My next mistake was to think she will be happy and safe as long as she has Niccolo on her side.
How come I didn’t see that she loved my grandson more than anything but she has a difficulty with loving herself?
This has taken another complicated turn!
This pale looking inconsolable girl is the one who need to accept us in return. I should’ve handled the whole matter in a different way. I should’ve been a neutral person than siding with Niccolo’s feelings.
“Enough dear, breath. Calm down and breath.” I consoled the broken girl by constantly patting her on her back. She looked so exhausted with everything and rightly to say, it is reasonable.
Niccolo continued to hug Phoebe and whisper soothing words to her while he, himself looks like he is suffering from the revelation the most.
Phoebe took a deep breath and wiped off her tears breaking away from the hug. “Tell me Mrs. Clara; what do you want me to do now?” She asked me in a low voice and it looks like she is gathering up the last of her energy to talk right now.
“What do you want me to? Do you want me to accept you and intensify the difficulties or do you want me to free you from here and allow you to just take off?” I asked back.
Frankly speaking, even I don’t know what she is thinking right now. For the first time I am unable to read a person who is like an open book. I don’t know if she wants to stay or leave. I don’t know what she expects from her relationship with Niccolo.
Niccolo, on the other hand, has been eerily calm and quite the whole time. Surely he was affected by his lover’s revelations and feeling guilty but he hasn’t uttered a single word the whole time.
Phoebe slowly stood up with shaky legs and it took her two whole minutes to balance herself on her two feet. Stepping away from both of us, she looked at me with a face which held not emotion.
“This time I am not planning to leave him.” She stated giving a sideway glance to Niccolo and me. She stayed quiet for a minute before gathering up energy to speak her next words. “I should’ve not left him in the first place, but still I don’t regret my decision. Though this time, I want to stay.”
Niccolo looked confused and surprised at the same time. He must’ve thought that she would leave him again given the chance and honestly, I thought the same too. This decision of staying was surprising to me as well.
“I am your grandson’s wife, Mrs. Clara. Due to few circumstances we had to get married secretly and so, I cannot leave my husband now. But then, I cannot live a blind and a happy life with him right now as well.” She expressed and turned towards Niccolo. She looked at me for an outburst or a response when she revealed the marriage secret so I just looked at her with knowingly, showing her that I know about it.
Phoebe held his hands with her own shaking hands and inched towards him, looking into his eyes with determination and adoration clear in them.
“Can you give me something, Nicco?” She asked. Niccolo nodded to her in response and waited for her to speak.
“Then, please give me time, Nicco. Some time without expecting me to love you back or be your wife. Just allow me some time to figure out what I want to do further in my life. There are many things that I cannot achieve now and I don’t want you to be in that list. You are the person I love the most and you are my husband so to me, there is no going back now but I don’t want to go forward with you with just a wife tag attached to me. So, give me a little time to find a reason for you to love me over and again and this time, it should not be due to pressure or pity, this time you should love me wholeheartedly and so do I.”
Niccolo looked stunned by her request but nonetheless he smiled at her for the first time in the day. “You will not leave me?” He asked her helplessly and Phoebe shook her head positively making him smile at her widely.
“Then I will wait for you. No matter how much time it takes you to gather up yourself, I will wait for you patiently. I will not interfere nor help you in any way this time and want you to figure out everything on your own. It’s a promise from me that you will stay here, in this mansion, like an employee as usual and I or anyone else will not pressure you regarding anything. I will wait for you until you come to me with that beautiful smile of yours that I love so much, and tell me you can’t wait to start life with me. Till then I will be a friend to you and nothing more.” I saw Niccolo smiling at Phoebe.
I felt tears well up in my eyes when I saw both of them looking at each and with so much love and care and smile at each other so lovingly. And that very moment, I understood that this time, when they get together, they be bonded forever and no one or nothing else can separate them.
Time…
Time has the power to change everything. All they need is time with each other and with each other; a normal and a routine period with no expectations and burden.
Phoebe smiled widely at Niccolo with tears and turned towards me with a wary expression. I can tell that she is being cautious about the whole confession. She is expecting me to scold her or reject her for my Niccolo.
Relieving her from the stress, I smiled at her acceptingly and hugged her tightly. Sometimes, a hug like this can be a best medicine to cure fears and I through the hug, I want her to know that no matter what, I had already accepted her and will take her into my family in future as well.
“Mrs. Clara – ” She pulled away from my hug, “I know I am not perfect and maybe not a right person for your grandson but please trust me, I will prove you that you cannot find any other woman who cares and loves him any more than me. I will become a person you can introduce to your close friends proudly. I don’t know how long it takes for me to do that but nothing can beat a good willpower.” Phoebe said.
My heart swelled with overwhelming emotions. This young woman standing before me is such a terrific girl with such a good heart which I did not recognize all these days.
Her life, her story was so painful to just hear it and this brave girl has to lead it for years. It was completely wrong of me to think that I need to accept her. No, on contrary to that, it is she who has to accept us in return despite of all the flaws we have.
It is she who has to teach us how she survived the difficulties and got here. Being born and married in a rich and protected family, I learnt all these years of my learning or experience is not even nearly equal to what this young girl has learnt with a tough life.
“No dear, it is not you who is not perfect; it is us who are not suitable enough for you. Like he said, you will work here as usual and in the mean time, your Nicco will go back and take over work again. Not only you but Niccolo will strive to be a better person from here forth and will try to become deserving enough for you. The coming days will be that period of time where you both recover from your current state for yourself first and then for others.”
The moment from now, world will see a new Phoebe who is not just an escort but as an inspiration to those who has no hope in life.
Niccolo and Phoebe will be that part of history where people turn back to seek a lesson and hope from.
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