The plane had taken off and Charlotte was lucky to get a seat by the window side. Well, she loved to stare out into the lonely clouds whenever she was on a flight. For some reason, it was oddly satisfying to watch it. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep her mind off the pain she was feeling today, it didn’t bring her any happiness either. Yes, she was staring at the clouds but instead of its beauty and magnificence, all she could picture was fragments of her shattered heart.
She had her head relaxed backwards on the plane seat, while gnashing her teeth and sniffing to fight back the tears in her eyes. If teardrops were measured, she certainly would have buckets filled by now. If it wasn’t going to be weird, she would have loved to wear her sunglasses right here in the plane, at least they would help to hide her swollen red eyes.
As she stared at the blue clouds, she thought about Josh. His eyes were just like the clouds in the sky, like the cleanest of oceans, he was all she ever wanted, but perhaps she was wrong. Maybe she was wrong about him being the perfect guy, she just didn’t want to see his flaws, because he never had them at first.
The whole thing started a few months back when he started to ignore her, he no longer cared for her the way he used to when they started dating. He would barely call and when she did, he would end it in a hurry, claiming to be busy. What happened to all those sweet texts he used to send her very early in the morning? She would always wake up to one of those romantic texts and then fantasize over him for the whole day.
But everything was different now; no more romantic texts in the morning, no more breakfasts in bed; that is if she eventually succeeded in persuading him to sleep over. He no longer invites her over, and when she forces him to come around, he is always in a hurry to leave. There was a time when he was very obsessed with her, she could still remember when she used to plead with him to leave so that she could focus on work and not get fired by a boss who didn’t believe in love.
What happened to all those times? What happened to those times when he couldn’t stay a whole day without hearing her angelic voice? When he needed her to reassure him that she loved him every hour? What happened to those long midnight calls that they used to have? How he was always eager to make love to her.
She understood that things wouldn’t be like that forever, but why so suddenly? It all began a few months ago, when it felt like he had suddenly stopped caring. She knew that something happened but she couldn’t tell what it was. She had suspected that he was seeing someone else, he no longer even allows her to touch his phone, let alone open it. He had changed his passcode and wouldn’t give her the new one.
She had confronted him over his change in behavior and he got mad at her for accusing him of cheating, he used that as an excuse to avoid her for a whole month. She would call but he wouldn’t answer, and when he does, he would claim to be busy and ask her not to bother him.
How could she be stupid to not read the signs all that time? The problem wasn’t her, he was the problem. For some reason, he no longer wanted her, he just needed a valid reason to break up with her, and when he failed to sever ties with her after the infidelity accusation against him, he knew he had to get the job done one way or the other.
And so he waited till a few days ago, and then he made his intentions clear. He no longer wanted her, he was done with her, and what exactly was his reason for breaking up? That they weren’t compatible!! Really, they weren’t compatible and he showered her with love for a year and six months? They weren’t compatible and he made love to her countless times, he made her feel like a queen, like she was the one for him. He placed himself at a place of high value in her life and then he left. Why bother coming into her life if he was going to leave? Why make her love him so much if he was going to shatter that very same heart she used in loving him?
Charlotte wanted answers to all these questions as the pool of tears streamed down her eyes, she continuously wiped her face dry with a handkerchief which was now soaking wet, but she wasn’t running out of tears anytime soon. Just like the countless nights she had spent loving him, those tears kept flowing.
“You can have mine, and he is an asshole for making you cry.” A feminine voice jolted her out of her thoughts. It was tender yet posh, the accent and intonation, sounded like someone from a wealthy and sophisticated background.
Charlotte turned to the lady on the next seat, she thought the lady had been sleeping earlier, she must have disturbed her sleep.
“I am so sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to wake up,” she said immediately with a genuine apologetic expression.
“It is fine,” the lady said and handed her a fresh handkerchief. “Come on, dry your tears, no man is worth it.” She added.
Charlotte forced a smile and accepted her act of kindness. “Thank you,” she replied almost in a whisper as she sniffed in. She wasn’t used to getting such compassion from strangers, especially her gender. If it came from men, then ninety percent of the time, it was because they wanted to get in her pants.
“So tell me, who is this asshole, and what did he do to you?” she spoke elegantly.
Charlotte chuckled dryly, she loved this lady’s intonation, she obviously wasn’t from around, or she had taken a lot of lectures from childhood.
“He is my boyfriend, we have been together for two years now and suddenly, he asks me out on a date and tells me it is over, the most painful part is that he doesn’t have a reason for the break-up, he just decided that we are over,” she narrated while cleaning her face, she was trying her best to not break down again as she spoke.
“Men, right? They are all a bunch of idiots, that is why I ain’t marrying any bastard, they can all kiss my royal ass.” She spat and Charlotte chuckled.
“You seem to have had your fair share of heartbreak from that gender, do you mind telling me about it, maybe that would help me keep my mind off him,” Charlotte requested.
“Sure, I have healed already so talking about them isn’t a problem. I am sure you would feel the same way soon, I have had encounters with men who only want me for what they have to gain from me, none of them actually loved me for who I am. One of them had the guts to say I was an arrogant bitch behind my back, and I did good to kick his broken ass out of my house.” She narrated.
“Oh,” Charlotte uttered with widened eyes, trying not to laugh. This lady sounded like a complete badass, she loved her vibes. “Good thing you dealt with them folks,” she added.
“Oh yeah, no one messes with the Princess. You should learn to do that too, don’t let any of those scumbags hurt your feelings, ensure to put them in their place and don’t give your all in relationships. They are just going to use you and then break your spirit before moving on.” The lady advised with clenched fist
“Copy that, I am Charlotte by the way.” Charlotte said immediately.
“Nice to meet you Charlotte, I am Tiana by the way, and before you ask, yes it is my real name,” she replied in a whisper while staring around like she was scared of someone hearing her.
Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle, this lady was funny. “Beautiful name, are you heading to Rovaniemi?” she asked.
“Yes, unfortunately, my driver would pick me up at the airport. Father insists I spend the Christmas season at home, someone needs to be around to teach big brother to behave.”
“Oh, I see… boys right?” Charlotte whispered.
Tiana giggled. “Yeah, although he is more of a rebel, so tell me… is Rovaniemi your last bus stop, or you hopping onto another flight?” she queried.
“Oh… yeah, it is my final destination. I don't know exactly what I am looking for, going there for the first time, but I hope I find it.” Charlotte answered.
“Believe me; you wouldn’t regret your stay here. Since it is just for fun and not business, I would suggest you go out at night and visit one of the bars. Lapland had the sexiest bartenders, make sure to use protection,” Tiana whispered into her ears and Charlotte smiled shyly.
“I will, thanks again for this,” she said and waved the handkerchief in the air with a smile on her face, the first genuine smile since the night Josh crashed her.
She hoped this trip would end up helping her mood. For the sake of her job and her mental health, she needed to heal from this heartbreak.
