Lost and Found (A Novel) (15 page)

Caelie looked up when she heard Wilburn’s laughter. She sobered up then and guilt flashed across her face. Wilburn had gone out of his way to help her and all Caelie had done was to ignore him. Wilburn smiled at her when he caught her eyes. “I’ve cooked some dishes. Why don’t you all come down and eat?” He said, a little too hopeful to Caelie’s ears, adding on to her guilt.

Alex seemed to have picked up the implied meaning behind Wilburn’s words and immediately sat up, pulling Caelie along. “Sure, we would love to, right Chanell?”

“Yup, anything to do with food sounds good to me.”

“Right then. I’ll go and set up the table first.” Wilburn gave them a grateful smile before walking out of the room with a lighter spring in his steps. Some of the burden seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders at the improvement in Caelie. As he went about preparing the meal for Caelie and her much needed friends, Wilburn was hopeful that this would be the turning point that would bring Caelie out of her misery and put her back on her feet.

CHAPTER 11: PRESENT YEAR

The elevator door slid open revealing the entrance to the place that had captivated Caelie in the past. Yet that day, Caelie stood outside the entrance with trepidation. It had taken her another two days to gather her wits and psyched herself before finally having the courage to step out of her comfort zone back into the real world. Having been away from the office for so long, she was worried that people might see her in a different light now. What scared her the most were Elise’s and Wynne’s reactions towards her long absence. Alex had tried convincing her that they understood her predicament but Caelie knew better that nothing in this world would work favorably for her.

Caelie’s right hand reached out for the door handle but she stayed put, relishing the feel of the cool metal surface in her hand. She closed her eyes, her head bowed down slightly as she willed her racing heart to slow down. Caelie had pulled her hair back in a ponytail, leaving her neck exposed. She shivered slightly from the cool draught of air brought on from the movement of the elevator door. It should have alerted her to the presence of a person but still she jumped when she heard the rough clearing of a throat beside her.

With dread, Caelie realized that the person that stood beside her was the person she was hoping to avoid running into as far as possible that day. For a moment, they stood silently watching each other. Caelie with her hand still on the door handle, wondering why he stood rooted beside her and Wynne with a stupefied expression, his eyes darting back and forth between Caelie and the door.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Caelie fumbled, releasing her hold of the handle hastily and took a few steps backwards, chastising herself mentally for acting like a fool. Wynne must have thought that she was an idiot for standing right in front of the door and staring questioningly at him when all he wanted to do was to enter the office.

“It’s alright.” Wynne took a step forward, pushing the door open slightly. He turned back to say something, “err...um...” as if changing his mind, he shook his head and motioned towards the office, beckoning Caelie to enter.

“Please go ahead Mr. Grant. I will be in shortly.” Caelie gave a nervous smile, crossing her fingers behind her back, hoping that he would not persist. Wynne gave a small nod and carried on walking, the door swinging closed behind him. Caelie took a deep breath, counted to ten and finally pushed the door open.

“Caelie!” Caelie looked up with a smile at a beaming Chanell who rushed over from the reception counter. Chanell pulled Caelie into a tight hug, laughing joyously. Her excitement was so infectious that Caelie couldn’t help but to laugh along. “It’s so good to see you again.” She gushed, holding Caelie at arm’s length and studying her from top to bottom.

“You just saw me two days ago, Chanell.”

“Well, that’s different. You look much better today. I’m so glad you’re back.”

“I never really did thank you for coming all the way to see me that day.” Caelie smiled sheepishly. “Thank you Chanell. It was very sweet of you.”

“Aw...it’s no problem at all. We are friends, remember?” Although Chanell’s tone was casual, the emphasis that she placed on the word ‘friends’ was not lost on Caelie.

“Yes, I do remember that we are friends.” Caelie chuckled, finally admitting out loud that she had accepted their friendship. “How did you know where I was anyway? I don’t remember indicating Annetta’s address in my particulars.” Caelie looked at Chanell in puzzlement. That question had been weighing on her mind since their visit.

“Oh that, you have to ask Alex.” Chanell winked and started pushing Caelie in, away from the reception area. “You better get going Caelie. I don’t want to hold you up. We can talk later during lunch.” Caelie turned to protest but was cut short by Chanell. “No excuses, you are coming to lunch with me and Alex today. We will drag you out if we have to.” Chanell gave her a stern look and wagged her finger as if warning a child.

“Okay...fine.” Caelie smiled, rolling her eyes as she walked away from a smug Chanell. Her heartbeat picked up again as she walked further into the office, her eyes looking around nervously, wondering if her colleagues would judged her for her lack of professionalism.

“Hi Caelie.”

“Caelie! Good to see you again.”

“Morning Caelie.”

“Hey Caelie, welcome back!”

Caelie nodded her head and smiled as she passed by her colleagues. She was surprised at the warmth in their voices as they greeted her and the way they had welcomed her back left her amazed. Though glad, she wasn’t used to such reception and somewhere at the back of her mind, she was waiting anxiously for the moment when her bubble would burst and her feet would be planted back on firm ground. Years of bad experience had taught her not to take things for granted, and she knew without a doubt that nothing good would last for long when it involved her.

Finally reaching her cubicle, Caelie’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at the neat state of her workspace. The papers that were left strewn on her table had been cleared up and stacked neatly to the side. Alex’s blazer that she had accidentally left on her chair in her hurry now sat folded on her table. Caelie sat down, her fingers tracing the fabric of the blazer. Her eyes glistening slightly from the memory of that fateful day. How fast her luck had changed, from clinching her first deal to losing someone dear.

“Hey...”

Caelie blinked her eyes and discreetly wiped her tears away before turning to face Alex. “Hey Alex.” Caelie grinned up at her.

Alex sat along the corner of her desk, her eyes on the blazer that was on the table. “I kept the blazer there for you.”

Caelie’s eyes travelled to the blazer, her hands picking it up off the table. “I forgot to take it with me that day. Thank you, Alex.” She hoped that Alex understood the depth of her gratitude. It went beyond simply thanking her for the blazer.

“Sure.” Alex said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

“How did you know where Annetta’s house was?” Caelie asked suddenly, not being able to contain her curiosity any longer.

Alex raised her eyebrows, amused at her question. “Wynne sent you there, didn’t he?”

Caelie cocked her head sideways. Of course she remembered riding on Wynne’s bike. She even remembered that she hadn’t thanked him for the ride yet. Not to mention that his helmet still sat forgotten in the living room of Annetta’s house. “Yes, he did. And he gave it to you willingly?”

“He offered your address to me.” Alex chuckled when she saw Caelie’s puzzled reaction. “He was worried about you, Caelie. He gave me your address and asked me to check up on you when you went missing. We would have gone sooner if we had known what was going on.”

Somehow, Caelie found it hard to accept Alex’s explanation. “Why would Wynne be worried about me? Or maybe he is just wondering why I haven’t returned his helmet yet.” Caelie reasoned for her own benefit.

“His helmet is still with you?”

“Well, err...yes I forgot to return it to him that day.” Caelie replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Anyway, I’ve been away for so long that I don’t know what to start with now.” Caelie changed the topic quickly, hoping to avoid prolonging the issue with Wynne and his helmet. She felt uncomfortable talking about it.

“Hmm...your last project was the presentation with the client. I’m not sure if Ms. Kerbs still wants you attached to Wynne. Maybe you should go and see her.” Alex mused.

“Do I really need to see her?” Caelie swallowed nervously. Her fingers clenching tightly to the blazer on her lap.

Alex nodded her head absentmindedly, her attention distracted by the ringing phone from her own table. “That’s my cue to return to my cubicle.” Alex gave Caelie a rueful smile before walking away, leaving Caelie to battle her own anxiety.

Caelie sat staring at nothing for a few minutes. Figuring that it wouldn’t do her much good to sit there staring into space, Caelie forced herself to face Elise. It was now or later so she might as well get it over and done with. Just as she was about to enter Elise’s room, Caelie’s step halted when she heard the distinct voice of Wynne. Abruptly making a 180 degree turn, Caelie was about to walk away when her heart dropped in dismay at the sound of Elise’s voice calling out to her.

“Caelie, come on in. We were just talking about you.”

Caelie practically had to drag her feet in. She wondered what Wynne could possibly be talking to Elise about her. She stopped just inside the room, waiting for Elise to address her further. She thought that it was no longer her place to decide for herself whether she should sit or not since her work attitude or lack of it had been made questionable by her being AWOL.

Wynne stared at Caelie for a full minute as she stood there, trembling slightly. “I’ll make a move, Elise.” He stood up and hurried out of the room, glancing her way as he passed by Caelie.

“Take a seat, Caelie.” Elise’s voice was kind, unlike what Caelie had thought it would be. She had expected a firm harsh tone, like the one Elise used the first day Caelie had turned up late, not this motherly tone. Hesitantly, Caelie sat before Elise, keeping her head down. “How are you?” Caelie looked up and was met with a pair of kind, gentle eyes that had replaced what used to be the piercing icy ones.

“I’m fine, Ms. Kerbs.” Caelie replied softly. “I’m really sorry for leaving work just like that.”

“Don’t be sorry. We all know you are grieving and I understand what it’s like. Some people take a longer time than others to get back on their feet.” Elise paused, studying Caelie for a second. “Just a word of advice though, sometimes, as much as you think that life held no more purpose for you, there are still responsibilities that you are accountable for.”

“I understand Ms. Kerbs. I am just an intern here and the kindness that you have shown me far exceeded what I’m entitled to.”

“Now Caelie, have you forgotten what I said on your first day here?” There was a slight disappointment in Elise’s voice that cause Caelie to searched her face worriedly, wondering if she had said the wrong thing. “I treat all my staff the same Caelie, regardless of position. So, don’t ever belittle yourself just because you’re an intern at the moment, remember that.”

Yet again Caelie was stumped with the words that came from Elise. It wasn’t that Caelie was belittling herself. For most of her life, she had been told umpteenth time that she should know where she stood. Hence, she had learnt to be humble wherever she went. All the sudden niceties showered on her were starting to suffocate Caelie. While it might seemed normal to an outsider watching the compassion shown by an employer and colleagues to a staff member who had experienced a great loss, the idea of it was alien to Caelie. She almost wished that they would stopped being so kind towards her. Not knowing how to react, Caelie nodded her head silently.

“Good. Okay, let’s get back to work matters. We didn’t have a chance to talk about your presentation the other day.” Elise paused, studying Caelie’s reaction to the matter that would remind her of her loss. Caelie’s mouth twitched slightly but otherwise, she remained composed. Satisfied that Caelie was not going to break down, Elise continued, “I’m happy with the impressive report from Wynne about it. Congratulations on clinching your first deal for the company, Caelie.” Elise’s eyes lighted up as she gave Caelie a benevolent smile.

In the past, Caelie’s heart would have swelled with pride and she would practically be jumping for joy to hear the compliments from Elise. In the present moment however, Caelie felt empty. She returned a small smile for Elise’s benefit and thanked her but deep down, she didn’t see any cause of celebration for it. With no one to share her achievements, the desire to succeed had been drained out of her.

“For now, you will focus on journalism. We will let you have a break from advertising and writing proposals.” Elise smiled, reaching for a file on her desk and extending it towards Caelie. “Pass this to Alex and she will brief you on what to do.” With a short nod from Elise, Caelie knew that she was dismissed.