Page 9 of Yellow
CHAPTER 2
The Biggest Tree
Chloe
We spoke that whole afternoon and evening too.
Onava asked questions and listened for hours to my memories of Niko.
We spoke of his jealousy, the threats, the fights, and my fears. But she also encouraged me to remember the good times.
“One time he flew in from Holland just to be with me for four hours before he had to fly back to Europe to continue their band tour.”
“Wow, he must have missed you a lot.”
“Uh-huh. And after we had been together for three weeks, he brought me up on stage at a concert, telling every girl in the audience that I was his girlfriend.” I smiled at that memory.
“That must have made you feel special.”
“I did.”
“Were you proud to be his girlfriend?”
“Most of the time I was.”
“But not always,” she encouraged me.
“In the beginning I felt like the luckiest girl alive. But then he started changing. The jealousy took over and the fighting began.”
“When was the first time he hit you?”
“I don’t remember,” I lied.
She waited patiently and in the end I drew a sigh and admitted the truth: “Five months into our relationship we had a fight. Niko accused me of flirting with every guy I met,” I explained and fiddled with my long blond hair as I spoke. “He was furious about it and said I didn’t respect his feelings.”
“Yes?”
“I defended myself, saying flirting was part of the game in Hollywood and didn’t mean a thing, and that’s when he smacked me.
Onava calmly sipped of her tea. “You forgave him?”
“Many times.”
“Why?”
“Because I loved him and he always apologized.”
Onava let my last word hang in the air for me to taste and examine. It sounded hollow and naïve.
“It’s late now,” she said and slowly got up. “We should get some sleep. You’ll need it for tomorrow. “
“What happens tomorrow?”
“Your journey of self-discovery begins,” she clarified but didn’t offer more information on the subject.
I followed Onava’s nightly routine: we brushed our teeth by the kitchen sink and used a flashlight to go outside. She was kind enough to wait for me while I emptied my bladder, and after a few minutes in the cold, returning to the cabin felt warm and luxurious.
I fell asleep quickly that night, but my nightmares were vivid and made me whine in my sleep.
