FLOWERS AT YOUR PORCH (my first story!)

1
Emily knew exactly what was coming next. The promise made long ago, had become real just to prove its better not to close some wounds. Behind the door, eyes closed; this was the moment.

“Don’t forget to pack your smile, sweetie” But much more than her smile would be necessary for Emily. She abruptly woke up, watching the clouds outside her window. “Thank you so much nana; I’m going to miss you so much” said into tears. Emily hugged her grandmother in an endless scrunch. Deep inside, she knew this was probably the last time she'd saw her.

Soon, the Canada Air flight would land in Los Angeles, a thick female voice announced after three beeps. Emily closed her eyes and sighed. “I couldn´t be doing anything else” she thought smiling.

Leaving her all life home in Ontario was not really big deal. She would miss her Grandma, and she would miss her granddaughter even more, especially after Grandpa Frank’s death, two years ago. “I’ll be fine sweetie. I can manage to enjoy the rest of my life happily” “But nana, I just can´t leave you here alone.” “Oh, you’re not leaving me alone. I have many friends and, your aunt will be closer, I promise. Now, go pack your stuff and go. Nothing I wish more than see you happy” Emily hesitated as a tear streamed down her face. “Don’t be stubborn. Come on, make grandma happy and go look for your life.” Emily smiled and finally agreed. “That’s my girl” said poking her sides and then hugged. “And don’t you forget to pack your smile, dear!”

“I won’t nana” Emily said to herself moments before the plane landed on LAX strip. “I won’t!”

“Where do I start?” Emily thought, feeling the L.A sun through her shades for the first time. She took her smartphone out and browsed the contact list. “Amy?” said excitedly “Emily! You’re here!” both girls yelled in emotion. “I’m on my way to pick you up, don’t move.” “Duh! Where am I supposed to go? This place is living chaos. I’d get lost in no time”. She pulled back her phone and went to stretch her legs while her old classmate and friend arrived.

Emily sat on a bench outside the airport, leaving her purple suitcase next to her. Cars in a traffic jam, people rushing to get their plane and a total madness all over. That was her first impression of Los Angeles. Her childhood memories of summers with Grandpa Frank in Lake Ontario shore would have to be replaced for whole new reality. Now, the journey of her life was about to begin.

“Your words hurt me, Emily” said Frank to her granddaughter. “You are my daughter; I have given you all my love, since…” Lucile gave a hard look to her husband, as they both stood in silence. “Don´t pretend it didn’t happen. My parent´s died when I was five years old” Emily added to break the muteness. “I am truly grateful for having you two in my life, never felt alone thanks to you. You were like my parents since that day. Well, I don’t remember that day, but, you know what I mean.” Emily”, said Frank resting his hand on her shoulder, “I know it hurts much more to you, but, you don’t need to do this.” “Grandpa; just tell me, and don’t lie to me: did you know this all the time?” Frank couldn’t find his voice as he avoided her granddaughter’s eyes, now on tears. “We just didn’t want to hurt you, dear.” Lucile said taking Emily’s hands together. “So, it’s true?” she raged releasing her hands. She turned her back and cried in silence. Neither Frank nor Lucile had a word to say.

“Just, how long would it take for Amy to show up?” Emily said in disbelief, consulting her phone again. She took her denim jacket away of her shoulders. Short dress and sandals: very comfy to be in a hot city like Los Angeles in mid-summer. Emily wished nothing more than kick away her shoes and laid in a bed, and sleep for hours. They were right when they say Los Angeles is a though place, Emily was just becoming aware of it. Even Amy advised: “Are you sure? I can tell you how hard is to get used to this city, especially for us, believe me, Los Angeles can’t be compared with Toronto. This is hell of a place to live.” “My mind’s made up, I have no doubts Amy. What? Aren’t you going to help your best friend in the world?”

Emily went into her handbag and grabbed the letter, still in its envelope. “This is the proof, no matter what HE has to say.” She put the envelope in the rear pocket of the suitcase.

Half an hour later, Emily was still waiting for Amy to pick her up. Not any signal of her friend. Instead, hungry was there making her stomach growls. She looked over the street and went to the curb to get a better sight. Nothing but the longest lane of cars stacked in traffic. “Whatever”, Emily said as she picked her suitcase and started to walk down the street full of people. “There must be a place to eat near here.” But in that huge puzzle, she was less than missing piece. She looked over the street and saw a cab, doors open. A young man, dressed oddly in formal long sleeved shirt and jeans was aside the car. He was smoking and seeing curiously at Emily. This surprised her, but since a taxi is the easiest way to get anywhere, she decided to approach. The driver smiled, throwing the end of the cigarette. “Hello there miss, you need a ride?” His eyes seemed sincere. “Yes, indeed. I’m supposed to be waiting for a friend but she hasn’t showed yet, and I am hungry.”
“Sure, no problem” the driver said smiling wide. “I know a place near here, so you don’t make your friend wait.” Emily agreed and the driver offered to put her stuff on the back of the cab. “Thank you.” They drove away as a blue Ford Focus pull over in the other side. Amy came out and stared to look for her friend.


2
“I can wait you outside if you need to go back for your friend.” “No thanks.” Emily smiled “I think I can call her or go back myself.” “Are you sure, this place can be hard for a Canadian new comer.” “Just, how you know I was from there?” Emily asked, raising her eyebrow. “The tag on your suitcase; Canada Air, of course.” She pierced him with her look as she opened the door. “Please don’t wait for me; I’ll be ok, thanks.” Emily crossed the street and entered an Italian restaurant. She ordered in the front desk and sat at a table next to the window. The taxi driver was still there, lighting a new cigar.

After a cheese ciabatta Panini and a glass of wine, Emily started to wonder if Amy could be waiting for her at the airport. She dialed again her friend, but got no answer. She then browsed the internet after “Edward Mills”, many pages, Facebook mostly, displayed in her phone. She knew this was going to be difficult. “I couldn´t be doing anything else” she reminded herself. Which of this Edward Mills was the one she was looking for? What would she tell him once she found him? That name spin in her head since that very day. “Where did you find that letter?” Frank blared at young Emily. “I’m sorry grandpa. I didn´t want to do it.” “But you did.” Frank replied. “This is something you shouldn’t be looking at. There’s things here you cannot understand yet.” “What? That my daddy is not dead like mommy?” Frank pulled the page out of the hands of Emily. “You must forget all this. Your father is gone, is in heaven, with mommy.” Emily bursts in tears. “Come here”, Frank said as he hugged her granddaughter, crying as well with her. “I am your dad now, sweetheart. You don’t need anyone else.”

A tear felt on the table, next to the empty dish. Emily shuddered as her cellphone rang. “Amy?” “Where the hell are you? I told you not to move!” “I am sorry, I was hungry and I took a cab. I am at an Italian restaurant near the airport. Let me take another cab and…” “No, stay there, I know the place. Be there in ten minutes. Don’t go anywhere this time ok?” “Ok.” Emily closed the browser’s window and asked for another glass of wine.

“Sorry I delayed; L.A’s traffic is a pain in the ass.” “Don’t worry. But, is that how you’ll receive me?” Both girls melted in a hug, smiling gladly to see each other after almost ten years. “So, have you been?” Amy asked sitting in front of her friend. “That was a long trip.”
A couple of wines later, the girls seemed to have caught everything about them. They laughed and made silly jokes as when they were little. “Is there any hot guy with you now?” “No, there isn’t.” Emily answered upset. “No problem girl, I know a few you might like to date.” “Yeah, like in high school, you got all the guys…” Amy laughed hard. Now Emily felt like in home.

“You know why I am here, right?” Emily asked her friend. “I don’t even know why I am driving, whoa! That wine was good” “No, seriously Amy. I am here for my father.” Amy nodded yes. “Are you sure you want to do this?” “Never been so sure before, besides, there’s nothing I want more than that.” “What? Jump in front of a stranger and wave: Hi! I am your daughter!” Emily gave a hard look to Amy. “Sorry.” “Amy, we talked about this many times before. I told you how bad were to know my real father was not the one I cried so much; how hard was to know my mother lied to me. Yes, my grandpas were very lovely with me, but, this is something I need to do. I don’t want to bother him asking what happened, I just want to let him know I exist and see the face of my real father, then I leave him.” Amy pulled over aside the street. “Look” said to Emily holding her hands “You are my best friend, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. If this is what you want, then I’ll help you to find that man.” They hugged again.

“So, where do we start?” Amy asked stopping for a red light. “I got this letter, the one I told you. Let me see…” “You sure you don’t want to my place first, relax for a while?” “I better start with this right now… damn, I can’t find that letter I just… shit! I should leave it in that cab!” “Emily, you just have a couple of hours here and already had someone for you! And you said it was me the one who kept all the boys.”


3
“Ok, you know I’ve always been skeptical, but, what makes you think this is the place?” “I don’t know” said Emily putting her jacket on. “It’s getting late and this is not a friendly neighborhood, I can tell you that.” “Relax; I just want to ask if someone knows Edward Mills. The letter my mother wrote said he was a lawyer in L.A; this is a lawyer’s office, I found on the internet. Just let me check this out.” “Ok, but I don’t think this is a good idea at all.”

Emily approached the main doors, and checked the list of offices available. Mills & Somers was there, on the third floor. Amy involved herself with her arms, wishing to be wearing something warmer than her dress top and her capris. “Look, I want to help you, but please, let’s go. This place is scary enough for two girls alone.” “Come on, Amy, you used to be braver.” “Yeah, but then I became wiser. Please, come back tomorrow.” “If you like, wait me here; I just want to see if this is the Edward Mills I´m looking for. We’ll be back tomorrow anyways.” “We will? All right, but there’s no way I stay here by myself. Let’s go and ask quickly.”
Behind the blue Ford Focus, and seconds after they both entered, a yellow cab pulled over, leaving the engine on.

“This place could be the perfect location for a CSI episode.” Amy pointed as they continued up through the ladders. “Ok, third floor, door 7, here’s the place.” Emily breathed in and out, feeling her muscles tightening. She knocked three times and waited. The girls looked each other, both with fear behind their eyes. “There’s no answer, see? It must be the hour. Let’s comeback tomorrow and I´ll ask my boyfriend to come with us…” “I didn’t wait all my life for a closed door. I got the feeling this is the place. Look, door’s not locked!” “Oh no, Emily, I said this was like a CSI episode, but that doesn’t mean we must follow the script!” Emily didn't pay attention to her friend's concern and twisted the door knob. The door opened and the room yawned with a smell of old paper and damp. Dark and silence where the only dwellers. Emily called saying “Hello, anybody here?” but no one answered. “Emily” said Amy, “This place is an abandoned room. You will find nothing in here.” Then, in the middle of the dark, a muted thump heard inside the room. “Is somebody here”? Said Emily as she dared to walk in the room. Amy pulled her arm, trying to stop her. Now both were inside. “It must have been a rat or something worse. Please Emily, let’s get out here.” “Ok Amy, but we will keep searching tomorrow as you promised me…” Amy didn’t get to answer as behind the girls, all of a sudden, the door slammed, leaving them inside.


4
Both girls screamed loud, cuddling each other. In the middle of the dark, Emily tried to reach the door’s knob but it was now locked. “What are we going to do” said Amy anxiously.

“You should never think about that letter again, Emily.” Frank said apprehensive. “Is not that I don’t love you grandpa, I was very lucky to have you and nana with me. But you got to understand me. He is my real father.” “I’ve been a father for you” replied Frank trying to make an argument. “Besides, you don’t have a proof that man is your biological father, nor if he’s still alive. He could’ve gone from California by now.” “I know grandpa, but, I can’t stay with this inside.” Frank closed his eyes and nodded. “You are a grown up woman, Emily, your grandmother and I gave you all we could, but if there’s something still missing, I’m sorry we couldn’t make it.”
Lights came to life then. A tall dark haired man was watching the girls next to the door. His left eye was narrow and had serious looking. Amy and Emily were shocked, still hugging each other as they step backwards. “What are you girls doing here, if I may ask” the man said. Emily’s lips trembled trying to get the right words. “I am looking for Edward Mills.” The man seemed to get really anger with the answer. “Do you know him?” Smiling now, the man approached the girls to have a better look. Even though, this was a young man, Emily dared to ask: “Is it you?” expecting a negative answer of course. In her mind she pictured this man, much older than the one circling them as a hungry shark to their prey. “No. I’m not.” He simply said. “But the question here is, how do you got this address and why?” Now Amy was clutching behind her friend, paralyzed in fear. “He doesn’t know me, but we have things to discuss” said Emily in a brave tone. “Really, like what?”

“Hey I came from far to meet this man, it’s none of your business what I have to tell him. Now, if you can get us to him, we’d be glad to leave.” “I can get you girls, to meet him. But first, we must be sure who you are and what do you want…” “Why?” “Shut up! I’m going to make the questions here now.” The man pulled a little walkie and ordered someone to come to the room immediately. “What have we got into?” Amy whispered as Emily kept her eyes on the tall man. “Take it easy, we’ll tell them the truth. And they will understand. It’s my father after all.” “I said shut up!” the man ordered while preparing a couple of chairs stacked at the end of the room. A couple of minutes later, two other men arrived, looking not less dreadful than the first one. Amy and Emily exchanged a worried look.

Helpless as they were, neither Amy or Emily tried to fought as the one of the men, a beefy one, tied the girls back to back on the chairs with their wrists together as well. Next, he moved down and secured their ankles too. Emily watched the room and thought that was not a lawyer’s office at all. In fact, it was obvious that this was a façade, for dirty business. Sealed boxes were stacked and given the situation, it was clear that they just not only had found Edward Mills, but also, that Mr. Mills was anything but a respected lawyer from California. Darkness went on again, as a blindfold was wrapped around Emily’s head. “What I have got us into?” she thought.


5
The voices now mixed and it was not way to know who was talking. “Ok, ladies. I am going to ask this once: have you been sent by the cops?” Emily refused to answer, thinking deeply, in their situation. Then, Amy dared to respond. “No, we were just looking for this man; my friend here has something to tell him. We’re not cops! Come on, Emily tell him the truth.” Emily; far from being terrified as Amy was, just asked in a harsh tone: “Is Edward Mills a trafficker?” There was an awkward silence filling the room. “I said I was making the questions, right?” yelled one voice at last. “Just answer: who you are, and do you want from Mr. Mills.” “Shit! Emily, tell these guys the truth… don’t you see they are not playing?” Emily remained in silence. Inside, she was thinking all the dreams about her dad, now falling apart. “Grandpa and nana were right: I should never have come to this place!” she thought. “Ok, you girls wanted to make this the hard way; that’s up to you! Start with the other” the man ordered. Emily expected to hear anything but what she was actually hearing. At her back, Amy started to scream and then, shortly after, the scream turned into a desperate laughter. She couldn’t see thing, but she was sure Amy was laughing uncontrollably. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded to know. “Tell us what you want and we’ll set you free.” The voice answered. “Amy? What’s going on?” But Amy could not reply. She was laughing and giggling for no reason apparently. “Keep it with her…” the voice said. Now, Emily was about to know the reason of Amy’s giggles. A hand took her flip-flops off and raised her ankles to place them in one of the boxes. Without further warn, Emily felt some fingers running down the soles of her feet. Emily couldn’t believe what was happening: like if they were little girls, these guys were tickling her feet to get information. She tried to resist all she could, but when the hand started to dig in between her toes, Emily could do nothing but scream and finally laugh as hard as she could. No word was spoken. The tickle torture just went on as both where breathless begging for them to stop.

The day grandpa Frank died; Emily felt her world was crumbling down with him. “Why God has to take him away too?” she cried out, hugging her grandmother very hard. Both women cried together, but God just didn’t care about this. Grandpa Frank was now six feet under, and nothing Emily could do, but mourn at his grave, next to the place her parents were too. Two years later, Emily and her nana, were still living in the same house. The ghost of Frank haunted the memories of both Lucile and Emily. But for her, another ghost haunted her mind from long ago. “He was not Emily’s father I must confess. Three years ago, I met someone and this man, is her real father” the letter Emily’s mother had written stated. “His name is Edward Mills and he is a lawyer from California. I don´t expect to tell Emmy the truth, cause that would hurt her so bad. Richard knew all this, and in spite of this, he accepted to be her father. He loves Emmy as his own daughter…”

Emily always cried when she read this letter. So, one day, knowing that she was not going to be here forever too, Lucile talked to her granddaughter. “I know Frank didn’t understand you when you said you wanted to search him” nana said. “But I do. And I know that’s important for you. If you want to go after him, I’d be glad to help you.” It wasn´t easy for Emily, but at the end, she accepted some of her nana’s savings and along with the money she was also saving, she could make it to go to California, to search Edward Mills. “This is my destiny”, she repeated for her, “How could I ever regret of doing this…”

Now, twenty minutes after the tickle torture began, Emily started regret everything.
For over twenty endless minutes, Emily’s feet had endured a methodical scribbling all over her soles. Whatever these men were, they were professionals. More than once, Amy had plead and given up, offering to speak and tell everything. But every time she did this, she only got more tickling for her feet. She was about to faint, totally exhausted. Emily was exhausted too, feeling her stomach hurting very badly. They didn´t stop for all that time; not an inch of the feet were left without being tickled. Both Amy and Emily were learning just how ticklish they were. And then, right before they both passed out, the torture stopped.

Emily was panting and sweating, trying to catch her breath back. Amy was the same, but also thanking the tortures for stop. “Ok”, the voice said while removing the blindfold. The light scorched her eyes. “This is a little test. We have all night long for doing this. So, are you going to tell us the truth?” Emily thought about spilling all out. But then, she realized this man, Edward Mills was crooked delinquent, maybe a powerful gangster. And so, she didn’t have anything to do with him. “No, I won´t say anything!” she yelled exhausted. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Amy yelled back, “Do you want them to keep tickling us? Well that’s you; I don’t want to die here. I will tell them everything, I swear!” “Enough!” the tall man said. “If you want it to be this way, it’s fine.” He went to open one little box, and pulled a couple of colored feathers. He gave them to the other two men. “You know what to do.” Amy kicked and screamed as she saw the long stiff feather approaching her feet. “Get that thing away from me!” begged with her eyes open wide.
“So, girls, are you going to talk?” Emily defied the tall men and said “who the hell is Edward Mills?” “This time we won’t stop until…” Suddenly, the door blew out of its hinges. Standing under the frame a well-dressed young man held a gun pointing straight to the tall man’s head. There was anger in his eyes. The other two, raised their arms up and retraced. “What the hell are you doing here?” The tall man asked. “Let the girls go. Now” Emily recognized his voice and clothing as the taxi driver he hired earlier. “You know we have to make sure this bitches are not a menace for the organization, plus, we were having fun.” The tall man slowly placed his hand inside his jacket. As he was pulling out his gun, the taxi driver fired his gun, shooting his shoulder twice. Amy and Emily screamed. Immediately, he pointed to the other two who were coming to tackle him down. Four shoots broke the tense moment, and then both thugs felt down; one of them, dead.

The taxi driver holstered his gun in his waist and with a Swiss blade, proceeded to cut the ropes of Amy and Emily. “Let’s get outta here. Quick!” He helped the girls to walk out the room and they took the ladders down. The girls were both in shock, unable to ask or say a thing. Once they were out of the building, the night had set in the sky. Not a single soul was out there at that time. “Keys…” he said to Amy, as she handed them to open her car. “Could use my taxi, but they know it” he explained. He opened the doors for them and then jumped in the driver’s seat. Without any other word spoken, he put the pedal to the metal, and they fled the place, tearing the night's veil of darkness apart.
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