Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay The next morning, Kavi woke up early and got ready. He came down to breakfast and saw that the kitchen was empty. Perhaps Amana had been up very late last night. He didn’t take her for a morning person.
Kavi made scrambled eggs and bacon, then ate in silence. He wondered if he should just go ahead to the library or wait for Amana to show him which books she wanted translated. He stopped by Amana’s room and knocked on the door. The door slowly opened and Amana stood there in her pajamas, her eyes half closed. The bed behind her was rumpled. She had obviously just gotten up. “What is it?” she yawned. “I’m going to the library to start working. Do you have a particular book you’d like me to start on first?” Kavi asked, trying not to think how weird it was to see his employer in such a sleepy state. “I’ve placed some books on the large desk. You can start with those,” Amana said. “I have a headache right now and am going to sleep it off. I’ll join you in the afternoon.” She closed the door. * Kavi loved everything about Sanskrit. The way the letters looked and the sound the language made when spoken. His native languages were English and Hindi, and he chose to study Sanskrit in college, one of the top ancient languages in the world. After Sanskrit he had moved to other related languages, which had come from his homeland of India. He made a couple wrong turns, but eventually found the large library. After finding the pile of books on the desk, he looked through each one and selected a particularly intriguing one written by an ancient sage. The time passed quickly while Kavi was engrossed in the work. Around noon, Amana came in carrying a tray. She wore a dark hoodie that almost looked like a vampire cape. “I’ve brought some lunch,” Amana said. “I’ve made bacon, lettuce, and cheese sandwiches. I hope you like it.” “Thanks,” Kavi said. They ate in silence and he noted that Amana’s sandwich had ketchup in it. “You must love ketchup,” Kavi observed. “I do, would you like some?” Amana asked. “No thanks,” Kavi responded. “The ketchup adds so much flavor and personality to the dish,” Amana smiled. “How’s your headache?” Kavi asked. “Oh, it’s gone now,” Amana said. “I turned on all the lights so you wouldn’t be left in the dark.” Then she sipped the red fruit juice. She offered some to him, but Kavi declined. * “So how is your new job?” Uma, Kavi’s 20-year-old sister, asked. Kavi held the phone closer to his ear. “It’s great! My employer Amana has tons of old Buddhist writings and even some Brahmin books. I’m going to have fun translating the ancient manuscripts. This place is like a museum!” “And how’s your employer? Is she good?” the sister asked. “Well, she comes off as a bit creepy,” Kavi laughed. Luckily the door was shut so no one could overhear. “And she looks like a vampire. When I first came in it was all dark inside and the lights were off because they hurt her eyes.” Uma laughed. “She sure sounds like a vampire to me. Just be careful you don’t get your blood sucked! Lock your door at night. Actually, maybe I should send you some garlic-“ A knock came to the door. “I have to go!” Kavi said. “All right, take care. And don’t get turned into a vampire!” Uma joked. They said goodbye and hung up. Kavi opened the door and saw Amana standing there. “Dinner is ready,” she said. “I’ve made meatloaf today.” Kavi laughed to himself. He could imagine Uma making a funny comment about the meatloaf and how the barbecue sauce over it looked like vampire blood. * They sat down and ate in silence. The dining room had a large table and antique carpets. “This is delicious,” Kavi said, after taking a bite. “It’s my grandpa’s secret recipe,” Amana supplied. “So do you live here alone?” Kavi asked, trying to make conversation after a long silence. Then he realized what a dumb question that was. Amana seemed to think it a strange question as well, because she turned an icy stare on him. Then she took a sip from the glass of red juice. “Yes, I live alone,” she said slowly, then took another bite of meatloaf. The sauce dribbled down her chin. Amana glanced around as if searching for a napkin. “Here you go,” since the napkin was closer to Kavi’s side, he handed it to her. “Thanks,” she took it and for a moment her fingers brushed against Kavi’s. He flinched a bit at the icy touch but immediately composed himself so Amana didn’t notice. She was busy wiping the sauce from her chin. “I know you’re wondering why I live alone,” she said. “And you’ve probably heard the rumors.” “The cab driver told me some far-fetched stories, but I don’t believe him,” Kavi explained. “He mentioned something about a body in a well.” Amana smirked. “The one about the well is new,” she said. “Well, most of the rumors say that I’m some kind of demon or vampire that was engaged and killed my fiance. He’s allegedly buried in the garden, backyard, or basement, depending on whom you talk to. Some people say the attic, but this house doesn’t even have an attic. One rumor says the fiance was found dead hanging from the roof with a noose around his neck. A noose made out of rolled-up paper all tied together.” “That’s really crazy,” Kavi chuckled. “Yeah, and I want to assure you that the rumors are false,” Amana said. “You are in no danger here, I promise you.” She picked up her glass and drank the red juice.
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