Sweet and appetizing aromas floating around the house, on every corner and on every spot, was what woke me up when it crossed the junction that led to my savory smell gland through my nostrils.
I woke up and checked the time, it was already 9am in the morning. Wow! I must have had a long night. I glanced around my room and was displeased at the state it was, my clothes hung all over the place like cobwebs, my bed sheet and bed covers rumbled down to the ground, and I wondered if I had slept with someone else, or even two more people.
Perhaps, it might be the dream manifesting into reality. All through the night I had weird dreams with someone. Dreams that occur mostly, when you think about someone so much.
However, there was one particular matter I wasn't paying attention to, one that I needed to pay attention to anyway.
The sweet aromas weren't leaving, plus, it wasn't alone. It had children, and grandchildren. Someone was cooking different foods with different aromas, and they were all great.
I pushed myself out of the bed till I reached the edge, and I dropped my feet on the remaining distance to the ground, and when my feet touched the floor, I knew I had began a journey, I hoped it would be fruitful, even though i wasn't sure if the journey's destination was near, or far.
I let the aroma guide me out of my room, following it's path as I watched it swim along through the air, and my stomach danced in its rhythm.
In no time, I saw myself standing at the kitchen's door. I was amazed, and immediately, I saw those aromas muster up into one huge aroma, I had indeed got to my journey's destination. My stomach and it's chain of lines rejoiced.

The baking tray on top of the worktop counter was filled with baked foods letting out streams of hot joy. And the electrical food processor beside it was connected, and working. The toaster was warm, perhaps it had finished it's work. Different cutleries laid on the worktop and just in front of them was a tin opener, and a breadboard currently occupied beside it.
I turned my head around to the other side and saw Pascal standing in front of the cooker, holding a smoothie in one hand and stirring the pot with the other hand.
The cupboard above her had been filled up with some food stuff, and the other panel of the cooker had a frying pan frying some food.
The oven was also occupied. The kitchen was messed up, but with tins, sachets, crumbs and peel offs.

I was mesmerized by the state of the kitchen. I walked up to Pascal, who was happy to see me, and the first words that came out from my mouth was
"What is the occasion?" I asked, genuinely taken aback.
"Occasion? Is funny you would say that '' Pascal replied laughing, while he brought out a big lap of chicken from the frying pan, and placed it on a bowl filled with ketchup and some creams.
"Funny? I mean, are you now selling food or what? Hobb's kitchen has never smelled so nice like this or even full of food, what's up?"
"Selling food? Nah, I'm cooking for us"
"Really? Oh my goodness! All these? Wow, I'm hungry already!..." I said with excitement.
"When was the last time we even had such nice meals as this hmm. That's if we ever did haha, but I'm damn sure it is not Mom's money … she won't let me enjoy my own sweat" I snarled.
Pascal eyed me on that statement. And I shrugged, after all I said the truth.

"Well, I would be leaving the town soon, so"
"What?" No, he didn't just say that. I couldn't live without Pascal, it would be a mess.
"Work, Arianne. Work issues"
"Umm you can't go? If this is some sort of a good bye meal, I would rather not taste a bit of it please" and that was how my joy turned into sadness. What would life be like without Pascal around? How was I going to cope with my mom alone?
"I'm sorry Arianne, I have to. You don't expect things to be the same forever. Is not a goodbye meal, don't be silly, I'm not traveling to a far away country or some." He said regrettably.
I became more and more sad, and I lost the excitement and the appetite for the food.
"Arianne, listen you will be fine okay? I will text you my house address so you can come visit anytime. Okay?" He held my hand in the assuring clasp of his palms. But it wasn't enough.
No sound was heard for a while, except that of the frying oil and the cooking pots.
"By the way, congratulations" He finally broke the silence.
"Huh? For what?" I asked, confused.
"In the next two to three months, you will be in your last season of internship! and boom, get a real job" he was happy for me.
"Oh" I Exclaimed, with a smile. Then I just remembered, we had really closed for the season.
But then I remembered Matt Jones and our dreadful contract… it was going to end soon.
I wondered what my life would be like without it all, at least, I would be free from the ruthless billionaire.
"You see, that's enough reason you should stay, I'm going to be lonely. Damn, this is sure going to be the most boring and dry long holiday ever!" I lamented.
And just then, I remembered that I hadn't spoken with Halen.
"Excuse me" I said as I rushed out of the kitchen, to my room.
I grabbed my phone and immediately dialed Halen's number. And the moment it started ringing, I was happy, again. I slowed down my breathing and started rehearsing sweet conversation lines.
The phone rang a couple more times and there was no reply. I kept dialing it until I was pushed to voicemail.
I put the phone aside and threw myself on the bed, laying down with my back.
Would Halen forgive me that easily? I mean, I didn't do anything so wrong, why was she treating me like so bad like I didn't matter?
I took my phone and checked my text messages and contacts, I didn't see her main number nor any conversation with her. I remembered that we had agreed to take each other's numbers, and visit each other during the holiday, and try new things out in our relationship, since we would literally be having all the time in the world to ourselves alone.
I was bittered at the fact that I had just lost that, I had just lost a full long holiday with the girl I truly loved, and Kale too, because I had dissociated myself from him for the sake of Halen.
And so, as predicted, the long holiday was hell on earth for me, unworthy of remembrance.