Chapter 3
Sabrina, the receptionist told him that Khalid was on the line once again. James was out of excuses.
“Good morning, James,” Khalid replied to James’s quick and frosty greeting.
“Good of you to call again.” The president of Carmine Resources stretched his lanky frame to the back of the chair.
“I am not going to ask you to give me the latest report on Talya’s recovery. I know you’re tired of giving me the same answer.” That was true; James no longer knew how to tell Khalid that Talya didn’t want any visitor or that she seemed to be retreating into a solitary world, and only accepted loneliness for her companion. “The reason for my call is simply to inform you that I should be in Vancouver the day after tomorrow.”
James passed his fingers through his wavy, grey hair. “Should I be concerned…?” That question was perhaps well justified on James’s part. Every time Khalid had come on the scene, troubles had followed him.
“No, not at all. Dr Hendrix is the one who called me and asked for my assistance.”
“To do what?” James asked.
“He thinks I could help Talya in getting her out of her self-imposed seclusion.”
“It’s not only seclusion, Khalid, that’s ailing Talya. You must realize it’s much more than that.”
“Yes, I do realize it, and this is perhaps why I want to see for myself what can be done about it, if anything.”
“Are you a psychiatrist now?” The obvious scoff had its roots in James knowing that Khalid was a good judge of character. He had seen him handle Talya’s difficult traits on many occasions, but this was different; Talya was drowning into some sort of lethargy, from which she didn’t want to come out.
Khalid chuckled. “No, James, I couldn’t begin to pretend to have such knowledge of the human mind, yet and maybe, I could look into the reason for Talya’s wilful retreat.”
“Okay, if you think your presence will make a difference, I’m all for it, of course. Do you want me to tell her you’re coming?”
“No!” The word resounded over the line loud and clear. The firmness in Khalid’s voice took James aback. “I’m sorry, James, but I don’t want her to know that I come to her aid. She would not react well to the announcement.”
“Very well then, when should I expect you? And where will you be staying?”
“I should be at your office on Wednesday and I have made reservations at the Sands for now.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer staying at the 4 Seasons…?”
“No, not this time. I need to be in walking distance of her apartment.”
“Quite. I understand.”
Replacing the receiver, James thought of the first time Khalid came to Vancouver; it was again when Talya needed someone to help her—out of a depression.