She finally switched on her phone. She knew it was going to explode. Texts, voice messages, and calls. The very thought of answering all of them caused such an excitement in her. She had good news, and she knew they wanted to hear that from her.
‘Hi, honey! I’ve been calling you the whole day. Let me know how everything went. Love you, Mom.’
‘Hey sis, I know you’ve made it. I just know you too well. You’re my hero! But it would be nice if you called me to tell me how everything went.’
‘Hey, there! What do you say if we meet at four to celebrate your victory. Just before you go back home, we can have some hot chocolate to celebrate. Let me know how you feel about that.’
She was happy. Really happy. But then could she remember when she had been unhappy? She was blessed to have a loving family and true friends. She was blessed to have a life full of meaning. She had so many dreams and plans for the future. The whole life was ahead of her. She knew exactly what she wanted. And she would definitely have all of that. And today’s achievement was a small victory towards the realization of her goal. Yeah, she should definitely tell everybody about that.
He basically smashed into her just when she was on the point of sending a text message to her mom. Her phone flew into the puddle nearby and died for good that time. She lost her balance but was still standing. He was so shocked he could cause so much damage only because he was in a hurry and ill-humored.
‘OK, now, the only thing that missed is a bit of hysterical whimpering,’ he thought. He was on his defensive. He was not going to give in. Not now. Never. It was her fault to stand there in the middle of the street, probably checking how many likes she got at that point on the picture she had shared in the morning. Was it her breakfast, or maybe her duck face? Or some silly Christmassy bullshit.
‘An apology would be enough,’ he heard an airy voice as if coming from another world. He looked at her and saw a bright face and a forgiving smile. Her eyes were so full of … life and pure undisclosed desires that his emptiness hit him so hard he was on the point of falling.
It was her helping him keep his balance. She was holding his arm and he knew he was safe. He couldn’t understand how such a fragile human being could have so much strength and power.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled full of shame and remorse. ‘I didn’t mean it. I just was in a hurry, and you were just standing here… in the middle of the street, stuck in your phone, I didn’t see you.’
‘Your apology is more of a reproach. It looks like I’m the one to be blamed.’ She said softly, still smiling. ‘I just don’t know what exactly I am guilty for. Is it because you were in a hurry? Or maybe because you didn’t see me? Anyways, I don’t blame you. Everything’s fine.’
She let go of his arm as softly as she took grip of it. And he was sorry. He knew he had to think of something to hold her arm and attention forever.
She picked up her phone, examined it closely, sighed and then said: ‘I wanted to buy a new phone. So now I’ll have to do it more quickly, I suppose. I’m sorry I didn’t manage to answer my mom’s message though. But then I’ll tell her personally, and that’s even better!’
She was talking more to herself than to him. So she was on the point of vanishing into the thin air, and his numbness didn’t help him. She looked at him with her big, limpid eyes and said: ‘Take care. You can smash something precious on your way, you know.’
‘Wait,’ he shouted hysterically. That made her startle.
‘Are you OK?’
‘Sorry. I don’t want to scare you. I just feel so stupid. I don’t know what to say. I mean I’m the one to be blamed for what has happened. You’re not responsible for my irresponsibility. Shit. I’m nervous. I mean my verbal diarrhea doesn’t help. I’m not a bad guy, you know, but now I’m… I don’t know, an asshole? Please forgive me. I can give you my phone if you want, or we can go and buy one together. I mean it was my fault, so…’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out somehow. It was not entirely your fault. I think in life things happen for a reason and probably this is what it was meant to be. I guess, this is supposed to be the last day of my phone.’
‘Then it shall have a funeral,’ he said and he was sure that now he lost any chance of holding that girl’s arm again.
‘You know you’re right. You suffer from verbal diarrhea,’ and she burst out laughing. Her laughter was so catchy that he started laughing as well. It was a weird picture that day on the central street. Two young people laughing out loud and not giving a damn about the fact that they were basically standing in other people’s way. People who were in a hurry. Serious people. Busy people. Empty people.
It was him to offer to sit for a while in the nearby cafe. She knew the place and she loved the creamy cappuccino they made there. She loved the walls. They were light green and with motivational quotes. She was surprised he had never noticed them.
‘I just drink my coffee, sometimes I just take it with me. I’m not looking at the walls.
‘You know what. Pick one number.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Pick one number, from 1 to 20.’
’18?’
‘OK, so when you enter you read the 18th quote and that would be your life motto!’
He thought it was silly. But then he knew he didn’t want to lose the chance of getting to know that girl. So he entered the cafe and started counting the pictures on the wall. She was happily giggling and that filled his soul with so much hope and warmth.
‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.’ – Walt Disney. ‘Why did they have to draw butterflies here?’
‘And this is what you have to say after having read the quote. What a profound after-thought!’ she said and laughed again.
‘What can I say I’m a profound guy!’
‘Modest, for sure.’
‘And that too.’ He thought he had never felt so free and at ease.
‘I think it takes a lot of courage and determination to escape one’s cocoon, and become free at last. If you want to be a butterfly you need to find the courage to pursue your goals. It’s this liberation from your fears and anxieties that makes you beautiful, you see.’
‘Yeah, I’ve never thought I’d like to be a butterfly.’
‘What can I say? It’s the limit of your imagination.’
They smiled and sat at the table near the window. People were busily passing by. He thought they looked alike, like larvae in their cocoons. And somehow he was lucky to get out of that cocoon and feel finally free. He couldn’t even remember why he was in a hurry in the first place.
They spend a lot of time in the cafe. He knew all the quotes. He knew what cakes she liked. He knew all the members of her family. He knew her friends. He wanted her courage. He wanted her freedom. He wanted to be part of her life. He would tell her about this thought on their wedding day.
‘Hey,’ she said. ‘Were are you? I’ve been talking to you and no reaction.’
‘Sorry. I’ve just imagined something. You’re the one telling me not to limit my imagination so I’m just following your advice.’
‘I see. Nice. But now I have to run. Look at the time. It’s late. I have to get home.’
‘Let me walk you home.’
‘That’s impossible. I mean nothing is impossible. But still I’d rather drive home. I live in the town nearby.’
‘How will you get home? Let me drive you.’
‘No worries. I have my car.’
‘When will I see you?’
‘I’ll be in town on Friday.’
‘Then, let’s meet on Friday. Here. At two o’clock. I’ll be waiting for you.’
‘OK then. You know what? About our meeting… it was just meant to be.’
‘Yeah, you were meant to enter my life and bring so much light to it,’ he thought to himself and just smiled to her. ‘I’ll tell her about this one day.’
They parted. Silently and full of hope. He went home full of life, she drove home with another dream. They both knew they had the courage. They both knew their lives would never be the same.
She was serenely driving home. Her favorite song was playing on the radio. She was singing and looking at the road. It was dark and the rain was softly drizzling. She thought he was a nice guy. There was something special about him. She had the feeling she witnessed how he hat got out of his cocoon. And she thought it was so sweet. He was so vulnerable, and yet so strong. She would tell her mom about him as soon she got home. It was the real thing. She felt it. She knew it. She would get home and she…
All of a sudden, out of nowhere a bright white light appeared and smashed her out of life.
Falling in English with You :) 