Love at First Sight, Page 4

better. And at a distance I saw her walk out of the road, skipping silently into a yard that I knew better-- I knew almost each person from that neighbourhood but her. In seconds I had no sign of the girl.

  “Romeo, did you see that!?” I turned around and exclaimed at Romeo who stood a couple meters plus away from me. He stopped immediately he heard me scream. He was surprised by that sudden shout, but I was more-- I cupped my mouth with my hand and had my eyes popped wide. “I can speak.” I said silently behind my hand. That was definitely no miracle, but it looked like it was the moment the girl disappeared-- And I had my voice back. I looked back again, a glance I swung quickly and had it stop at Romeo, the road was bare once again and had only Romeo and I. The neighbourhood was silent, I could only hear a silent noise though--kilometers away from me. . .noise at farms concluding Makeni.

  “Hey, what’s up, Mark.” Romeo asked.

  I dropped my hand from my face and loosened my quiver. “Did you see that?” I stood to inquire silently after breaking an aloof which was between Romeo and I. Of course I looked nervous. I had a scare after all my voice had returned immediately after the girl vanished. I walked close to Romeo and rephrased my question.

  “Are you hallucinating again?” Romeo inquired half teasing.

  “Hallucinating? I, hallucinate?” I rose both my eyebrows as I looked entirely at Romeo. “Never have I.” I snapped.

  “OK, well.” Romeo continued after a break of soft laughter-- “Interest me.” He said.

  “I saw an angel.” I snapped and faced back again. I did not know how I was to tell Romeo, the girl took my breath, my mood, my soul too. . .she was prettier than anything, and a quick description I had was that she was definitely an angel. My eyes had both popped wide when I glanced back at Romeo, for a second I thought that Romeo too pictured the girl like I did, but I shouldn’t have thought obvious.

  “Angel?” Romeo chocked in laugh and pounded his feet on the ground with a mocking excitement. He paused and pressed his hands on his knees when he bent to catch a breath after holding it for long while he laughed at what I had said. He took sounding breaths while kept his head ducked down. A gentle lift as he tried to look at me, he smiled and stretched upright-- “Thank you, Mark.”

  “For what?”

  “The laugh was all I needed to resume my studies this morning.”

  “What?” I lifted my eyebrows as my brains went mute.

  “Let us get back home,” Romeo continued. “Hunger is making you hallucinate stuff which aren’t real.”

  “But we just begun our stroll. . .we are just a few yards away from home. . .why decide this now, Romeo? You know how badly I needed a walk this morning.” I said in an impatient tone, my hands were nearly folding to plead that we continue a stroll we had started already, but paused back the moment I noticed Romeo shake his head. I took a deep breath. “And who said I am hungry? We ate this morning.” I said.

  “And?”

  “What is with the ‘and,’ Romeo? We took our breakfast. . .and studied till blindfold due to exhaustion. . .you too need this walk badly like I do, Romeo, so quit pesting me.”

  “And you vomited, Mark.” Romeo snapped.

  “Guess what, Romeo. . .I’m not hungry.”

  “You’re, Mark, you vomited every grain from that pan cake we had for breakfast.”

  “That is not my fault, Romeo. Is it?” I continued in a troubled tone, “you know I am allergic to hist.”

  “Aunt Monica doesn’t.” Romeo continued, “am concerned, Mark.”

  “OK, Romeo, you win.” I continued-- “I am going back home because I want to not because you asked me to.”

  “Either way, Mark.”

  Ah! I sighed. Romeo like most other mornings could ruin them for me, only then did I wish I was the big brother. I shook my head as mixed feelings surged through me like an electric shock. Romeo looked cheerful as he begun a quick return. My eyes had darkened then. . .my mouth was stiff, I had my head ducked down. Another morning ruined thanks to Romeo. I sighed and puffed out loud as I stared at my feet.

  Romeo and I begun our walk back home. I followed behind with my mouth shut. That is all I had been able to do that morning. That task was far easy. For a second, I thought I could chat with Romeo to where my heart had been kept hostage, but Romeo looked not interested to listen to anything but studies.

  I stretched upright and glanced at the other side of the road. “This is the house,” I whispered to myself. I was sure I had seen the girl disappear in that yard, but there were two houses there and I couldn’t decide in which house did she disappear into. I hear both houses belong to one owner. My thoughts snapped the second I looked at the houses that stood opposite to the one Romeo and I lived in. But her face isn’t familiar.

  “Move it, Mark!” Romeo said.

  I was counting months of residence in Makeni, and I had never seen the girl anywhere. It was my first time lying my eyes upon her, but though quick and surreptitious glances I had and flushes of smiles she shot at me--it felt like I knew her all along. My heart could pound inside me; locked between steel cages of my ribs, but I certainly couldn’t feel its presence after I had lost sight of the girl. She disappeared with my heart. Great thing that I knew where she lived, but questions could still erupt in my mind, thoughts that surged simultaneously to a question if she really existed. I had tried to confirm this from Romeo, but I guess Romeo just wasn’t ready to listen to any of my fairy tale stories. Or perhaps it is in the way I had started the narration. What was wrong in the way I had brought up the subject anyway? For Romeo to ignore it and force me and him too to have an emergency return home? My queries were though stiff, I certainly couldn’t shrug at that moment. Thoughts rather had my head ducked-- “Yes, Romeo.” I said and followed behind him while sliding my feet on the ground.

  For a moment again I shot a surreptitious glance at the other side of the road and looked at the house I had suspected to be the one the girl had walked in. A huge house with very bright green roofing. The house had two verandas; one which faced my direction and the other which looked to be more fancier than the other, it had two pillars that stood curved with great art and the pillars were strong to my judgment, made of concrete and a bottom seal on the veranda. Both pillars held the roofing of the veranda intact. The house is huge, mounted in the middle of a plot and covered most of the plot--and the other end of the plot was a two bedroomed house which was sibling to the huge house. Both houses weren’t plastered. I could bet that the houses were still in the making. The huge house proved this--that work wasn’t complete--a lot of pending work could be judged by the looks of the surrounding.

  ≈≈≈

  The sun had risen to its medium height, it was then past morning and I could stagger off the road hoping that my walk would buy me enough time to stare a bit more at the house opposite to ours; the house I stood convinced to had seen the girl walk in with my heart. I ignored every call from Romeo as I thought that it was rather useless right then arguing with him again over getting back home to resume our studies. The day was already bright and a guess without staring at my wrist watch, I could assume that it was past ten-- The winds had not gone yet, a cool chilling blow which came right from the hills ahead touched my neck. . .a tickle which I did not respond to. I puffed out silently the moment I noticed an end of trail. I had no other option than to jump off the road. I had seen enough but non of which proved that the girl existed unless I was to get Romeo admit that him too saw her. Or is it an illusion? I still couldn’t conclude otherwise. I just couldn’t put my thoughts unto it but rather waited for a perfect moment to ask Romeo if him too saw the girl or not so that I continue with my boring life and forget I had ever loved someone in my bizarre world of studies.

  Only if I had the courage to approach her. Am sure I wouldn’t have been doubting my sight to had seen her or not. I sighed. I glanced back at the house but the wooden door I was convinced she had walked in was closed and that surrounding was silent.

  “
Mark, what’s up with you? You look lost in thoughts. You’re hungry right?” Inside our house, Romeo stood to inquire.

  I had locked already the door behind me when I decided to approach a couple of couches. I still had not decided which couch I was to flop on. A meter apart, I heard Romeo rephrase, but my mouth was shut closed-- My lips had been stiff and my glance had been fading until then. I gazed upon the two couches as I tried to decide which couch I was to reach for. Ah! I sighed and flopped into one and landed my head on the couch too and closed my eyes so that I help myself remember how the girl looked like. I was just right then staring at her-- A vivid glimpse of her had come back at me. A tempting remnant view of the girl. Remembering about her made me feel sad knowing for certain I had looked awkward and just how I reacted the moment I saw her couldn’t guarantee me peace of mind or victory over her heart. I had no courage, and with a brother like Romeo, I did not count on him much.

  “Mark!” Romeo exclaimed. His voice lifted my heart up from the couch at that spot. And my thoughts faded to a glimpse of him. It sure will take me