4 years ago; one week after that night in the rain.
====================================
i took a look in the rear view mirror of my rustbucket of a car one last time before i got out and rang the bell to your house. hmm, i thought as i looked at my hair. finally i rustled my hair one last time. i like looking a bit scruffy; bed-headed. i took the small bouquet of flowers and got out of the car.
just as soon as i got out, however, you were already coming out of your house. as you sat on a bench and tied your shoelaces (i loved it that you wore cute pink nike sneakers), a kindly looking woman stood at the doorway. when you got up, you gave the woman a kiss on both cheeks and walked to the gate. from behind you, the woman gave me a wave, and disappeared back into the house.
"hello wise guy..!" you said, cheerful as a sunflower in full bloom.
"hey sweetness. was that your mom?" i asked.
"yes yes. auntie kettle she is to you."
"seems like a nice lady."
you frowned, albeit in an adorable way.
"she is my mommy. of course she is nice."
i laughed and you took my arm as i led you to the car. as you stepped in i gave you the small bouquet. you took a deep breathe to smell the fragrant flowers, and bat your eyes at me. i got in the car and we drove off.
"so," you said. "where are you taking me for our first date wise guy?"
"well," i said. "first, we're going on a cruise to the south pacific. then we'll paraglide over danau toba, go skiing in aspen, fishing in bahamas, and finally before i send you back home, we'll have dinner in barcelona. how's that sound?"
"ha ha. very funny. seriously, where are you taking me?"
i was quiet for a while. it was kind of difficult to concentrate on driving when you were beside me. all i wanted to do was look at you. finally i answered your question.
"well... we could go all cliche; we go to a movie and have dinner..."
you stared at me a moment. you narrowed your eyes at me.
"you sound like you have something else in mind wise guy.."
i smiled at you. in my most casual voice i said:
"we could go for ice cream and talk.."
you smiled so sweetly then i could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. you took my free hand (i drove an automatic; still do) in yours.
"i'd love ice cream", you said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"so", i said to you as i brought the ice cream to our table. we were sitting outdoors at a nice cafe nearby a lake. the sky was clear and the stars were out. i couldn't have asked for more.
"so?" you asked back at me whilst sitting with your hands under your chin. you had a slight blush on your cheeks.
"they only had pistachio and durian ice cream left. since i know you don't like durian, i took pistachio." i said.
"you didn't give me the liberty of choosing!"
"it's not exactly like you have a choice, am i right?" i asked back with a grin. little did i see back then that i would have a similar conversation with you 4 years in the future.
"yes", you said. "but you should have let me choose. it's the principal of the matter.."
"i'm sorry then sugar. eat your ice cream.."
you giggled, and dutifully dug your spoon in the dessert. i looked at you as you ate.
"stop staring at me", you said when you finally realized i was looking.
"i can't. you got me captivated" i said.
"you're not even eating your ice cream..!" you scolded playfully. "see, it's all melting and gooey now.."
"i don't care..."i answered with a laugh. "it doesn't really matter anyway. not here, not now.."
you put a hand to your face, and blush. it makes you seem all the more adorable, and it would be a gesture i'd see you do often in the future. for a while we just sat there in silence; you were enjoying your pistachio ice cream, whilst i had left mine to melt. i decided to have a cup of iced coffee instead. when you finished your ice cream, you pushed it aside, cupped your chin in you hands and stared back at me.
"what are you thinking wise guy..?" you said.
"what do you think..?" i asked.
"you're thinking about..me?"
i gave a grateful sigh, to which you laughed at.
"i just can't believe i'm here with you..", i said.
again you blushed, and put a hand to your face.
"i mean..", i said. "when you walked away from the table at the cafe last week i seriously thought that would have been the last i see of you. but here we are now..it's..it's dreamy.."
"love happens.." you said. "even when you don't expect it sayang.."
i snorted a little laugh. "you just called me sayang."
"can't i call you sayang..?" you made a hurt face.
"of course you can..i've been wanting to hear you call me that.." i said. i held out my hand on the table and you took it in yours. i caressed the silky softness of your fingers. honestly at this point i didn't know what to say.
"i don't know what to say", i laughed as i said my thoughts out loud.
you smiled that saccharine smile again and shook you head. "i don't mind.. you're saying so much just by you holding my hand and looking at me.." you said.
i held your hand tighter; i brought your hand you my lips and kissed it gently. you looked surprised but i could see you liked it as well.
"i think.." i said. "all this time before, i missed you being here with me.."
"how could you have missed me..?" you asked, obviously teasing.
"because i was in love with you..?"
you looked down at your lap.
"well then.." you said. "then i guess all this time i've been missing you too.."
you got out of your chair opposite and came to sit beside me. you gently put your head on my shoulder. some other people looked at us; a middle aged couple smiled, probably reminiscing about their own tender days together.
"wise guy.." you said, so softly it was almost inaudible.
"yes sayang..?" i said.
"before we go home tonight, i have something important to tell you.."
"what is it..?"
you giggled.
"i want more ice cream..!"
just as soon as i got out, however, you were already coming out of your house. as you sat on a bench and tied your shoelaces (i loved it that you wore cute pink nike sneakers), a kindly looking woman stood at the doorway. when you got up, you gave the woman a kiss on both cheeks and walked to the gate. from behind you, the woman gave me a wave, and disappeared back into the house.
"hello wise guy..!" you said, cheerful as a sunflower in full bloom.
"hey sweetness. was that your mom?" i asked.
"yes yes. auntie kettle she is to you."
"seems like a nice lady."
you frowned, albeit in an adorable way.
"she is my mommy. of course she is nice."
i laughed and you took my arm as i led you to the car. as you stepped in i gave you the small bouquet. you took a deep breathe to smell the fragrant flowers, and bat your eyes at me. i got in the car and we drove off.
"so," you said. "where are you taking me for our first date wise guy?"
"well," i said. "first, we're going on a cruise to the south pacific. then we'll paraglide over danau toba, go skiing in aspen, fishing in bahamas, and finally before i send you back home, we'll have dinner in barcelona. how's that sound?"
"ha ha. very funny. seriously, where are you taking me?"
i was quiet for a while. it was kind of difficult to concentrate on driving when you were beside me. all i wanted to do was look at you. finally i answered your question.
"well... we could go all cliche; we go to a movie and have dinner..."
you stared at me a moment. you narrowed your eyes at me.
"you sound like you have something else in mind wise guy.."
i smiled at you. in my most casual voice i said:
"we could go for ice cream and talk.."
you smiled so sweetly then i could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. you took my free hand (i drove an automatic; still do) in yours.
"i'd love ice cream", you said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"so", i said to you as i brought the ice cream to our table. we were sitting outdoors at a nice cafe nearby a lake. the sky was clear and the stars were out. i couldn't have asked for more.
"so?" you asked back at me whilst sitting with your hands under your chin. you had a slight blush on your cheeks.
"they only had pistachio and durian ice cream left. since i know you don't like durian, i took pistachio." i said.
"you didn't give me the liberty of choosing!"
"it's not exactly like you have a choice, am i right?" i asked back with a grin. little did i see back then that i would have a similar conversation with you 4 years in the future.
"yes", you said. "but you should have let me choose. it's the principal of the matter.."
"i'm sorry then sugar. eat your ice cream.."
you giggled, and dutifully dug your spoon in the dessert. i looked at you as you ate.
"stop staring at me", you said when you finally realized i was looking.
"i can't. you got me captivated" i said.
"you're not even eating your ice cream..!" you scolded playfully. "see, it's all melting and gooey now.."
"i don't care..."i answered with a laugh. "it doesn't really matter anyway. not here, not now.."
you put a hand to your face, and blush. it makes you seem all the more adorable, and it would be a gesture i'd see you do often in the future. for a while we just sat there in silence; you were enjoying your pistachio ice cream, whilst i had left mine to melt. i decided to have a cup of iced coffee instead. when you finished your ice cream, you pushed it aside, cupped your chin in you hands and stared back at me.
"what are you thinking wise guy..?" you said.
"what do you think..?" i asked.
"you're thinking about..me?"
i gave a grateful sigh, to which you laughed at.
"i just can't believe i'm here with you..", i said.
again you blushed, and put a hand to your face.
"i mean..", i said. "when you walked away from the table at the cafe last week i seriously thought that would have been the last i see of you. but here we are now..it's..it's dreamy.."
"love happens.." you said. "even when you don't expect it sayang.."
i snorted a little laugh. "you just called me sayang."
"can't i call you sayang..?" you made a hurt face.
"of course you can..i've been wanting to hear you call me that.." i said. i held out my hand on the table and you took it in yours. i caressed the silky softness of your fingers. honestly at this point i didn't know what to say.
"i don't know what to say", i laughed as i said my thoughts out loud.
you smiled that saccharine smile again and shook you head. "i don't mind.. you're saying so much just by you holding my hand and looking at me.." you said.
i held your hand tighter; i brought your hand you my lips and kissed it gently. you looked surprised but i could see you liked it as well.
"i think.." i said. "all this time before, i missed you being here with me.."
"how could you have missed me..?" you asked, obviously teasing.
"because i was in love with you..?"
you looked down at your lap.
"well then.." you said. "then i guess all this time i've been missing you too.."
you got out of your chair opposite and came to sit beside me. you gently put your head on my shoulder. some other people looked at us; a middle aged couple smiled, probably reminiscing about their own tender days together.
"wise guy.." you said, so softly it was almost inaudible.
"yes sayang..?" i said.
"before we go home tonight, i have something important to tell you.."
"what is it..?"
you giggled.
"i want more ice cream..!"
1 comment:
Interesting to know.
Post a Comment