Love at First Sight Read online

To mom and dad…

  People say the craziest things. Yes, that sure crazy things in life do happen. At a spontaneous rate. Flushy too. But debate much about love at first sight. . .though such may be said; mine though begun with a single blink of my eyes the moment I decided to face the other side of the road on an early Monday morning.

  Do female angels exist? Why doesn’t the Bible mention anything that would help clear our conscious if really female angels do exist? All who we get to read about is Angel Micheal, Angel Gabriel, and Angel Lucifer. I guess female angels are divine and may be among us and sure worth the search. One had just just arrived in my neighbourhood-- She caught more than just my attention. My story starts with a single blink of my eyes and for the first time I can swear to had felt a different change of gravity, a pull I until now can’t narrate exactly, but sparks that had begun to smock hard in my mind were far convincing that I had fallen in love-- A burn I felt and an invisible smoke which almost suffocated me as I lifted a foot further towards her.

  ≈≈≈

  “Hey, Romeo! What do you say we ditch this indoor sensation and take a walk out in the breeze?” After a sudden yawn, I stretched my arms and tilted to face my brother who sat on a couch opposite mine; him too equally exhausted.

  Kind of a vow; I and my brother shared a thought which made us believe that dating was for losers. Him too on a marathon race to riches--we could stay cooped in the house for a couple or more days before grocery demanded our attention. We had a life we could match to that of genies and just waited for some random human to rub the lamp to our release, but this time it was exhaustion which made Romeo and I ditch our studies and walk out of the house that day.

  “I thought you would never ask, Mark.” Romeo too stretched up from his couch. His face almost sober as he stared at me. He dropped first a notebook then a pen on the floor before he could reach for both.

  “Come on, we have twenty minutes to get back to our studies.” I said as quick as I could not to steal a minute more from the twenty we had planned for.

  This is my life. This is how I leave. Oh, well, before my life had daylight--twenty minutes was far the best maximum time out of the house. You know, being far away from both parents and treasuring the last few words that we had heard mom shout to Romeo-- “. . .always remember this one thing, Romeo, take your studies serious and make sure you take good care of my last born. Any call from your aunt (who at that time stayed a house next to the one Romeo and I shared) denoting any sign of misbehaving, and I will. . .no. . .I and your dad will be forced to fly back and ground both you and your young brother for life!” What is she saying? I sighed when I lifted a second stare at mom. This is far the worst ground ever.

  It feels like it were yesterday when we had the entire house to ourselves. But Romeo and I carried with us that long phrase. Or was it a threat?

  Studying became my everything when I was just four, which I carried with me to a point I had ambivalent thoughts. Studying was our life and still is. Although we both completed our education and have degrees in courses we had pursued in. We don’t know what we are studying for. . .we just couldn’t stop studying. Until now. Any book! Worth the read.

  I flashed a smile the moment I noticed Romeo yawn the second time, a thought had reached my mind, but I could still stare on my wrist watch and look back at Romeo-- “Five minutes wasted!” I exclaimed and walked towards the door and only looked forward for that cool morning breeze which no air-con could match. I opened the door and stood by the door. A mouth full was all I needed to go with the breakfast I had. Kind of had. A rush of wind came towards me, it slapped me calmly on the neck, I could feel it touch as well the back of my head. I couldn’t suppress a yawn. I stood mute and waited for Romeo.

  Until then. My thoughts snapped.

  “Move it, slimmy!” Romeo kicked my back, and the next thing I noticed I was couple steps aloof from the door.

  I wanted to voice out. I saw Romeo smirk at my quiver. He tossed the keys to me and trod towards an open road.

  The atmosphere had changed. I stood back and watched at afar past the neighbourhood where I could see about a billion tiny hills.

  Being raised in the city. But Makeni, a land almost deserted, I most of the times could stand back and feed my eyes with the magical view everyday. A view which looked vivid. The one I called el~magnifico. Yes I did spend most of my years with my parents, and all we could look at then were ‘electric man-made mountains,’ like my brother used to call them; an insinuate meaning ‘tall buildings.’ But here in Makeni, we stayed a kilometer away from farms, and we could far get the best glimpses of mother nature’s wonderful carvings. Ahead, a fogy like milky way had the remaining hills hidden. White as snow in the morning-- I stood back to watch forgetting that mine and Romeo’s twenty minutes we had planned for had been fading until I heard a shout from Romeo who stood annoyed with both his hands tacked inside his pockets. I smirked in revenge. My eyes were wide with speculation until I decided to adjust them a little. Without a couple minutes more to steal I turned around and pushed the bars that stood to protect the fragile door we called our exit and en route. A silent push until I heard again a call from Romeo. I shook my head as thoughts whirled in my mind. Sardonic thoughts. I knew better than to smirk again right at him. I ignored the call and proceeded with security checks and made sure before Romeo and I left the neighbourhood our house was locked ‘cause no one could have kept an a eye at our house; Aunt Monica wasn’t around, at least then we could have taken advantage of her generosity.

  “Did it have to take you ten minutes just to lock the door!?” Romeo barked.

  “Easy there, Scooby.” I said, half teasing. . .thankfully my words did not reach Romeo’s ears clear. I turned around and faced again the door and the bars shielding the door.

  “What did you just call me, nackle brain?” Romeo inquired in a thunderous tone as he watched me proceed towards him.

  I could tell by the looks on his face that he was angry. His cheeks were shaking and his eyes had already darkened; a fringe of shadow which had then cast on his eyes by his eyebrows, his mouth seemed stiff. And he had already begun flexing his fingers. Oops! My thoughts snapped hard in my mind. I looked around. The road was bare--neighbours had gone out for work or school. Am doomed. I had to make something up before Romeo figured out that I had just teased him. The keys that I had been tossing in the air when I walked from the door suddenly glued to my hand, the bunch of keys just couldn’t jump up again, but rather my heart hopped all the way until I stood a foot close to Romeo.

  “I have asked you a question, nackle brain.”

  “Oh! Yes. . .about that,” my voice tattered. I quivered as I gripped hard on the bunch of keys I had my hand wrapped all over. Being frightened like this before--when I was a toddler, I could wet my pants. But I was old enough to stand up to Romeo. . .I was seventeen for crying out loud, and Romeo was only twenty three. . .seriously what difference is in between? Whom am I kidding? A lot of years before I was born. But I just couldn’t wet my pants. It was about time that I had to sip through my quiver and face the big man. Mom and dad weren’t around to defend or support me. I had myself to look after and my bravery. I lifted my shoulders and puffed out warm air which stopped by my nose and waited for me to figure something out.

  “I’m waiting--” Romeo snapped.

  “Oh, Romeo, just that I’m lost in thoughts-- Kind of reminding myself about that movie we had watched last night.” My voice tattered still as I tried to escape from a topic which seemed to had been stirring Romeo’s temper.

  “What movie? You know we didn’t watch any--what are you talking about anyway? Has CNN turned into M-Net Movies Zone? We watch news and not movies. . .movies are for losers!” He excl
aimed.

  “Yeah, bro--” I loosened my stiff and flushed a wry smile. I walked close to him and bumped his shoulder “only losers watch fantasies right?” I kept my smile high and waited for Romeo’s ripe laughter which I got a second after an evil look I had received from him.

  “Come on, Mark, we have two minutes left.”

  “What!?” I had both my eyebrows frozen when I caught Romeo’s grin-- “Two minutes? We can’t call that a stroll. . .what are you insinuating, Romeo? That we jog? No way! I need a walk to cure this satanic sensation I’m feeling right now. We have been locked in the house for two days, and all you can say is two minutes to cure that long study session we had?”

  “Yep.” Romeo snapped. And clamped his mouth tight.

  “Please decide better, Romeo, I will do whatever you ask of me if we take a good stroll around Makeni. . .nowhere far, just a walk in a couple of roads dividing Makeni, please.” I said and folded my hands and made eye gestures as I looked at him hoping those would buy me-- “Please.”

  “Anything I ask of you?” Romeo