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Chapter 10
Sunday, September 27, 2009 @ 11:00 AM
Title: Pearldrops.
Author: Яįє 10. Love is but an imagination Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends.I shifted uneasily from side to side, embarrassed. Trying to laugh off my ignorance, I smiled sheepishly at him.
“Feel free to make yourself at home,” he said as he looked straight in my eye, a slight smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. Reluctantly, I peeled my eyes off his retreating back as he left and chided myself once again for my stupidity.
Seconds ticked by as I stood in the empty kitchen, waiting. Where had he gone to? I assumed it was the washroom. Minutes passed and I drummed my fingers on the kitchen counter as I grew impatient. Mentally counting down to ten, I swiveled to the side, glancing at the kitchen clock. Ten minutes. Ten freaking unbearable minutes! I screamed silently. It was time to remind him of
my presence. Don’t they earthlings know that leaving a guest, an invited one at that, unattended, is just pure rude?
Wandering out of the kitchen, I crossed hastily through the living room. Not knowing where I was headed, I clambered up the stairs loudly, going all the way up to the top floor- the third floor. There were two doors, one on the far right, and another all the way to the left. Taking the latter, I strode pass the doorway without knocking; it was left open anyway. The white-washed curtains coming instantly into full view and fluttering in the wind drew a seemingly distant memory- that face of peaceful tranquility appeared once again in my mind. This was where I had seen him sound asleep. Someone had changed the bed sheet. Rather than the dirty-green I recalled seeing, it was a silky, baby blue. The covers were neatly folded and stacked.
Impressive! For someone like him to own a neat streak was unbelievable. I chuckled in disbelief. Silently, I ambled deeper. There was a connecting doorway leading to another room; yet another intriguing aspect I had never happened to observe on my previous ‘visit’. Twisting the white handle of the door knob, I pushed the door slightly ajar and peered inside. There was nobody in sight. Bolder, I tapped lightly in to the room, scanning it quickly.
There were two surf boards leaning against a huge cupboard. Marveling at their intricate designs, my eyes travelled quickly to a wooded desk, painted a glorious blue, standing forlornly at the far end of the room. Stuck on a panel above it were numerous photographs. They were taped haphazardly in an artistically-skilled and glamorous pattern. The juxtapose composite formed a beautiful layout which struck me as loud, original and obviously eye-catching, reminding me, once again, of Ray’s flamboyant personality.
I could recognize some of the people in the photos; they were his usual circle of friends. This was obviously Ray’s den. I smiled proudly to myself, as if having uncovered a secret, long-lost treasure and suddenly feeling nervous because I was in his room, alone. Moving closer, I stared carefully at the pictures. There were smiles, tanned hot bodies, pictures of him at the beach with his gang, him on a wave…There were also pictures of him with girls, scantily-clad, clinging on to his arm like leeches, with their voluptuous boobs shoved unpleasantly onto his chest. I skipped those immediately because the jealousy engulfed me like a tsunami; I hated it. Yet, I could not help noticing one picture of him and a girl in particular, whose name was Flora, or whatsoever; I had to admit, she was curvaceously sexy, just about any guy’s dream girl. Remembering vividly that she had constantly sought Ray’s attention on my first day at school made me uncomfortable. Were they an item? I tried to shut those miserable thoughts out of my head. That girl was such a slug. Somehow, I was glad I had heard her vile thoughts. It gave me a reason to stay away from her clutches.
Suddenly, something at the bottom caught my eye. It was something different, something out of place; the black and white contrast made it distinctly incongruous among the montage.
The frayed ends of the photo told me it was taken a long time ago. I could vaguely discern a young boy in the photo. He was definitely Ray in his younger days. The boyish charm Ray now had was prominent in the boy’s mischievous smile. I had the sudden urge to rip off the young boy’s cheeks. The young Ray had been much more adorable and chummy-looking, probably making him a popular hit among old grannies, contrary to his current surfer-dude look, which drew huge masses of girls.
What caught my attention was the man standing at the back. He was strangely familiar. He looked like someone I knew, but who? As I fingered the brittle sides of the photo, something in me clicked. The man in the photograph was my father! Or was it? I hesitated. It was too astonishingly coincidental. Why was Ray with him? Did they know each other? Where was him now? A vortex of questions threatened to bombard me. Frantically, I tried to calm myself down. I was certainly being paranoid. There was no way the man would turn out to be my biological father. It was impossible. My hands turned icily clammy.
I had to ask Ray. Where the hell was he? As I spun around, Ray appeared timely at the doorway.
“There you are!” he exclaimed. The roguish grin plastered on his face waned away as I stormed passed him purposefully, striding out of the room.
“Hey hey,” he declared softly as I felt him grab my left hand and drew me up to him. My spine tingled when I realised his arms had encircled my waist. I tried to wriggle my way out of the trap, yet he held on to me firmly. The close proximity made me breathless. His face inched closer to mine.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, baby,” he apologized remorsefully. I pouted, deciding. He seemed sincere enough.
“Where were you? And who’s the man in the monochrome photo?” I muttered inquiringly.
“What man?” he asked, uncertainty flitting across his face. I pointed at the panel. Revelation flashed past, lighting up the gloom on his face.
“That picture was given to me by my caregiver at the orphanage,” he said quietly. “As far as I can remember, my parents left me there when I first came in to this world. I could barely take my first few steps back then.”
“I’m sorry,” I said sympathetically. A wave of pity rushed through me. I totally understood how he felt; in one way or another, we were on the same boat, somehow.
“It’s okay.” He said as he smiled. It was such a sad smile. I could sense the loneliness exuding from within him although he tried in vain to hide it.
“I have no idea who the man was, but I could make a trip down to the orphanage and ask the caregiver personally. She was a warm-hearted lady, always willing to listen to my troubles,” he continued.
I nodded understandingly. She must have been like a mother to him. My heart ached at how similar and heartrending stories our lives were. I cleared my throat. The moment was turning awkward, what with his strong arms still clasped firmly around me, never letting go.
“Well, don’t you have a girlfriend already?” I demanded, eyeing him wearily. The tone in my voice signaled a warning which said let-go-of-me.
“Girlfriend?” he looked puzzled. His gaze travelled in the direction at which my eyes glared at. Instantly, a chuckle erupted.
“I see…you mean Flora?”
I pursed my lips, confirming his question.
“It’s a one-sided affair on her part,” he said simply. “She’s irritating and annoying. We call her ‘the parasite’.”
“Oh.” That was all I could manage to say. Relief flooded me and I couldn’t help but start to fluster at my ignorance once again. He looked at me, amused.
“Was it jealousy I sensed?” he teased. He leaned closer, taking delight in taunting me.
“Shall I show you where I was?” he asked deridingly, a playful smile lingering on his countenance. Slipping his hand in mine, he led me out of the room without waiting for a reply. His palm felt warm and reassuring and my hand felt perfect in his. He pulled me along the stairs to the second floor and showed me down the corridor to the far end.
“Here we are,” he announced, smiling mysteriously at me before twisting the door handle.
The door opened to a lounge- the room was split into two obvious planes by a huge overhanging screen coming down from the high ceiling. It was a television, something I thought was similar to the authentic reflections we mermaids had. The space below the television was illuminated with flickering lights. Playing in the background was soft, soothing music which was pleasurable to my ears. Not to mention, the buzz of voices I heard which was confusing when there was nobody around. The floor dazzled and sparkled, illuminated by an efficacious glow. On closer inspection, I realized I was stepping on water; something I could do only in Aquarealm. The flooring was made of transparent glass and there was water beneath it. What was even remarkable was the fact that there was marine life in the floor! This would explain the voices. Instantly, I felt at home. This was finally somewhere I belonged. Bending down, I spotted a brown starfish with black, orange spots.
“Can you hear me?” I spoke mentally to it.
Its suckers popped lazily in response. Slouching leisurely, its arms waved me away. I had probably disrupted its nap. As usual, starfishes were renowned borne slackers. My eyes popped open when I saw the comfortable couches and bean bags that lay strewn in front of a bar on one side.
I scanned the other side of the room. It was empty except for a mirrored wall at the end. I caught my reflection. My hair was a bubblegum pink. I sighed. It appeared pink more often than usual now that Ray was mostly at my side.
“Happy birthday,” someone whispered in my ear. I could see Ray in the reflection behind me. He was looking expectantly at the mirror too, searching my face for signs of emotion. There was no need for that.
My hair turned a brilliant orange.
“Surprised?” he asked, obviously delighted with himself. It was more of a statement than a question.
“How did you know?” I asked, twirling around. He was holding a tray with many lighted candles. I counted slowly. Sixteen candles. He had prepared this especially for me. Suddenly, I felt water flowing out of my eyes.
“What’s this? Why are my eyes leaking?” I asked, terrified.
“Those are tears,” he chuckled madly. “You’re crying.”
“Crying? Am I dying?”
This was a first for me.
“You’ve never cried?” he asked incredulously. “It’s normal. Humans cry when they are happy or sad.” Momentary bewilderment seeped in before I experienced a sense of elation.
“I need the washroom,” I mumbled quickly, escaping out of the room before he had time to say anything. I hurried down the corridor and slid open the toilet door. Closing it, I sat in the bath tub and tried to hide myself. I was touched. Ray had remembered my birthday, or had gone to find out for himself about it. Nobody ever did. Not even my siblings; mermaids did not celebrate birthdays.
My mind clouded as my emotions ran wild. He was the first person who actually cared for me, and he was human. Now there was even water gushing out of my eyes. I sobbed silently. I had landed myself in a replica of mum’s past. From the moment I had set eyes on Ray, there was no turning back. The curse would befall me and I had obliged to it. I knew I would sacrifice my life for him. Was it time to admit that I had fallen in love with a human?
I needed to think. Changing into my mermaid form would definitely help clear my mind. I turned the tap, letting water rain down on me.
Author's note: Hoped you guys had fun reading. Thanks for making this possible by supporting me! :D
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