It's Magic --- PART I - Chapter 4

A little monologue, and a little music. . .

Chapter 4

 

        Is that it? Doesn’t he really remember? My goodness, I’ve waited for seven years!

        Or am I just overreacting?

        “Hey, Kate... Why are you crying?” He asks, confused with my reaction. Well, even I didn’t expect that I would shed tears with this. It’s just… I feel so bad and disappointed.

        “N-no… I just remember something.”

        “Are you sure?” He asks, holding both my shoulders.

        He looks at me eye-to-eye and I hesitate to answer for a while of seeing my reflection in his eyes.

        “Y-yeah…” I say, taking my glance away from his eyes. I can’t resist the power of his eyes, which if you couldn’t avoid it, can draw the truth out. Well, if I tell him about the “real” reason, he might think that I’m crazy.

        “I think you’re not…” he counters. He’s persistent.

        “I �" I am…” I say. I’m denial.

        Well, my heart seems to skip a beat with what he does next that greatly surprised me. He pulls me closer to him and as our skin touch, I can feel “heaven.” I can feel his arms wrapping on my back. He’s hugging me.

        For a while, I’m just that �" motionless. As he lets go of me, it feels like I want to hug him back. It seems like I miss the way his arms wrap around my back. But that seems to relieve the tension I feel inside me.

        “Why… why did you do that?” I ask him, still surprised with what he did.

        “I just thought that you needed a hug. My mom used to tell me that I should comfort my friends who cry, especially girls.” I smile at the thought.

        “That’s so thoughtful of you, Kevin.” My face brightens.

        “Well, you can tell me why you cried. I’d listen.” He says, his hand reaching the back of his neck. “Does that have something to do with that pendant? And may I ask why you asked me if I remember that one? See, I don’t get anything…”

        Confirmed… So he’s not Ron, which adds to my dismay and disappointment.

        “Never mind that, I think I’m going crazy. I’m sorry…” I lie, but not looking at his mesmerizing hazel eyes.

        “O-okay then…” he says.

        “I’ll go ahead. Bye Kevin.” I say, starting to walk, leaving him behind. “Thank you anyway.”

        “Okay. Bye, Kate.” He replies.

        I run then. I don’t even know why I did so. Maybe I just feel like running.

        As soon as I get home, I’m just being sober towards mom, dad and Camille. Instead, I locked myself in my own room. I feel bad. I really thought that Kevin is Ron. But damn, I was expecting too much. Maybe I should just forget about Ron?

        I heave out a sigh and get my guitar. With a few touches, I think I managed to fix my hair. I take my position on the corner near my bed, my back against the cold wall.

        I strum the strings of my guitar, starting with the chord F. Then, I sing…

 

I’m awake in the afternoon, I fell asleep in the living room

It’s one of those moments when everything’s so clear

          Before the truth goes back into hiding, I wanna decide ‘cause it’s worth deciding

          To work on finding something more than just fear …

         

It takes so much out of me to pretend

          Tell me now, tell me how to make amends

 

Maybe, I need to see the daylight, leave beyond the half-life

          Don’t you see I’m breakin’ down?

          Oh lately, some here don’t feel right, this is just a half-life

          Is there really no escape, no escape from time? (of any kind …)

 

          I keep tryin’ to understand, amiss thing and nothing my fellow man

I guess I’ll let you know when I figure it out

I don’t mind a few mysteries; they could stay that way once found by me

But you are another mystery I am missing …

 

It takes so much out of me to pretend

          Tell me now, tell me how to make amends

 

Maybe, I need to see the daylight, leave beyond the half-life

          Don’t you see I’m breakin’ down?

          Oh lately, some here don’t feel right, this is just a half-life

          Is there really no escape, no escape from time? (of any kind …)

 

          Come on, let’s fall in love; come on, let’s fall in love; Come on, let’s fall in love, again …

 

          ‘Cause lately, some here don’t feel right, this is just a half-life

          Without you I am breakin’ down

          Oh wake me, I wanna see the daylight, send me from this half-life

          Let’s you and I escape, escape from time …

        I stop strumming the guitar, and I stop singing, not finishing the song. I can pretty relate with the last stanza I sang of the song, Half-life…

        I draw the half-moon-shaped pendant from my chest and hold it closely. I wanna see the daylight, Ron. And you are the daylight in me.

If only I could escape from time and jump to the day when we will finally be together, I guess I’d be more than willing to do that. Seeing the half-moon-shaped pendant makes me think, Ron gave me this, as he has the other half. I know it’s senseless, but what I really want now is to find the other half and then rejoin the pair into one. I wonder what will happen then. I also have an idea, that we are somewhat connected by these half-moon-shaped pendant, and maybe that’s why I keep on thinking about Ron and hoping for him to come back.

        I don’t know… They say soulmates are like a big piece, broken into two, and they had to find each other so they would be complete. Well, my whole life I never felt being “complete” since the day Ron left after giving me a part of him, this half-moon-shaped pendant.

        ARRRRGHH! I’m thinking about pointless things! Let’s stop this…

 

        The next morning comes like a glimpse of the moonlight behind those light clouds in the evening. And I feel like being early in school. So I went early.

        I go to our first classroom, our advisory.

        I am pretty surprised when I see Lawrence, holding an acoustic guitar. He’s maybe from the music room.

        “Good morning, Kate.” He greets me with a smile.

        “Good morning, Lawrence.” I respond with a pout and then go to my chair.

        Well, he’s gotten handsome since last afternoon. Now, his nerdy glasses are still on, like yesterday, and he looks cute with that. And now, he wears a chalice jacket which suits his personality.

        My eyes follow him… He sits on the ground, the guitar on his lap, his back against the wall, and his head slightly turned upwards.

        “Do you mind?” he asks. “I’m bored. I just feel like playing guitar and singing…”

        “Not at all. Go on.” I answer with a smile.

        And then he starts playing the guitar, and with a sweet soft voice, he sings…

 

          I wanna make you smile whenever you’re sad

          Carry you ‘round when your arthritis is bad

 

          The line makes me chuckle upon hearing it, and he stops for a while.

        “I didn’t know that you can play guitar well.” I compliment him.

        “Oh, didn’t I tell you that I do?”

        “You didn’t.”

        “But now you know…” and we both laugh a little.

 

        He continues singing. He has a good voice, he’s not tone deaf.

 

          All I wanna do is grow old with you

 

          I’ll get your medicine when your tummy aches

          Build you a fire if the furnace breaks

 

        Because of his good voice, I can’t help myself but to sing along with the following line.

 

        It could be so nice �" growing old with you

 

        “I didn’t know you had such good voice.” He compliments me.

        “No, you do…” I counter.

        “We both do. Period.” He concludes, and then we both laugh a little. Corny!

        I don’t know but, I seem to be getting along well with Lawrence, as well as with Kevin.

        A while later, another classmate of ours enters and as time passes by, one by one, some by groups, the others arrive.

        The classes run smoothly, for the whole morning, since in Tuesdays, our only subject in the morning is Music which runs for four hours. That’s for Tuesdays, and in the afternoon, four hours of Arts, and in that subject, Kevin, Lawrence, Mylene and I were classmates.

        After the classes, I invited Mylene, Kevin and Lawrence to go with me in the café, my treat… But Kevin said that he should go home early this day, so he’s not counted in. And Lawrence seems to be preoccupied by our classmate in Arts, Pinky. He said she invited him first so he didn’t refuse at their invitation as he “believes” in the saying, “first come first served.” Well, Lawrence seems to make more friends than everyone else do. My friends �" I think I’m picky… but the close ones were Mylene, Lawrence and… Kevin. Yeah, the three of them…

        Anyway, I end up with only Mylene coming with me in the café.

        “Hey, Saab… Let me introduce Mylene Carpenter, my friend…”  I say to Saab on the counter with a smile. “Mylene, meet Saab Clark.” They both smiled to each other and exchanged greetings: “Nice meeting you, Saab.”, “Nice meeting you, Mylene.”

        They seem to share almost the same looks, though Mylene is prettier. Well, she has the longer hair, and if you look closely, the major difference is the color of their eyes.

        “By the way, what’s your order for today, Kate?” Saab asks me.

        “Umm, two Bavarians, two choco-webb doughnuts, and… Mylene, what’s your choice in terms of hot drink?” I look at Mylene in question. “Mine is milk-choco…” I add.

        “What flavors do you have?” I’m pretty sure she asks Saab.

        “We have flavors like milk-chocolate, cream milk, vanilla coffee, black chocolate, brown chocolate and we also serve special milky strawberry, milky mango and creamy coffee.”

        “Milky mango… Is it okay with you, Kate?” she asks me.

        “Sure. Anything you like…” I say with a smile. “How about sidings? Would you like Coco-milk salad? Carbonara? Leche flan? Cheese-caramel cake…? I insist.”

        “You can pick for me.” she says, relaxed.

        “Okay…” I say, and I turn to Saab. “Add, one milk-choco, milky mango, and two caramel-cheese cakes, please.”

        “Coming right away.” She says in her usual high intonation. “Take your seats girls.”

        We take our seats, face-to-face with each other near the window, my usual place. And then after a minute of wait, the order comes in a tray.

        We eat, and as we do, we talk about other things, which started with school matters until it gets with our classmates. Well, I try my best to avoid things that concern Ron and his part in my life. Well, as I observe her talk, she seems to be somewhat vain with words when it comes to matters that I think she hates, and I notice that she’s… antagonistic. Or maybe I’m not yet used to her. I do almost all of the talking, but when she starts speaking, she seems to speak with no end, and I like that. At least, we’re not bored with ourselves.

        After our snack, I paid the bills, since I am the one who insisted the treat, and then we bid goodbye to each other. Well, she thanked me for the “wonderful” meal. She even said that she was full. Plastic! Joke… At least, we’re now closer. The thought makes me smile.

        Before I went home, I ordered Cheese-caramel cake, two Bavarians and a cream milk flavored hot drink. At least, I can bring snack for Camille.

        I do my usual mannerism, in which I blow my closed mouth… Hey, it’s quite a long while since I did so.

 

        The succeeding weeks have been going well. The four of us �" Kevin, Lawrence, Mylene and me �" have been recruited to the Multimedia Club in which Mylene is a stage designer and Lawrence is the music arranger for Theater Department; Kevin is an animation agent in the 3D Department; and I am an actress in the Acting Department. Well, this “set-up” allows the four of us to bond more often and know each other more. We even exchanged contacts already.

        Well, Kevin seems to have made a mannerism with me as well, and that is he pinches me on the nose every time �" yeah, EVERYTIME: if not my nose, then my cheeks.

         I can’t help it. I like the way he pinches my nose or my cheeks. At first, I try to counter it by trying to pinch him as well, but I always fail, so I instead tickle him on his waists, with the tables turned �" me, trying to catch him. Well, Lawrence and Mylene always notice us, but both seem to be sober. They seem to be locked in their own separate worlds during such times, and Kevin and I are like cats running around trying to catch each other. And I believe that one thing is true whenever I was with Kevin. I felt magic.

        Even up until the present, I can feel the magic around us, especially when he tells me that he likes my eyes. Because I believe that what he always says is true, proven when he looks directly at my eyes when he utters such perfect words that I love to hear.

        Well, to be honest, I’m starting to like him. But I am unsure, maybe I just see Ron in him, so I’ll be secretive about that until I figure it out.

 

        By the way, today is Saturday, so we have nothing to do but prepare for my play on Monday. Haven’t I told you that we’ll be having a play, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves on Monday in which my role is the witch?

        Well, it suits me. Kevin even said that I’ll make a pretty witch. *Blush*

        I invited Mylene to go with me to buy the necessary materials, but she refused. She said that she and Lawrence were needed in the Theater Department this whole day. So that leaves me with Kevin. And when I invited him, he agreed to my invitation.

        I am now in the café, our meeting place. Well, we decided to just meet up here so we won’t have hard times searching for each other.

        “Good morning, sir…” Saab greets the new comer.

        I turn and see him smiling at Saab. It’s Kevin.

        “Oh, hi Kevin…” I greet him, and then flash Saab a smile.

        “Hello, Kate.” He greets me as well

        I stand up, go to him near the counter, and introduced them to each other.

        “Hey Kevin, meet Saab Clark. Saab, meet Kevin Smith.” They smile at each other and then exchanged greetings: “Nice meeting you, Saab.”, “Nice meeting you, Kevin.”

        Kevin then takes his seat on the corner table, in front of where I usually sit. I smile at the thought. We’re counterparts.

        “Hey Kate…” Saab says in a low voice. “Isn’t he the one you’re talking about?”

        “Yeah,” I say. Well, that reminds me, I’ve been talking to Saab about Kevin for while. But I excluded the topic about Ron, my childhood playmate. She might think that I’m crazy.

        “My goodness, Kate… He’s so �"” Before she could finish her statement, I shut her up by pushing my hand against her mouth.

“Shut up, okay?”