A Simple Touch

What is the opposite of a kiss?

He is bitter. He is hard. He leaves a cruel sting whenever he touches others. They never forgot him, and always remembered to keep their distance. He never trusts anyone, but keeps himself unnoticed. In fact, he never says a thing. He prefers silence to anything else. He is very much a brute, and not handsome in any way. He doesn't like color, but wears blacks or greys. It helps him hide away. He did not go into public places often.

She is sweet. And she is soft. Others love to touch her fair skin, but she only let a privileged few, and they never forgot her. She is open and loud. She couldn't hold her tongue for the world. If she had a secret, she could hardly keep it, but she knew how to hide it and not cause injury to anyone. She loved to gossip, and knew the most humble and harmless way to go about it. She is beautiful. God's grace had shined on her, and she gave thanks to Him. She also asked forgiveness for the hurtful things she said, although it didn't keep her from saying them. She loves to dress in color, such as pinks and reds. Sometimes even a brown would do; whatever made her stand out the most. And she loved the way she moved in those colors, and the way others noticed her when she wore them.

He did not seek her out. She saw him one day in the market. His black attire caught her attention, and she stared at him. He glanced over, she smiled and waved. But he ignored her. It was a such a disturbing thing for someone to do to her. No one ever ignored her before. She checked herself to make sure she looked okay. There was nothing wrong with her appearance. She was wearing a pretty pale pink that day, that brightened her fair skin. She was radiant. So why did he look away? She was a very curious creature, and also proud. And so, gathering up her courage, she walked over to him.

"Hi." She said as perky as she could. He didn't say anything. He was browsing the cheeses. "Hello?" She said again a little louder, thinking maybe he didn't hear her. He still gave her no attention. After a few seconds of waiting for his response, she was fed up with him. But not enough to leave him alone. She moved in closer and examined him. He really was not pretty at all, he was so ugly. But she couldn't help but think that was because he looked so angry. If he had a more jovial attitude, his expression would be much better. Then suddenly he gave her a side glance. It was cold and struck fear into her heart.  It was violent, clearly expressing a warning to stay away. Then he returned to normal, and stepped to the side away from her. She stood there frozen from his icy glare. She was quite shaken by it. And by the fear in her heart she should have stayed away. But it wasn't like her to stay out of trouble. Trouble was almost like her own drug, that is pleasant and exciting at first, but then you have to pay for it later. And even though he was terrifying, she wanted to figure him out. It was a dangerous game she wanted to play.

She stood in the same place, thinking for the right thing to say next. What words could she use to win him over. She is skilled in words, and knows which ones could pull people's strings. She played them many times before. But this situation was more challenging. At other times, it was easy because everyone else she met were trusting. She knew he expected her to leave him alone, and if not, he would expect her to be angry with him. So she prepared to comment on him as casually as possible. She cautiously waltzed up behind him.

"Which cheese are you looking for?" It didn't sound quite so dumb in her head. But still it was the best conversation starter she could think of. Like before, he didn't answer, but it was obvious she was annoying him from the way he tightened up. "I like that one." She said pointing. "It's strong and the flavor is simply..."

"I'll get that one." He said to the lady at the counter who had come to attend them. The lady brought out a white cheese. She knew the cheese. She liked to experiment new things, and so she chose it, thinking it would offer her something rich and delightful. Instead, it was bitter and disgusting.

"I don't think you want that one." She advised.

"Why not?" He asked, not looking at her.

"It's...It's gross, and bad."

He looked irritated again. "This is my favorite."

She was silent again, wondering how he could honestly say he liked it. Wondering why he wouldn't open up to her like all the others. Wondering why he didn't care at all to try to impress her.

"What's your problem?" She finally exploded. Her temper got the best of her, and she lost her wit. "I'm trying my best to be nice to you." The lady handed him his cheese and he placed it inside his bag. Then he turned around to leave. "Hey!" She reached out to him.

What a sensation passed from him to her when they touched. It creeped from her skin and spread down into her nerves. It made her shutter violently. His skin was rough and crude that it made her cringe. It left her feeling want and dry and cold. On the other hand, when he touched her, it made him feel warm and invigorated. The sensation that passed through him lifted him up and excited him. Her soft skin softened his own heart.

They stared at each other, both equally surprised at the encounter. He would have liked to say something then, but he knew how he affected her, and waited for her response. He expected her to be horrified by him, like the rest. She tried to calm herself, but she couldn't help herself from shaking. But, despite how awful he made her feel, she wasn't totally disgusted. Actually, a new feeling rose inside her that she never felt before. While it was chilling and abhorrent, the sensation changed something about her, in a different way than anyone would have expected. Instead of repulsing her, he perplexed her.

She drooped down, embarrassed. "Sorry." She murmured. This was even more strange to him. Usually when someone touched him, he was the one who should be apologizing. It was his fault for being so abominable.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked. She didn't know what to say. For once in her life, she was at a loss for words. He thought over the appropriate thing to do. "Follow me."

He glided down the aisles quickly, and she, obeying, half ran behind him. He stopped at the fruits. He took a box of strawberries and opened it. When she saw what he was doing, she tried to tell him that he would get in trouble. But it was no use now. "Take this." He said, offering her a strawberry and taking a bite. Then he searched his bag, took out the cheese and gave her a bite sized piece. "Together with this." She hesitated. She really didn't like the taste of the cheese, but he looked determined, so she had to agree.

She reluctantly took a bite, at first keeping her tongue away from it. But there was no way she could swallow without tasting it. To her surprise it was different than before. The sweet and tart strawberry was stronger than the bitterness of the cheese. The strawberry actually complemented the cheese in such a way that the two together made a bold delightful flavor.

"That's why that cheese is my favorite." She didn't know how to respond. As embarrassed as she was, her heart flittered with a new beat. And, despite his brutish nature, she wanted to know more of him.

"Let's do this again?" She asked. She would never know how shocked he was. That someone so graceful and beautiful as her wanted to see him again. He didn't answer right away. He thought that in some way, it was wrong to accept. That he would wrong her. No doubt he would drag her down with him. What if she lost her beauty and became like him? But he felt like he needed someone like her in his life. She might even make him better.

"Alright." He replied. She smiled, and he did too. And in that moment he didn't seem like a brute. She thought he was pleasant.

And so, they finished their shopping together and left together; her world changed, and his world opened.

Author's Note

This was a writing exercise I did regarding the description, "what is the opposite of a kiss?" In the story, 'she' was a pair of lips, and 'he' was more or less my answer to the question. Tell me what you think? How can I improve? And tell me your response to the question. Have you ever experienced the opposite of a kiss?

Reviews

[zainul]

Quite magical and fabulous story.
Absurd yet tangible.
You have mastered the art of captivating a reader.
Enjoyed reading.

[Arsalan Kouser]

I loved the story! I definitely think that these two complement each other...just like any couple would! They bring out in each other their best parts.