Suddenly

Suddenly Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

Will You?

I knew what I had to do but I was afraid to do it, it seemed like the right thing to do, all the evidence pointed me in that direction. I had to ask Havana to be my girl friend!

Watching her smile at me when I drove pass her home made me feel so good, it seemed as if she stood resolute at her window waiting for me to pass by. I would drive by her home on purpose just to wave back at her, that feeling never grew old; there was something about that smile and wave that had me coming back for more.

She had an undertone of sweetness that stirred within me, almost like I was a cup of the warmest hot chocolate and she was the sugar swirling inside me. Her rough boyish exterior was an attractive quality, I'd often see her climbing trees outside her home, she didn't appear to be bothered with the things that other girls were interested in. She almost never had any make-up on or fancy jewelry, yet she was always the prettiest girl in the room, her uninterested attitude in femininity and vanity reminded me that she was very much like BE.

Maybe the only reason I was attracted to her was because she was a lot like BE. Whatever the reason was didn't matter because the bottom line was that I liked her and there was something about her that made me feel good.

Dad had invited her over for dinner that Friday evening. She had fast become a family friend, closer to my parents than she was to me. At dinner she sat upright and conducted herself as a woman should. After dinner she helped mum do the dishes and made dad and the boys a round of hot chocolate and tea. I watched as she navigated herself in our kitchen, her long arms reached up for the sugar and our favorite mugs. She could do no wrong, the kettle sang as she swirled and danced her way on the kitchen floor and asked, "How many sugars guys?"

We responded accordingly as we placed our orders for our warm beverage treats, she fitted in, she was one of us. The night drew to a close and it was getting late, Havana didn't live too far away from my home so I offered to take her home.

It was a warm summer night, and the moon lit up the street like a lamp. "Would you like to walk?" I asked, "Yeah sure, that would be nice" she replied.

We walked in sequence, step after step, our swaying hands almost touched as we spoke to each other, we talked about little insignificant things and about things that mattered, we talked about everything that night.

The last time I had walked with a girl on the street was almost fifteen years ago, it was with BE on our walk to school from her home. I remember working so hard just to get myself to coincide with her at the exact moment of her leaving her gate.

This walk with Havana was much easier and the conversation was with actual words spoken. Havana wasn't difficult to read, she was an open book, she cared about me and she wanted me to know it.

I knew I had just a few minutes before we reached her home and then it was goodnight. I had a tiny window of opportunity to make my move. As we arrived at her post box, I stopped her and held her by the hand, "Havana I need to ask you something"

"Yes, what is it?" she exclaimed...

"Havana I really like you, and I was hoping to see you again"

"I'd like to see you too", she said

"Havana, will you? Eh....will you? (Deep breath....sigh)

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

After a few uneasy seconds she smiled back at me as her cheeks began to turn pink, and she replied, "Yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend Mister".

There, underneath the moonlit street, the shimmering tar beneath our feet, we stared at each other as if for the first time. Our feet drew closer and closer, our fingers intertwined with each others. Like two magnets pulling together, our lips touched, we kissed for the first time.

My feet leapt off the ground, my body felt weightless, eyes shut yet I could see everything, the world appeared colorful and alive. We stopped for a moment, looked at each other, our noses brushed as we went in for another kiss. Her lips knew mine; they touched in the sweetest manner. She instinctively knew just how to kiss me.

Waiting all these years for that quintessential moment was worth it. A million kisses followed in the days and months to come, I became so fond of kissing her, kissing her was the most stupefying experience.

Havana was easy going, we'd spend hours together. I found myself laying in bed and loosing minutes as my thoughts would reminiscent of the days' events with her. Time flew by yet stood still, I couldn't explain it. It felt like nothing I had ever experienced before.

I was a total novice at dating and I was in for the ride of my life. My emotions were heightened, my whole body came alive with her, it was a Lazarus effect. I was brought back to life ever since she found her way into my heart. For years I had built this barrier which enclosed my heart, keeping it in an unenterprising disposition, away from prowling heart breakers who might permeate through.

The sentries on guard were unmindful of the obscure breach in the hedge around my protected heart. They were unable to pick her up on the radar; she broke through the fences and found a way through the heavy armory.

I'm in! Over and out!

I put up very little of a fight, I had to admit, being loved and wanted felt good, it was a whole new different kind of feeling than being brushed aside by BE. All this time I've been waiting for the perfect love to get a hold of me and I've been waiting for that love to come from the arms of BE. It was Havana that wrapped her arms around me, tighter and tighter, until I got weaker and weaker, I fought as much as I could, until I finally I gave in.

We were dating.