"We're here," Bleu whispered to me , tapping my shoulder lightly
I stretched my arm, slowly opening my eyes. He then helped me stood up as I was almost buried in my blankets I couldn't get up.
After we got out of the plane, we rode a car and I eventually fell asleep again. Such ashame I didn't get to see the view on the drive.
Right before we were getting off the car, we were greeted by Mikhail's mother with a hug immediately.
"Aww, Raine!" Mother greeted squeezing me in for a hug, then turning to Bleu to hug him too and hugging me again. Almost like I was her child.
Mikhail was an only child so, I guess she's been excited since I first met her. Our first meeting she even mentioned having her grandchildren already.
"Oh mother! We missed you too," I smiled slightly pulling away from the hug to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"We've got a lot to catch up on,darling. How's our newlyweds? When the baby due?" She asked with glee.
I glanced at Mikhail rolling his eyes, scratching his head. We were soon at the sofa chatting away.
Mother can certainly be the life of the party, her stories seem to never end. As for Bleu, I don't know but he didn't get her mother's charm on talking. I would be pretty lucky if I could get him to talk a full paragraph. I would always be the one talking and I must agree, he is a great listener.
It was late after dinner before realized the time, her mother insisted me sleeping with her and eventually we got Mikhail to agree.
"Mother, I would like to go to the library for awhile before I sleep," I said intending to go on my own.
"I see, knowledge is indeed power. I would love to walk you there,"
"it's fine, I'll find my way there," I replied cutting her shortly.
Soon I was walking down the empty hallways, lit up by flaming torches. Trying my hardest not to get lost, I study every corner I walked into, looking around in awe of the architecture.
Then I met a big door, assuming it was the library, I took a peak from the door. And at last, it was the library.
There were hundreds if not thousands of books, the lights were a bit dimmed but a book with golden platings on its cover quickly caught my eye. Almost as if it was calling me.
Right when I was extending my hand to grab it from the shelf, it fall on its own.
"Historical Myths of Netherlands," I read smiling only to realize it was in Dutch.
I spot a chair near a table with a lamp, as I was sitting I felt someone sitting next to me, it was Bleu.
I sneezed and sneezed harder than the first others, immediately, Mikhail grabbed the book and stood up to wipe the dust away. I followed him looking over his shoulder in my curiosity.
He approached me, "You're going to read this?"
I replied, "Yes, it's mine. Now, give it back!"
"There is no translation, just find something else there." he said laughing
I said, "That's what I want, maybe there's pictures I scan through there?"
"You really want to read this?" he chuckled.
"Yes, and how many times do I have to say so?"
He replied "I know this one." Smiling he continued, "I know a story from this one."
Then he said, "Do you want me to read this to you?"
I raised an eyebrow teasing , "Can you read?"
Then he smiled, "stop teasing me, let's go to my room."
"Hey,your mom will be looking for me, I told her I'll be sleeping with her"
"You're wife, am I not allowed to borrow you?"
"Wow! What am I, a object? What if she does come looking for me?"
"All right, all right, come back later after, okay?"
"Okay deal!"
Mikhail opened his room, then letting me in into his safe space. The fireplace was the heart of the room, flames were roaring biting furiously into the logs.
I froze, unable to look away from the comforting sight, its warmth and light were beckoning me.
I looked at Bleu and noticed he was changing, there was hint of smile in his gaze at me.
Looking away, I took my shoes off and walked near the fireplace extending my arms towards it.
I saw a piano pointing at it I said, "play something for me"
He replied, "Yes, but I don't play the piano anymore, I'm a bit rusty."
"Please, just one! or else I'm leaving. " I said begging him with puppy eyes at the same time, pretending about to go to the door.
He quickly went to the piano, and started to play. I sat on the floor, watching him, every fingers sliding into the keys, his eyes still at me.
There were no words spoken, but the music was taking us away. Every note, the melody made the atmosphere felt like home.
After playing, he continued to stare at me, and soon I noticed that it was over. I stood up and dragged him holding the book to the fireplace.
He smirked, taking his coat off, loosened the neck of the shirt and rolled up the sleeves.
He came closer, for awhile we were looking at the fire silently. I looked over at him involuntarily.
I turned to grab a blanket on his bed and rolled myself in it, leaning at his shoulder while he was holding the book turning the pages.
"is it really your room? I mean since childhood? " I spoke breaking the silence.
"Yes, why?"
"Oh, really?"
"I spent my whole childhood here, the library and at the garden. I don't have any friends, remember ? "
"Aww that's sad," I said frowning.
"Nope, it wasn't. You're already here. "
"Me, what do I have to do with your childhood? We haven't met yet! "
"That's what you thought, why do you think I came to the Philippines? I could've stayed here. "
"Shall I?" He continued shifting the topic to the book.
I raised my hand to his face and hovered it by his cheek for a moment, looking at his face clearly, and then pulled away.
Mikhail kept silent for awhile watching me tenderly, as if he couldn't get enough of me.
I too, couldn't look away from him, his eyes pulling me in everytime, telling me something he couldn't tell himself.
He smiled, leaned closer his fingers went thoroughly my hair putting them in place softly.
Mikhail then started reading, he was reading fragments in Dutch, then translating them. His voice soft and husky, a lullaby to my ears.
"For he could not reach the moon in front of him, he tried and failed a hundred times. Yet he didn't give up on her."
Listening to his velvety voice, watching his lips move, catching all the emotions he's trying to convey. I kept trying to submerge myself to the fairytale, but I couldn't help but watch him. At some point I fet so warm and safe that I fell asleep, next to the fireplace roaring gently accompanied by his comforting voice.
The last I heard before dozing off to sweet slumber was, "he'll always be right beside her, even if she's a thousand miles away."
