The Song of Belle

Chapter 1 : Her Name Was Belle

We only have one chance in life.  Either we make it or break it.   And of all chances given for another take at it, my mind chose first to find her. The year was 1996. Month of August. Her name was Belle.

I met her on my third day of school at the Mt. Clermont College. I am on my 12th grade and she happens to be my classmate. I am 16, and a transferee.

She is 18 years old. She has a golden brown, naturally curly locks, the length of which is just below her slim shoulders. She has a piercing, soulful, dark brown eyes that match her brown locks. Those were the kind of eyes that talk when you look at them. And certainly, you will thank the universe for eyes that talk, because Belle, rarely talks. Her eyes, domineering to say the least, do most of the talking. Well, at the outset. Her pink lips that rarely open, are small and thin.  The upper part of which looks like it was creatively sketched to curve perfectly like a heart. She has a white, porcelain skin, which compliments her reddish cheeks and dark brown eyes. At barely 5'4" she looks stunning. She is, well, stunningly pretty. I must emphasize on the word pretty, because, if truth be told, i never found her beautiful. For some exceptionally odd reasons.

Dad works for a big, steel construction company as a professional welder. The company sends him to different States in the country and as a consequence, I have attended seven different schools from Primary school to Secondary College. My younger sister, Darie, hated it. I do too, but I got used to it after my fourth transfer. People come and go, I always tell myself. But, places stay. So, in between transferring from place to place, I taught myself to not ever miss people. But the place. I can always go back to a place I miss dearly in my heart, i reckon. People, when they go, they take away that part of you that will never be returned. And in the same vein, by them taking away that part of you when they go away, they also bring with them that part of them that they once shared with you. Isn't it unfair? When you miss people, it is hard to get back to them. Because they will eventually change. They will not be the same people who left you. So, i never get attached to people anymore after my fourth transfer. I chose to get to be attached to places.

Places...yeah. Beautiful places. I will go back to Madeena to hear the singing birds once more! Colorful birds that chirped in the morning. And owls and night birds when the day turns dark. Or, the Red Valley! I will go back to the Red Valley, and walk along the red sands! Throw red rocks unto the seashore! Ride on my bike along the road to see the fiery sunset against the red backdrop of the Red Valley..Oh! I will go back to Amrudil. The simple, content, fast life. The park, the big white house where we lived. (Sigh) When I have a girlfriend, i will bring her for vacation to the soft sand of Dinbo beach. It is near the house where my family once live when Dad worked in South New Sawel.

"Get out of my seat!" I looked up to the girl standing on my right side whose voice was responsible for waking me up from a day dream. I didn't notice the time, or the lesson on Humanities that was being lectured by Mr. Smythe. I didn't even notice, there was a girl standing right beside me until she spoke to eject me from my seat.

"I..." I looked straight to her eyes as i try to find the words to question her rather unimpressive behavior. Good heavens! That was the first biggest mistake i did in life! The beautiful, big brown eyes staring at me were piercing forcefully into my being. The look she gave me, made me feel, like a criminal for sitting in seat no. 6 of the 5th row in Room No. 610B.

Last thing i remember, my things were scattered on the floor. I cannot recall how it happened, that my blue pen, my note book in a black leather case and my book in Humanities were now on the floor. I cannot even recall how the girl was now seated at seat No. 6 where i was seated since 8:30 in the morning. And I, I was standing on her right side, the position she was at, barely two minutes ago. I can't fathom exactly how and why the look she gave me made me so mystifyingly horrified that I lost consciousness of what went on around me.

"Ms. Elizabeth Henry!"  It was Mr. Smythe.

"A week of absence and now, 30 minutes late. Impressive!" There was a hint of annoyance and sarcasm in Mr. Smythe's voice.

"I am sorry, Mr. Smythe...I actua..."

"Yes, Ms. Henry! You are actually right. I will see you at the Office after the class." Mr. Smythe, interrupted the girl before she finished her sentence, and he went on with his lecture as if there was never a distraction that ever occured.

Seat no. 7 on the girl's left side is not taken. I looked at the fourth row and saw that a seat next to a popular classmate named Robben was likewise free. I chose seat no. 7 on the fifth row. I walked slowly towards the seat and made myself comfortable. I organized my blue pen, my notebook and my Humanities book on my desk. I looked around the class. Not one of my classmates seemed to have a care about what has just happened. No one looked at the girl while Mr. Smythe caught her attention, or after it happened. They all have their eyes to Mr. Smythe or just normally gesturing or talking to each other as if the girl beside me was invisible. And only me and Mr. Smythe see and hear her. No one is distracted except...me. Honestly, at the back of my mind, i pitied her. I don't exactly know why.

I did just like what the rest of my classmates were doing. I looked up intently to see and hear Mr. Smythe but at the corner of my right eye I see her. Hers was the only head that wasn't held high. She was bowed down to her desk, emotionless. Her eyes stuck on her notebook and her right hand, was hand-lettering B E L L E . She wrote the name in cursive long-hand and shading each big letters in black. Her pen striking strongly hard and fast as if it penetrated up to the bottom pages of her thick notebook. As strong as her eyes pierced and cut fast through me. Occasionally she hummed the Donna Lewis song that went repeatedly, "i love you... always forever, near or far, always together. I love you always forever..hu humm.." If not for the sweet humming, i would have completely thought she was an exceptionally odd person. At that very moment, I honestly felt the three magical words for her.

I fear her.

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"Up Next: Chapter 2: Whistles on the Pathway"