Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XXXXIII ~ Joshua

Holidays were coming in few days. The temperature started to cool down and decorations were set up every corner—from street lamps, mall elevators, to house doors. But before me and all the students could celebrate, we still had to take examinations for our subjects as the end of our term. We planned a group study but it ended up just me and Thonia because all our friends ditched us and told several excuses on why they could not come.

I prepared my study table in my room and borrowed May's rolling chair. I also placed the books we needed on the table together with few snacks and drinks. Right after I sat down on one chair, I heard a knock from the other side of my room. I stood up again and opened the door. It was May smiling. "You did not tell me she is your visitor." May pointed at Thonia who just rose from the stairs.

I smiled once I saw her. "Hades welcomed us in his kingdom."

"Trigonometry and Mythology," Thonia shook her head, making her brown hair waved a little. The exams tomorrow would really feel like hell, but how could it be possible if I was with an angel?

"I'll go now, bye. Be home for supper." May said and went down the stairs.

"Come in," I told Thonia after standing in silence for a while. "What to start?" I asked.

She wandered around my small room and folded her arms. She saw me gazing at her beautiful face then she smirked and lay down on my bed. "Your ceiling is empty." She said while staring up. Except for my round LED light, my ceiling was clearly empty. Unlike hers, full of glow-in-the-dark objects.

I sat beside her and joined staring at nothingness. "I actually miss sleeping in your house and saying goodnight to you," I added, "Personally."

"Then we should offer a sacrifice to Zeus for a storm, or Poseidon for a flood." She joked.

I laughed. "No, maybe someday when we don't need either a storm or flood. Someday we can be stranded in a single house for the rest of our lives, day and night."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I held her hand and lay down next to her. "Josh," she said.

"Yes?" I replied.

She grinned and shook her head. "Nothing, I just want to say your name." Then she perked up and stood on my bed. "I have something for your ceiling." She fished something out from the pocket of her jeans. Thonia was not really a fan of handbags or purses, she could pack all her things around her neck or in her pockets, which was kinda special compared to most girls I knew like my mother or May for example who needed more than one bag wherever they went. What's new? Thonia was always different, unique and special.

"Can you do me one little thing tonight?" She was fiddling something but I could not see because her back was turned against me. Then she looked back and said, "I'll place it here okay?" She reached up and placed a green star as big as her palm with a smiling face in the middle on my ceiling. "It is a smiling star but you can't really see its smile when the lights are turned off. However, the star will still glow so you'll see it is still there smiling until the sun rises and illuminates the world once more."

Before I could even reply she leaned down and held my jaw line. "Can you turn off the lights tonight?"

She found out that I could not sleep without lights turned on. I did not really know where I got the habit or how I got used to it. I looked away from her eyes and held her hand on my jaw. "I'll try," I said because I did not want to promise her something I was not sure I could fulfill.

"Good." Thonia smiled and kissed my nose. "It won't be like there's no light at all because that star will serve a thousand light bulbs." I nodded and felt embarrassed that I was admitting a silly fear of darkness right infront of my girl, a stain for my manly dignity or pride. I heard Thonia suddenly laughed. "Hey! Don't be so ridiculous. I know what you're thinking, Josh. It's not that funny actually."