Occasionally glancing at my Telegram, I paced on the dried grass, my subconscious on guard for snakes around. Once in a while, I would glance up from my phone, find familiar faces, look at the ground, and check for new messages again.
What are they up to at the petrol bunk for ten minutes? I thought as I check for new messages while glancing briefly at the time.
6:44 pm.
If we return by 8, it will be easier for us to spend time till 10.20, I calculated in my mind as I made a rough estimation of the events that were lined up. Deciding to get my CV done during dinner, I check the time again.
6:44 pm and no new messages.
Pushing my phone into my pocket, I look around. The still area near Gate 4 was unusually packed with the devotees entering the temple and out in the crowd, I see two of my classmates walking towards the gate, holding hands, and warming up for the evening. Not wanting to start a conversation, I go for my phone and instinctively open Telegram.
6:45 pm. One new message.
As I reply, telling him my location, I see them pulling up near Gate 4. His head, covered with the helmet, he whispers something to our friend and grabs the key. Giving a small jump out of excitement, I rush towards him- finally seeing him after a long stressful day. My eyes, still glued to him, shake our friend's hand as he asks us to have a nice time and stay careful.
A small smile creeps onto my face as I adjust myself behind him on the seat and hug him tightly from the back. Comfort seizes me as I inhale his scent- Mystic Man as he always called it- and slump forward on him to hug him tighter. His small laugh frees the butterflies in my stomach, and I hug him tighter when he steps on the pedal.
The breeze blows hard, and I could only imagine the reaction he would give once he sees how messed up my hair was after the ride. Living my passenger princess moment, I lean my head against his shoulder- him trying to lean back against my head as he swerves through the traffic. Skillfully cutting through the crowd of autos and people returning from work, we embark on the highway.
The sun was going down, painting the sky in hues of purple and pink. I smiled at him in the mirror and gave his tummy a light squeeze.
The breeze. The sky. The silence. Him.
Everything was perfect and for a long period of time, nothing mattered except for him and the church bells. The reason why he had chosen to take me for a long drive had taken its effect- I never realized when my emptiness left my soul and allowed me to finally be carefree after weeks.
Nothing ever matters when I'm with him. He is the one person I can be myself with. Beautiful things happen when you meet the person with whom conversation flows and you never have to worry about running out of topics. He is my home- the one person with whom I don't have to think before speaking. He is the one who gets me- the one who tries to understand why I'm the way I am. He is my guy version, my best friend, my advisor, my guardian, my lover, and my home. If this isn't love, then maybe I would never want to learn what love actually is.
As we flew through the town, the glow of a thousand bulbs lighting our way, I leaned my head against his shoulder again- my hair flying with the wind. The lights gleamed above us- creating an environment of the romcom we recently watched together.
My Ban.
