Dare

Chapter 4 - The lapping of the waves

It was on David's bus that our eyes first crossed each other, a year and a half ago. His striking blue eyes, clear as crystal, seemed to tell a story of the hardships he had faced in life. Initially, he did not appear to be the friendliest of souls. Being somewhat introverted, he barely noticed the things unfolding around him. His head was shaven, had a rugged three-day beard, and he wore several rings on his fingers. His distinct style set him apart from the from the ordinary crowd.

— Hi, I'd like a ticket to Magny-en-Vexin, please.

— Oi, that'll be three euros fifty, miss.

His response made me smile. I took a seat towards the back of the bus. Ordinarily, I would escape into my own world with headphones and music, but not this time. He had chosen to play a Nirvana album – "Unplugged", my favourite. An hour later, as I reached my destination and exited through the front of the bus, I remarked:

Really cool Nirvana during the ride! I grinned at him, enjoy the rest of your day!

The surprise on his face was clear when he heard me, but he replied with a warm smile and a playful wink :
— No probs. 'Ave a good'un.

I had not necessarily imagined that fate would bring us together once more, but I must admit that his charm had not left me indifferent. One morning, as I returned from the nanny where I had dropped off my son, I bumped into my mate Gary, also a bus driver. We often met; I had known him since high school, and over time, he had become a close friend and confidant. While we were engaged in our morning chat, I spotted the shaven-headed Kurt Cobain lookalike from before on his bus. He appeared so serious with his dark sunglasses sticked on his nose. He glanced our way and then greeted his colleague from a distance. Back at home, a few hours later, I received a text from my friend:

GARY:
Hey, Val! How's it been since this morning? So, I've got a colleague who seems to have fallen for the lovely redhead you are and was delighted to see we knew each other. He told me you took the bus recently and thanked him for the music. Does that ring a bell?

VAL:

Totally, yeah! Ha ha!

GARY:

Should I give him your number?

VAL:

Absolutely! Of course, you give him my number! 😉

GARY:

You'd better tell me everything! His name is David!

DAVID:

Oi, Miss, what's up? Fancy catchin' a drink one of these evenin's?

The "one of these evenings" turned into "that evening." At first, we were both a bit uneasy. Well, mainly me; at twenty years old, I was rather intimidated by him. He was twenty-seven, but our souls quickly found each other. Our conversation flowed effortlessly, and we discovered a lot of common interests, particularly the film "Into The Wild", which had transformed our perspectives on life and ignited our desire to travel, to distance ourselves from this alienating society. We debated the ills of our planet. We reshaped the world for hours on end; I had lost track of time, drowning in his eyes. Enveloped by his voice and the briny scent of his citrus-infused perfume, I was struck by love at first sight. From that day on, my heart belonged to him entirely, and I would have done anything to never lose his.

We began seeing each other. He never stayed the night. We would eat, fuck, and then he would leave. He was elusive, wild, and not particularly affectionate – quite the opposite of what I craved for. Yet, I was fascinated by his quick wit, creativity, his universe, his incredible beauty, and everything he embodied. There was no one else like him. He was the fox from "The Little Prince"*, waiting to be tamed. And it took time... a tremendous amount of time. Apart from the moments spent together, I knew neither his friends nor his family. Our relationship experienced highs and lows, but mostly lows. As time passed, he became increasingly aggressive and doubtful. David belittled everything I did. He constantly put me down and always had something to criticize. And I, hopelessly in love, made every effort in the world to adapt to his character and cope with it. I loved him, even if it meant suffering. But I would never have accepted enduring his temperament if I had not seen what truly lay hidden within him.
He was not just a dark, sarcastic creature; he held a tiny spark of light deep within his heart that yearned to burst forth and flourish. So, I endured, hoping that love would save him and make him less bitter. I hoped to prove to him that life could be beautiful, even though he saw evil everywhere... Ironic, isn't it? Deep down, I did not know whether I was trying to persuade him or convince myself as I clung to life by my fingertips. Regardless of the reasons, I loved him infinitely, but it was the infinity of a one-way road. As passion devoured me, I lost myself in the throes of a relationship that slowly consumed me.