Fragments of Us

7: Ella

I followed Mafe into wherever she was going to take me. We walked past some cottages and food stores until she stopped. I placed one hand on my hip and the other just above my brows to shield my eyes from the blinding sun rays. I searched the surroundings, and it's a resto nearest the shore.

She immediately went inside the resto and found a spot where a menu was already laid on top of the table.

"Do you always crash here?"

I curiously asked her. Looking at her face.

"Nope."

She curtly answered and sadness was almost audible in her tone.

"So, just pick what you want. It's all on me."

I smiled at her, trying to cheer her up.

"I want this and this."

She said while pointing at the pancakes and ice cream.

"Okay, I'll have the same as hers."

I signaled the waiter to take our order.

Our order arrived shortly after. We sat there in silence, just appreciating the clear water, the heat, the wind, and the crashing of the waves.

She took a bite of her pancake.

"So, what really brought you here?"

She asked, looking directly at me.

I grinned upon answering.

"To be honest, I don't know. "

I let out a deep sigh.

"All I know is that I wanted to disappear. To never be found again. Let's just say I ended up here by chance."

She intently listened as I spoke.

"How about you? Have you always been here?"

I asked her back.

"I guess you could say that. We were born and raised here. Our mother died giving birth to me."

She bitterly smiled.

"We? You have siblings?"

I was almost shocked because I only saw her and her father in their home.

"Yep."

She replied, breaking our eye contact.

"So, where were your sibling or siblings?"

I felt she was totally avoiding the question.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter."

She stood up pulling me by my wrist. I immediately followed her to the shore.

"Hurry up."

She said this while still tugging at me.

We went to the water. It was a shallow part, but you can clearly see the starfish and the seashells of different shapes and colors. I was just busy admiring them when Mafe started to use her hand to splash me with some water.

That reserved and savage kid I saw earlier disappeared. She turned into a happy ball, and somehow it made my heart swell with happiness.