Crossroads | ✓

s i x

           

Dedication to KatherineArlene since her The Boy in the Woods is freaking awesome. And because she is so down to earth :') Thanks for always replying to my comments, Katherine!!

                                               
                                             s i x

                                      [ g r a n d p a b e a r d i e ]

I pressed the calling bell of the house and took a step back as I waited for the house's owner to come out.

An old man with a bushy snow beard opened the front door, looking at me with confusion.

"Hi." I smiled a little as I rested my hands on the gate. "Hope I didn't bother you."

Rule one of business antics—make the other party feel like they are really important.

The confused frown on the old man's forehead dissolved a little and he gave me a little smile. "Not at all. How can I help you, son?"

Rule two—be totally friendly.

"A charming house you got there," I said grinning and then pointed a stiff thumb towards Kiranya's house.

Rule three—be confident though you're in the dark.

"I live down the street. For the past eleven years, I've been in a boarding school. So, before I got to the school, I was friends with Kiranya—" once again I jerked my thumb at her house "—whose house is this. It's just that whenever I come here to visit her family since it's been long, I find it locked. Do you happen to know if they're at town or not?"

Of course they're at town.

Maybe they went bankrupt or something. But I distinctly remember that her family is based on their ancestral farm. Maybe—

"You don't know?" the old man asked, interrupting my inner debate.

I gave him a confused smile. "Sorry, know what?"

The old man gave a sombre smile and patted my shoulders through the gate.

"It's not my story to tell you, sonny. But I can assure you that they aren't out of town. Why don't you try their calling bell?"

"But it's locke—"

"Trust me, son."

Giving that same sombre smile, the old man pushed me towards her house.

"Thank you." I guess, I wanted to add but I kept my mouth shut.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I strode towards Kiranya's house. It was stupid, to put it bluntly, pressing the calling bell in an obviously locked house. Once I was standing in front of her gates, I pressed the calling bell.

No answer.

I turned towards the old buddy's house to sent him a 'I told you so' look but then I heard a distinctive sound of the opening of a door. It was silent for awhile as I looked confused since the front door was very well locked. What I didn't expect was to see Kiranya make her way from the side, looking at me, as stoic as ever.

Oh, nice to meet you too. I feel the warmth from a million kilometres away.

Kiranya didn't say anything as she looked at me, her figure now standing right in front of me, only a gate between us.

I felt my eyes drift down her body, taking her attire in. I mean, when we were six, I've seen her in casual clothes but now I only see her at school and our salwar uniforms aren't the most trendy outfits out in the market.