Well, I forgot to introduce myself. Ed Snow, my parent's favorite child, or actually, was. They died long, long ago..
Christa, my elder sister, was always kinda 'distant'. My parents actually never paid attention to her being strange, their one and only focus was on me. I guess she knew this.
After their death, we went to live with my aunt, Emma, who's a psychiatrist. She actually was the polar opposite of my parents - she was attracted to Christa's attitude and that's why Christa became a lot like her, even in her profession!
Christa is much older than me. By the time our parents died and our lives changed, I guess she had already grew jealousy of me inside her soul. Accordingly, the attention aunt Emma gave her made Christa eager to show me that I wasn't that important to everyone, we grew way differently than the way we should've, and thank God He saved us from growing apart.. although that was always carved inside Christa's heart; she insisted to show everyone she's a VIP.
Ambitious, stubborn, self- centered did she grow up to be. Meanwhile, I grew up being Ed; rarely showing interest, never shed a tear, yet passionate and tolerant at heart. I cared about my family however, I've been always grateful for our brave aunt as well as the fact I always tried hard to break the walls between me and Christa our parents built. I couldn't be but where she looks for shelter when she needs anything.
Yes, that's why I accepted her request.
The new semester would start after a week at that time. This week made me so nervous, I was about to meet Eve, according to my sister's plan. She contacted Christa announcing her arrival at the state, and by that time Christa started telling me every piece of information I would need to know.
- " Here, that's where she always has her morning coffee ".
= " Morning what? ".
- " She's spoiled ".
= " Humph, alright.. okay.. what should I do then? ".
- " .. Maybe go meet her? ".
= " Oh yeah? we don't know each other, how on earth I'm supposed to approach her? ".
- " It isn't that complicated, you know. You see a girl, you go have some conversation with her which you will record then it's bye-bye. You'll figure it out, Ed, and for now I have to leave or Dr Emma would kill me ".
Ugh Christa, you threw me into the blaze and left, what a sister! She never thought of the guilt I felt towards aunt Emma and how uncomfortable I felt for approaching a girl with a disorder. I mean yeah that was harsh and stupid, but anybody in my shoes would feel the same!
That morning came. I went to the written address and sat down having a cup of coffee I never drink just for the sake of my sister's princess.
God, was she a princess ? Oh I don't mean to be cheesy ! It just felt like photography, that feeling when you see something totally different from the surroundings. You know nothing's perfect but you saw something you've never seen. That was her, Eve.
" Eve Joshua. Lived all her life in Australia yet she has Arabic roots. She was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at a late age - due to the fact that discovering this disorder is complicated -. She started therapy at high school yet being bullied she decided to settle alone away. Her mother doesn't seem that caring about her condition as she cares about her studies. Thinking nothing's 'that' wrong with her daughter, she sent her to the state to join Stanford, and she contacted Dr Emma online just in case. Little her mother knew had she thought Eve is normal".
Christa's words came up to my mind. Yeah.. ' little her mother knew '. Eve for me was utterly different. Wide hazel eyes, wavy brown hair, small ears, cheek bones, small lips.. all of that worked together with sun rays creating that angel. She didn't even wear makeup except for the dark nail polish I kept gazing at as she kept turning the pages of her book... yet I didn't know what was so different about her.
I don't remember except that I held my screaming guts together, turned on the recorder in my pocket to start my mission.
= " Ugh, excuse me for disturbing. Am I - dis-turbing..? ".
~ " No ".
She replied after slowly raising her eyes up trying to figure me out from head to toe.
= " Good. I think it's somehow strange.. ugh .. ".
( That's so creepy and awkward - I said to myself ).
~ " Sorry, I don't understand".
= " Oh well I'm a photographer, not professional tho.. uh actually. I just.. just wanna take a picture of you because.. ".
~ " Because I inspired you ? ".
= ".. Pardon me? ".
~ " You said you take pictures. I believe photography is getting influenced by a view down in your mind so you try to shape it in a photo ".
It was strange. I never thought about the thing I love the most that way yet she described it with utterly simple words that kept replaying in my head when she suddenly interrupted with a " Hi? ".
= " Oh, yeah, I absolutely agree, what you said was an impressive definition for .. for photography. My name is Ed, what's yours? ".
~ " Eve ".
= " Nice to meet you. I've.. never seen you here before! ".
~ " Thanks. Neither did I ".
= " Hum. It's a .. really nice place ".
~ " Yes ".
Yes, she was so hard to talk to.
= " So.. May I? ".
~ " .. May what? ".
= " Ugh, take the picture.. I'm influenced, you said, I g-guess.. ".
~ " Okay ".
She smiled, and it felt like a dream. It was weird that I already have seen her picture before, but she was something else in reality. I could spend my whole life searching for what's so unique about her.
I showed her the picture. She smiled again and simply said, " Thank you ".
= " Don't mention it! ".
~ " What shouldn't I mention? ".
= " .. well.. It's an expression for you're welcome, I guess ". ( God, she's an idiot ).
~ " Fine ".
= " So, you've got the Australian accent, did you move in recently? ".
~ " Yes".
= " Let me ask why? ".
~ " Sure. I am going to study English at Stanford ".
= " Really! ".
~ " Why would I lie? ".
= " No I.. wanted to express excitement, I study English there, too".
~ " Oh, okay, I just don't get your words ".
She never did, indeed. And she didn't seem so interested in me to be honest. I kept trying to connect the conversation but she kept replying without bothering to ask a single question about me - of course she didn't, I tried to talk about myself actually and all she did was nodding! I then understood what Christa really meant with her nonsense, Eve never responds to anything the proper way.
It got even more strange when she suddenly called the waiter and stood up in silence.
= " You wanna leave? ".
~ " Yes ".
= " Oh.. We should say goodbye-then? ".
She went off like a dream again, waving to me once and then she was gone. I spent a long time trying to figure out how abnormal yet normal she seemed. Total contrast.
The thing is, I handled the recorder back to my sister without further explanations. However, I decided I would never, ever share her photo with any kind of creatures except myself that wondered what was that girl made of the whole night.
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YOU ARE READING
Photo
General FictionSometimes, all we need is to find ourselves. For me, it was never that easy. While for her.. well.. she never considered that. But here I am, finding myself within two things : my camera, and her strange attitude.