// Colours.

6 / Chocolate.

      I had a dream

      In my dream, I was the daughter of the chief of my village. We lived by a beautiful beach, one with water as clear as crystal, and view that give you a glimpse of Heaven.

      The day was a beautiful one, except it was merrier because it was holiday season. I rarely went out of my house, being cooped up in my room for the sole purpose of hiding from someone.

      However, today. Today was an exception. A traveller, a woman, was lurking around the area of my house and out of courtesy, I asked her if she wanted any help, which she gladly said yes to. I was hoping she would make it brief and short, not anticipating a conversation that leads to something else.

"Where's the shortest route to a nice spot for a photographer like me?" She had asked me. To which I explained along with a piece of advice that I told every other traveller that has ever come.

"There is a guy, along my age. He's very special- and I mean special as in mentally challenged special. There isn't much that's wrong with him, except that he really likes to play and can be really persuasive to get what he want. Avoid him if you can, because he falls in love very easily to beautiful things and I don't want him to get hurt when you left." I had said.

      I know this— because I have known him since I was little, and it always brings me joy to see him happy whenever he's with me, and at the same time it pains me because I know I can never love him.

      Just as I finished talking to her, the traveller, I was hoping I could go back into the comfort of my room and avoid him. His name is Andy and he look just like any other guy his age, except he really likes to play around. He was directly behind the traveller, a little few distance from us, when caught a sight of me running into my room. I saw the disappointment in his eyes.

      It was a little later, while I'm reading in my room that there was a knock on my bedroom door. I went outside to see if it was my mother that had knocked and when I was in the living room, I noticed that our front door was left ajar. I was just about to close it when I decided to look outside to see if anyone was there. Damn, I wish I hadn't done that.

      Andy was outside and he gave me his big brown eyes with hope as clear as the sky in it. I just didn't have the heart to tell him to bug off, so I asked him what he wanted.

"Andy-"

"Let's play!" He said.

"I don't-" Sigh. "What have you got here? A coconut shake? Do you want to trade it with my chocolate milkshake I have?" I said that as an excuse to get into my room back.

"Yes!" He had said.

      So, I went inside and really took my chocolate milkshake and come back to Andy on the front door. Andy was waiting for me with a smile on his face, a really bright smile. I was just about to go back inside my room when Andy took hold of my hand and dragged me out of the house. Sigh.

"Andy-"

"Hide and seek! We'll play hide and seek and you're the seeker! Start counting, love!"

      I just didn't have the heart to tell him no, it has been a while since I last met him, I avoided him like the plague since as long as I can remember. So, I played along. Besides, I was really worried that he would hurt himself if I didn't play with him. So, I went.

      True to my thoughts, Andy did almost hurt himself. He climbed over the pipelines and left both of our drinks, coconut shake and chocolate milkshake on the very top of the water tank. He must have forgotten that we were supposed to play hide and seek, now he wanted me to try and take our drink from that height.

      It's not that I cannot climb, I was more worried about what would happen to him if I did not keep an eye on him. So, I went and climb the pipelines to the top of the water tank, got both our drinks and almost fall to my death when I heard Andy's pained gasp.

      I knew something bad is going to happen. It always do.

      Andy was lying on the pavement, in an awkward position. He have a very weak heart, and it is at times like this that he's vulnerable to that condition.

      His heart cannot take that much pressure, all the running and climbing he did just now was getting back at him.

     I ran to his aid but it did nothing, luckily the ambulance was on its way. Andy was sent to the hospital for a check up, the nurses told me that Andy will be alright so I stayed where I was. I didn't come with Andy to the hospital.

      I was on my way back to my house when I heard,

"Andy was better off dead, anyway. All he did was bring people hardships." It was a woman's voice, and I got really heated because of what she said.

      I was about to throw a punch in her throat and just before my fist make its contact with her skin,

      I woke up.

// Finished; March 5, 2017.

// Based on true story.