Uncertain Attachment

A Friendly Introduction

August wakes up at the typical morning of Saturday. He did his morning routines; wash his face; exercise; rest for a while and eat breakfast.

He was just about to wash the dishes when he noticed two figures from the veranda of the old apartment from his window.

The one in the left looked familiar while the other one looked like a typical short guy. He peek in the window and see the woman he saw last night. This time, she has a frowned face, probably preoccupied because she's staring at thin air. While the short guy stares at her, he could not see his reaction because he was facing the way August can't see.

"What are you up to? Gustus?" his mother said and he unexpectedly jumped. Bumping his forehead to the window.

"Ohh awouch.." he groaned and his mother chuckled at him.

"Aww, sorry to startle you my little Gustus." she approaches him and caress his sore forehead. August smiles at her and sighs.

"I was just watching the boarders. They looked so sad."

"Pft. Let them be. Now, after you wash the dishes --."

"I'll go and buy groceries then by afternoon I'll meet you at the department store." August cut her off and his mother nods.

"Okay, looks like you know what to do. Off I go then. Bye sweetie." she kissed him in the cheeks and left him.

His mother was a nurse and she has her duty every Monday to Saturday since last week. It just so happened that her fellow nurse gave labor to her first child and went to her maternal leave.

----

When August was on the market, buying groceries, someone called his name. And he looked back to find for the caller.

"Hey." Harry said and stand beside August. She has her flashy eyes at him and a tight smile.

"Hey, morning." he greeted her and focused at the vegetables he's buying. But inside his head, he's happy to see her, denying the smile that he's supposed to have.

"I see you're having a good morning sir." she said and stared at the vegetables. August looked at her and half scowled.

"We're outside the school. You don't have to call me sir."

"Ah, okay. August." she said. His name being pronounced softly and proudly again.

"I wonder, were you born in August that's why your name is August?" she asked, grinning widely at him.

"Technically, yeah. But then, my mother found it a very cute name. The end." he wishes to stop talking to her because everytime he looks and talks to her, his heart beats fast and he's feeling more excited than ever.

"Well, it is cute. August." she said, his name with proud and soft tune.

"Thanks. Your name's cute too. It's kind of, uh, complicated. Like what you said, alright." he can't stop himself from smiling widely like her so he faced her and stared at her.

"Say, we go out today, August." Harry said, biting her lower lip and he chuckles. He wanted to say yes.

"No, my mother and I have some plans. Maybe --"

"Tomorrow then. How's that?"

"Uhhh --"

"Harry!" someone called out from the crowd. They both looked at the direction of a young man and Harry frowns at the sight of him. She looked back at August who's speechless.

"Tomorrow. Oh, and you haven't texted me yet, please text me so we could have our plans for tomorrow. Bye August!" she smiled and as August saw it, she kind of wanted to kiss him goodbye but instead she run off and he watches her approach a young man of her age, scowling at August, then disappeared into the crowd.

Oh shit. Was that.. Her boyfriend? he thought.

"Uh, excuse me sir, are you still gonna take these tomatoes?" the lady vendor asked.

----

"Mom. I'm here at the department store, where are you?" he said to the phone, his mother said that she should be there in a moment and he should looked for a decent polo shirt.

August ended the phone call and find himself a 'decent' polo shirt. Every after a while, his mother would treat him new stuffs, and a dinner in a fine restaurant. Even though he didn't want it, he considered the fact that he was an only child and despite having a job already, his mother probably missed buying stuffs for her little offspring.

As he inspect the polo shirts, a sales lady approached him, greeting him and asking what can she do to help him. He looked at her and was taken aback.

He was about to say 'help me find a decent polo shirt' but his surprise was all over him that he couldn't speak. The sales lady looked confused because of his reaction.

"What can I help you with, sir?" she asked. He clears his throat and blinked at her.

"I, umm, --"

"There you are!" his mother said and sees the sales lady.

"Oh, hello Vanessa!" she said to her and smiled. "Oh, right. Vanessa, this is my son, August." she looks at August and smirks, "August, this is Vanessa, she's one of the boarders in the old apartment."

"Uhhh, I see. Nice meeting you." he said, after pulling himself together. Vanessa smiles at him and they shake hands.

"I didn't know you were working here." his mother said as she helps him find a new polo shirt.

"Heh, it's the job I could find for the moment." she replied. August got a weird feeling. Hearing her voice made him feel the feeling he has when he's talking to Harry.

"Oh, here! August, you should try this!" his mother pulls out a polo shirt with Lacoste signs in slanting lines. The collar had a light blue color and the rest was dirty white.

"That looks good, I'll take it." he replied, not really fascinated, all he wants is to get out of the department store because of the awkwardness he was feeling.

Or is it just you who feels awkward? his thought teased him. Mentally, he scowled at it.

"Na ah! You try it on." his mother insisted.

"But --!"

"Do it. No need for the changing rooms, you're a man August! You don't have big tits to cover!" she scolded him and he heard Vanessa giggles silently.

"Fine." he groaned. He turned around, took off his shirt and give it to his mother then take the polo shirt. When he had it on, he turned around again so his mother could see it.

"There, there. I love it!" she said happily and looks at Vanessa. "What do you think dear?"

"It looks good on him." she said. August and Vanessa had their eyes locked for seconds.

"Okay, now take it off August. I've got us a good restaurant!" she gave his shirt to Vanessa and head towards the counter. For August, he was shy to take off the polo shirt but he had no choice.

"Don't worry. You don't have tits to cover, remember?" she said to him with a wide grin and there was amusement in her eyes; her expression friendly and he only gives her a tight smile. He take off the polo shirt, trying to cover his torso as possible and gave it to Vanessa. She gave him his shirt, all the amusement gone and went after August's mother without a word.

He was left there half naked and watching Vanessa go.

Damn. What the hell is wrong with me?! That woman has a boyfriend!  he said to himself as he put on his shirt back.

----

"Hello?" he said to the phone.

When they got home earlier, he finally took the courage to text Harry and right after he texted her, he received a call from her.

"Hello, August." she said from the other line.

"Good evening." he was trying not to sound awkward.

"Good evening too." she replied, he could imagine her smiling because from her tone, she sounded happy  and as if stopping a grin.