Mikaal

22: Mikaal

As Dalia and Simon unpacked the cooler bags, the sun shone bright and high at Burswood Park amidst clear skies sprinkled with fluffy white clouds as if Spring had already arrived.

"Gosh, I can't believe how much trouble you've gone to," Dalia said, shaking her head at the variety of marinated meats Simon had prepared - steak, chicken pieces including chicken wings that were her favourite, even prawns still in their shell to retain their flavour. Her mouth watered, impatient to taste the delicious outcome the barbecue Simon had singlehandedly organised.

Simon shrugged, a shy grin tugging at his cheeks. "Wanted to make up for last time," he said, his eyes turning earnest.

"Hey, didn't we promise neither of us would mention it again?" Dalia threw him a scolding glance, her exaggerated frown hinting at her intended playful undertones.

Simon laughed. "Yeh, true..."

Dalia wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and reached over to a small, red esky that was filled with a variety of soft drinks buried in ice - the only thing Simon had allowed her to bring, other than the music that blared through her portable bluetooth speakers. "Want a can?" she asked, grabbing herself a coke.

"Sure, just a Solo thanks."

Dalia took a sip of coke as she watched Simon lay aluminium foil on the barbecue and pour a dollop of olive oil that immediately began to bubble from the heat emanating from the metal plate they had preheated while they unpacked. "You sure I can't help you with anything?"

"Yep."

Simon proceeded to place six pieces of prawns, honey soy chicken wings for her and drumsticks for himself, and finally four pieces of steak on the foil covered, square hot plate, careful to leave space between each type of meat. Although neither spoke, they had the type of friendship where silences were comfortable, each of them knowing how to enjoy the simplicity of each other's presence.

As the sizzling sound from the barbecue rose in competition with John Mayer's song, 'Say' that played in the background, Dalia found herself reminiscing her times in the Save the Children uni club when the same uplifting song played at one of their events. "Are you doing any voluntary work these days," she asked.

"I will be actually..." Simon smiled as if recollecting a pleasant memory. "Remember how I volunteered for Uni Camp for Kids earlier this year?"

Uni Camp for Kids was an initiative held by UWA that provided free week-long camps in the Summer and four-day long picnics throughout the year for emotionally, socially, and/or financially underprivileged children.

"Yeh, you couldn't stop talking about how much you enjoyed it!" Dalia said, her eyes smiling back at him.

"I'm volunteering again for their picnics coming up and then the camp next year."

"That's awesome! You're so good with kids." Dalia leaned on the rectangular brick structure that held the barbecue plate in place, contemplating her next words. "You know, I think sometimes that it's such a shame that what you're studying doesn't relate more to children."

"Actually..." Simon hesitated, putting down the tongs in his hand before turning to look more intently into Dalia's eyes. "I haven't told anyone else this yet but, I'm thinking about studying primary teaching next year," he said, his dark brown eyes alight with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty.

"Oh my God, really? Wow, that's so perfect for you, Simon!" Dalia said, unable to contain the enthusiasm in her voice, already picturing him in front of a hoard of small bodies who would look up adoringly at him, already hearing their laughter at his animated expressions that would engage them in every type of activity, even as boring as Maths.