Mikaal

54: Mikaal

Dalia turned her body so she could look directly into Mikaal's eyes. They were at Kings Park, a popular tourist spot with its rolling hills of green, native flower trails and picturesque city views. The choice of playgrounds also attracted families and children, and fitness enthusiasts could be expected to frequent the Kokoda Track.

But today, they had stolen away in a newer area known as the 'Place of Reflection', sitting on a wooden bench underneath a steel structure that shaded them from the sun.

"They should rename this area to the 'Place to Make Out'," Mikaal said, a teasing look in his eyes as he moved in for a kiss.

"Hey!" Dalia said, playfully covering his mouth with her hand. "We should show a little respect for why this place was built... Plus," she continued, "I still have tonnes of unanswered questions."

His face lit up. "How about this, I get a kiss for every question I answer."

She rolled her eyes, but looking at the boyish expression on his hopeful face, she sighed out loud in agreement.

"Fire away!"

"Well," Dalia paused, trying to decide where to start. "Have you been stalking me for some time? As in...first you approached me at San Churros, then a few days later, I happened to bump into you again at Reid Cafe."

"Not stalking..." Mikaal rubbed his chin as he attempted to find the right words. "I just knew your favourite spots. I don't know how much you remember, but we were together for nearly a year before the accident." He had a faraway look before he went on, "After I promised your family and Simon that I'd stay away from you, I avoided uni, our maths lectures... It just hurt too much to see you." His eyes darted away for a moment to overcome the pained expression that overtook him. "It was only more recently that I was curious about how you were," he said, returning his gaze to her. "I guess I couldn't help wanting to see that you were okay; healthy, happy... So when I saw how sad you looked that day, it cut me up inside. You were supposed to be happier without me. It was a split second decision, but I decided I didn't care about my promise anymore."

Dalia's eyes dilated at the recollection of Simon's angry words after their maths exam. "When did you promise to stay away from me?"

"Uh..." He grabbed one of Dalia's hands, warming it with his loving touch. "Not long after the nurses told me you'd woken up. Your family didn't let me see you, not even before you woke but especially after you did. They practically stood guard at your door... I can understand how upset your mum was. She was hysterical when she saw me."

Flashes of her dream intertwined with the flashbacks from the hospital came to her. Yet his revelation brought up another question.

As if he could read her mind, he said, "She told me you didn't remember the accident nor me for that matter. She told me it meant you didn't want to remember me after what I'd—" Mikaal's voice broke. His eyes grew glassy as he looked away again. "Actually," he said, casting a thoughtful look her way, "I thought she might be lying, so I approached you at uni once when Simon wasn't around after the accident, but..." He sighed out loud. "You looked right through me like I was a stranger. I felt even more awful, losing you in more ways than one."

Dalia touched Mikaal's face, tracing his dark eyebrows, smoothing the creases between them. "Babe, it's not your fault."

"But the surfboard, I should've gotten the mini—"

"It was a freak accident. Even a soft-board could've knocked me out. And the rip, you didn't cause that." She moved closer, pulling her hand out of his grasp so she could wrap her arms around his waist. "Let's forget about that time, okay?"