The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

06 : Ride

August 2004

Kimberly

Four.

There are four small moles on Benjamin's face. One above his left eyebrow. One like a dot on the bridge of his nose. One at the far side of his left cheek. And one on the lower part of his chin. They are easily noticeable against his smooth pale skin.

His hair. It reminds me of Brad Pitt's in Meet Joe Black, but a whole lot darker and a little less styled.

The way he held my hand. His grip was strong, but not too stiff. And if he was a bit nervous with the dance, it did not show, for he never flinched.

His eyes.

How do I even begin with those eyes? Well, they are lighter than average, especially when up close, and distinctly the color of caramel. All I felt when I saw them in contact with my dark dark ones is that I could drown in them until I get washed up ashore. And I would not mind if I do over and over again. I have always known it, but it bears repetition, those eyes can melt a heart of stone.

I memorize the details of his face since the waltz. I remember how he touched me, even if that was forced. I paint a mental picture of him before I sleep every night, like a silent prayer. And I always wake up feeling better ever since.

***

"Kim! It's already seven-thirty. Aren't you supposed to be at school by now?" My mother is half-shouting at me when I'm just about five feet away from the dining table, where she's sitting on a chair, stirring her decaffeinated coffee.

"I'm just about to go," I say. "And it's still Foundation Week."

The door of my brother's room is ajar when I pass by it before I open the screen door going to the outdoor laundry area at the back of our house. My mother said over dinner last night that my brother will be home tomorrow. She must have been cleaning his room a while ago.

I take my sneakers from the top of the washing machine, where I placed them last night after I cleaned the mud off of them. I look up beyond the roof, and the sky is clear. It's been raining the last couple of days, and just now is the first hint of blue the sky has shown.

I love it when the sky is clear and blue. It gives me a feeling that things will be fine.

I go back to my room, put on the shoes, and finish getting ready. I'm wearing a black shirt that fits just about enough to slightly show the curves of my waist. It has rainbow colors at the hem that falls right at the belt area of my black bootleg pants. I grab my black-and-white knitted bag, place the strap on my right shoulder, and close my bedroom door. And then I'm off to my usual morning routine.

The school looks like a carnival in a town fiesta. There are booths of varying target games around the field. Food such as popcorn, burgers, and cotton candy are being sold along the covered walkways of the elementary quadrangle. A line of younger students already builds up on the ice cream stand this early. There's a Ferris wheel in front of the flagpole, and a kiddie ride with spaceship-like cars is placed on the basketball court. A charity booth for an upcoming rummage sale is set up on the concrete stage at the side of the court.

This is the only week of the whole school year when all students can just go in and out of the school premises, provided we show identification at the gate. And when we can wear clothes other than our uniforms—but has to be according to dress codes, of course. Also, this is the week when we're allowed to do things without the pressure of being graded. There are shows to be enjoyed, contests to join, and other events simultaneously happening all around.