Melody of Love

5. Summer Camp

"I'm glad; it's going to be a sunny day!" on that mid-summer morning Lanya hurried to the coach waiting at the main parking area of the college dragging Amaya with her.

"Good morning, let me help with your luggage." Alex, who was waiting near the coach offered.

That bright morning the graduate students of the music department were getting ready to leave for their summer tour to Hocking hills state park where they planned to camp for two days. One by one they settled in the coach by the time Lanya and Amaya joined.

"May I sit next to you? I have something special to talk about." Alex asked from Lanya while looking at Amaya.

"I can sit here, Lanya you sit there." Amaya said, holding the seat closest to her, bringing a smile to Alex.

"Are you alright?" Lanya helped Amaya to sit and pat her hand.

"Kevin can look after her." Alex told, pointing playfully at his friend who sat in the opposite seat to Amaya with his guitar.

"Why are you here? As if you are able to see the beauty of the place!" Krystal prodded in Amaya's shoulder, just after Lanya and Alex sat down.

"I can listen to nature and enjoy." Amaya told, smiling at her. At the same time, Kevin dragged Krystal away, and Theo came to sit next to Amaya.

After a few minutes, they set off for the journey. A few hours passed while they were singing, snacking, and dozing off. It took nearly four hours for them to reach the park. Once they finished unpacking, pitching the tents at the camping area near Rose Lake, and had the lunch all wanted to go on a short hike forgetting about the tiredness. The group had different views about the place to go. A few wanted to rest more, and some went to the Rose lake. Half of the group including Amaya and Kevin with their friends headed to the Cedar Falls.

"I think we have nearly a hundred stairs to climb down." Krystal shouted, running down the staired path along a small creek with few other girls.

"Amaya, can you manage?" Lanya asked the girl who was slowly walking with the help of the white cane.

"I'm fine. I'll come slowly while listening to the music of the running river." She said.

Kevin, Ryan, and Theo came behind Amaya, hoping to help if she needed. The path laden with Hemlock trees was refreshing to walk. The sound of the slowly flowing water mixed with bird songs brought calmness to everyone's mind. Step by step, the rumbling noise of water ahead became prominent to their ears. 

The remote primitive chasm bounded by steep rock walls came to sight ahead of them. Cascading down the water from the creek it was displaying the awesome force of water power. The view of the white curtain of water swirl down into the plunge pool below was truly magnificent. It was a wild and lonely but spectacularly beautiful place.  

While everyone was admiring the beauty of nature, Amaya focused on the sound of water drops from the waterfall kissing the water bed below as if each bead was competing in a race to be the first. Captivated by the surrounding, she slowly stepped towards the waterfall, unable to resist the desire to touch the singing water.

Only two pairs of eyes were watching her as the others have climbed further up the creek to see other waterfalls. At the moment, her bare feet immersed in cold water Amaya bent to touch the refreshing water bed. In an instant, she took another step towards the middle of the pool, a soft hand with long fingers grabbed her's in a tight grip; directed her out of the lake.

"It's deep. Let's go." The deep voice in Amaya's dreams murmured to her ear in the real world.

Even before she was able to answer, Kevin led her towards the steps and to the camp. All along the way, their fingers were entangled, making Amaya feel a burning warmth arising from there and reached her heart. Once they arrived at Amaya's tent, he left without a word.

"Amaya, I looked everywhere for you. Did you come alone?" Lanya came panting after a while.

When there was no response from her Lanya was concerned, and worried that she left her alone to be with Alex.

"Is something wrong?" She asked again. Even though Amaya said no, Lanya could clearly see the dazed look on her face. When Lanya sat next to her to inquire about it, Amaya slowly got up with her white cane and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Lanya asked puzzled by her behavior.

"I want to go to Rose lake. I'll be back in a while."

"Wait, I'll come with you."

"No Lanya, I can go. I want to be alone for some time."          

"Alright, walk on the gravel path, and down at the bottom, there's a gate. Push it open to go on the shore; there's a bench on the left next to the gate. But don't turn to the right, the lake is a few steps away." Lanya said to the girl walking away from her in a worried tone.

Kevin sat in front of his tent with the guitar trying to reason out his strange act a while ago; he heard the footsteps on the gravel closer to him. Trying to weigh the right and wrong of what he did earlier, Kevin lifted his head. Then Amaya came to his sight with the rays of the setting sun. All the doubts clouding his mind vanished suddenly, and an unfamiliar excitement tickled his heart.

He waited until Amaya walked past him and got up with the guitar, eager to know where she is headed all by her self. When Kevin reached the open gate evening sunlight was dancing on the waves of the lake. He slowly went around Amaya to sit on the next bench.

There Amaya sat a few steps away from him in the background of golden sunlight. Her mind seemed to fix on the sound of curling waves, and the clear eyes were looking at the horizon even though they didn't see anything. Slowly flowing breeze flew her hair to a rhythm making a picturesque scenery in the dusk.

Kevin forgot everything about the outside world. In his imagination, only two of them were by the lake listening to the singing of the birds. He could even feel Amaya's Jasmin smell coming to him with the wind. Without realizing his fingers roamed on the strings of the guitar and his voice woke up to sing for her.         

"I'm falling for you,

I'm falling for you..........."