The Reason Why

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

“Tonight, this hour and this very moment, I just fell in love with you.”

Chris’ word rung over and over again in my ears. He really meant what he said. I knew him for a long, long time. If he want something, he’ll get it for sure. He have a high determination which kept me amazed until now. 

There was this Show-And-Tell in our elementary where Mrs. Hurst told us to bring pets on that day.  Both of us were eleven and were classmates before we got school-separated in Junior High.

I decided to brought my hamster Graham, and Chris with his guppy Sir Whale. It was early in December morning with grey streaks of cloud brushing the sky. We walked down the small lane, heading for Jerryfield Elementary with shawls and tight coats wrapping us.

I didn’t remember exactly what happened, but he teased me and stumbled on a rock. Eventually, Sir Whale’s plastic  jar slipped from his arms and fell into a nearby brook on our left.

His shrill scream pierced my ears. Before I could stop him, he splashed himself into the freezing water and looked for Sir Whale.

“Chris, stop!” I shouted, clutching  Graham’s cage tighter in my arms.

“No! I have to look for him or he will be sad not coming with Graham!” he yelled back  at me.

“Sir Whale, where are you?” he shouted while jumping from one side to another side of the brook. “Sir Whale!”

His nose was red and his fingers were getting blue. His clothes and coat were drenched in freezing water. The tips of his lips were starting to peel off.  He was shivering. Yes, I remembered clearly that he was shivering. His entire body was shaking whilst tiny clouds of steam puffed out of his mouth.

“Chris, it’s too cold. You can be sick! You have to stop. Maybe Sir Whale is dead,” I said, starting to shiver beside the brook.

He stopped suddenly to look at me with his complexion getting paler every minute.  Chris frowned, his emerald eyes piercing from the tousled jet black hair which peeked bellow his thick, wool cap. He ignored my words and went back splashing in the water.

I squatted beside the brook. He was completely drenched. With the grey skyline above us and the sparkling water, the snow began to fall.

“It’s snowing,” I said again.

He didn’t say anything.

“We should go now.”

“...”

“Chris, probably he’s gone.”

“...”

“Chris...”

“Stop! Sir Whale is not dead, okay?” he angrily stomped his foot in the water that water splashed everywhere. “I know he’s not dead! He’s just lost. You’re the one who kept thinking the bad things!”

His words startled me. Only Christopher Parks will say that.

“Sir Whale! I found him!” he screamed and rushed to trap his fish into the jar.

It almost looked like Chris was playing with water in summer, except it was a brook in winter. He finally caught his pet after several almost-fail attempts.

We made it to school and figured out that the class was already empty. Only Mrs. Hurst was seen stacking papers on her table. It turned out that the Show-And-Tell was already over. She was clearly shocked and called for our parents after she saw Chris’ condition.