Forbidden Planet

Chapter 3: Uneasy feelings

Ken woke up too early this morning. He is not a morning person, but a call from Aline made him anxious. He wanted to get to Aline as soon as possible. However, flight from New York to Manchester is not as easy as it may seem. It would take him half a day or more, even if he booked a flight right away.

Ken is an archaeologist. He is fond of discovering ancient items and tries to decipher their significance. A few months before, Ken went to Longyearbyen, Norwegian on a holiday trip with his friends. It may sound unusual because not everyone prefers to spend their leisure time freezing in temperature below 0 degrees, but Ken likes things to be his way. People call him abnormal, but he enjoys being unique, also not everyone gets to follow their passion. If it is not for his dad of being a stakeholder of multiple MNCs, then his life would be mundane.

"A couple of hours left before I catch my flight to Manchester, Gods! I don't even know why I am so excited. Just the thought of seeing Aline today skips my heart a beat. Is this the book I am excited for or meeting Aline in person?" said Ken to himself.

"Probably the book!. I have been waiting for so long to understand what that symbol would mean," whispered Ken.

Ken discovered this unusual symbol in Longyearbyen, Norwegian. He was walking to a lake for a fill when a circular metal-like object fell into the lake. It dropped suddenly that Ken for a moment thought he was imagining things. If it is not the water on the lake rippling and splashing water on him, he wouldn't have the care to give this a second thought. It was hard to get the object out of the lake but was even harder to understand its significance. It looked like a manhole cover, solid, concrete, and circular. From one side it was plain, on the other side alphabets was carved around the symbol. Since then he has been trying to understand to whom it belongs.

It took an hour for Ken to pack all his things. He thought of driving to the airport himself but later on settled to call a cab instead. The cab arrived within minutes. He was confused about whether to rush to the airport or grab a couple of gifts for Aline. Aline was his only childhood friend with whom he is still in contact. She lived in New York with her parents but moved to Manchester after she decided to live on her own. It was the distance that made Ken realize how much he missed Aline.

"Gifts can wait. I'll miss my flight if I do not hurry," said Ken to himself while grabbing his luggage and pushing himself into the car.

. . . . . .

It was almost midnight when Ken reached Aline's house. The structure impressed him. It was a luxurious home, not as luxurious as his but very calm with the moon shining over the house and an impressive garden emitting fragrance into the air. He called Aline before he reached the front of the house, but was not sure why Aline was taking this long. Ken's body was tense, and it was impossible for him to control his smile just by thinking he was less than a meter away from Aline. Sometimes Ken wondered whether Aline felt the same for him and is the reason he has never confessed how much he liked her. A part of him told him he cannot live without Aline. However, this could be because she is the only friend with whom Ken can be himself. Aline can understand him even if he cannot express himself.

It took a few more minutes for Aline to reach the main door. The house was in perfect condition with everything completely updated. The living-dining-kitchen area is spacious with unbelievably long-range garden views from every spot. On the left was an ensuite bedroom with a king-size poster bed, the room opens onto the covered portion of the deck.

"Ken, what took you so long to reach here. I thought you would be here by evening," spoke Aline with a yawn. "I am sorry for making you wait for so long, I was asleep. Do you want something to eat? Foods all there in the fridge. Make yourself comfortable and yes, you can grab anything from the kitchen to eat. Mind you, that if you want to stay here, then you must serve me coffee every day".

"Very funny, Aline. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to book a flight at an instant? The only thing that I want for now is a comfortable sleep. I'm already suffering from jet lag."

Aline could sense how tired Ken was and thought of not disturbing Ken anymore.

"Okay then but if you need any help just call me. You need to relax because I need your brain tomorrow to understand the book I was talking about. Sleep well! Good night, Ken," spoke Aline gently.

"Thank you very much, Aline. If you did not wish me a good night, then I would not be able to sleep well. Is it?"

"Stop kidding Ken, I am just being nice to you. Why do you have problems with me? Why do you sound so irritated?"

"Of course I am irritated. My eyes are shutting down with every word I speak and you are standing here lecturing me about coffee and food. I can do that myself, it is not the first time I am coming here."

"Fine then! But you could at least be polite"

"Gods! Aline, I am just being me. You are not taking this seriously. Are you?"

"No way. I know how you are. After all, you can not live without me also not considering the fact that you can never find a friend like me. I am leaving, you take care ya" Aline said, trying to be discreet while teasing him.

Ken wished if only Aline knew how true the last line she spoke is. He indeed can not live without her. But that's also true for all best friends. Bond attaches them to each other. Sometimes Ken wished he could understand if this feeling was normal, or is Aline special to him in other ways. But what he wishes the most is this feeling to be mutual.

It is always difficult for Ken to adjust in fresh places. It takes time for him to sleep if it is not his bedroom. Probably because he has been staying at the same place since he was an infant. However, it was not the room that was uncomfortable. Ken was still thinking about Aline.

"Did Aline really meant that she is special to me, or was it just a casual talk?" spoke Ken to himself. "Am I special to her as well?"

There were multiple questions arising in his mind. This was making it more difficult for Ken to fall asleep. After fidgeting for nerve-wracking hours, Ken finally fell asleep, thinking someday he might understand why this is happening to him.