Chasing the Sun

022

The vibrant and warm rays of the sun woke me from my slumber, and I opened my eyes to see an empty space beside me. Thinking that Tawan had already left, I looked at my watch to check the time.

5:30.

He must have went home.

I made my way to the kitchen to prepare my breakfast. I usually get up at six, and I would have returned back to sleeping under normal circumstances, but I decided to prepare myself a filling breakfast just because.

I prepared the water and brought out a pack of oatmeal from the kitchen cabinet. Then, I took out some frozen bananas and a block of dark chocolate to top on my oatmeal. As I prepared the meal, I remembered about last night. I dozed off from crying so hard remembering the memories of Kay in my head.

To be honest, I still couldn't bring myself to talk about what happened. Every now and then I dream of that night and I cry myself to sleep, blaming myself for the demise of my best friend. When Kay died, my parents insisted on bringing me with them to the U.S. but I was adamant on staying here. I just couldn't leave behind the place where I met one of the few people that actually cared for me.

I felt a sting as my thoughts from last night came into mind, and completely forgot that I was cutting up the bananas. I wounded myself from the knife and I didn't even see it.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

A voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw Tawan, dressed not in his uniform but in casual clothes that he got from my closet. His hair was still damp so I guessed he just got out of the shower.

"I thought you left already."

He ignored my reply and walked towards me and grabbed my wounded finger. His face was both mad and worried, as if saying How can you be so dumb to cut your finger?

"Where's your first aid kit?", he said as he grabbed a towel and rolled it around my finger while he put pressure in it.

"Over there at the top of the fridge."

He grabbed my other hand and instructed me to continue applying pressure on my wound. He didn't seem to look like he was just messing around. He looked really worried.

"Sit down, I'll wrap a bandage around the wound."

I sat on one of the dining chairs and he grabbed a stool so he could sit in a lower position. He started cleaning the wound and then wrapped a gauze around it.

"It's not like I'm going to die with a wound in my finger.", I jokingly said to him. I thought he would ride on with the joke and reply something to counter mine, but he remained calm and looked at me.

"Stop joking about dying as if you have a lot of time left in your hands. Stay seated and I'll prepare breakfast for you."

He struck me wordless at his reply that all I could do was stay seated. I looked at my bandage and back at Tawan who was busily preparing the breakfast.

A few minutes after, he finished and brought a neatly prepared bowl of oatmeal. He placed it on the table and poured a glass of milk on the empty glass beside me.

"Eat."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I don't eat breakfast."

I didn't want to have someone watch me eat as if I'm in an eating show, so I grabbed a small bowl from the counter and parted my oatmeal to share it with Tawan.

"Hey! I told you I don't eat breakfast."

but he was already too late as I already placed the bowl in front of me.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you're missing it? That must explain the unnecessary grumpiness. Now eat."

he argued with me for a while before finally giving in and eating.

"I've forgotten how it feels to eat with somebody. I missed this.", I said as I took another spoonful of the oatmeal.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, the feeling of having to share the first meal of the day with someone and just having a light conversation to warm yourself up."

"Hmm...okay."

I completely forgot about today being a Tuesday because of Tawan wearing casual clothes instead of the uniform. I guess he won't be coming to school today.

"Hey, I gotta go and prepare for school. You can do what you want or leave a little later if you like.", I said as I stood up and made my way to the bathroom.

Just then, his hand caught mine and I'm stopped on my tracks.

"Nobody's going to school today. We're going somewhere."