There I am staring at my favourite photo in the drawing room when I hear them arguing again. I find it easy to ignore them especially when my mind is somewhere else. Okay, easy darling. I walk around, somehow I tend to lose myself in here and I love it. On the easel, winter in the woods. I think it's another animal.
This time they are louder. You got my attention, I just can't breathe in this house when he is around.
'She stays here for as long as she wants.'
'Oh, really! Are you even listening to yourself?'
'We are not talking about this Azalea, I'm done here.'
'Whatever you fancy B!' With his ever weird accent. Got me wondering which part of the World he is from.
As much as they try to convince everyone, their relationship isn't just platonic. The way he makes her mad and too many times I have walked on them in the moment. I just prefer to stay off the grid. I wait for her to cool down. It's three in the evening, Mrs. Beaver is taking one of those natural herbs she makes. They disgust me. 'What was the argument about?' I know it was about me.
'Laysla you know it's not nice to eavesdrop.' I put her legs on my laps in a position for a massage. You guys were loud, there is a difference between eavesdropping and hearing. 'I'm sorry, why doesn't he like me?' She knows the truth, she knows it too well.
'Let him be.' her voice pretty thick.
'You stay with me, you are my baby.'
I blush. 'Thanks, mum?'
'No kiddo, just B.'
'Where did you get that weird scar on your face?' A question every kid in school asks. To escape the harsh eyes and questions, I ran to a stream nearby over lunch hour. It gives me peace. Water flowing gently through the stream, the wind brushing over the dry leaves. I often take off my socks & shoes and just deep my feet in the water. The orgasmic feeling! I am thinking of the woodlands, you know the current drawing B is working on. It feels so familiar, like I've been there before. Maybe we visited the place together when I was young.
A 'haunter' of the woods, what her friends call her. B spent half her life in the forests with the wild animals. Right before she adopted me, she worked as a zoologist.
No clouds today just the blue and there is a bird, way above, almost touching the sky. And I'm now thinking of my two powers. I'm super fast, and it makes me want to understand/know my roots. The second one is more of a burden than a power. I neither use it nor talk about it.
Admiration hits as I approach. Her clear honey skin, the shoulder-length grey dreads flowing behind her mustard yellow dress, short enough to reveal her flawless legs. She turns to look at me, no hint of a smile in her eyes.
'Hey B.' I hug her.
'Hi Laysla, how was it today?' She is trying to hide the sadness.
'It was awesome, rode ten kilometres.' We both smile. 'And Gareth said hi.'
'Why don't you invite him over for dinner?'
Why would I do that to myself, he talks too much.
Just to answer her, 'I will, someday somewhere in the deep distant future.'
At least she's laughing now.
'How is this part? Can you tell what I'm trying to draw?'
I'm not sure if this is the right time to tell her but here we go.
'This drawing feels so familiar, it's like I've been here. Have we visited the place together?'
'No, well yes but it's nothing.' She calls out for another glass of wine.
I can't keep my mind off her last statement. There is something she is not telling me and I'm so tempted to use my second power on her.
You swore never to use me. If you need answers though, I'm all yours.
I'm on my bed and the sound of the rain is making it even more cosy. We are doing our usual speed bike rides with Gareth in the outcasts of the city. 'You got to be courageous La.' He says putting his arms around my waist.
'I got this, just shut up.' It hurts that I have to be blunt with him. His touch is intriguing, I turn to look at him and his lips are catchy. We are kissing in the middle of a snowing place and it's getting colder but there is a pinch of warmth.
Wow and there are ravens surrounding us. 'Listen to this one.' Gareth points out. The raven is whispering beautiful words that roll out with no hesitation. Yes beautiful but I struggle to understand. 'Little bird what are trying to say?'
They are coming. He standing beside my bed holding the raven that was speaking to me, what the actual hell!? My heartbeat, my hands are shaking and I'm sweating.
