The Painful Kiss of Augustus
Chapter 14
The wind started with howl as the shadows of the trees stood meters away from us stretched. The moon was adorned amid the sky, pouring with perfect gleam of silver light. The moon right now was in perfect circle, I couldn't help but to get mesmerized by the astounding image of it. Sliver glints patched the upper branches of the trees as they danced in accordance with the rhythm of the wind.
The woman beside me was silent. Neither of us dared to break the silence that conjured between us. In a sheer of time, she hovered up her hand while her palm was folded. I watched her as she popped up her thumb and closed her right eye. I clumped my mouth when I realized that I was to fazed by her movements. The side of her lips tucked upward her other eye suggested otherwise.
"According to the book that I have read, no matter where you are, your thumb is larger than the moon." She smiled while looking at her thumb.
"Try it," she whispered.
My heart hammered my chest aggressively. I tried to will away the idea of staring at her and followed her command. I hovered up my hand and covered the moon using my thumb. She was right. It covered the whole image of the moon. The smile on my lips did not falter, nor did the heart inside my ribcage that kept of mauling my chest silence. I didn't know what was this all about but I was starting to love this feeling; it was starting to crept on my system. Heaving a sigh, I glimpsed at her and my lips parted when I realized that she was looking at me with her watery eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, the concern was laced on my voice as I slowly downed my hand.
She reluctantly shook her head and looked away. My chest clenched painfully. She was crying because of unknown reason and it was killing me. I wanted to know the reason of it; I wanted to ease her. I wasn't aware of what I was feeling why I suddenly became invested to her and all I wanted was her to be happy. This was new to me. This foreign feeling that perched on my chest was making me feverish. However, this foreign feeling was my least concern now since Ivy was sad.
"Tell me, what's wrong?" I cooed, I cradled her cheek and guided her face to look at me, "What's wrong? I'm your friend, Ivy. I can listen,"
"You don't need to know my dramas," she whispered with a slight crack on her voice.
"What are friends for?" My eyes were tenderly looking at her eyes. Sadness was emitted through her watery eyes. Her lips were now tightly clumped while she was reluctantly shaking her head.
"It's my b-brother's birthday," one bead of tear rolled down to her chin. Before it drifted down, it glinted as it was illuminated by the moon above us.
"I'm sorry. I should have not asked."
She shook her head, "You don't have to."
Glimpsing at her, I could not discern any trace of joy. It was as though I was starting at the deep abyss of loneliness and sorrow. She clumped her lips together and looked at the stars.
"My brother, Estefan, likes the moon so much. Every night, if he wasn't busy, we would find a way to sneak out of the house and go to an open place yet silent where we can stare at the moon without anyone bothering us. For me, he was my moon, my light and my guide." Tears gushed down as though the strong monster of emotions that were trapped for a long time had been unleashed.
"Our parents weren't with us most of the time. They were busy, I know. My brother stood as my father when I longed to my parents' presence. He was there when I needed help. He was my buttress, my shield, and my adviser. Up until now, his image was haunting me. The horror on his eyes the last time I saw him. The glint on his eyes while he was holding my hand as though he wanted to live more-"
