Hide & Seek

Cemetery and Coffee? What a day!

On Wednesday Maa took me to the church. Yes. Stunned, yet anticipated  the  Christian  week stretched  to three weeks due to the variant  Church clubs of  the locality and every  other day more to perceive.

Reya withdrew  halfway through  the sermons while  I strived to concentrate my utmost. And yeah, I didn't  want to come. I thought of visiting  the hill, maybe take a peek at Nicholas. After the interhouse debate  on monday he didn't  show  up today  and it really got me worried. Even though Miha tried to hide it, I had seen lines of unease sprawled  on her face.

Miha knew him since nursery and then ended up in  a same school, seemingly  both their fathers  were in navy school  but Nicholas's  father dropped out  and became a physics  professor. It didn't appear but I knew Miha and Nicholas  were close.

When the sermons  were over Maa scurried  off with some women to a  cafe and asked me to go  home, however, despite Reya's retiring and remote attitude towards the subject,  I wanted to talk to her about  Nicholas, I knew she could  help me and strode around the church in search  of her.

Believe  me, finding  a ghost is the most difficult job. She didn't  have a phone  and you couldn't  shout her name or anything. Trying  to be discreet I just walked  about and ended  up in the cemetery  behind the church and as I tripped  over a grave  I realised  my mistake. Oh God. I stood and brushed my skirt raking my eyes all over the Cemetery which was furred with died Fall leaves veiling  almost everything, the evening light flickering through the tall carrion trees all around me.

"Ileesh?"

"Oh, God!" I jumped and turned. Nicholas stood there, few feets away, a small smile on his face.

"Hey," he said, inching forward. "What are you  doing  here?"

I gave him a weak smile and said the first thing  in my mouth. "Taking a walk."

He stopped and tilted his head. "In the cemetery?"

I opened mouth but then was cut off by the man sauntering towards us. Grateful, I smiled  at him. He nodded then turned his attention to Nicholas.

"Nicholas?"

"Dad?"
Father?

"I'm  leaving  now, you coming  with me?"

Nicholas glanced at me then back  at his father. "Well....ah, Dad, this is Ileesh."

An expression  closed to realisation  crossed his father's  face. "Ah, the Fishy girl."

What?

"Dad!" Nicholas  eyes were  wide in astoundment but amusement was visible around his mouth.

His father  shook his head. "I'm Sorry, Illeesh, its just that he talks a lot about you, addressing  you as Fishy, so you should blame him."

I raised  my brows at Nicholas. "Did he now?"

Nicholas shrugged. "Well, you know..."

"Anyway," his father interupted. "Do you want me to drop  you home?"

This time Nicholas didn't  hesitated. "No, Dad. Its fine. I'll  take a cab."

His father  nodded. "Okay, then. Call me when you get home." Then he smiled  at me. "Nice to meet you."
I smiled back and he was gone.

Me and Nicholas  stood there in almost uncomfortable silence with  the exception of dried leaves crunching beneath my shoes as I shifted a little.

He cleared  his throat. "Would you...like to...have a coffee?"

  I relaxed, and with a smile nodded and together  we walked  out of the dreadful cemetery.