To The Place I Belong

ETHAN

It was the first time I heard her pronouncing my name. How unusual it sounded when spoken from her. In a day’s time my life had taken a different turn. Actually, our lives had taken a different turn. One moment she was there looking so angry at the canteen and the other- she is here in my house doing most of the talking.

“Please?” I insisted and then she agreed reluctantly.
God my legs are freezing, how do I walk her back to her house?
I took a slight view of myself at the mirror in my room. Shit. Man! My hair! When did it become so unkempt? How untidy I look!
She began walking out of the room. I ransacked for a comb and tried tidying up my hair and pulling  my shirt down which looks so dirty and shabby.
She had just set her foot out of the room when she turned back and I froze where I was standing. “It’s okay. You look good. Don’t go crazy.” And she smiled. For a moment I felt that somewhere between us there was an invisible sun which was now burning high- so much so that I thought I was melting away no sooner had she spoken the words. There was that unusual lurch, at the pit of my stomach and my heart beat raced. She disappeared soon after and I kept rehearsing the words You look good. She had said that. I can’t believe.  Jeez. Ben where are you. I can’t handle so many of the jolts together.

And then I raced behind her. It was stupid of me to wait in the room and waste two minutes of her precious time. What must she be thinking?
…
“At what time do you board the bus?” I asked and my heart thumped ever so loudly. I thought she must have heard it. But I don’t board the bus. I board my not-so-stylish 20th century Toyota model. It would be fun to board the bus for a change, even more wonderful if I get to accompany Sylvia Jones.
“ 8 am”
“Great.”
“Why?”
“No. Nothing”
An then she unlocked the door with her keys, her expression somewhere between confusion and a frown, before she bade me a good-bye.

Great. I’ll catch up with you Sylvia. I was about to get into my house when it struck me- What about Ben?  He is going to make a pork fry out of my flesh and devour me. When I reached home, the first thing I did was to punch his number in my mobile. He did not pick it up but I kept on re-dialling the number persistently. Why is he being such a swine?

Ben picked up the call on my 7th try and then it was my duty to load him with abuses.
“Ho-ho-ho hold on you angry little pig. What’s wrong? Is there a tsunami? Are we already dying? Please tell me no, I don’t even have a decent friend whom I can call my girlfriend!”
“No Ben. Its her.”
“Who her? Jane?”
“Shut the fuck up. Its Sylvia.”
“Oh you could have just said ‘the expressionless monster who tried to destroy your chances of being  a dad’ ”
“Oh shut up now. Listen.” And then I went on to enumerate the whole of it to him, however the last part of my ‘boarding the bus along with her’ seemed to rain havoc upon his brain and he replied,
“Dude, which hospital is her father admitted in?”
“St. Helena’s Healers Hospital. Why?” I asked curiously.
“And do they have a psychological department in it? Something that deals with the treatment of brain?”
“Yes. Why?” This time I knew it was some usual Benny trash coming up. He continued, “because we need to get you admitted there IMMEDIATELY!”
“BEN!”
“No are you telling me that am going to travel with that devilish expressionless angry woman, only next to Satan? Dude that’s insane. That’s luatic.”
“You don’t have to. I will. And it won’t be every day. I promise. Just some of the days. We can meet at college-”
He cut me off saying “If you are going to then I will also have to. God knows what that devil might end up doing with you. Today she kicked my testicles, tomorrow she might chop of your-”
“BEN! SHUT UP!” I said almost laughing on the other side of the phone.
“No seriously, bro, besides, don’t you remember what I told you about my ass? It’s going to stick along with yours with the rest of my life. And I respect my ass’ decision. Can’t over rule it.”
“Alright cool then. Tomorrow’s Sunday am coming down to your house. Monday we will board the bus at 8 and mind you, don’t be late.”
“Right.”
And he hung up. I loitered around in my room aimlessly, having fragmented thoughts about Monday, how is it going to be?
….
Ben had plugged in The Killer Machine and we were already racing to be a murderer while talking about yesterday. We had decided to call George over but he was too drowsy from last night’s ‘party-hard’ hangover and so was Isabel. In the end it was just us, and it somehow pleased me, knowing I will not have to share my happiness with anyone else but only Ben. He was being his usual assholic swine kind of Ben and trying to crush my player whenever I got distracted with last night’s information.
“Dude, you wouldn’t stand a chance with her, had not her father been ill.”
With the word ‘ill’, something rung in my mind. The reports were supposed to be out this morning.
“Damn! Ben!” I howled at him as he killed my player going for a head short.