To The Place I Belong

SYLVIA

Again. He is walking up the corridor. Probably towards me. Why ?

I closed the locker with a bang and stood exhaling a deep sigh with Shakespeare’s heavy book in hand.
“Uh-You know Sylvia- I’ve been thinking about the Big 5 project.”
“What about that?”
“Would you like to join us?”
“And who does this ‘us’ comprise of?”
“Us-George, me and Isabel”
I started formulating something to say so that I don’t have to be amidst a group of strangers.
“But you see Mayra also needs to be included” I thought the addition of Myra would make him think about it but it backfired on me-“Excellent ! The perfect Big 5 group!” He said quite happily with a jubilant smile on face.
“Yes but I need to ask her you know…” I thought I would get a chance to make up Myra’s mind and ask her to tell them a strict NO but it so happens that unfortunately Myra came out of her elective class and was walking steadily across the corridor towards me. I wish I had mastered the art of using sign languages because when I signalled Myra for a “NO DON’T COME HERE NOW” she started walking faster towards me. Either she was dumb or I was too bad at sign languages.
“Myra!” Ethan turned around and called her out. “Lovely! We were talking about you!”
“Were you?” The note of excitement in her words disappointed me.
“Would you mind joining George, me and Isabel for the Big 5 project group?”
Myra looked even more excited- the excitement was evident when her hands and legs started to shake. She is so frail that anything exciting or terrifying ends up racking her nerves. She looked at me tentatively. Ethan added a few more words, “Sylvia said she could join if you do too.”
What the fuck! When did I tell that!
And the disaster was done.
“Oh I would love to” she said quite nicely. “That’s so sweet of you Ethan.” Sweet? My foot!
“Great then! You would want to contact Isabel for further discussions on the project topic. See ya till then!” He gave me a wink and disappeared down the stairs.
Myra watched him disappear and then looked at me-all her thirty-two teeth stark naked when she smiled. “Sweet boy isn’t he?”
I wanted to tell her right away how sweet she had been in dumbly saying a yes and how much I want to punch her on her face. Instead I settled for a “Very” at the moment and failed to hide the sarcasm in the word. Infact the word which could have been apt for him was “Curious and nosy.”
….

I still find it hard to concentrate. Of course my classes with Mr Oliver are still on. Yet I try to dodge them whenever possible. It’s not that am not trying. It’s just that something always pulls me back whenever I try.
Saturday was the most ‘thoughtful day’ according to me. I had to make up a lot of stuff you see. I had to cook lies and go into silent debates if I wanted to reveal the truth. I had to talk about college. I had to talk about Myra. I had to talk about my neighbours and my new place. And Ethan. The last one disturbed me the most of all.
“SO why don’t you wan’t to join the group?”
“Because I don’t wan’t to.”
“Why don’t you wan’t to? That’s what ‘am asking, Sylvia.”
“Because he is curious about stuffs I don’t wan’t anybody for that matter to know.” I shrugged.

Mr Oliver had his unending list of questions ready every Saturdays, some parts I did have to lie, some parts there’s no other way but truth presented in the best way possible. I no longer skip meals or have panic attacks though. All my gratitude goes for the funny little man. 
I think am beginning to like my new abode as well. It has given me motive. And I think I know what I wan’t.
….
A meeting had been scheduled at Isabel’s house. My informant- reverend Mr Ben Evans had no idea what he was talking about. If you ask me, he is a pile of rubbish.
Myra and I had just started to work on a play’s onscreen adaptation when he turned up. To my agitation instead of launching himself on the topic, he launched himself on a series of senseless talk with Myra. But you could say that boy had real impact on her. In all these months I hadn’t seen her laughing so heartily.
“Oh you live there? It’s a nice place. Only my memory of the place hasn’t been that nice you could say.” He had that funny look on his face.
Myra asked  “Why? What happened” Girl, she was serious, really. I mean how could she take a guy like Ben seriously?
“You see I got involved in a nice fist fight after I snatched an donout away from a kid. I was only ten you see.”
Myra giggled. I rolled my eyes.
“His brother bashed me up quite well in the end and I returned home with a bloody face. Man, he was vindictive.”
Myra gave a laugh. To be true I didn’t find it funny at all.
“Why?” I asked with a sigh.
“What ?”
“Why are you here?” My tone could scare the devil, Myra was only shivering.
“Oh yeah. You see I can be so forgetful sometimes...” and he was smiling despite me being impertinent. “But why am I here is a good question…” and pondered off asking himself “why am I here…why am…Oh yes… You are invited. At Isabel’s” He paused. “For your Big 5 or something.”
“When?”
“Sunday ofcourse. At around 5. ” Then he turned around to face Myra, “You can come over before that” God he is so damn irritating. Myra was enjoying anyway so much so that when I got up to pee I heard something like “We will try” Her obliging smile towards Ben was getting on my nerves.