We Fell In Love In October

Session 4.1

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bloom | paper kites
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THE SOUND OF Jayce's quiet laughter reached my ears, easing up the tension. It was a rare occasion when Jayce actually laughed genuinely so I savoured the moment.

"I am serious. Do you know why they call this place Earl Park?"

"Because that's the name of the park?" I asked.

"No, this park is named after Earl Achtymichuk, the one who funded the establishment of this park. No one could actually pronounce his name so they call it simply Earl Park," he said and I narrowed my eyebrows at him with a teasing smile.

"Did you make that up?"

"Asterin, of course not," he chuckled. "Why would I even do that?"

"Because I'm pretty dumb when it comes to historical facts. You could use that against me," I shrugged.

He laughed again. "Well, thanks for letting me know. I'll keep that in mind for future use."

It had been three days since that encounter at Filter Kaapi and I had spent the days scolding myself for being so immature. It felt okay at that time to cry my heart out but upon replaying the incident again and again for three days, I was embarrassed and ashamed to the bone. I had been an emotional mess, a broken dam, a flowing entity of tears and snot. He shouldn't have seen me that way.

But as promised, Jayce didn't judge me then and he acted like that didn't even happen. He treated me just the same but there was a slight change in the way he spoke to me now.

He actually initiated a random conversation, not in relation to my personal life or him. I smiled also realising the ringing confidence in his voice. When someone confided their biggest secret with you, it brought the two closer. The talk we had had that day, may or may not have created a defined bond between Jayce and me, which was good.

"And do you know what your name means?" he asked.

"Star," I said. You are my star, Asterin, Gale had said.

"In Gaelic," he confirmed. "Who named you?"

I looked up from the crispy bed of leaves. "My father. He is a space enthusiast. In fact, even my Mom shares an equal interest," I recalled, smiling as a fond memory creeped into my mind. "We used to have a tradition. When my brother and I were kids, our parents used to teach us the constellations as we lay under the stars. It's something I grew up with. Something that I cherish."

Jayce nodded, clearly enjoying the snippets of my life I was willingly sharing.

"What about your family?" I asked.

Jayce took a few seconds to answer, twirling the leaf in his hand by the twig. "My father passed away when I was six years old. I don't really remember that much. He was a very kind man, my mother often said. She loved him so much."

"During the two months post his death, I would be dropped at my Aunt's to stay because my mother still found it hard to cope with the loss. I was a shy kid and I didn't attach quite easily with others. I felt lonely during that time. But after that, when my mother was finally strong enough to give strength to me as well, we became the closest."

A reminiscing smile adorned his face and the diffused golden rays that fell upon his face threw a different light on his looks. He was more handsome when he smiled, I noticed, but I immediately frowned at my irrelevant thoughts. Jayce was my friend. Only my friend, I reminded myself.