Colours and Clandestine Meetings in Foreign Places

           ‘When can I expect it to arrive?’

           ‘Just leave your details; your name and your contact number.’ She smiled and handed me a pen and a piece of paper. I scribbled the details on the parchment and slid it back to her as I held my hands together against my lap. ‘Let me make a few calls before I send you off.’

           A shadow fell over me and I gazed back to meet a dark stranger. I smiled and offered a tentative, ‘Hi,’ followed by a small wave.

He responded with a mellow, ‘Hey,’ and a forced smile.

His voice matched his demeanour, and he was the most serious person I had ever encountered. A curiosity sparked in me. Who was this guy, firm and stern, his presence demanding attention? I lilted aside as the shopkeeper offered him a smile and promised to be with him in a moment. She was familiar with him and of course, she was familiar with him. I was on foreign ground, and this was the kind of close-knit place where everyone knew everyone, especially the bookstore clerk. She told me my books would arrive in a week or two and I was off. As I left, I couldn't help but glance back at the stranger. He didn't look my way, absorbed in his own world.

           I’m not the most beautiful girl in the world but when most guys give second, third and fourth looks, I can’t help but entertain the thought. It’s shallow, I know. And sure, the stranger could’ve been gay, but he didn’t come across as gay - not that it mattered. My friend Maureen had a gay best friend. Cliché. Scott was one of the reasons I was able to distinguish heterosexual from gay. The dark stranger gave no gay vibes, apart from not paying more attention to me, but he was unconcerned and I’m overusing “gay”. I digress. Perhaps he was shy. A lot of guys are shy. I brushed the hair on my shoulder and perhaps I seemed too white and maybe he wasn’t into white girls and I couldn't just jump at him and announce, "I have Raynaud's disease". Still, he commanded my attention.

           My phone beeped—low battery—and this was an ordinary day when the world was not on my side. I don’t like UA, and it was part of my decision to study long-distance rather than full-time. I only came to this God-forsaken part of town because they have the only bookstore that sells academic material. But so far, I hadn’t got the two books I came for, a guy didn’t bother to take a second look at me, and my phone’s battery was nearly dead. Classic UA. As my eyes lifted to the horizon I saw a solar panel phone charger. It was as big as a fridge and perhaps things were looking up, but the sun hadn’t appeared on this grey day, and it was after one o’clock in the afternoon. I had one foot out of the bookstore area and the other in. I gazed to my right to see the stranger seated on one of the two couches on sight. This was my chance to figure out his deal.

           The music on his earphones was loud and I tried to make out what he was listening to. I couldn’t put a finger on the artist and is he listening to Latin music? Okay. He wanted to learn Spanish, or he already spoke the language. Once again, he was unconcerned that I was standing in front of him. I waved my hand before his eyes, and he quickly pulled the earphones off his ears.

           ‘Hi,’ he offered with a smile.

           ‘Hey. Do you know how the solar panel phone charger works?’

           ‘Oh?’ He glanced out the window over his shoulder. ‘Oh! Just pull the covering on the sill up and dock your phone.’

           ‘Huh?’

           ‘Dock your phone,’ he repeated slowly.

I thanked him, and he returned to his music. Ah. Shakira. Perhaps he was gay. Good thing I wasn’t paying Scott otherwise I was due a refund.

           I did exactly as the stranger told but it didn’t work. I returned to the shop and there he was by the door, waiting and gazing at me.

           ‘Let me try,’ he exhorted, and I surrendered my phone to him. I admired his back as he plugged the phone into various ports. He had a strong back and nothing worked. He glanced back at me and apologetically gave a genuine smile. ‘It must be the weather,’ he explained as he handed the phone back. Once again that was it. This was a bad day for me—weather and all.

           I sat on the couch, next to him, creating enough space between us. I sent a text to my dad, and he quickly replied that he’d pick me up soon. The stranger stood up, leaving his bag and ran outside. My gaze trailed him, and he exchanged words with one of his denizens. They entered together and he was smiling. His smile reflected on his friend, and it was those contagious ones that I almost lit up. I pretended to fiddle on my phone which I had turned off, and he sat down. They exchanged words in Mandarin and my gaze swatted at the stranger. How many languages does he speak? His friend offered me a warm greeting and headed to the bookstore. I asked him which year of study he was, and he gave a mellow ‘second.’ I gave up. But to my surprise, he instigated.

           ‘I’ve never seen you around campus before,’ he resumed. ‘Is this year your first?’

           ‘No, um,’ I sat and gazed at him. ‘I’m, actually,’ I snickered, ‘not a student here. I only came to buy books. I’m distance learning.’

           ‘That’s cool,’ he marvelled. ‘Gutsy but cool. I wish I took things head on the way you do.’

And just like that he knew all about me. I knew all about him.

           ‘Oh, come on. A smart guy like you is more glory than guts.’

He snickered and was about to correct me—smart guy—when his friend returned from the shop. He said something to him in Mandarin and the stranger laughed. I was eager to know what his friend said to make him laugh.

           ‘What did he say?’ I demanded desperately.

           ‘He’s complaining about the size of the books he’s holding,’ he giggled in explanation. ‘Says they’re heavy.’

           ‘They are,’ his friend contended and announced, ‘I’m Daniel.’

           ‘Vnyssa,’ I offered in exchange. ‘What about you?’ I probed to the dark stranger.

           He was still in giggles and his gaze locked on mine. I motioned my lips down to a frown and then smiled. ‘I don’t usually introduce myself,’ he informed. ‘That’s why I didn’t ask for your name. Vnyssa?’ I nodded and he conceded, ‘Ezrael.’

           Daniel left and Ezrael and I were old pals. Our conversation flowed naturally. He practiced baguazhang, and it was odd because no one anywhere did baguazhang let alone knew of baguazhang but he spoke fluent Mandarin. He was beyond surprised that I knew of baguazhang. I wanted to tell him what a rare find I am but instead I told him how I did karate before I sprained my ankle one too many times and he was a martial arts enthusiast. Ezrael was a computer engineering student—smart guy—but he seemed to lack self-confidence. To begin with, he insisted he wasn’t smart. He was in the second-year level for a second time. I digressed. He asked if I was taking the university shuttle to town, and I responded by asking whether he would. I sent my dad a text, that I’d meet him in town at St. Matthews. Ezrael wanted to know me as much as I wanted to know about him.

           We got out of the bookshop and there were several UA students outside. I thought he would retreat and fade into them, but his aura was colourful to their grey. His eyes were fully focused on me, and he never noticed Daniel return until I spoke to Daniel. Daniel was proof of how different Ezrael was. Daniel said usual things—school and the weather—small talk. I tried to keep up, but he wasn’t Ez. Natural. Ez commented on a statement Daniel made, and I laughed. The joke was lost on Daniel. Ez was funny and his jokes were beyond witty. He had an accent, New Zealand. He came to UA on scholarship, and he spoke half of the Republic’s Official Languages. I was limited to three but here was this stranger, on foreign land, and he knew things I should’ve known. Smart. He flattered with his Spanish and kept me giggling. When raindrops fell, Daniel saluted goodbye and left. He lived on campus while Ez lived off.

           We went into the bus parked at the shuttle stop and there were no people inside. We were the only ones.

           ‘You first, my lady.’ He smiled and my blushing was treachery.

It was as though we were old friends. He was comfortable. I was comfortable. I told him about my bad experiences on buses. I found myself reenacting an action—hooking my arm on his—and his dark face flushed pale even though his body said otherwise. I leaned on his shoulder, and he patted me on the head. It was funny and I pretended that an aeroplane was a shooting star, wishing this would go on forever. I detached my head from his shoulder and faced him. He was lit – rose coloured.

           ‘I’m usually reserved than this,’ I whispered in confession. But he was a church.

           ‘Why? You have one of the brightest personalities I’ve ever come across.’

           ‘Some people don’t like bright.’

           ‘Some people are stupid.’

Preach. I blushed and batted my eyelashes. Treachery. When I lifted my head up, I was surprised to see that the bus was full. But there was only me and Ez. When the engine started, we succumbed to an uncomfortable truth: our time together was almost over.

           I pulled my phone out, turned it on, and stole a picture with him. He didn’t like pictures but said he’d make an exception. I forwarded the picture to my friend, Maureen, who was a third-year student at UA. She knew Ez. She said he was at one point one of the smartest students on campus. What happened, Ez? I asked him about Maureen, and he knew her. They had never spoken before, and I told him I’d tell Maureen to speak to him.

           ‘I applied for a job in Cape Town; content writing,’ I told him.

           ‘What content are you going to write about?’

Cheese ball. I laughed and shrugged. Mariska sent me a text and I was afraid my battery would fail. I only switched the phone on to take a picture with the Kiwi. She was eight months pregnant and told me the name of her baby girl; Lemon Brie. I burst out with laughter and Ez agreed it was an unusual name. I told him I preferred the name Maya or its contemporary Mia, for a girl, because Maya Angelou, and Emmanuel for a boy. He seemed to disagree but didn’t say so. He preferred Zazi for a girl, which means to know oneself. He explained that we bother ourselves with a lot of unimportant things when the most important thing is to know oneself. I wasn’t initially sold on Zazi, but he made it the most important name. This old soul had a lot to tell me, but we were out of time. I wanted to spend more time with him. I told him of Todd, my boyfriend, and how he was going to Italy for rugby tryouts and as soon as I did, I knew I shouldn’t have. I digressed.

           ‘If I invited you to a party, would you come?’

           ‘A party,’ he echoed with a smile. ‘Dancing.’ He nodded with rhythm and dancing motions. ‘Probably not.’

           ‘What?’ I hissed with a giggle and bit my lower lip. ‘Mm… What about a small gathering of friends?’

           ‘I’d be intruding. They’d be your friends.’

           I feigned a frown and nudged him on the shoulder with my fist. ‘Don’t be a smart ass.’

   ‘In truth, this is me dumbing it down and I’m some people.’

           I gaped at him in a half-smile, shocked that he had the guts to say that. I figured he’d walk on egg shells around me, but what most guys did Ez didn’t. ‘Cocky much?’

           ‘Very. Much.’

           The bus sighed heavily as its hydraulics dropped. It came to a halt, my time with Ez to an end. He gazed into my eyes and his gaze was accompanied by an ominous feeling.

           ‘This is me.’ My heart sank to my stomach as he murmured the dreaded words. ‘It was nice meeting you, Vnyssa. I hope we meet again.’

           ‘Bye.’ I barely whispered and waved as he stood up, joining a train of students who were exiting but he never faded into them. He stood out in his brown faded jacket, but he was gone. I hadn’t realised how cold the weather was. I gazed out through the window and then at my phone’s screen. It flashed and then switched off. Great. My luck had returned. There was a sharp pang in my chest, and I grabbed my jacket tightly. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to cry but why? He was just a passing acquaintance and I have Todd. I will go with him to Italy, and I should be happy. I’m lucky.

           ‘Vnyssa,’ called a familiar voice.

           I turned around to find someone seated next to me. ‘Ez? I mean Ezrael.’ He had jumped back on the bus before it left for its next stop. The engine restarted.

           ‘It’s cool,’ he insisted with a grin, Cheshire. ‘My sister used to call me Ez.’

           ‘What does she call you now?’

           ‘She calls me little brother or “you”.’

           ‘You?’ I snickered.

           ‘That’s why I jumped back on the bus. I want to tell you about Aly. I want to know you, and I hope you don’t go to Italy. I won’t be able to attend your small gatherings of friends if you go and we’ll never talk about why you should never name your would-be little girl Maya or Mia. I think content writing is cool and profoundly interesting when an Arts student takes it up. I’m a decent dancer but I’d rather not. I’m considered weird and I know I am. So, I tend to keep limited company, but my circle’s population has gone up by one. You. May I have your number, Vnyssa?’

           I burst into laughter, and this was by far the best way a guy had ever asked for my number. Cheese ball. Not a snarky pickup line but honesty. I would have kissed him then and there if I didn't have a boyfriend. Everything inside me was saying yes but my mind was saying “Todd”.

           ‘How are you going to get to your place?’ I finally asked.

           ‘The bus will return to the university. I’ll plead with the driver to drop me off on the way. He’ll probably hate me for it and not stop at all. I can live with that. I can’t live knowing I will never talk to you again.’

           ‘You could’ve asked earlier.’

           ‘I know,’ he dragged in a girlish tone. ‘I told myself if fate decides we should meet again then we will. When I passed through those doors, I remembered I wasn’t a believer of a fate that befalls a man however he acts. I couldn’t leave it to chance. My second argument is that you mentioned Todd. I thought that was your way of saying “don’t ask for my number”.’

           I gave him the number and then muttered, ‘Italy. Milan.’

           ‘I get the appeal. I’m not stopping you from going. I just want to know you before you leave for Cape Town and eventually Italy. And yes, to Milan.’

I giggled again, and I was happy I didn’t get the books. I was glad to have met Ez. Until…

           ‘You bitch,’ an impossible, but familiar voice scoffed behind my seat.

I slowly glanced back as the familiar figure towered over me. The hooded not-so-stranger removed the shades from his eyes to meet mine as I met his fury.

           ‘Todd,’ I barely whispered, in confusion, as my gaze bounced off him to Ez and then back to him.

           He walked from the seat to the passage and stood beside Ez. His eyes never left mine as mine were preoccupied between him and Ez. His silence loud and stabbing and what is Todd doing here?

           ‘I knew you were easy, Vnyssa. When you agreed to go to Italy with me, I figured you were finally committed to this. To us.’

Suddenly, the bus that carried only Ez and me was filled with copious strangers whose eyes were fixed on me and Todd, mostly me, as Ezrael disappeared into grey.

           ‘Was this a test?’ I murmured as my heart shot to a still, shocked and confused. I was some people as my welling gaze met the grey kiwidiot.

           ‘Too easy,’ he smugly echoed in his treachery – in mine.

           ‘I’m glad you showed your ass,’ continued Todd. ‘I see the real you. And no, to Milan.’

           A winter’s day turned to a scorching summer and Todd turned to the wind followed by his entourage, Ezrael. Words migrated as treacherous tears beckoned. I maneuvered to my feet, to stop Todd. I wanted to tell him there was nothing to my conversation with Ez, but it wasn’t “nothing”. Todd left, but the eyes of copious strangers lingered and were fixed on me, accompanied by whispers and chatter, shooting their lasers at me and tethering me back to my seat. I was alone and confused with the scorching summer reverting to a cold winter as my fingers numbed. The shuttle couldn’t arrive sooner at St. Matthews, but this was the longest ride.