Smile, the magic happens

Not again, I'm not going to be late again. Wake up moron else you will be late again. Let’s go, now it’s show time. Mr. Brusher please brush my teeth, Ms. Iron, I would be grateful if you could please iron my shirt, and respected Sir Comb with due respect all I wanna say is please comb this mess, else Lucy will certainly kill me this time. 

“Duruk, what should I do?”

Mr. Toaster have rest, today’s my gal’s day.

“Everything’s done Du, now go and surprise my Lu.”

Lady Clock, certainly Lu will be surprised, how a person can get progressively late at each date.

“Your dedicated soldier is here, now go.”

Doorsie, you are a great friend, take care of everyone. Let’s go.

Hey, Ms. Ferrared looking red hot, today.

“Thank you, dear. Now lemme drive you to Lucy, else she will get red hot.”

(Hey all, I'm Duruk and these all were my best friends. And all you need to know about me is that I do magic, I cast the spell but my spell certainly never works on my sleep, and that’s why I'm always late, even if it’s my date with my childhood friend, Lucy.

Well Lucy is the most magical girl, I have ever come across. She makes my magic work. I was seven, when I realized, I have superpowers. My mum told me, I have inherited this from my father, whom I have never seen, even not through magic, because no powers work through birth and death. And this I realized when I lost my mum when I was ten, all my spell stopped working then, I realized a great limitation about my powers. My spell works only when the person I love the most, smiles and is happy. The magic then came again in my life, when I met Lucy. When she smiles everything becomes magical, all my best friends are with me, only because of the love of my life, Lucy.)

“I have parked myself, Du now go and surprise her.”

Thank you, now let’s be ready for great magic ahead.

I guess someone is really delighted to wait for me.

“Not so funny Duruk, I have been waiting for 1 hour, 2 minutes and 38 seconds. It’s 5 minutes and 39 seconds more than the last time.”

(For those who don’t know what Lucy is up with, lemme tell you she is crazy for numbers, currently working as a mathematics teacher in Clock Tower high school. I never understand what’s the use of advanced calculus in our daily lives and she just loves it, the same way she loves me and that’s really depressing.)

Sorry Lu, can I have a seat now? I never wanna hurt you as I truly love you. You know what, “I want our love to be like π (pi) irrational and never-ending.”

“That’s cute, but what’s the value of pi with seven-digit precision?”

Oh! That’s why you are here with me, to give value to our πous (pious) love.

“Du, you never leave a moment to be silly but cute.”

At least that makes you smile.

(Well, now she has shed her anger. When she’s angry she calls me Duruk and now she’s calling me Du that’s a token of acceptance.)

Now let’s call for an order. 

“Sir and ma’am what would you like to have?”

As always, my Lu’s favorite chocolate finkees.

“Sorry to say, but we don’t have one today.”

“Du, what worst can happen, than this.”

Okay we’ll decide and then call you.

See Lu, it’s alright, just smile, because when you smile, the magic happens.

“But how can I ?”

Just smile, for me.

“Okay, let’s smile for how silly you could be to believe in magic when logically there’s nothing like magic or spell that can bring me my finkees.”

“Excuse me, we just got the supply of chocolate finkees, would you like to have it?”

“Yeah sure.”

Told you, when you smile, the magic happens.

(To elaborate, well I don’t cast spells and mantras like old witches, I just look at my love and wish for more sparkle in her life, and boom the magic happens.)

“What are you waiting for dear, let’s have it. Then we’ll go out on our never-ending walk and talk.”

You know what’s the best part about being with you is, I feel like I’m a magician, who can change the world.

“And you know what you are still a kid who actually believe in magic, I mean it’s not possible.”

It is.

“Then prove it.”

But how?

“I have to tell you that as well, Du.”

Yes, coz’ a teacher has to clear all doubts of student and that too without getting irritated, and I know I’m your favorite student.

“Well, I don’t know how a silly student like you can be my favorite, but as I have to answer, so come here. You know this bridge, right?”

Of course Lu, it’s Aping bridge we have been having lovely walks here for many years.

“But do you know why it’s called Aping bridge?”

Coz’ its architect named it so.

“Nope, because it said that whatever you speak by standing on it, looking at the river, it will imitate.”

Oh, I got it. That’s why whenever you said I love you, you always looked at the Aping river.

“Oh, what should I do to you, let’s go.”

No, no wait. Just smile and see the magic.

“Because, when I smile, the magic happens. Right? So, let’s try it today.”

Yeah, go on.

“I love you, Duruk.

See nothing happens, no magic ”

Try saying it with a smile, dear.

“I love you, Du.”

(a sound echoed)

“I love you, Lu.”

“Hey, hey you heard that? Was that you?”

Yes, I heard. But trust me it wasn’t me. Yes, but you can call it my heart’s saying.

“Oh, Du. Whatever it was, it was magical.”

Told you. When you smile,the magic happens.

(Well, if you people are thinking, it was me. Then you are right.)

Lu, now let’s go Mannes street.

“For my favorite ice cream?”

See you know it. You’re a magician as well.

“And I can read your heart.”

And now my heart is saying to drive and make you smile.

“And now your heart is saying- today, my Lu will drive Ferrared.”

No, certainly, no.

“Okay. You drive. I’ll bring the cones filled with my favorite ube.”

As you wish madam. Just never stop smiling.

“Ferrared, just take us to Papan ice cream parlor.”

“As you wish, dear.”

“Wait, was that you?”

Yeah of course. It was me.

(Of course, it was Ferrared.)

“Your voice sounded quite girly.”

In excitement I sound so.

“Now there’s really no doubt. You are so silly, but cute.”

We have reached.

“I haven’t just finished and we reached.”

That’s what I call magic. You have been talking for 9 minutes 65 seconds and you don’t realize that.

“Wait what 65 seconds? Can’t you just add it in minutes and give the correct answer.”

Ma’am, this is neither mathematics class, nor do I like anything about maths, except my maths teacher. So, as you promised, now go and bring me my reward for being a sincere student.

“Okay dear. Just wait and lemme go and surprise you with the magical ube cone.”

Yeah now go fast. And don’t forget to smile.

(Till the time she is away. Lemme just notice her. My favorite spell. To see her walk away from me to delight me with wonders. The way she notices the road, to make herself safe from everything that could separate us. The way she smiles and asks the vendor- “two cones of ube please.” The truth she thinks I don’t know- she doesn’t like ube much but still, she orders it because she knows I love it from the day I met her. My favorite butterscotch cone fell that day and she gave me her ube, maybe because she didn’t like it, but from that day, it became my favorite flavor as it was given with love. It brought magic into my life again. Today I also want to eat that cone, first tasted by her because then it tastes much better. The way we first met and became friends, today’s the same place and I want her to be my wife. I’ll for sure ask her to add more magic in my life by accepting this wedding ring, which has no magic in it but only love, true love.

The way she is coming closer to surprise me with ube cones. I know she has already tasted her cone, but I would love to have her’s, it will taste magical. I can today see that nine years old Lu, sweet, breezy as if the whole world is with her. The way she’s drowning in my eyes as she is crossing, makes me feel as if only we are here, no world, no universe only we.)

But everything's a mirage. Oh no. No.

You moron. Stop. Don’t run like a coward. I’m gonna catch you wait. You goof.

Hey Lucy.

Wait. I’m gonna catch him.

“Wait. I don’t have much time Du.”

Much time! What are you saying Lu?

“Yes. Maybe the place where we met first is the place we’ll meet last.”

No. please don’t say that. For my sake.

“See now I’m smiling, but no magic's occurring. Because no magic can surpass birth and death.”

But I want to see you smile always.

“I always knew you have special powers. I knew how you would clean my house instantly so that I could study trigonometry. How you once dressed my room with lavenders when they were found miles away from my house. The way you once changed the flavor of cake my mom brought for me. I know everything.”

But what you don’t know is my magic works only when you smile. When you are happy. It works with you and for you.

“Lemme correct my student. It works for the one you love, not just for me.”

But….

“Give my love to red and hot Ferrared, your honest friend Mr. Doorsie, calm and warm Ms. Iron, workaholic Mr. Toaster, respected Sir Comb, and my lady Clock.”

But, how do you know?

“You can hide things from yourself but not from me. You know what, I smiled more when you thought I don’t know your spell. I knew everything. Once you went out, I used to play with them and never let you know. We all had a plan to let you know about our secret once you invite me to stay with you forever. And now’s the time. I’ll stay with you forever, in your heart.”

Here, I brought you the ring, to make you mine forever. I’m sorry Lu. I’m not a good friend.

“No one can be better than the person who can find true happiness when others smile. And you are one of them. Certainly the best.”

But today my magic will be gone with you, forever. I won’t be able to smile again or make anyone happy.

“Magic is inside you. Because now I’ll be living in your heart, always smiling. I was always yours. Now even going to live inside you. Let’s have our last ube cone, together.”

No. I don’t like it.

“Even if it’s tasted by me?”

I would love to.

“Butterscotch is much better I guess.”

Stop. I forgot its flavor much before.

“But I won’t forget that little innocent Duruk who grew up and turned to my lovely Du.”

I love you, Lu.

“Love you too, Du.”

I won’t miss you.

“I'm happy for that. Farewell.”

Lu. Love you.

It took me 2 years, 3 months, 35 days, 1 hour, 2 minutes and 38 seconds to realize what Lu actually meant. And trust me now I can hear Lu saying – “why don’t you include 30 days with months and give me the correct answer, Du? You’re silly but cute.” 

Now the lady Clock doesn’t ring much, as I wake up before she rings. Sir Comb and Mr. Brusher still help me. Friend Doorsie still considers himself as a soldier of a great kingdom, who’s always on a mission to protect our home. Mr. Toaster’s still a workaholic, who still doesn’t get much work as, after my job, I eat my favorite chocolate finkees with my only love. I ride Ms. Ferrared with the same spirit as I used to, but now with my love sitting beside. I do take walks on Aping bridge and whenever I look in the river I see my love’s reflection saying aloud-“I love you, Du.” And for the magic, I still cast the spell. Like if a child has lost his balloon or an old woman is unable to cross the road, I just ask them to smile, and then the balloon is in the hands of the child, and the old lady is able to cross the road with my hand in hand. I still love the ube cone as now we both taste it together. And whenever I feel alone, a hand holds my hand and says smile, because the magic happens only when you smile.