OF MEMORIES

It had been twenty four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. Even though the bridge had lost all its color, it was still strong and passable. Moss and mould like plants had grown on the rails. The river was still the same narrow one with pebbles dancing along the clear water. Kids down the river were splashing water on each other. It reminded her of how they used to throw little pebbles into the water. The owner of the pebble that landed farthest had the privilege of an ice cream,that was the rule back then. She turned and looked at the kids once more and wondered if they had their own rules. She thought about her favorite playmate. He would be forty four now. She wondered how he looked like right now. Had time been fair to him? Where was he now? Thinking about him made her stomach flutter in fear.How will he react if he saw her now? Bees buzzed around her in a happy dance seemingly glad that she was back. She shifted her sling bag to her left shoulder and picked a stone. She examined it thoroughly and rubbed the smooth surface on her cheeks before throwing it back in the river. It landed with a thud. She turned and started walking back to the town center. People who recognized her greeted her. Some even stopped to chat with her. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone but she just stopped out of courtesy. Finally she arrived at her grandmother's house.

She took out the key that had been mailed to her and struggled to open the door. A smell hit her nostrils and she sneezed in protest. The house was dusty and needed thorough cleaning and she vowed to do it the next day. Not caring about the dust on the settee, she plopped herself on it. Her grandmother had left her the house with everything inside. She had not even attended her grandmother's funeral. That is how much she was afraid of her past. She knew she had broken his heart into tiny bits and she wouldn't have been surprised if he still abhorred hate for her. Infact she hoped that he still loathed her because she didn't know how to face him even after more than two decades. Avoiding him was the best solution. She stood and made her way towards her tiny bedroom. Despite the house being dusty, the bedroom was kind of clean. The bed was covered in a floral bedsheet and pillows splayed across the head board. She decided to rest a bit before taking a shower. She fell asleep with her bag still dangling on her shoulder.

She was running around in the maze that was near the local primary school. Alvin was gaining in on her. She tripped and fell with him hot on her heels. "Got you!" He yelled holding her by the waist. "Let me go," she said laughingly. "No, I caught you. Now you have to give me that kiss you promised me over the phone." He pulled her on top of him and gaped lovingly at her.

"What are you thinking of?"

"I am thinking of how lucky I am to have such a beautiful girlfriend. Did you know that your eyes are sparkling now? They are like gold being reflected by the morning sun. You, my love, is like a sip of fresh water to a traveller in the desert. One sip isn't enough."

"I love you Alvin," she said and sighed happily.

"Me more, my love. So much that my heart constricts whenever you are not around. I am going to propose to you one day woman, and you'd be a darling to say yes."

"Ha! I can't wait. We will have two boys with dimples like yours."

"Umph! I want girls. Three cute girls who will be running around the house smiling wickedly the way you are doing right now." He tickled her underarm and she let out a belly full of laughter. 

"Stop! That is ticklish. Come on now, we are going to be late for rehearsals." 

"Wait! My kiss." She leaned in with pouted lips. Before he could reach her, she heard a noise. She woke up startled and scrambled from the bed. The person at the door was persistent.

"Coming," she said as she rubbed her eyes for a clearer vision. She made her way through the hallway towards the entrance.

She opened the door and was dumbfounded to see the person on the other side of the door. Time had done him a favour. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white tee, couple with a pair of black safari boots. His lips were curled into something akin to a smile. Muscles were rippling under the white tee. He watched her watch him. Her dress was ruffled up, her hair all over her face. Still she looked good. He cleared his voice. She was embarrassed to have been caught staring. 

"What are you doing here?"

"Hello Tallie. I heard you were back. So I came to say hello. May I come in?"

"Huh?"

"I asked if I could come in." 

"Sure. Come on in. I am sorry I wasn't expecting anyone least of all you." She let him through and sat down on the blue couch.

"It is a little bit dusty. I have not had the chance to clean."

"No worries. I don't mind." He sat on the settee. "So how have you been? We missed you around."

"Up and down. How is your wife?"

A shadow passed across his face and regretted asking that question." I am sorry you don't have to answer."

"She died five years ago." 

"I am sorry. Grandma didn't tell me about her death."

"Its okay. She lived a good life." Shifting his huge body to face her he asked "So you have been thinking about me?"

"No why would I? You were married and I was too. Grandma used to give me tidbits of the town. Nothing much."

"Speaking of marriage, where is your husband?"

"I don't know. We divorced a long time ago."

"Ooh. I didn't know. Sorry about that."

"You were not supposed to."

He moved closer to her and removed a strand of hair blocking her right eye. She turned red from the touch. "You are still the same doe-eyed Tallie. More beautiful and womanly now. I missed you."

"Stop Alvin."

"Shh! I just want to hug you. I deserve it, don't you think so? After what you did to me." 

"I am sorry. I didn't have a choice." She trembled.

"I forgave you along time ago. So many years have passed and you still smell the same. Did you know I used to dream about you daily."

His gaze made her feel uncomfortable. It was piercings. Like he wanted to grab something from inside of her.

"I...I...can't do this Alvin." She skirted away from him.

He held out his hand to her and stood up, "Come on. Just a hug then I'll leave Tallie. I won't bother you again. I just want to feel you even if it is for the last time."

She took his hand and stood. She was pulled into a tight embrace. She forgot all about her problems in his arms. The dirty house and clothes, the bills, her cancer were all forgotten when he wrapped his arms around her waist. She swooned when his scent reached her nostrils. She sniffed him again. He smelt of the fresh morning dew, subtle yet sweet. He was all warmth and tons of muscles. She gingerly raised her head from his chest and met his eyes. Through them she could see his soul. He bared it to her. All of him. The misery that he had gone through for twenty four years, the love he still had for him all reflected in his eyes. He was aroused but she saw something else. Home. In his eyes. Even after leaving him on their engagement day, he still wanted her and that was all that mattered.