Free sea

The informal, collarless, short-sleeved, white shirt, tight around my bosom, hung slightly loose around my thin waist. I was happy with the reflection before me. The one I had worked so hard to achieve. The dark pair of jeans added onto my simple and presentable outfit. I was known for the jeans I wore. Jeans were the only thing I wore. Katiana, the girl who rocked jeans. Black wedged sneakers finished off the look and I couldn't be more satisfied. 

It was time I took a break on my own. It was time I got away from home where I was suppressed by the highest pressure. Over and over his words had played in my head as I quietly packed two days worth of clothing and toiletries.

"You're a disappointment." caused the first wave of tears to fall down that night. 

Over the years I grew sensitive to words, more than I ever wanted and more than I imagined I would. I cried myself to sleep that night just like I did every other night but it was different. I knew the following day I would go on my first trip funded out of my pockets all alone. 

I turned away from the mirror in my room, fixing my twisted braids into a messy ponytail before I slung my overnight bag onto my shoulder. Small handbag in hand, I was ready for some fresh air. The house was quiet of course. The unspoken rule was observed: whether he was sleeping in the sitting room or bedroom, do not wake him up. No noise could be made around light sleepers and that's why I tiptoed to the kitchen, grabbed an apple and went straight for the main door. All trying to be quiet at five in the morning, but I guess I had made some small noise during my preparation because before I could disturb sleeping beauty with the door, two sleepy eyes emerged from the sitting room. 

"What's going on?" he asked, surprised, as he swept his eyes over me. 

That was nothing. I was more than surprised that he would speak to me at all in the morning. Rule number two growing up: mornings are his spiritual times and therefore no attempt should be made, either through communication or passing by him, to break into his prayers. 

Dumbfounded I answered, "I'm going out. I'll be back soon."

"Where?"

"I'll call you dad. I just need to be out."

His look was suspicious but I didn't care anymore. Nineteen good years, I knew I couldn't take care of myself but I believed I had a free will. 

I stepped out into the cool morning air. I double checked that I had my passport and earphones. My heart was two streets away and that's where my feet and classical music carried me. I was in my world until the familiar wooden door greeted me. I searched for my bundle of keys and let myself in. 

Curtains were drawn but the morning light was beginning to sip through. The fridge hummed a monotonous tone. I dropped my bags just at the hallway and I made my way to the door I knew all too well and entered the room. My breath hitched as my sight was adorned by the beauty of the naked back sprawled on the bed before me. Except when I received the naughty messages the night before, I smiled for the first time in a week. 

I closed the door behind me and took off my sneakers. He stirred but didn't open his eyes when I made myself comfortable on my side of the bed. How on earth were we still friends? I thought to myself. Our friendship had seen it all; tears, joy, anger once in a blue moon. Every emotion had built what we had. 

"Tiana?" his groggy voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "What's going on?"

"Well, I'm trying to get you to wake up, " I replied smiling.

"I pulled a double shift. And I'm just an intern, imagine! But you're here so I feel better."

"I bet you are, " I said softly. His curly, jet-black hair was everywhere and I reached out and played with a few strands.

"You didn't mention anything about coming here yesterday or did my messages distract you?" A mischievous grin formed on his face. 

"Shut up," I playfully pushed him. It was playful except that he ended up on the carpet. And I? I just laughed. 

He stood up with a frown that I knew all too well he was faking. 

"That ought to wake you up a bit more Jace," I shrugged. "Thanks to me of course."

"I'm going to brush my teeth." And he disappeared into the miniature bathroom in the corner of the room. 

"Please shower while you're at it!" I shouted. 

"Why?"

"Just make it quick. "

It took me two minutes to put order on the bed. It was then I noticed the mess in the room. "Typical," I sighed. 

"Hey, can you put my room in order?" Right on cue. 

The desk opposite the bed was decorated with papers and a pizza box. Two sweaters found their resting place on the chair while a new pair of sneakers were shoved under the desk. 

"Say please!" I shouted, moving to open the curtains to allow the first rays of sunshine to come through. 

"Please dear."

"You owe me chocolate," I said

"Chocolate number twenty-four it is."

His wardrobe was a pigsty without the mud. Clothes on the shelves were thrown in a disordered manner and none were folded. I got to work picking out two sets of clothing and packed them in a bag I found hanging loosely on top of the wardrobe. I dumped a few toiletries I thought he'd need. From the hangers, I chose two sweaters. My favourite.

I spent some time on his desk; pizza box and sweet wrappers went into the waste bin by the door, papers were ordered into a neat pile, leaving the desk looking like a desk. I didn't realise he was back in the room until he spoke. "I don't remember packing clothes." confusion was written all over his face as he fiddled with the bag on the bed. 

"Dress up," I commanded. "One of those is mine." I pointed to the sweaters. 

"I better get it back. How many of my sweaters do you have now?"

"Five or six? I don't remember." He sighed.

Creamed, dressed and perfumed up, he was done a few minutes later. I turned to look at him. 

"I don't need a copy cat on top of a very naughty friend," I said taking in his matching outfit with mine. 

"You're flames and I want to be on fire too," he shrugged. 

"Where are the keys to the Audi?"

"Kitchen. I think."

"Let's go," I said walking out, stopping only to pick up my things and a few snacks from the kitchen.

We made it to the car, all buckled up, in under five minutes. I took the driver's seat and a few minutes later on the road, Jace asked the burning question. 

"Where are we going?"

"To Scombrida."

"Why?"

"It's an adventure. I've never been there." Classical music filled the car as I turned onto the highway. I felt his eyes on me. Those searching eyes and one look to the side confirmed it all. 

"Is that all? The main reason?"

He knew me too well. Irrespective of the five year gap between us, he was my best friend. My everything. Someone I could count on and I definitely had both of his broad shoulders to cry on. 

"No," I said quietly, eyes on the road and moving onto the fast lane. 

"Don't speed," he cautioned.

"I won't."

"Your dad again?"

I nodded. "I'm surprised he allowed you out."

"Me too. It was too much Jace," I breathed. "I need to redial."

"And I need some fresh air," he said relaxing on the passenger seat he had laid back earlier. "Wake me up for important things." He closed his eyes. 

I smiled. "I'll wake you up when I finish my lunch."

He opened one eye in warning. "Just joking," I said and turned to focus on the road. 

Jace slept like a baby and when I thought he would be awoken by the change in music later on in the morning, he slept through it all. It was a warning to me to prepare for the start of my career in September. It was still May but time and tired wait for no man. I couldn't wait to finally become a doctor. Jace and I had planned it all. Same university, same specialities only he would also go into engineering. I wasn't so sure I would go there but baby steps were key. Finally, we would build our hospital and run it. He said he would wait for me to complete my intern years. That made it all the more sweeter. I truly had a friend. 

I stuck to the fast lane changing occasionally when switching roads and letting other drivers drive past. I enjoyed driving. I missed it. Two cars back home threatened my happiness and the regret of once accidentally pressing on the accelerator instead of the brakes, ate away at me day and night. No-nonsense dad benched me for life. No harm was done except being a new driver on the road and getting used to the heavy German car. 

The GPS guided me to the next petrol station where I filled the tank and offloaded my tank. A small takeaway shop tempted my stomach and that led to me carrying plastics back to a very awake Jace.

"I thought I told you to wake me up for important things."

"I was just about to."

Lunch was short and refreshing. We hit the road minutes later, Jace's music filling the car. We were captives to our thoughts. Every now and then we conversed about random things and laughed when we needed to. 

I felt the change when I drove into the town, enough to slow down. It was well into the afternoon. Scombrida was quiet yes but filled with residents and visitors in every corner. Different stalls dressed the area and shops formed neat lines. Coconut trees, heavy with fruit, swayed lazily as if waving us in. All the windows were rolled down and Jace had his sunglasses on, feeling like a prince. I felt the sea even before I saw it. The sea breeze was in every way cooling the scorching heat on the land surface and I couldn't be more grateful. Empty water bottles littered the car, exaggerating what Jace and I had in common. 

The heart of the town wasn't any different from its entrance. There were more buildings. Some apartments. Some hotels.

"Say we stay in a hotel tonight?" I asked. I had never had the luxury of staying in one. 

"You actually had no plan when you decided on this trip?"

"Yep," I popped the p more than I wanted to. "I want to do new things. Like surfing. I want to do that tomorrow."

"Let's sleep in the car."

I turned to look at him for a second. He was serious. 

"Do you sleep in the car everyday?"

"No b-"

"We're sleeping in the car." Final.

I found a shady place to park and pulled to a stop, cutting off the engine. The music, his, had been turned down when the heat became unbearable. A comfortable silence filled the car and I sighed. Jace got out and stretched his long legs on the pavement. After a while, he turned to me with a childish look on his face. Oh boy! I thought. He came to my side, opened the door and rolled up all the windows before removing the key from the ignition. All the while with a smile on his face. 

"Come on, my lady," he gave me his hand. "Let's go have ice cream in a bucket. "

I took his hand laughing and got out of the car. Hands joined, he led me to a store he had seen and grabbed a basket at the entrance. 

"What flavour?" he asked as we strolled to the fridges.

"Vanilla."

"I want chocolate."

"Vanilla. Let's get vanilla. Then chocolate tomorrow."

"Let's get both." 

"I can't finish a bucket on my own," I whispered incredulously.

"Yes you can." Two buckets of ice cream, one vanilla and the other chocolate, found their way into the basket, which he also carried all the way to bakery part of the shop. 

"Some breakfast," he said, feeling the breads one by one and making his pick. Six rolls. He was set on something and I was quiet but smiling, knowing full well I couldn't change his mind. 

Cheese, butter and milk, all our favourites, filled the basket. 

"We don't have a cooler box," I whispered as we headed to the till. 

"Yes we do." he smiled. "That's why I took some ice earlier."

I shook my head and when it was our turn I pulled out my card holder. 

"Put that away," he said sternly. 

"I-"

"Put it away." He took out his wallet and made the payment, all the while giving me a look. We exited the store and headed to the car, bags in hand and silence once again. 

"What was that back there?" I asked. 

"Take it any way you want it, dear."

The sun had one more hour in the sky and the air was getting cooler and cooler. Traffic peeked up, as everyone tried to finish their activities. And we just sat in the car, eating ice cream and watching the movie.

We took a walk on the beach when the moon and stars came out to play. The tranquil atmosphere brought us to sleep mode but we had each other, holding hands. We sat down for a while watching the waves crash. 

"There are some stalls on the other end. That's our bathroom." He pointed in the direction. 

I couldn't respond. I was getting sleeping. I rested my head on his shoulder and thought about the ice cream I didn't finish. I don't know why I thought about it. I was in and out of sleep and when I realised Jace was carrying me back to the car I pushed to be put down. 

"Katiana, I-"

I looked at him. His hair was shining in the moonlight. But Jace rarely said my full name unless it was something as important as a building burying us alive. At that moment, I knew there was something he needed to get off his chest. I could see it in his eyes and that made me fully awake. 

"What's wrong, Jace?"

He pulled out joined hands closer to him, pulling me closer to him, until we were not too far apart. I watched as his chest rose and fell at each breath he took.

"I think I love you," he whispered so softly I could barely hear.

"Of course you do. You're my friend and I know that," I responded. 

"No Katiana. May I be more than a friend?"

I couldn't understand his question. He was more than a friend already. Why ask now I thought. Confused I was. All until his lips suddenly came crashing down on my mine, then I understood. 

An adventure it was but I didn't think I was out to take my relationship with Jace to the next level but it made the two days left of the weekend special. I learnt how to surf. Well a bit. I fell a couple of times. Jace built castles in the sand. I guess he missed that. Our last meal was mackerel and chips, the signature meal of the town. The one that gave it its name. 

Scombrida, a land of good fish.