The Essence of Noah (Muslim story)

Door

I didn't go and knock on Noah's door that evening and invite him to join me in the balcony, nor the next evening or the evening after. However, the opportunity presented itself when I bumped into Noah at our mailboxes a week later.

"Hey you." He closes his mailbox and turns the key before turning to face me and leaning his side against the boxes.

"H-" I clear my hoarse throat and fight the blush presenting itself in my cheeks, "Hi." I smile feebly and Noah grins widely, baring his teeth and laugh lines.

He stares at me for a while as I busy myself with emptying my mailbox and trying to hide the redness coating my face. I don't manage it, and I'm pretty sure Noah only looks away when he decides my complexion seems raw enough.

"So how's your week been?" He shuffles the letters in his hands, finding one that interests him and ripping it open.

"Great." I nod my head with an affirmative  smile spread across my lips. Noah looks up, from half unfolding his letter and speculates me with a curious grin.

"That's a change from 'alright'." I blush, possibly harder and bite my cheek. "But that's good. Im glad you've had a great week." He chuckles at his emphasis of great and I can't help but beam at his words. From the little I know about Noah, I've come to realise that he has a good memory, and a knack of remembering the most insignificant of things. Don't get me wrong though, I appreciate it- his memory that is.

"How've you been?" I ask.

"Yeah, okay I guess. Ed's been around a few times, it always seems hectic when he's over." His eyes are mostly on the letter as he speaks and once he scans it he shoves it back in the envelope and looks back up at me. "He's-"

"Full on?" I offer.

"Yeah."

We linger for a few moments, with no words to share, but no desire to walk away. There's no rush to speak or be anywhere, and so we stand for no reason- but also for one.

I shift my weight from my heels to my toes, back and forth in the most subtlest of movements as I try to think of something to say. What I'd like to say to Noah, isn't something I'd actually like to say to him, and for fear of saying anything stupid I decide to press my lips and not say anything at all.

"...don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Caught up by my thoughts I'd drained his words and listened to my own ramblings.

"It feels kind of like spring, doesn't it?" Instinctively I turn around and glance at the front grass area of the apartment building. There's sunlight reflecting off the tiny blades of grass- something I haven't seen since early autumn.

"Yeah, just a bit." I turn back and nod.

"I'm stoked, I'll take any sunshine I can get." He cracks a wide grin at this and then says "I think this deserves a get together on the balconies, don't you think? A start of spring hang out."

"You celebrate spring?" I bite my bottom lip and smile slowly.

"Why not? I've never done it before, but we could be onto something here." He pauses briefly, thinking deeply then suggesting, "It can be our tradition." His enthusiasm takes over his words as he speaks, convincing me of an idea I'm already all over. But I like the sound of it- our tradition. "What do you say?"

"Cool."

~*~

Noah was right. The sun feels likes it's finally risen with the intention of actually warning, breathing tufts of its air through the afternoon breeze and warming the weather. It does feel like spring. I sit in the cement floor, and for a change I don't mind the slightly cool feeling of it against my palms.

"You were right, it really does feel like spring." I tilt my head up as Noah walks out onto his balcony with two mugs of coffee- another tradition I guess you could say. Noah nods.

"Here." He hands me the mug over the banister and I take it. "So, mind if I ask what was so great about your week?" Over the edge if his mug he glances up at me, a smile evident in his eyes.

"It was just a good week, nothing bad happened, same old really." Noah nods. It goes quiet for a bit as we drink and gulp. "Did you hear about the nuclear waste protests in Adelaide?"

"The January ones? Yeah, its all over the news."

"Are you going?"

"Of course, I was raised in Adelaide and I plan to go back when I'm done here." He drinks his coffee. "You?" I shake my head.

"It's not really my scene." I shrug and hold back a smile at Noah's reaction.

"Not your scene?" He chuckles as he asks and raises his eyebrows. "How is it not your scene?"

"I don't want an act of rebellion on my record." Noah laughs, the wholehearted kind- tilting his head back in amusement and letting his laugh echo into the evening.

"You're something, Hana." I smile as he calms down. "Really something." Noah stares, analysing my face as though it's the first time he meets me. And as he does so, I notice his smile dim slightly- his laugh lines fading and teeth hidden by his lips. When I return to his eyes, they're trained on mine and suddenly, it feels as though the moods flipped.

I feel somewhat self-conscious under his scrutiny, and so I try to break the silence. "You're staring." Noah's eyes flash down to my lips then back to me, his smile slowly returning.

"I know." He laughs lightly and I blush. I didn't want a confession, I can't answer to that. I look down at my slowly emptying cup of coffee, distracting myself by sloshing it in the mug.

Peripherally, I see Noah rub his neck and ruffle his hair and he says "I'm going to say something, and if you don't agree just ignore it, but hear me out." He lets out a quick exhale. "Cool?"

"Yeah." I nod, ignoring the sound of a door opening and closing in Noah's apartment. In fact I don't think Noah notices, because he doesn't react.

"I-" He chuckles again, almost nervously and instinctively my butterflies are back. In the time that I've known Noah, he hasn't struggled to say what's on his mind; this is new. "I like you, bu-" He rushes at the same time that Ed's voice is heard.

"Again with the fucking door."

----------------------------------------

So that just happened...

Vote, comment, share- let me know what you think! :)x