The Tracks

Manual block

It was almost nine in the evening when Jay brought Dei back to the eastern tunnel where she left her bike. He wanted her to just stay over at his house, but he knows that would be a really impossible thing to do. And he knows too well that Dei will stubbornly insist on getting back, even if it meant walking back to her bike if he refused to take her on Rhonda. He was worried, needless to say, because it was already late for her to drive back on her bike back to the North, and it was dark. Too dark, he supposes, especially after what they've learned from his uncle. He was hopeful at first, because now he knows the story, but then he looked at Dei. She hadn't spoken much since sharing the casserole with his friends and his uncle. They stayed around for another hour, changing the topic to lighter tones, but he noticed that she had become silent and withdrawn. Chip, thankfully, talked to her about Grace, his fiancee, and she seemed genuinely interested to meet her someday. Jay felt hopeful when he heard that, because it meant that she does see herself coming back to the South. Perhaps maybe not just to meet Grace, but maybe...

"Jay?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, forcing him to the present and saw her already on her bike.

"I really have to go. And you have to go back now."

"I'll go with you."

"No. Jay, we talked about this. Go. I can go home by myself."

"It's too dark, Dei. Your bike doesn't even have reflectors, damnit."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I know my way back?"

"Many times, sure. But I still worry, ok? Just let me take you up to the gasoline station."

"No."

"Then I'll take you up to the first lamp post in your town."

"Jay, the first lamp post is almost near the gasoline station."

"Just up to the border post."

"Jay, stop."

"Dei, please."

She stared at him, and then walked her bike up to him. He was ready to make more arguments on why he has to take her across to the North, but she surprised him when she stood on tiptoe, reached out to touch his face and gave him a short and sweet kiss on the lips. He closed his eyes on instinct, and was just about to chase her lips back when she spoke.

"See you tomorrow."

And just like that, she pedaled away, leaving him stunned and his heart beating as fast as the six-o'clock train.

//

She quietly parked her bike by the side of their house. She can see her parents moving around the kitchen, and as she entered, her father raised his voice.

"Where in the world have you been Dei?! Do you know that it's almost curfew time? Are you deliberately trying to kill us with worry?!"

"Walter, calm down."

"I was with friends."

"You don't fool me, young lady! I was with Janice's father and he said you never come over to their house anymore. And yet you have been telling us that you were with Janice for the past five days!"

"Walter, raising your voice is not going to make her tell us anything. And your blood pressure is shot again. Go drink some water. Dei, sit down. We have to talk."

Dei tried to control her breathing, for thoughts of what she learned that evening from Uncle Bugs crept up in her, and she knew that this was the chance to talk to her father.