My Dunya (NEEDS EDITING)

Chapter 23- So Now You Know

"It's amazing, huh?" he said before taking a seat on the deck beside me. I nodded, absorbing the scenery. "You know," he started. "I used to come out here a lot when I was young, back when my parents would fight. It was the best escape."

"I bet." I looked over the small rolling hill in their backyard to see the sun slowly dipping into the horizon.  "I remember watching this one Animaniacs show back when, and at the end all three of them drove off into the sunset, and I just thought it was the most perfect thing. I mean, why does the sunset seem so surreal and perfect?"

"God is the best of creators, don't ya think? I mean, who except for Him would have created such an amazing thing. I mean, it's just the sun going down, but it's so much more. Even though the day is over, when there's nothing left, there is beauty in it. The sun goes down but it goes down with dignity. And then a new day starts, and there is so much hope, so much passion, and the beauty returns," he said looking at me so attentively I could feel my heart about to burst out of my chest.

"What about the moon?"

"You tell me," he said, his eyes twinkling as his lips curved up. 

"Well, moons are something else. They're complex and hard to read if you don't know much about them. They're mysterious, hidden yet so there. I mean, it only appears in its full self once a month. All other times its partially hidden. And for those who appreciate it, it can light up the whole sky. It's a guiding light, and it's always there. You may not be able to see it all the time, but it's always there. It has a dark side, but it's so bright and beautiful. I mean, the entire sky is completely black, and despite that, the moon shines," I looked at him nervously and he was staring at the ground, smiling like an idiot.

"You like grapes, right?" he asked randomly and I nodded, not fully aware of where he was going with it. "C'mere," he insisted as he got up on his feet and looked at me expectantly. I got up and followed him to the far end of the backyard where there were a row of trees, shrubs, bushes and vines.

"No way," I breathed as I looked at everything. He led me to the vines first. On it were uncountable amounts of green, luscious grapes that were just calling my name. He plucked a few grapes off the vine and cleaned them off with the hem of his shirt and passed some to me. I bit into the firm outer layer and a sour juice filled my mouth. My eye immediately twitched and it took a few seconds to get used to the intense sour flavor, but once that registered, I was hooked. I have never tasted grapes that sour before in my life, and mind you, I loved it. "Cameron! These things are even more sour than Warheads!" I exclaimed and he laughed.

"You got that right," he smirked then asked, "Want some more?"

"You don't even have to ask." We sat down on the bristly green grass cross-legend and ate to our hearts content. Soft waves of wind whirled around us, and the breeze was so refreshing. Cameron and I plucked raspberries off the bush and ate those too, along with crab apples, figs, and strawberries. We didn't wash them, but hey, washing fruit is overrated anyway. By the end, we were laying down on our backs, clutching our satisfied bellies as we looked up to the purple sky, which was quickly darkening. 

"Hey, do you want to go feed the cows now?" Cameron asked nonchalantly and I looked up at with bewilderment.

"You, you have cows?" I asked, mouth agape and he just stared at me emotionless. A few seconds later, he clutched his stomach once again, but this time he toppled over in laughter, his face turning red. 

My confusion was at a daily peak. "Your face... it was priceless!" I was then aware at the fact that he didn't really have cows and I sunk back low in embarrassment. "Ah, Dunya, you're too gullible," he laughed, letting out a snort which caused me to start laughing and his laughter intensified. After a while I punched in the arm and he eyed me with a raised brow. "Hey, what was that for?"