Andy & His Half Clogged Brain

15

Past
Sofia POV

“Are you excited Sofia?”

“I am but it’s more of like nervous kind of excitement”

“You’ll be fine my child and there’s always grandfather to help you out”.

This sentence , I think had marked the end of our conversation so I take a few steps back, towards the door. As I open the door to walk out mother makes a last pitch

“Sophia if you change you’re mind, even at the last minute don’t hesitate to tell me”.

***********
‘Change my mind?’, sorry mother but I won’t. Six years, that’s how long I have been here . I’ve seen seasons changing, days gone , welcomed new faces and said goodbye to the familiar ones. You mother, had never had a problem with letting them go , so why now?. Why hesitate now when it came down to me?. One month ago I visited mother in her room at night to say goodnight when she asked me to sit down beside her and expressed her desire to make me stay with her.

“You’re incredibly smart and patient ,why don’t you stay back and join the orphanage as a teacher?”.

I told her my answer and she wished for me to think over it. There was nothing to think about , all I know is now I want to get out there.
**********

I had cleaned out my share of the space in the closet, thrown all my stuff into a bag and given out the things I won’t be needing.The activities for the last day went on like they usually did.Some teachers called me in a corner to say a few words while others went on without even acknowledging me for the last time. I would miss this place a lot, it brought back love into my life and for this I am eternally grateful for them.

Before calling it a day , at sundown, I find myself infront of the tree at the backyard. Maybe it was because of the incoming of autumn or because the tree was now old but lately its branches had shriveled , leaves were falling out at a rapid speed. Gone are the days when I could swing on its branches , now even if I sit near it with my back on it,the hard covering of the bark cracks and falls down on the ground.My flow of thoughts are interrupted by a voice coming from behind me

“What are you reminiscing about?”, she asks. I turn to see the sunset glow on her face and reply

“ Us”.

She takes few steps forward and comes to stand beside me

“It doesn’t have to change you know”

“Yes it does”.

Now she comes to stand infront of me blocking my view of the tree and the sunset

“No it doesn’t, you can stay here, with mother, with me and if you really want to go then we can leave this place together”

I look into her eyes to tell her how serious I was about this when I softly say

“Don’t make me do this Melina”.

There’s a moment of silence between us when she decides to ask me for something for the first and the only time

“Fine but let me have this moment”.

She moves forward only to put her lips on mine. The action wasn’t as surprising as the gentle movement of her lips. She’s standing on her tip toes to reach me fully so when she snakes her arm behind my neck slowly gliding them to rest on my shoulder and waist respectively, I know she’ll manage without my support. As the kiss starts to turn into something more passionate I am pushed towards the tree , with my back on it for support and my hands in her hair bringing her closer. We come apart for a gulp of air.

“Thank you”, she says.

I don’t acknowledge it and shift my attention back to the tree.

“Will we meet again?”

“If it’s written in the stars, then why not?”.
***********

“Did you pack everything?”

“Yes mother”

“Are you sure?”

“ Absolutely”.

Its early in the morning , while I’m completely dressed and full of energy the same can’t be said for mother , teachers and few of my friends who all had gathered (in their sleeping attire) to see me off .My duffle bag has been secured in the trunk of the car. The gentlemen at the front of the car has been keeping the car running and tells us to hurry up. Grandfather is already seated at the back of the car while I rush into mothers arms to say goodbye.

“Have a great life ahead”, she says and ties a thread around my right hand wrist

“She won’t come near you because of this”, mother gives this to me for my visions

“I would always remember you, this human mind can forget anyone but you “.

I get inside the car and wave everyone present there a goodbye but it feels incomplete because I can’t seem to find that one person who should have been here but as the car begins to move I tell myself to look at the new life that would be greeting me and not think about the one I was leaving behind.

2 years later

“Coming”,