Through the Dark

II ~ A Small Note

The car ride back home was filled with laughs and conversations about the fair's attractions and how Luke won the giant pink bear which was sitting next to Rebeka on the back seat.

"Can you guys believe that on Wednesday we are already leaving?!" said Luke from the passenger's seat while I was driving.

"Time flew and there are still a lot of things I want to do, we should go to Orlando... or like to the Caverns State Park" said Rebeka.

"Yeah! We should definitely make an itinerary!" said as a reply an enthusiastic Luke. "Where would you like to go, Ethan?"

Even though I was there and I was hearing every single sentence they uttered, I couldn't manage my attention to focus on the conversation.

Silence.

"Ethan? Are you listening?"

"Huh? I... uh, yeah. On Wednesday... awful"

They both started laughing. 

"What?" I asked laughing back. "Wish we wouldn't have to leave this sunny weather to go back to London's rainy and monotone days..."

They laughed even harder.

"Ethan, you weren't paying any attention to what I said. I was asking you where should we go next before we leave on Wednesday."

"Oh, I see." I said while giving my brother a quick playful forced grin, one of those faces we always make to each other; eyes closed and full-teeth smile, then looked back at the road.

"Oooo, where did you get that? asked Rebeka looking at bracelet I had already put on my right wrist. "Are there bracelets like this at the fair stands?" She was such an attentive observer. I think she even noticed the writing on it from the first glance.

"Uh, this... I got it from a girl" I replied, eyes bright, smile even brighter.

"A girl?" they both asked and looked at each other at the same time. This is something they do pretty often. I like this so much about them. It makes me think at how similar they are, or better said, how similar they became. I actually find myself thinking of this quite often, how can this two come up with something both at once, sometimes it's like they already know each other's thoughts just with a simple look, like some kind of telepathy. And it amazes me.

Here we go again, I thought.

And we spent all what was left of the way back home talking about the fact that Ethan met this GIRL at the fair. I couldn't help myself but laugh at their curiosity as they were bombarding me with lots of questions.

I just started incresing the volume of the car's stereo, singing along "Onlyyyy youuuuuu" from Parson James. A good strategy to avoid answering their questions.

"Hey! You better tell us!", "Like right now!", "Ethaaaaaaaan! Tell us!" These were some of the reactions I could hear above the loud song comming from the radio.

I swear they were like kids sometimes. Maybe mom wasn't wrong after all.

Eyes on the ceiling, quietness and darkness surrendering the room. I checked the time on the clock of my nightstand. 2:45 am. I took a short glance at the resting body next to my bed. Luke was asleep.

Today was the day of our flight back home. Back to London.

Callie.

A smile formed on my lips at the thought of her. 

I got up slowly and headed to the kitchen. The bright light coming from the fridge blinded my eyes for a couple of seconds as I opened it. I poured myself a big glass of milk and went outside to the backyard, sitting by the pool. My feet on the water. Everything was so quiet. I could feel the calm breeze through my skin while I turned my gaze up to the night's starry sky. And just sat there, thinking.
So many questions started to invade me. How is that I got to meet this girl, in such a weird manner? Why I have the feeling that I already knew her? Why was she so opened talking to me? I started remembering how everything happened, her image on my mind, her features. The way the color of her hair matched perfectly her eyes. Her bright giggles. How she took my hand into hers. I lingered on this last thought, analyzed it.

Meeting her didn't feel like a random thing for me. There has to be a motive.

What should I do, Lord?

I was leaving on this very day, I just seen her once, and my life was at the other side of the ocean, and I didn't even had the guarantee she wanted to meet me again nor the guarantee she wasn't seeing someone else.

Find her.

Then it came up to my mind. Like the light coming to a bulb as I replayed our conversation again and again in my mind, trying to find any small detail which would help me find a trace of her. And I realized I knew how to reach out to her. It was then when I decided I had to do something before going back to London.

"Ethan, when are you going to come downstairs, sweetie?" I heard my mom's voice.

"Wake up, you lazy! We're gonna miss the flight!" said dad.

Dad and his funny jokes again.

I opened my eyes to see the room lightened up by the morning's shinny rays of sunlight this time. Instantly, I checked the clock. 11:31 a.m. The plane was taking off at  4:10 p.m.

I guess I didn't really have much time so I quickly took on a white t-shirt and a pair of cream shorts which I found on my opened suitcase.

I wasn't the type to share my thoughts with anyone. People have such a powerful impact on influencing your beliefs so many times, just by giving their opinion. So when I got downstairs, where everyone was gattered, I didn't tell them anything, I just grabbed the car keys and mumbled an "I have something to do before leaving, I'll be back soon."

I remembered Callie telling me there were many places she liked, as a recommandation for me, when we talked about me being just a foreginer in Tampa, and describing me this caffe she likes quite a lot and enjoys going at. She mentioned it was unique for its old history, being one of the first opened locals from the city, visited by many historical personalities through the time.

Once in the car, I wrote down something on a piece of paper and put it on my pocket. I google once again the name of the caffee and inserted it on my gps. It was 47 min away and there was no short way as it was situated downtown, so I was short of time.

I had no idea when would she visit the caffe again, if the note would be handed to her or if she would contact me.

But for me, it was worth the try.