“A hug. I’m feeling absolutely crappy, that’s why I need a hug.”
“What’s a hug?”
Eve’s jaw dropped as she stared intently at him for any signs of jesting – there was none. “Are you serious?”
In response, he stared back at her in silence that clearly meant a yes. Guilt and shame suddenly washed over her upon realising that her perceived big problems warranting a comforting hug was so miniscule compared to the hard life of a boy who has never been shown affection in any way. Eve was sure it was not pity that she felt for him, but at that moment, he stirred up in her strange feelings that she could not explicate. She thought to herself, ‘How can I possibly explain something so simple yet so meaningful?’ and then realised that there was one way to define it in a way that he could understand.
“Come here and wrap your arms around me then.”
Once more, she was met with silence. For Caspian, it was not just an issue of trust, but an issue with the unknown. He did not fear it but he certainly did not welcome it, seeing as to his usual responses of – fight and kill – was deemed irrelevant with the strange things that she uttered. ‘Is she asking me to crush her torso?’ he curiously contemplated, only to be baffled all the more by her response.
“Caspian, you’re not even 20. You got your whole life ahead of you so can you just loosen up a bit and live? Aren’t you tired of always being cautious around everyone? Because, honestly, I am. And I’d rather have myself killed than never have lived at all. If you want to kill me, fine, but I swear upon my unknown parents’ graves that I have no evil intentions towards you. I just want us to be friends, because there’s just something about you that makes me feel at ease. It’s like with you, something tells me that I could put my guard down. And I honestly feel safest around you.”
Bewildered, befuddled, bemused? He could not find the words to describe how he felt, nor had he felt this way about anyone and let them live. Her words echoed in his mind like his first good dream – “...I just want us to be friends, because there’s just something about you that makes me feel at ease. It’s like with you, something tells me that I could put my guard down. And I honestly feel safest around you.”
‘Friends? At ease? Put her guard down? Safe? Me?’ he mentally mused. Never has he thought that those words would appear altogether describing what anyone feels towards him. Although still mystified, a bemused grin escaped his lips...
“Don’t let other people hear you or they will start thinking you’re insane.”
“Since when did we care about what other people think or say? I just care about the opinions of people who I care about. Like you. Do you honestly think that I mean you harm?”
Silence. For he, himself, did not know the answer to her question; indeed, trust is but a foreign word to him. On top of that, he was also rendered speechless upon hearing her sincere expression of caring about him, about his thoughts and his opinion. Caspian stared at her as if to scrutinise her expression, her tone and expressions, and anything that could confirm that she was lying – there was none.
Not waiting for him to immerse from his deep thoughts that she sensed as all negative, she decided to risk it. Seeing that they were already seated beside each other, Eve lunged closer to wrap her arms around his neck and back and his sand enveloped her body. But instead of doubling her guard like he expected for someone contemplating to attack him, she stunned him when she let down her guard slowly. Caspian had only two thoughts in mind – 1. She was foolish for letting her guard down; 2. She was crazy. So when she reassuringly exclaimed, “It’s ok. I trust you. Now can I have a hug?”, Caspian decided to go with number 2 --> ‘She’s absolutely insane.’
BINABASA MO ANG
The OMEGA
Action“I'm scared for my nightmares to become my reality, that's why I kill as quick and painless as possible..." In the eyes of society, she was considered most privileged. In the eyes of her enemies, she was considered deadliest. But only her own eyes c...
