She heard him flick a few more switches and she saw light coming from the center of the dome. She realized that it was made of blue and green stained glass. The light was reflected on the mirror inside the study which, she now realizes, had been strategically positioned there.
"This is nice. You did it?" he asked him.
"Mom requested to stay here when she got sick. But since she's become too ill, she got too weak to even leave the house. I was still a student then when I started designing this. My brother said it would be best if Mom gets some fresh air so we built this together."
"Oh, you made this an open air study?" she looked around. Why did I not go here before?
"Not at all, we built a garden for her upstairs."
"Like the roof?"
"Yep, the only way is here."
"Okay. So we'll climb the bookcase to get upstairs?" Why is there not an easy way in life? He just chuckled.
"You're really funny. My mother's body is very frail that time. Gramps will just kick us out if we even make her walk. We made a ramp here so we could just push her on a wheelchair. The door's handle should be near the mirror where the light just reflected."
She notice something sticking out beside the mirror and, when she walked towards it, found that it was a candle holder. She grabbed the holder and tried to flick it.
She heard a soft 'click' and the wall opened like a door. She pulled the door/wall wide open and saw a short ramp leading upstairs.
"Let's go," Chryxso held her hands and flicked what she thought is a switch. She heard something being pulled before she got temporary blinded when brightness covered the room.
She covered her eyes to adjust and walked steadily beside the guy. Glenn just followed behind them.
The way is a little bit longer than she thought and she came upon another door which they opened. The next scene left her awestruck.
Oasis! That was the first word that came to her mind when she saw the garden.
The place is not spacious but it was pleasing to the eyes. There are different kinds of plants everywhere making it look like a minature of a forest.
She saw flowering plants lined up on one side while orchids are hung on another wall. Each one complementing the other.
Wow, I'm getting poetic! She wanted to giggle at her own silly thoughts.
One part of the garden has been left opened maybe to allow their mother to move around. On the other side, a wooden table has been placed with two benches facing each other.
Even the floor where she stands are lush green weeds. She looked up and saw that the roof has been left open. Probably to allow fresh air to circulate inside.
Chryxso is no longer standing beside her. He walked towards the middle of the garden and stretched his arms wide like a child. She smiled.
"Will you let me pass or not?" she got startled when she saw Glenn behind her, still carrying their meal and obviously irritated now.
"I'm sorry! I did.. I for.." when she realized that she has no good excuse to say, she just scratched her head and help him with his baggage.
They arranged the food on the table while Chryxso sat on one of the benches.
"Mister president, why are you enslaving Yumi? She's now doing all the work here," she gave Glenn a dirty look when the guy decided to play tricks on the blind man.
He immediately stood from the bench causing him to fall off on his butt with the bench. He roared few more curses while he tried to stand up.
"I did not know you're such a weakling. Yumi, you better find someone better." Glenn added. She bit her lips to stiffle the laughter that she's trying to stop.
"Shut it Glen. Get out of here will you! You never did anything right. I thought we're friends? Will you please leave us otherwise Yumi may inhale and acquire your bad manners. You're such a bad air." Glenn let out anohter boisterous laughter before he winked at Yumi and eventually left them.
She tried to arrange the foods once more before she sat beside the guy. She looked up at the sky and saw the sun gently setting down as the moon starts to shine as well.
She turned to the guy seated beside her. He looked like he's also looking at the setting sun. The orange rays are striking his gray eyes.
"Do you want me to kiss you?" What? Her daydreaming is immediately stopped when he spoke.
"What did you just say?"
"I can feel you staring at me." he said matter-of-factly. She scoffed.
"You're dreaming." she denied and moved further from him. She felt her cheeks burn as it flushes from embarassment.
Duh! I. Will. Never. Admit. It!
"Then why are you blushing?" her hands automatically reached for her cheeks as she covered them. She looked at him with suspicion.
"Excuse me, I'm not blu-. Hey!" she yelled.
"What?"
"Is your sight back now?" he just smiled. Shit. Why is he getting handsome.
"Why do you ask?"
"Then how o you know I'm-" she bit her tongue before she could even say it. Sometimes.
"So you're really blushing!" he laughed when he realized it. Her cheeks blushed even further. Why do I have to be this stupid? Why now of all times?
"I'm not. Stop annoying me. We better eat now before I become murderous and eat all this food with me." he just smiled lazily.
"What's for dinner?" he immediately held her hand but she's quicker in hitting him to let her hand go.
"Are you trying to grope me?" he looked horrified by her choice of words.
"Please guide me to the table Ma'am," he answered and smiled again. She did not look convinced but did not say anything anymore.
After getting him to sit on the table, she moved to open their packed meal. She let out a hearty laugh when she saw their meal. There was rice and other viands on the basket but she couldn't take her eyes on a pair of large smoked fish arranged in the middle of it all.
"So we're eating smoked fish again?"
"You don't like it?"
"No, I love smoked fish. I just find it funny since all our chats start with smoked fish."
"Really? Then, let's talk about smoked fish again." She shook her head but let him talk anyway.