I sit back against the wall with my arms folded against my chest. I look around. She decorated and arranged everything consistently within this small space. It looks beautiful. There are many medicines around the corner. Charlie is playing around like a kid with a stethoscope he found lying on the table. I take the flask and pour water on the glass kept on the table. This is the eleventh time I'm drinking water. I stand up, and walk outside to see if she is here yet or not. The moment we came in, she said she had to go to see a patient which is a little far from here. She said it might take over an hour, and so she asked us to wait here for her. She looked quite worried too. Maybe the patient's illness is severe.
I take out my phone to look at the time. Its already 11:23 pm. We reached here at five. She is taking way too much time than she asked for. I wonder if its too serious. I walk further and see a man sitting with a cigar. I approach him.
I clear my throat.
"Oh you're the guy who came from the city", the man says, turning towards me.
I nod. "Yeah".
"Take a seat, young man", he says, putting aside his cigar.
"Its okay. You can carry on", I say as I take a seat beside him.
He laughs. "Do you need one?"
"No thanks. I'm just not in a mood and I don't smoke". I take a pause. "Yet".
He laughs again. He likes to laugh.
I wonder why do I feel like everyone who laughs even after a small sentence or in a small conversation, all of them likes to laugh.
"Are you guys here for the doctor?"
"Yeah. We came here-"
He finished the cigarette and lit another. "She has been here for the last few months. Before that she was somewhere else. But that we don't know. She told us that it is her homeplace. She treated many of us, and the kids like her a lot. She created a bond with us within few months"
"She is like that", I laugh. "I guess. Seems like that".
I don't want to let him know yet that I know her already. Or else I'm gonna find myself surrounded by a lot of questions, which I don't want. I wonder where she was before here. I mean of course she left that piece of paper six or five years ago. But where was she staying during the middle years? Was she with Elora? Who knows? Only she can answer all my questions.
I stare up at the night sky. The sky is full of stars, and the stars plentiful and bright.
I lay back on the grass, folding my arms behind my head.
Here I am stargazing, wondering whether Elora is doing the same or not.
My phone buzzes up.
Elora texted me. I read: 'HeyYy. WheRe haVe yOU Been? I weNt to your house in the evening but didn't fiND you. I miSS you a lot and I knOw that you KNow that. Are you pissED aBOut something? I'VE been thiNKing of whAt I might have SAid wrong, that sEEMEd offensive. PleAse repLY Me'.
I text her back: "No Elora. You didn't do anything. Its just me.. I'm having some problems but I'll let you know later, okay? I'm sorry for making you worried this much. Lets meet up at Sunday okay? Btw why are you typing like that? It took me four minutes to read that.'
I was about to turn my phone off but her response comes immediately: 'OH goD! FinALly you REpliEd. Thank god! And I'M hAvIng ProbLem With mY KeyBoarD UgH!!!! You EVEN couNted miNUtes'
I just realized the man is staring at me cause I made a loud laugh seeing her text.
"Your girlfriend, young man?" he asks grinning.
I smile, and mutter under my breath. "Yeah".
"Okay then carry on. I need to go home and meet my woman, and give her time", he chuckles, and lit up another cigar.
"Sure thing". I shake my head.
"You see, young man, once in your life, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul, and that one is the only one with whom you want to talk whole day. Sometimes no matter what they do or what mistakes they have made in past life, doesn't matter if that one remains loyal to you till the very end. And sometimes its better to forget about the past and forgive, cause we human know how to forgive and its in our nature. Now go on and talk to her. She probably be waiting, ha-ha", he says while standing up, and as he starts walking.
I don't know why that man just told me all those things just right now but he did say something that is its better to forget about the past sometimes and forgive. But at least I need to know about the past before forgetting it. And in my case, she is not at fault so she does not forgiveness either.
I reply her back: 'Then would you like to talk?"
She calls me up immediately.
- Seriously? you took seven minutes to reply me back. I thought maybe you fell asleep.
- This time you counted minutes.
- That I always do. For which I got butterflies in my stomach when I saw you counted minutes too.
- Haha
- Do you know what happened today?
- Let me know
- I went to another high school. You don't need to know the name. So at lunch time, I took my lunch tray and sort of was standing around for a moment looking for a good spot to take a seat but the entire time I was searching, all I could feel was everyone's eyes on me. OMG that's was an awkward feeling.
- Haha
- Don't just laugh. Say something.
- I don't wanna talk.
She makes a pity voice.
- Whyy?
- For I just want to hear your voice as long as I can while stargazing under the same sky.
- You just said the most romantic thing that no one ever has told me.
- Cause I never found someone before to whom I could say the most romantic thing.
- Okay. Stop making me blush, stupid.
- Its noisy.
- What?
- Your heartbeat.
Silence. I bet she is busy calming herself down.
I hear her voice again.
- Where are you now btw?
She sure is changing the topic. I don't know whether I should tell her about all these over the phone. Its better not to.
- I came for a hangout with Charlie out of town.
- Oh. When-
I hear Ava screaming about something. Maybe its about her boyfriend again.
- Um.. listen. I'll text you later. You can go and talk to Ava.
- Yeah sorry sorry. I'll go now. Bye.
-Take care.
- You too... baby.
She hangs up the call. I have to admit, Elora speaks in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it makes words strangely so beautiful. She made me feel alive again, and I don't want to regret a single moment I spend with her. She is always going to be the very best part of me. I want to talk with her forever. I remember every word she has ever said to me.
While I'm lost in her thoughts, I feel someone grabbing my wrist. I look to my left.
"I've been searching for you everywhere and here you are busy watching stars", Charlie frowns.
"You can do the same. It feels nice, dude", I giggle.
Charlie starts to walk back. "No, bro. I wanna sleep. Lets go back. Your aunt ain't coming. A man came and said we can sleep there and she will be back tomorrow morning".
Well its already too late and that was expected. So I follow his steps.