**Past- More than a decade ago...
"Elle!"
A delicate sound of gleeful chuckles, like the beat of the first drops of long awaited rain touching the parched earth, escaped a young girl, only four years old, as she ran as fast as her chubby little legs could take her leaving the imprints of her bare feet on the muddy soil behind her.
Dressed in a plain white dress decorated with embroidered peonies, her short bronze hair tied up in two flimsy buns on top of her head, wriggled and bounced with the hair ties which threatened to fall off at the pace of the young child, she looked like-
"Such an angel!"
"A little fairy!"
"She looks like a beautiful flower that has grown two feet. Look how she goes like the wind!"
Greetings poured on the tiny girl rushing through the crowded marketplace, instant spotlight of nature in the form of sun's luminous rays falling on her pale skin that glowed like pure snow.
"Hello Elle!"
"Hello Madam Martha!"
"Elle, you must come to try my new deserts."
"I will, Uncle Bo!"
"You little imp, where are you running off to today? Hmm!"
"Where I always do!" Her gentle and airy voice contained a childlike tinkling, but her words laced with maturity far more than her age answered and greeted everyone politely, just how she had learnt. The cheeky little minx ran off hearing her mother's hollers, the elders behind her laughing and smiling, enjoying the scene they had grown used to and fond of seeing.
"Come back here, right this instant! Eleanor!" A frail voice, akin to melted honey, called out to the back of the disappearing girl. She left her mother behind, whose flaming red hair flowed softly with the wind, an unidentifiable emotion sparkling in her green orbs and a sad smile gracing her creamy, pink lips. She let out a sigh as she stared at the tiny pair of shoes that she held in her hands.
"At least wear your shoes..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A young lad dressed smartly in a pair of sky blue shorts and same color sleeveless waist coat over a half-sleeved white shirt, was in a dilemma. An azure colored tie hung on his collar in a bow shape, giving him an elegant vibe.
The six-year-old marched forward, an icy chill in his iron eyes that gazed indifferently at his surroundings, his posture sophisticate with his hands behind his back, spine straight and his head up high. He walked like he owned every inch of the ground he stepped on, which maybe he did, arrogance engrafted in his gait. His short curly ink black hair sat on his head tamed by copious amounts of gel, shining under the thin streams of light pouring through the canopies of the tall trees shading him.
He trudged along the dirt path, his short legs paining because of the uncounted minutes of continuous trekking to nowhere in particular. He followed the trail, carrying on with firm steps.
Had anyone seen the boy at that moment, they would have been impressed by his fearlessness in roaming around in a dense forest and the calm, collected vibe around him. Never could they have guessed that the boy was lost and too proud to admit it, even to himself.
So, self-assuredly he treaded onward on the path which he thought looked familiar to him unknowingly wandering in circles.
Hearing a sound which sounded eerily like gurgling waters, the boy changed his path and headed in the sound's direction.
Sparkling, fresh water fell from a tall height with a thundering roar, the source hidden by fluffy, white clouds. The crystal clear water reflected the azure color of the sky, its force rapid at the bottom of the gigantic waterfall, calming down to a serene flow at a distance.
Taking in the stunning sight before him, the boy allowed a glow of fascination to enter his eyes. The bewitching scene, with a blue and green background and a few other colors splashed oddly to provide a more beauteous effect, appealed to him and he thought of resting here for a while before venturing further.
A girlish chuckle followed by a few giggles disturbed the tranquility in the atmosphere as he was eyeing a suitable spot to sit down and rest his protesting feet. Following the harmonious sound which made his stomach tickle queerly, he rounded around an enormous boulder before laying his gaze on a girl younger than him. She was sitting on a rock dangerously near the waterfall with her feet dipped in the water. She seemed to enjoy the coolness of the water; her chuckles ringing through the atmosphere rhythmically, unknowingly making his heartbeat speed up. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to announce his presence.
"Greetings, young girl. If I may ask, what is so humorous for you to chuckle about so?"
The boyish tone, which was light and kidlike something he resented, always yearning for the deep, authoritative tone of his father and grandfather, yet coated with nobility and class caused the girl to straighten up and turn around. With her big Bambi like eyes, her green orbs containing innocent curiosity, she gazed at the raven head. After coming to some conclusion in her mind, she looked him in the eye and rewarded him with a breath-taking smile, one that could put all the stars to shame, her tiny teeth glistening white like brand new pearls.
"The fishes eat my feet," she giggled once again. He supposed she did that a lot. "It tickles."
He had always found girls to be annoying, regardless of their age. Old women always tried to flatter him with fake compliments, one or two daring ones even pinching his cheeks, which he had to bear grudgingly, and the young girls were far too irritating with their high-pitched squeals for him to put up with. He preferred to be left alone most of the time with the company of his family and one close friend. A squeal pulled him out of his head as he paid attention to the girl who had returned to her game, bending and caressing the cold water with her minuscule hands.
He wondered what was so different about her voice for it to not seem bothersome and noisy like the other girls. It sounded like music to his ears, and he didn't know why.
Seeing her lean dangerously close to the surface of the water, he panicked and immediately rushed to pull her back.
"Are you weak in the head? Who leans so close to the water? Do you, perhaps, want to swim in it?" He madly asked. Picking her up with his arms around her waist, he easily pulled them both off the rock and onto the safety of the flat ground. After understanding what just happened, the young girl angrily shoved his arms away and turned around to face him.
"I wanted to touch the fishy. You're bad!" she furiously scolded him, her scowling face looking like an angry chipmunk's.
He couldn't hold and broke into a peal of laughter, his eyes crinkling cutely. "You looked so cu-" He abruptly stopped himself. 'Wait, I never say cute. No, she's not cute. Her face is just funny. Yes, that's it,' With a firm nod he agreed with himself.
"Ouch!" he howled in pain, jumping with his left foot in his hands, massaging his sore toe. He glared at the girl who was busy grinning smugly at his pain, ' She doesn't know who I am! Once she knows, she'll get on her knees and beg for my forgiveness.'
Seeing her return to her previous spot on top of the rock, he followed her.
"Young girl. You don't know who I am. Bow before me and apologize, for I am the pr-"
SPLASH
The girl laughed at the outcome of her action, deeply satisfied seeing the soaked boy in front of her.
"You!" he gritted his teeth. All level-headedness vanished into thin air. Throwing the composure and poise, inculcated in him since birth, out the window, he bent down and copied her action, drenching her with the cold water.
Minutes turned into hours until the squeals of the playful children halted.
Thoroughly wet with fat drops of water dripping from their clothes, the two sat down and waited in comfortable silence for the wind to dry them up.
Suddenly a thought crossed his mind, and he turned to the girl sitting beside him.
"What is your name? You never told me," he questioned.
"Did you ask?" she answered him with a question of her own.
He sheepishly smiled.
"Eleanor. You are?"
"Pr-uh-You can call me Will."
"Ok Willy!" she gave him a toothed smile.
He frowned, "Not Willy, Will."
"Willy!" she remained firm.
"Whatever..." he grumbled before complying.
The setting sun caught his attention, and he realized he has been outdoors for far too long. He was supposed to return a long while ago.
Fumbling with his pockets, he pulled out a weird device that she looked at curiously, wondering what it was.
Hoping it was still working even after getting wet, he pressed a button and the instrument lighted up, a red light blinking on it.
He sighed in relief and put it back in his pocket.
"Huh?" she questioned with her gaze.
He just now noticed how vividly green her eyes were. Like an enchanting forest of stories secretly resided inside, those two jade like orbs of hers attracted him to get lost in them.
Shaking his head mentally, he answered, "It helps my parents to find me."
He deliberately kept his answer short. 'What would she understand, anyway?'
"You lost?" she questioned, her Bambi-like eyes widening in concern.
"No! No, not at all." He firmly denied. "It's just my first time here, so I don't know the way back home."
She smiled and stood up.
"I come here many times. You go there," she pointed with her tiny fingers and he followed her line of sight. "There comes a road, you follow," she simple said, "You get home."
Before he could speak she waved at him and ran away crying out loud," Bye Willy!"