Brandon sat in front of the window and looked at the night sky.
"The sky is full of stars today....." He said as the night sky reflected in his crimson eyes.
"It's been a while...since I missed dad so much." Brandon said to himself .
"Hey...Kate, do you know....Why Brandon's mother divorced his father?" Harry said.
"Because...she liked someone else?" Kate said.
"That's what Brandon was told. But...that's not the real reason...." Harry said.
"Then...why?" Kate said.
"Because Brandon was a child...." Harry said with a serious face "Who was born blind."
"...What? NO- SERIOUSLY- WHAT??!! WAIT A SECOND- Blind as in- Not able to see anything?" Kate said with a shocked expression.
"It all started when Brandon's father met Brandon's mother in France. He went to France to meet his family but eventually he fell in love with a French girl who was studying there with him. They married right after graduating." Harry said.
"Then...Brandon's a half?" Kate said.
"No, he's French." Harry said.
"Then....why didn't he ever tell anyone?" Kate said.
"He doesn't like it...." Harry said.
"What?" Kate said.
"Brandon's mother was...a liberal woman. She wanted to be free and independent. Away from all worries, smoking cigarettes and drinking." Harry said.
"What's bad in that-"
"Even when she was pregnant." Harry said.
"T- THAT'S TOO RECKLESS! It could affect the... child's....so that's why!" Kate said.
"Yeah...due to that...a defected child was born. A boy who couldn't see- in other words, a visually impaired child." Harry said.
"So....what did they do?" Kate said.
"She refused to accept such a child. She even suggested throwing him away but Brandon's father was against it. She said she didn't want the child...they used to fight on it...every single minute....in the end...they divorced….when Brandon was only two months old." Harry said.
"THAT'S TOO CRUEL! EVEN IF HE COULDN'T SEE- HIS MOTHER SHO-.... Okay I'll stop here." Kate said.
"Because they were rich, Brandon's father took him to the best doctors of the world....but nothing worked. The doctors said...that the child could never see." Harry said.
"So?" Kate said "What did he do?"
"His father finally turned to two of his friends...one was a doctor, other was cop. He requested him...to give his eyes to Brandon...." Harry said.
"What? You mean eye donation?" Kate said.
"Yes, but his friend refused. Because....giving your eyes means…loosing your ability to see. But Brandon's father told him not to worry, he had something planned for himself." Harry said.
"You mean...Brandon's father had crimson eyes?" Kate said.
"Yes, it was a genetic mutation passed on in his lineage." Harry said.
"So....what did his friend do?" Kate said.
"He carried out the surgery. And Brandon got his new eyes. Two days after that...Brandon's father committed suicide by hanging himself." Harry said "Then...the cop friend of Brandon's father, Mr. Johnson, decided to adopt Brandon.
He decided to give him a new life so that he could forget his tragic past. His name changed from Brandon Babineaux to Brandon Johnson." Harry said.
"I…Didn't know anything like this about him...he never told me…" Kate said.
"He is still uncomfortable about being open on this matter...." Harry said.
"Hey Harry...how do you know so much about him?" Kate said.
"That's because that doctor who did the surgery, is my father." Harry said with a smile.
"What? WHAAAAAAAATT?" Kate said.
"Ha ha... it's true. I still remember the first time I met Brandon." Harry said.
"How was it?" Kate said.
"It was hilarious! He peed his pants when I started talking to him." Harry said.
"WHAT?" Kate said as a smile covered his face.
"YES! And then he started crying. After that, he stood 3 metres away from me each time I tried talking to him. At first, it was hard to talk to him." Harry said.
"Then?" Kate said.
"He got quite comfortable with brother. He used to come visit him everyday. And soon he started talking to me too. That's how we became best friends." Harry said.
"That's so cute!" Kate said.
"Yes...but, he was still unable to get over that trauma." Harry said with a wry "He couldn't fall in love with anyone."
"What? As far as I know he always dated one girl or the other." Kate said.
"*Laughs* Kate....dating is not falling in love." Harry said.
"Then, what is it?" Kate said.
"Falling in love... is a beautiful experience… it is when you want someone selflessly… when you feel good while thinking about someone… love is that beautiful moment... when you trust someone to the point of giving your heart to them and when nothing goes the way you want it to." Harry said.
"...Harry, you-"
"Naturally, I was worried about him. Yeah...I was worried...Until finally you stepped into his life." Harry said as he looked at Kate.
"Me?" Kate said.
"Yeah...You were something else. You were stupid and smart at the same time." Harry said.
"That doesn't feel like a compliment."
"Ha ha..... but really.... you were like a perfumed flower in Brandon's barren garden of life and you made him alive. In your eyes… he found a love he could no longer trust and in your heart.... he found a magic to turn plain sand to pixie dust." Harry said.
"...Harry... you never told you can do poetry too." Kate said.
"Well...sometimes…now go- Shoo Shoo" Harry said.
"To where?" Kate said.
"Kate....He loves you more than anything...so in his eyes.... you are perfect. He'll forgive you no matter how many times you make a mistake. That's the power of love, besides, don't you treasure him too?" Harry said.
"....Harry…THANK YOU!!!!" Kate said as he got up and ran away towards Brandon's house.
"Jeez...." Harry said with a smile and looked at the bonfire.
"That was a deep conversation." The old man sitting beside Harry said.
"Well...I was just helping a friend."
"Dad's late today." Brandon said as he looked at the clock.
*DING DONG*
"Oh! He's back!" Brandon said as he walked towards the door.
He opened the door.
"BRANDON- *HUFF HUFF* I'M SORRY!!! *HUFF HUFF* I SAID SOMETHING *HUFF HUFF*"
"Are you okay?" Brandon said.
"I'm okay... I just ran all the way here so I....Can I come in?" Kate said.
"Then....why did you come back?" Brandon said as he sat in front of Kate in his room.
"Ah! Right! I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I hurt you. I shouldn't have said that to your mother. Harry told me...about your father." Kate said.
Brandon looked shocked "He...told you?"
"Yes....That's why...I'm sorry. I didn't know." Kate said.
.......
"It's okay." Brandon said.
"What?" Kate said.
"I said it's okay. I'm sorry too. I was harsh towards you and even slapped you. I got carried away by my emotions. I'm sorry..." Brandon said as he looked at the floor.
"Brandon...." Kate said.
'He loves you more than anything....so in his eyes...you are perfect. He'll forgive you no matter how many times you make a mistake. That's the power of love, besides, don't you treasure him too?' Harry's words resounded in Kate's head.
Kate sat in front of the window and said to Brandon "Brandon"
Brandon looked up at Kate.
"You stole my heart...but I'll let you keep it." Kate said and smiled.
Kate's face was lit up by the moonlight and his dimple was highlighted by a shadow.
"Kate...." Brandon said and clenched his fist and looked at the floor "Are you testing my patience?"
"Yes, I am. Got a problem with that?" Kate said.
"Yes. The problem is...that I can't wait any more!" Brandon said.
"Who told you to wait?" Kate said.
"Huh?" Brandon said as he looked at Kate.
"Show me how good you can be?" Kate said as he licked his lips and pointed towards his lips.
Brandon grabbed Kate's hands and forcefully pushed him on the window.
"GAH! THAT SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME!! HEY! WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU DOING?!!" Kate shouted.
Brandon looked into Kate's eyes as the moonlight lit up his eyes. Kate could clearly see his reflection into Brandon's eyes.
"B- Brandon?"
Brandon gently pressed his thumb on Kate's lips and said...
"Your lips are like wine...and I wanna get drunk tonight."
-To be continued