'ARINNEEEE!
Someone slapped me across the face as I yelled Arine's name. I felt the slap hard, and when I opened my eyes, Arine was standing in front of me, waking me up.
'Nilliam! Nilliam!' muttered Arine.
I sit up abruptly after being startled from where I was lying.
'What happened?' I inquired.
'I'm not really sure. I overheard you muttering something, so I woke you up. I thought you were dreaming.'
'Really?' So it was all a dream. That's great news!
'Am I right? Did you have a dream?' Arine inquired, her face looked concerned.
'I think... so.' As a result of what happened, my heart is still pounding.
'You're a quick sleeper.'
'Yeah... yeah,' I said back. 'This place is just so warm and inviting.' I let out a sigh.
'Are you all right?'
'Yeah, yeah,' I replied. I inhaled deeply and then exhaled.
'You seem to be having a good time, don't you?'
'Of course!' I replied, giving her a friendly smile.
'Come on, Nilliam, let's have some more fun.' She casts a glance at me.
'Like?'
'Do you want to fly right now?' she asked, a smile on her face.
What is happening? I started to feel worried.
'No, I'm fine right here.'
'Come on, Nilliam. Let's go. I promise you, it will be worth it.' She is adamant about it.
'I'm fine here, Arine,' I assured her. 'This is enough for me.'
'Don't you trust me?' she asked, reaching out her hand to me.
As I looked into her eyes, I could see the sincerity in them.
I'm hesitant to take her hands in mine because what if she does what she did in my dream a few minutes ago?
'Nilliam...' she said as she extended her hand to me.
F*ck that!
So I take her hand in mine and come to a halt next to her.
'That's right,'
She couldn't take her eyes off me, and her smile enchanted me. Right now, I look stupid.
We then made our way to the cliff's edge. The wind is extremely strong. The trees get smaller as you get closer to the bottom.
'Are you ready?' she inquired. I gave her a sidelong glance.
This is precisely what I saw in my dream. The wind is getting stronger.
'I'm not going to do it,' I replied.
'Don't be a coward; don't waste this moment,' she advised.
'Okay.' My hands are starting to shake.
'Now, extend your arms like this.' She extended her arms to the side. 'Close your eyes and spread your arms like a bird,' she gave me instructions.
I'm just staring at her, waiting for whatever she's about to happen.
'Nilliam, come with me.' She exclaimed, 'Extend your arms like this!'
I mimicked what she was doing, but I'm still wary. I pay close attention to her movements.
'Close your eyes, Nilliam,' she said as she did so.
Then I notice she's approaching the edge while keeping her arms extended.
She's doing it! She's doing it!
'What are you doing, Arine?' Right now, I'm terrified.
She continues to walk closer to the cliff's edge and...
'Don't do it, Arine.' I hugged her behind her back to stop her from doing what she was about to do.
The wind also appears to be on its way out. Everything, including Arine's movement, comes to a halt at this point.
'I'm here. You can talk to me if you have a problem.' I said this while my arms were still tangled around her hips. She's not even making a sound.
'Just don't do it...' I couldn't complete what I was saying.
Arine slowly shifts her weight to face me. Our two eyes meet in the middle as our faces get closer to each other. Her eyes, her expressive eyes, sparkled like water, and I couldn't stop myself from staring. Her eyes well up with tears, and she wraps her arms around me tightly. She burst into tears, and I can tell she was in a lot of emotional distress. Her silent cries are agonizing screams of pain, and her hands, which are tightly gripping my back, are heavy.
I hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek, saying, 'That's okay, that's okay.' I'm just here.'
She continues to whimper, and my heart breaks as I hear her silent cries. What is she carrying? What's the deal with this feeling of heaviness?
The wind is still blowing, but the sun appears to have abandoned us. Right now, everything is depressing. Even the wind's sound conveys a sense of melancholy. The rain then pours down heavily on us, soaking us completely. Arine is still hugging me and doesn't appear to be bothered by the rain.
'Let's go underneath that tree,' I suggest. 'The rain is pouring down in torrents.' As I led her to the tree, I asked, holding her hand.
We're both drenched now. Our previously dry clothes have changed colors due to the fact that they are now wet. When I look at Arine, she is still quiet and sad.
As I approach her, I say, 'Hey. Do you know why it's suddenly pouring?'
She raises her chin and stares me down.
'Because it sensed your anguish. They were aware of your cries.'
She keeps her mouth shut. She's still staring at me, tears welling up in her eyes.
'The rain wants you to know you're not alone.' I smile at her before wrapping my left arm around her shoulder and tapping it, saying, 'You're not alone.' I muttered something.
Arine is shivering as the rain continues to fall heavily. It's raining and the wind is still blowing, so she's cold. We were lucky to have a large mango tree nearby that allowed us to shed.
When I touched Arine's hands, they were freaking freezing cold. Because our clothes are also wet, I need to find another way to keep Arine warm, so I blow both of my hands warm and then hold Olivia's hands to transfer the heat from my hands. Despite the fact that her hands are extremely cold, they are extremely soft.
I'm going through this process over and over again in order to make her feel warmer.
While I was repeatedly warming her hands, I noticed her staring at me.
'What?' I inquired.
She's just staring at me.
'Don't tell me this one can make you cry, too?' It was said in jest.
When I return my gaze to her, she is still staring at me, not even blinking. I just keep doing what I'm doing and focus on her hands.
'Hey, that's a joke,' I point out. 'Don't be so serious, and...'
She abruptly moves her body and kisses me on the lips without hesitation. When I noticed her face was so close to mine and her eyes were closed, I was stunned and my eyes widened. My heart starts to beat so fast that it feels like it's jumping inside of me. Then, as Arine moves her face and looks me in the eyes, our lips gradually separate. I just went completely silent, unable to believe what had happened. As I continue to look at her face, I notice that her eyes are speaking to me, which tempts me to kiss her once more. I didn't think twice about touching her face, then running my right hand down the back of her neck and kissing her lips gently. She didn't object, so I kept kissing her soft, wet lips and exchanging breaths with her while our eyes were closed. I want to taste more of her lips, so I run my other left hand down the back of her neck and press it against it. My two hands are now encircling her back neck. I press my lips against hers, and she reciprocates. This sensation of joy in my heart captivates me. This feeling is satisfying as well because it makes my entire body feel alive.
Everything around us seems to come to a halt as we continue to feel each other's lips, leaving only the rain to fall. This is a truly hypnotic, calming, and comforting moment. What does this mean exactly?
My phone in my pocket then rang out of nowhere. NOOOOO!
Arine slowly moved away from me as my phone rang.
'I'm sorry.'
'No, no, it's fine.' She had a flush on her face, which I noticed.
My mother has called. It was the perfect time to call me. PERFECT!
'Ma?' As I answered the phone, I asked. 'I'm still at school, but I'll be home soon,' I explained.
My mother is only interested in knowing where I am. Yes. That's the way she is.
'Yes, ma,' I said. 'Bye.' 'I love you!' and the phone line is disconnected.
'I'm really sorry.' I stated.
She simply smiles at me, and I begin to feel shy or awkward.
'Are you still cold?' I inquired.
'No, everything is fine right now,' she replied.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, NILLIAM? Why did you feel the need to ask that? There are many questions in the world. Goodness!
She appears to be very shy now, and I can't stop thinking about how adorable she is when she appears shy and awkward.
We decided to return home once the rain stopped.
'Shall we go home?' As I smiled and extended my hand to her, I said.
She smiles back and takes my hand in hers.
We make our way back to our respective homes, each with a vivid memory of what we did here today.
~ ~ ~
I smiled as I walked into our house. But even on the way here, I couldn't help but smile whenever I thought of Arine. How can she become any more stunning as she continues to occupy a place in my mind? This fills my heart with joy. As I entered the house, my mother noticed that I was still smiling.
'Oooohh. Isn't someone really happy today?' she inquired.
Still smiling, I return my gaze to her. 'Who? Me? 'No, ma,' I say. I burst out laughing.
'Didn't something really good happen today?' She approached me and took my arm in hers.
'It's nothing, ma,' I assured her. 'I just think today is extra special,' I added.
'How come? Just tell me a little bit,' insists my mother.
'I think I just saved a life today,' I said. I gave her a warm smile.
'Oh? That's really nice, and it's... something.'
'I'm really happy, ma.'
'I see what you're saying. It's reflected in your eyes, and I couldn't be happier for you.'
'Thank you very much, ma.'
'Come on, anak,' invited me. 'I prepared our dinner.'
Mom went into the kitchen to prepare the table, while I went to my room to organize my belongings and change my clothes.
I sat on my bed, contemplating Arine. What did she exactly do to me? Will this feeling ever go away? Because I don't believe so at the moment.
'Nak.' Mom is calling me.
'Yeah?' I made my way out of my room.
'Bring your old books here downstairs, and I'll donate them to the church. I'll have it delivered tomorrow.'
'Old books?'
'All of the books you no longer use. Let's hand them out.'
'Alright. I'll go back and double-check my books later.'
'Thank you so much, anak. Come on over here and let's eat dinner.'
~ ~ ~
This is going to be a day I will remember for the rest of my life. Apart from the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about what we did with Arine there, I was able to prevent her from doing what she was about to do and save her life from potential danger. I'm proud of myself when I think about it. This will be a day I never forget. I'll make an effort to write something about this special occasion. All I can hope for right now is that Arine feels the same way I do. I just hope I was able to alleviate her suffering today and that she remembers me when she closes her eyes tonight. I'm hoping that if she has a dream tonight, or even a nightmare, I'll be there to watch her, and not someone who turns her dream into a nightmare, but someone who turns her nightmares into a beautiful dream.