2 THE UNBEARABLE HEAT

Waving to her then he turns around and looks towards the phone booth. Thomas noticed the way the young lady was leaning against the post not too far away from the phone booth and waved to him.

  He thought to himself, 'She got some panache the way she stood, not a doubt that I am the person that came to pick her up.'

Anger boils from deep within, 'I can't believe she knew all along I was the person who came to pick her up, and she sits there unconcerned.'

'Is she blind or dumb? I was holding the name tag for so long, doesn't she know her name? Yet she continues sitting there unconcerned as though she was a log.'

Feeling like he could strangle her for having him waiting so long.

As that thought invaded his mind, the rage built up even more. He massaged behind his neck as his eyes glared at her in disgust. All that was on Thomas's mind was, 'By now he could have been home eating his dinner without a care in the world.

He walks toward her, but this time she signals to him to lead the way as though he was some paid servant who had to follow her instruction.

Not a word was spoken, not an apology for having him waste so much time, not a thing just a signal to say lead the way. 'Well, all good with me,' he thought after looking at her from head to toe. 'Furthermore, I won't even know what conversation or topic to discuss with her she looks so weird and obnoxious.'

'The way I am angry right now, I might say something and regret it later.' Reaching his van, he opened the front passenger door for her to sit but instead, she ignored me and sat in the back seat.  Not being bothered with her action, and the way she ignores him, 'All well with me, me lady.' Smiling as he went to the driving seat.

Thomas left the airport compound hoping she would say something to break the ice between them.

Instead, she just turns her head and looks out of the window. Thomas looks at the review mirror, only to see her lean towards the door taking in the view.

Trying to imagine what sort of friend Aliza has invited to her wedding. 'I know she insisted that no one meddles because she had hired a wedding planner.

All I was asked to do was pay the bills and be there to sign as her witness.'

Now glimpsing at her friend from the right side door mirror. Her face was still unnoticeable with that big ugly-looking hat.

Seven-thirty, Thomas turns on the radio, listening to the news broadcast. Ignoring her the same way she was ignoring him.

All of a sudden Thomas felt this extra heat that radiated through his body. He felt the sweat trickling down his back.

Thomas slowly unbuttoned his shirt with his left hand, allowing the cold breeze to circulate on the inside of his shirt to cool that extra body heat

Thomas felt very uncomfortable thinking, 'What is happening to my body, something is definitely wrong. Oh Lord, why do I feel like I am going to become sick?' The discomfort he felt was unexplainable and very unsettling in his mind.'

He took a few deep breaths trying to relax his body as he released his foot gradually from the accelerator, but he knew the heat had something to do with how he was feeling. Or could it be the rage he felt together with the heat?

As he drives slowly releases his feet from the accelerator and keeps more to the shoulder lane.

At the back, Christa glanced at him wanting to know why all of a sudden the van was slowing down.

She felt a bit scared, Aliza had never spoken about this brother before and she knew nothing about him.

Observing her surroundings more closely now becoming alert.

From the moment she left the airport, she kept looking out of the window to avoid glaring into his eyes, but she wasn't paying attention to the place.

Feeling the fear enveloping her heart now, she pays more attention to reading the signboards to have a better understanding of her location.

Realizing it was not a lonely area or a road out of the way, it was a busy stretch on the highway.

Looking at him to know why he was slowing down seeing his face soaked with sweat. She thought he was going to have a heat stroke the way he was sweating so profusely.

Having no idea what to do she dipped her head behind the seat and began praying for him.

Hearing the whispering behind him Thomas felt her fear realizing she sensed something was off with him.

At that moment Thomas took some deeper breaths and tried to relax and regain control.

Christa heard the heavy breathing she wondered if he was having an anxiety attack, could it be because she hadn't spoken with him, or is it he was so angry with her for having him wait for her?

Recalling the furrowing of his brows when he realized it was her and how he twitched his nose in disgust.

Feeling guilty for her behaviour she closed her eyes and continued to pray.

Thomas pulled himself together as the coolness irradiated the heat and the cold sweating slowly subsided, but he still felt this strange heat.

He steps on the gas peddle thinking about Aliza, and he becomes angrier with her, as the sweat continues to drain down his back.

'No one knows nor understands what goes on in that stubborn head of hers.

Mom once told me she brought the young man home; when I took one of my trips to the Caribbean but that was all.

She didn't give me any description of the young man, nor what sort of job he had.

I only hope Aliza knows what she is doing before she destroys her entire life. And drags the family name through the mud?'