THE WEIRD GIFT

Kylie drew closer to the counter where Mr. Yamato was. "What's he going to do with that amount of books?" Kylie said.

"A lot of horror books for a young lad," Mr. Yamato said. "But you know, preferences could be quite funny. Come record this now. I have somewhere to go." He checked his watch.

Kylie took over the counter and began to record the sales on a book there, while Mr. Yamato headed for the door.

A while later the door was pushed open, and when Kylie heard a stringent voice, she knew it was Clarissa, Mr. Yamato's loud daughter. No one would believe her dad owned a bookstore because she was an enemy to books. Her looks alone told of some crazy ass girl -- purple-red hair with a lot of eye shadows.

"Saw dad leaving the door before I got here. I just had to hide at a corner. It's quite weird meeting him at the door," she said, going to one of the shelves.

Kylie watched her pick a book, mumbled the name and stuffed it back wrongly.

"You had better placed it the way you picked it, Rissa," Kylie said.

"Bah!" She put it in properly and walked to the counter. "What you got there? I'm hungry already."

"Then wait for daddy to return," Kylie said.

"You're treating me badly you know," Clarissa said. "Anyway, guess what."

"What?" Kylie asked.

"I've been selected as one of the few that'd be representing Yuletide High School in the upcoming ballet contest."

"Oh, that's great," Kylie said.

"I can see you're not happy with that. But wait till you see the four walls of college though."

Kylie felt that. It was a downgrading remark, aimed at her not being able to go to school, due to her mother's incapability to train her there. But on the brighter side, she was home-schooled by her mom, and she read alot of books as well. When juxtaposed, she was quite better than Clarissa upstairs.

"Standing before me here is a product of Yuletide High School, I see." Kylie snorted. "Try again, I'm better of here."

"Good for you then," Clarissa said.

The door went open and the young lad that had earlier bought those books walked in. It was as though Kylie was seeing him for the first time, because there were a lot of things she didn't notice on him earlier. He was quite tall for a guy around nineteen, Kylie thought. There was something about his eyes. They were large and weirdly slanted, but Julie warded off his looks immediately. His eyes were centered on Kylie, and it made Clarissa look at the both of them almost simultaneously.

He placed his hands on the counter. "I felt you were pissed off by what happened earlier."

"A sec please, you know him?" Clarissa asked.

"Oh Rissa." Kylie rubbed her forehead in frustration. "I can't believe you came back just for this." She said to him.

"I just felt I did something wrong there," he said.

"I see that everyday," Kylie said. "Don't bother about it."

"But you'd cease to see that after I've given you this!" He took out a digital watch from his pocket and placed it on the counter. "My Dream-Cold watch. You'd come earlier than expected." He winked.

"What's going on here?" Clarissa said.

"This is just a watch," Kylie said. "And, If you must know, I hate alarms."

"It's no alarm," he said. "Just use that button at the top before you go to bed, in the morning, you know what I'm saying."

"Dream Cold," Kylie muttered, staring at the watch on the counter.

"See you later." He pushed the watch closer and left.

"Who -- what was that?" Clarissa asked.

"I'm drained already Rissa, I don't want to discuss it."

"I don't care what's going between you both, but that guy isn't someone you should sound so cold to. He's cute!" She said.

"And I'm not apologetic about it," Kylie said.

"Are you grabbing this opportunity or I should do it myself?" Clarissa asked.

"Whatever you wish," Kylie said. She picked up the watch to look at the button, but resisted the urge to touch it. She'd show it to her mom first before using it.

She returned back home in the evening, but didn't see her mother anywhere in the house. She came back to the living room and saw a note on the television set -- 'meet me at the river'. It left her wondering what her mother would be doing at the river by that time of the evening. She took the watch along with her to the river.

She saw her sitting a distance from the river, her hands dug into the sand heap she sat on, watching the setting of the golden sun. Kylie could sense she resisted the urge to throw stones into the river, because Theresa had told her severally that she strongly believed the river hated stones. Sounded funny, but Kylie obliged to that.

"Still believing he'd come back?" Kylie said, joining her to seat.

"That aside, I just enjoy viewing the sun set," Theresa said.

"You're being too lonely mom. Go get a man to yourself, same way I've got one," Kylie said.

"Hey!" Theresa said. "You've started having sex right?" She gave a witty smile.

"Mom stop it. I just made the joke to pull your attention, I don't even know him, not even his name, so chill."

"Seems you've been having lucid dreams lately, Kylie."

"No dream here. I came a bit late to work -- saw him buying a lot of books from Mr. Yamato --"

"And he gave you a wink?"

"No. He did something annoying at first -- sniggering while Mr. Yamato said some words to me. He left and came back later to give me this." She took out the watch and showed it to Theresa.

"Oh, a gift at first sight," Theresa said.

"Not just a gift. He said I wouldn't be late to work with it beside my bed."

"Don't know how it'd do that but that's a nice one, if it really works. He's such a nice dude." She peered at the watch. "What's that button?" She pointed her finger towards it.

"No, don't touch it. He told me to do so until it's time to retire to bed."

"Oh. Shows he really cares. Since I've refused to bring a man home, maybe you should do that."

"Not so fast mommy. Besides it's getting dark. We should go back home now." Frances got up, pulling her mother's arm.

They both got up and headed back home.

Frances couldn't wait for 9:00 pm -- the time she normally retired to bed. She kept the watch on a drawer beside her bed, staring at the time periodically, as well as the button she was supposed to click.