Call it Love
"You're his fiancé?" Doctor Adam asks after he has finished administering treatment on Ben, as Kim excourts him downstairs. They stopped in the living room.
Kim hesitates before saying. "Hum. Yeah."
"That's strange." He said.
Her expression became unhinged and anxious. "What happens? Is everything okay?"
"Relax. I was just wondering how he was calm without taking his pill."
Kim signed "yeah, it was such a drama last night"
"That means it's happening." He muttered.
She blinked a few times. "What is happening?" Kim asked.
"LOVE is happening." He replies.
"Sorry?" She acted deaf.
"Love, it's happened when such patients are with their loved ones. They tend to control themself emotionally and restrain themselves to hurt the person. There's nothing stronger to cure someone with a mental illness than love." Doctor Adam explained vividly.
Kim chuckled awkwardly. "How can it be love? That's funny."
"Are you not his fiancé?" He asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Of course… I am".
He gives her a suspicious look. "Hey!" He said quietly. "Has he never proclaimed his love for you?" The doctor inquired.
Kim went dumbfounded. "Well. It's complicated."
"If he hasn't, he was hiding it from you, he loves you. Don't ever leave him till he completely heals."
He smiled, "And don't forget to take care of him." He exits through the door.
"That's weird," Kim mumbled and went to her room. 'How can it be love?'
That evening, Ben came out of his room, feeling better now. He can smell the aroma of food as soon as he steps out. He walked downstairs and saw Kim in the kitchen whistling and dancing as she fiddled with the pots. She didn't notice that she was being watched.
He stood there watching her as she was making funny dance steps. He smiled wryly.
"Ouch!" Kim screamed in pain.
He rushed into the kitchen. "Let me see." He said, grabbing her hand and examining her fingers. She cut her index finger with a knife, and small blood was coming out of it.
She was surprised to see him and she was super scared that he might say something to hurt or upset her, but she kept her cool. "Are you okay?" She asked, blinking.
"I should be the one asking you that?" Ben asked.
Kim looked at Ben praying that he doesn't ruin her day, or say something that would piss her off, she is yet to believe that
He moved to the other side of the kitchen and opened the first Aid box, taking the plaster, methylated spirit, cotton wool, and scissor. "You should be careful." He said with a hint of grimness.
"I.I'm fine." She mused.
"How can you be fine when you're hurt?" He took her palm. "It'll hurt." He assured me.
She nodded her head. Ben rubbed the spirit with cotton wool on her wound. She was watching him and remembered what Doctor Adam said 'LOVE'
He looked up and caught her staring. "Is that how attractive I look?"
"Sorry?" She said,
"Never mind it's a dry joke." He placed the plaster on the wound. "Done."
Kim checked it out. "Thanks." She smiles.
He nodded his head. They stood awkwardly, staring into each other's eyes without saying a word.
"Uhm.." he pretends to be looking around. "What are you cooking?" He asked.
"Rice and Chicken sauce with friut salad, I'm thinking we shouldtop it up with fresh blended pineapple smoothie with lettuce." She replied, grinning.
"Uhm.." he saw an untidy plate in the sink. "Let me help you with that." He said.
She chuckled. "It's okay, I'll do it."
"I didn't go to work today, I'm at home doing nothing." He wore rubber gloves and opened the tap water and started to wash the plates.
Kim opens the pot cover and swirls the stew with a spoon.
Ben asked. "Have you done this before?
" Done what?" She asked curiously.
" Cooking?" He said
"My mom was a chef, I know how to cook but I don't like cooking." She said.
"Really?, my mom cooked so well too, grandpa Jeff enjoyed every single dish my mom made, it made uncle gold's wife very jealous." He said.
"But you have been cooking since you got here? He asked.
They laughed. She wouldn't have noticed how cute and charming his laugh was. He was even more handsome when he laughed. Kim had never seen him like this before, Never laugh, never talk. Something has changed.
"She must be a superwoman." He said.
"I bet she is." she smiled.
"So I've wanted to ask you what course you are studying at school." He asked.
"Mass communication." She replied.
"I would have to pay you to stop talking." He teases.
She laughed. "I talk when it is necessary.
I hope you don't write a news about me? he asked.
Kim laughed out loud, " that joke is funny ". she said.
You know it's good to see you laughso loud, you should do that often." He glances at her.
"I'm not a good person, Kim. No one likes me, I'm a prickly person." He said emotionally.
"You're great." She said sharply.
A spoon manages to escape from the plate and fall on the floor. "Let me help you with that." She picked up the spoon and put it back inside the sink filled with water. Kim mistakenly held Ben's hand inside the water.
They both gazed at each other, staring straight into each other's eyes. The room's atmosphere changed. Nothing else matters, not the plates, not the whistle pot on the fire.
Her cheeks turned red all of the sudden, and her lips opened a little. He moved his head slowly, closer to her then wandered his eyes to her lips then her eyes again. She has already shut her eyes, waiting for the sweet moment. His lips moved closer to hers when the phone rang startling them. They quickly swiftly away frantically.
"Sorry I've to take this." He walked off.
She touched her burning cheeks and huffed. Slapping her cheeks to wake herself up from the imagination, perhaps she thought it was imagination.