8 Summertime Blues (with him)

It was finally Sunday. I woke up at 8:00 o'clock. I came here last night after the bar was closed. I invited my sister to visit the church I was attending before. This place reminded me of my father's admonitions. Im not sure if Im attending this because of fear of my father or because I really want to worship God. I know that whatever I do, God is directing me towards His purpose for so whether I fail or succeed in what I do, He is just there to lift me up. I sat in a pew looking at the preacher in the far front. His voice echoing althoughout the auditorium-like church.

The message was about "Integrity In The Face of Pressure". So it came to me that my concern was out of place...it was actually born out of my curious and corrupt mind. We came out from that church at almost 1:00 o'clock pm then went to a fast-food chain for a quick lunch. We strolled along the busy alley of the market for about half an hour before I left my sister to meet Mark.

It took me 45 minutes ride to get to that place we were suppose to meet. Seeing I have about 10 minutes more, I detoured to a ladies room which was at the rear side of the monument. I did some minimal retouching, but I took time fixing my long thick black hair. I dont know what to do with it. It was almost touching my waist and it was quite heavy to pull them into a pony tail. I just let it loose and clipped the black hair pin which I always put in my pocket. It was just strong enough to hold my hair from messing up on my face. I also noticed I look like a clown when in heavy make ups so I just put in a bit of face powder and brushed an orange lip gloss. 'Come what may!' I muttered turning away from the mirror. Then I started strolling forward trying to calm my nervous feeling while busy looking around .There were lots of people in the park. Kids were running, playing soccer, hide and seek, chasing butterflies, smelling flowers and just rolling down the clean cut grass.

I was engrossed with this sight when I bumped into a man holding some stuffs like toys and some candies.

"Ooopppssss!" I almost was knocked backwards if I didn't make a quick step backwards.

"Miss, are you blind? How can you not see your way?" the vendor was annoyed at my present stilled position.

"I'm sorry, I really wasn't looking my way. I didn't intentionally bump on you.!" I said. To compensate, I bought some candies with some strong minty flavor. I quickly unwrapped one and shoved it in my mouth. I felt as if my nerves were being wrecked by this candy! The feeling when one first tastes wasabi. Thank goodness! What a way to ease my nervous heart!

I was making that funny face with that candy in my mouth when I saw Mark approach me from the side. I didn't know how to react as my nerves were stinging and my heart was pounding seeing this beautiful man looking at me. I knew I looked funny infront of him. 'Goodness myself!' I smiled inwardly. I suddenly thought I was eating something, put it at the side of my mouth then opened my mouth to say "hi" to Mark having heard him greet me with a "Hello beautiful" in a warm gentle voice. "Have you tried this candy? It tastes like hell!" I said making a horror-like face.

"Hahaha, look at you! Do you always talk to men like this?" He laughed at me after staring my hand for some second.

"Come on, try just one! Im sure you will taste hell as well!" I said grinning.

"You are scaring me with your wits!" he said while accepting the candy I was handing to him. "I'm already getting jealous over those men whom you talked like this! You seem to be close to everyone, even strangers." So his observation skills are sharp too.

"Not really, I'm just nice at first." I continued to feel this candy's torture in my tongue.

He nodded continuously as he tasted the candy in his mouth. It looks like he is used to its taste. "This wakes up sleeping nerves!" he said smiling wide." I just stared at his face in awe. He was so handsome and neat looking man! But I wonder what's inside of that coconut shell....

"I didn't know there's such a candy as horrible tasting as this!" I exclaimed. "Anyway, where are we headed from here?" I asked.

"I was thinking we take advantage of this good day to just cuddle up but its actually hot today" He said like seriously looking at me to observe how I will react.

I blushed but managed to laugh. "And so....? What's the plan B?" I looked at him back.

"We can go horseback riding but it will take us about half an hour ride to get there. You want this idea?" He asked.

That idea of horseback riding thrilled me most because I always wanted to try that at home. I nodded with a smile and as we waited for a cab, I recalled some memories back home.

My father was known to be a tough cowboy when he was yet single and even now that he is old, he still rides his horse. I once got on that horse but it almost kicked me with his rear leg. I was about to try another attempt but my father stopped me. Since then I forgot about it already. But given the chance, I would try everything. This must be the genes my father passed to me. Tough and adventurous nature. My other female siblings were more feminine except my second older sister and me being the 7th. Not that we aren't females but they were more refined than the two of us. My father once wrote me during my rebelious years that he was expecting me to be a boy because my mother's womb was too big and round. He revealed that he was preparing a name for me that means something like "Hope". But I came out to be a chubby girl instead. When I read that letter, I could almost deduce my father's disappointment of me. So I wrote him back a bit sarcastically. 'It's good you didn't name me "Hope" or else I could have burned my lungs out' was one of the joke I wrote to my father. With that name, I was referring to a brand of cigarette which I used to try during my high school life. Sometime later when I went home, father's treatment to me became a bit mellow unlike his usual thunderous and emperor like style.

Mark draped his right arm over my shoulder before asking permission. "Is it ok for you if I do this?" He bent down to catch my sight while tapping his fingers over the joint of my right shoulder and arm.

"You always act in advance but your thinking is behind." I said softy turning my head away from his face.

"Let's go now, here's our cab. After you.." gesturing me to get into the cab first.

"Have you tried horseback riding before?" He moved closer to me while asking.

"I almost did but I was almost kicked." I answered moving inches away from him.

"Oh, that's bad. So we should try the kiddie ones." He said in a teasing tone.

"Whatever" was all I spouted.

We got to the place where there were many lined up horses of different heights and colors. Mark hired a medium brown one for me while his was a huge black one. Its good I wore a bit rugged style not-so-skinny jeans with a tight fitting t-shirt topped with sporty light jacket and flat shoes. But my hair was flowing everywhere and I needed to tie it. I unzipped first my jacket until halfway down then gathered my hair to tuck it inside my jacket to keep them from flying. Mark was looking at me, I saw him swallow hard. His eyes not leaving my front. 'Goodness myself!'I muttered again inside as I quickly zipped my jacket until it fully cover my neck.

"Ok, shall we go?" I snapped at him breaking his dazed expression. "But you have to help me first up. Im scared I'll get kicked by Brownie. " tapping the side of the brown horse.

"Sure beauty'" He said holding the saddle in place with his left hand while pushing my butt to climb. 'What! He just held my butt!' I turned to him realizing what he just did. Looking at his expression, he seems shocked as well realizing what he just did.

"Nice butt you got there!" He said grinning wide like he just scored way ahead from opponents.

'This man is too fresh! and raw! Can he atleast give me some face! I exclaimed inside angrily.

"Maybe we can do three rounds out of one hour. We will take it slow and side by side." He said as he declined the man who offered to guide us and climbed on his horse.