CAN I HOLD IT?

"Let us find a better place we talk," Noel suggested.

"Right, I know just the place, follow me," Frank said and immediately started walking. Noel looked around at other students. Everyone was busy with their friends. Nobody cared what the two of them were up to. She followed Frank who surprisingly had walked quite a distance already.

Just beyond the main lecture hall there was an open space that extended into a planted forest. The forest was still part of the university but the field was rarely used. It was, however, mowed by the groundsmen and looked a nice place for a picnic.

"I think this will do," Frank pointed at a rectangular shaped wooden block near a mvuli tree that was shaped as an umbrella.

"Am not sitting down!" Noel began. This made Frank uneasy as he thought they would at least sit for them to have a proper talk.

"Look! I don't know what you think of me but," he began. Noel, however, interrupted him.

"How long have you known?" She asked. Frank took a moment before responding.

"I didn't! I wasn't sure it was you!"

"When you made your advances sometimes back," Noel began and let the sentence hang in mid air for a reason. She looked at him fixedly.

"Look Noel, the truth is, yes! You are charming! You are so beautiful and I really found myself dying for you everyday! I just wanted us to be,,,"

"Did you know of this, this arrangements?" She asked, seemingly unable to refer to it as a prophecy.

"Not until yesterday!" he said and wanted to add about his grandfather then paused. Remembering his words, "she will be waiting for you!" It dawned on her that Noel must have known.

"What about you? Did you know?" he asked.

Resignedly she responded.

"Only last night too, was it revealed to me! I guess you too had a visitor from the other world who explained to you?" She asked afterwards.

"A visitor?"

"Didn't a box light up and someone emerge from it and spoke to you about these things, about me and about the medallion? How did you know about me!"

Frank stared at her. All that she described had not happened to him.

"But the box! Yes! I have this brown box which glowed by itself yesterday..." He told her everything.

"You mean you didn't put on something like a chain or medallion of some kind but just the box glowed by itself?"

"Yes! But after I took it to my grandfather suddenly I realized it had a secret part inside which I found a golden wristwatch!"

"Where is the wristwatch? Can I see it!" her heart started palpitating. Frank just looked at her. She wondered what he was thinking and felt like she needed to explain herself more.

"Look, I got this chain and medallion from a similar box and I was told I need to activate it but I don't know how. The guest told me that if I found you I will know how to activate it," as she spoke the chain resurfaced on her neck on its own accord.

Frank was amazed at seeing it. Suddenly he also felt a certain sensation on his right arm where he had worn the wristwatch. Last night when he went back to his room he had tried it on and suddenly it had disappeared inside his flesh within a flash. A sweet sensation had followed to calm his exploding nerves.

Instinctively he reached his wrist and exposed the watch to Noel. She looked at it in amazement. Her medallion at the end of her chain began glowing and she took it out. Frank also marvelled at its glorious look.

"Can I hold it?" he asked.

But just then a sudden earthquake rocked the whole ground on where they stood. Noel screamed and fell on the ground. Frank supported himself on the rectangular block and quickly rushed to help her up.

He looked around and thought that he saw something moving under the ground towards them.

"Quick we have to move out of here, run!" he held her hand and they started running back towards the car park.

They could see other students running here and there screaming! The earthquake continued for a little while then it stopped as suddenly as it had come. Noel was shaken to the core! She was terrified.

"I,,,I have to get home now!" she said.

Frank looked at her and saw how helpless she was. He held her hand and they walked to the car park.

"It is gone now. Just calm down!" he said gently.

They had reached the car park and she stood there undecided. Frank looked at her and realized what she was thinking. Her mind was not settled.

"Can you drive?" She asked.

Hesitating Frank looked at the car, then looked at her.

"I think I can!" he said. "But my bike, okay I will just tie it in the trunk!" She gave him the keys from her purse.

He went to the other side and opened the door for her. After bringing over his bike and safely securing it at the trunk he came and sat in the driver's seat.

He closed his eyes and thought,

"I will just do as in the car simulators I drive on my phone!"

Noel looked at him and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh Yes!" he answered. If she only knew that this man had never driven in real life!!

Luckily the car was automatic. He turned the ignition and moved the lever to reverse position, then slightly stepping on the gas the car moved back slowly. He saw enough space ahead of him to turn the wheels and leave the parking. He shifted the lever to D and drove out. At first he could not drive perfectly straight but it did not take long before he became stable.

45 minutes later he stopped the car outside a mansion. He already knew that was where Noel stayed. It was still on his way home. Surprisingly there was no sign of an earthquake here!

"Would you please check on me tomorrow!" she said after telling him thanks for bringing her home.

"Yes sure! I will. Maybe we can go somewhere and talk about ...!" he added but stopped suddenly. Noel was giving him a look that made his heart skip a bit.

"Noel is that you?" a voice called from inside.

Frank hurriedly sat on his bike and pedalled away just as the gate to the mansion opened.