chapter three

Encounter.

 {The girl…..}

I received a text from frank. It was about the fact that he wanted to end things with me. My body became despondent, it was as if my body had dissipated and my soul felt listless. 

Before the breakup, I had apprehended some of the signs that my intuition had thrown to my face. Our usual late night calls had seized, last week he had removed our couples bracelet and made up an excuse, he raised his voice when we communicated face to face.

Yet with all these signs , I missed the boat, I couldn't understand why I put up with such a miserable and pathetic relationship. I was in total anguish, I looked up to the night sky. The stars were happy, twinkling their light, blinking at me. 

The night, this night resembled the same night sky where he made me his. Under this same night sky, .

.........…..

(flashback)

"Beatrix."

"Yes, yes frank" we sat at a bonfire outside his house, the winter chill cracked our lips and our faces were itchy and dry. But even if the weather was frosty, I felt a warmth, a warmth that warmed me internally. Wrapped up with my lover watching the burning wood slowly joining the ashes. I felt like I was the female lead in my story.

 I was resting on his broad chest my face was tucked under one of the layers of clothing he wore, the coat gave off his masculine musky perfume. Everything about him right now was making me feel flustered.

 I answered him after he called my name, and his next gesture made my heart beat go faster, why was he calling my name. I am not a child and deep down, I could predict what was going to happen. He raised my chin which was comfortably resting on his shoulders.

"Beatrix, I love you" he looked into my eyes, we were watching the wood burn but right now as I stared into his eyes,I could see the fire burn in his eyes. 

I widened my eyes in surprise, he had never said this to me before. We had been dating for about a year. And this words, just this three words felt like a ballad : it felt like a five paged love poem compressed into those three words. I was a woman, I had to remain unflappable, I was excited I wanted to turn my face to the other side Hardly had I turned my face when he returned my face to its initial position. 

At this same initial position, I was welcomed with a kiss, a kiss that I knew had so much intensity, I tried to push him away but my efforts went down in flames when he bit my lower and upper lips alternately, my hands that so desperately pulled his chest away unexpectedly wanted to pull him close . I relaxed and I wrapped my hands around his neck, with that gesture, it was a green light sign. It felt like he needed me so badly 

and I decided to give myself so badly. 

(end of flash back)

Pain disheartened my heart again and I could feel hot brimming tears dropping down to my face, It felt like my whole body was on fire, my heart beat increased as all the memories flashed in my mind.

I felt a persons presence on the rooftop, I could feel the persons intent gaze on my body, scanning me from head to toe. Somehow this got me incensed in anger and I cleaned of my tears, I placed my leg on an air conditioner and stepped on the roof pavement, thank the goodnesses that there wasn't any protection at the building edge.

I looked down at the height,my eyes spinned at such a sight. The tall buildings smaller than this one looked like building blocks at this point. Yes! I wanted to die. There was a building that I had high chances of falling on top, I asked myself, if I really wanted to die. I wanted to get rid of this pain that frank had caused me. I didn't even want to ask the reason why he ended our relationship. I could only blame myself for loving a guy, a guy who told me he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend. I realized how foolish I was, the fool, the sacrificial fool. Now I had to sacrifice my broken heart, because I didn't know how I was supposed to leave with such betrayal.

As I was about to jump off, a hand held my hand. As I perceived, another person was on the roof with me. He held my hand and said:

" Don't do that"

I looked at him with a disdainful look. Who does he think he is, how could he tell me what to do with my life. Frustrated, I pushed my feet forward and he seemed to have lost footing a bit, why doesn't this guy want to leave me alone…..

Come rain or shine, I am going to end my life, who did he think he was to hold me back, he cant share my pain. So who was he?

{brian}

I almost lost footing, it looked like this heartbroken lad was planning to take me to the grave with her. Thank god I was the man and I had the upper hand here. Fastening my grip on her slender arms I pulled her down from the top of the building pavement

Immediately she started squirming and wiggiling, telling me to let her go

"Let me go" she closed her eyes and cried

"Please mind your business and let me be, it is all your kinds fault, all the guys fault I ended up this way, I don't want comfort. I have given up. I don't want to do this anymore, is it by force to live?" she said crying and screaming to my face.

I noticed her crows feet, skin inbetween her braws and all other wrinkle prone areas folding. She seemed really stressed out, I let her go.

And she placed her left hand and her right feet on the pavement. Ready to jump without consideration. Her movement were weak and flawed so i was able to get hold of her, I hugged her.

Let go of me, I said let go!!!!" she screamed hysterically, I hugged her tightly so there was no room for escape, at this point, I knew she would really jump.

After about two minutes she stopped her hysterical yelling and squirming .She leaned onto my shoulders for solace. Her tears gushed out and through my permeable shirt I felt that the tears were brimming hot. I couldn't imagine the pain she was going through, she held me tight, like she wanted to merge her bodie with mine. Crying girls were so annoying but I found myself giving one to a stranger.

The girl seemed to have realized that she had been crying on my shoulders for over 30 minutes. Her hands were wrapped around my torso.

{the girl…}

I had cried on his chest for about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe I was resting on a strangers chest so comfortably. I don't know maybe becasause he had a homely feeling. I released my hands from his torso and I looked at the mess I had made on his shirt. My eyes doodled eye makeup all over his shirt. Oh my god ! what had I done, it seemed so expensive.

I stared at the spot and looked into his eyes, expecting there to be rage and chagrin in his eyes but what was reciprocated was a warm smile

Why was he being so nice, is he a pervert?

Well a pervet couldn't look this handsome, he had a chiseled jaw and cats shaped eyes, his braws floated on his face and his lips were full and pink, staring at me with a smile made me very confused, was something this beautiful staring at me??!?!/

. He had a mole on the right side of his face and he had his hair shaved in an afro, the remaining untouched part of his hair scalp: had hair which fell with volume. The night breeze blew this hair away and it made him look ethereal. I bent my head low while placing my hands on his arm and I questioned myself

You just broke up today girl,you almost died?!?! Is this an angel, angel of death? Have I already died? why was this guy standing here smiling at me?

"See" he said,I looked up at him.

{ The boy….}

I spoke to her, 

"See…." I wanted to say more, but she raised her face and her doey liquid eyes stared into mine. I became speechless for few seconds. I said:

" See, I don't know what makes you think that ending your life would help the current situation you are in, and I am not going to judge why you were trying to do so but I want you to understand that life is simply a novel" why did I I use the analogy NOVEL?

"A novel, it has different chapters, some maybe happy, some are sad, some chapters paint the town red, some can be really heartbreaking, u- u—u um I want to, I u- I meant to say, so you don't have to fell, I mean feel" the gaze she gave was warm and filled with gratitude. It spoke even when she hadn't said anything with her lips. That was maybe why I couldn't focus. I had to shut up and listen to what her eyes were saying. And I did. I shut up and we stared into one another's eyes . forgetting words and focusing on our gestures.

She smiled put her head down and tucked in some hair behind her ears. Her hands were placed on my arms all this while

She was about to say something when my sister called, I walked a distance to answer the call.