Beneath Guarded Hearts - 51

Previously…

Asma

I felt like screaming. But instead, I bit my lower lip and crossed my arms, waiting. Just waiting. Soon, I would find some serenity. Soon, I would forget that this night was the worst night of my life. Soon… Patience, Asma. Have some patience. It’ll all be all right again.

I knew I didn’t believe it, but it was worth a try.

__________________

Asma

The lights wouldn’t stop flickering. It was like being in circus, only much huger. The Ferris wheel that was illuminated in rainbow spotlights looked like fluffy cotton candy balls. The tiny heads far ahead were at war. I was there hoping that the beautiful shooting stars would rip out the anger within me that was slowly descending into gloomy tunes.

I caught a chuckle slipping through my warm breath as I saw a young woman struggling to walk in her stilettos that pierced into dusky sand. Her bouffant hair crowned her head as wisps of curls struggled against the humidity, their identity exposed. My nose caught a strong scent tiptoeing out of a tiny pink bottle, causing my scoff. For a moment I gazed at the bewildering colors that flew out of an army of machines and a smile was climbing up my face as each shade planted a peaceful white seed into my heart.

I saw ghostly clouds travelling above us. The moon faded away every few minutes playing hide and seek. It was magical. Bewitching. The cloud was the magician, in control of the act; the moon, the beautiful assistant distracting the eyes. They performed lots of tricks together, trying to keep the stars and beholders entertained. The stars cheered in awe, releasing the beauty in the light they possessed.

My magic show was suddenly disturbed when I heard voices in the back of my mind, cheering a countdown. Not moments passed before the thin line of ribbon was sliced in half right before my gazing eyes. I froze in my place as people struggled to pass through. I was there only by body; my train of thought was somewhere else, far away. I could still hear cheers and screams but they were very faint to my mind. Why was everyone in such a rush? I was pushed a couple more times before the muscles in my shoulders became vulnerable to the forces acting on it. Still, I was somewhere else… I watched a faint memory from my childhood that always brought me some peace of mind, some sort of tranquility, become alive in front of me.

An innocent smile sucking on a lollipop that was obviously too big for her tiny mouth sat on a ferris wheel and looked up at the diamond sky. She was pointing her chubby fingers upwards and laughing, watching the magic show. Most people amused their thoughts by claiming she was a little crazy but it was her ravenous imagination that helped her escape into her own perfect little world whenever the real world let her down. She was so small, so vulnerable. The wind silently walked by her with utmost care, untying the silky pink ribbon that held the braids of her pitch black hair, passing through its loose strands of curls, taking her scent with it into the world. As the flashing ferris wheel rolled its last spin, she straightened up, clapped very gracefully and waved goodbye at the dark, empty sky…

The small tissues of my eardrums slightly stuttered, bringing me back to this darkened world. They started vibrating, the pressure increasing with every “sheeww” of the rockets I heard above me. The thin, velocious speed of the fireworks burst into stunning colorful stardust as they exploded into separate rays, shooting into different directions, leaving a trail of smoke behind. The lights were mesmerizing. The moment was so perfect, so breathtaking; yet I found a sigh creeping into my voice, leaving a tiny frown crawling into my cheeks. The perfect moment wasn’t so perfect. I was there under the most beautiful night sky of the year, but he wasn’t.

It was getting darker and little did I notice the people who were passing by me. A sour mood settled inside my deepest cores, exposing the surface of my heart. I was too busy clouding my mind with memories to notice the teardrops that were slowly building up in my eyes. I didn’t have to blink at all; in no time my eyes streamed a water pool, blurring the vision of my eyes as I started to rush past the people, covering my miserable face. I had to get away. I decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway where no one would notice my smeary make up. I took in a deep breath and slowed down my pacing. The tears dried up in no time as the breeze brushed my skin in the open space. I concentrated on the things around me, trying to open a new door for my train of thought. I forced my legs to move, mentally directing them how to work each muscle. It was like walking for the first time.

My eyes caught the sight of a dim, reddish glow at the end of this alleyway, secluded from all the action that was buzzing through the Global Village. I was so muddled as my heart gave a huge pump, sending a hard force through my body, but I was curious enough to tiptoe closer and see what it was. The distance was only a few yards away and yet to traverse it took an eternity. I was close to stumbling, with my legs still not functioning properly, and I wondered whether I should turn around and continue my path to my destination or explore this peculiar light. My curiosity again took over me.

I was bowled over by what I was seeing through the tent of patterned curtains just in the distance. It was close enough for me to see clearly, but not to hear. All the noises from machines to fireworks to foreign music blended the spoken words with the breezy air, untraceable, concealed. My eyes adjusted to the lighting and a gasp escaped my mouth as I saw the claw-like hands with an enameled ring fit on one of its wrinkled, scrawny fingers. The dark flowing shawls around her concealed her true identity yet it was obvious that she was a very old woman. Before suspicion enveloped me she looked up, and I saw the pinprick gleam at the center of her eyes and the swarthiness and greasiness about her skin, as the crystal ball reflected on her wrinkled face. She gave me a mocking smile as she held up a card that seemed to resemble… a clock of some sort? I returned a wary smile and dismissed myself from her presence, continuing my journey.

I finally reached my desired place and since the distraction of the gypsy was now long gone, the gloomy tunes started to sing to me. I must have looked weird, sitting on the cold step-down that looked out into the center of the big lake, with a perfect view of the Ferris wheel, but I couldn’t care less. I could hear loud whispers of strange stickmen whom I barely noticed passing by me. I wondered what their lives were like.

The loud whispers turned into gasps as a person collapsed on the hard, solid ground with thousands of crystal pieces scattered around what used to be his glass. My judgment was clouded, my sanity barely keeping its stance. Foreigners. That’s all they’re good at. He was unconscious, of course. A couple of his mates would probably carry him out into one of their trucks and take the hopeless fellow back to the place he was trying to run away from. His life.

Darkness hung in the sky, threatening to never reveal the golden streaks of the sun again. The odd shapes around me started to disperse themselves into different directions, some carrying zombie bodies. Or maybe they were couples holding hands. I couldn’t tell the difference. I didn’t care. My hazy vision spotted a strange form just as I started to turn my vacant gaze back to the lake; he seemed out of place. He looked beautiful under the dim glow of the moon. My eyes sharpened his features, focusing on the powerful shape that didn’t belong in this place. When my eyes identified this stranger I was suddenly on my toes.

My blood rushed through my veins, yet my heart couldn’t seem to beat fast enough as the pulse behind my ear thudded feverently. My legs surrendered and I had no control over them; they were hammered to the ground. His brilliant eyes were locked on my face, telling me things only the eyes could reveal. My heart was beating with the patterns of his footsteps; with every step he took, it thumped harder on my chest, causing vibrations over the exquisite ends of my silk 3abaya. He approached me slowly and I noticed a radiant glow escaping his angelic face. My mind fled somewhere else, into another world. My pulse seemed to slow down and my legs loosened their grip on the ground.

He was now only inches away from my face and my mind was suddenly back. Aware. Again, my heart accelerated into frenzy and my legs again, locked into place. He cupped my wet cheeks with his hands and smiled the most light warming, beautiful smile. He let his hands drop slowly, twining his fingers together behind my back protectively. I could smell his sweet scent crawling up my nostrils. He was just as I’d remembered him so long ago. He knelt his face to my left ear almost resting his chin on my shoulder and whispered the words that sent shivers down my spine…

To be continued…