The Thousand Kisses

Another cloudy afternoon, it had been like this since few days before. I looked down again and watched the road I walked. The quality of the blacktop surely wasn’t that good. There were bumps everywhere. I never like road like this, it made me had to look down, concentrating on which step I had to take so I didn’t slip my feet or fell just because of the bumps. The second reason was I couldn’t enjoy the scenery of the sky and guess the shape of the cloud at that time.

It was because I have to look down.

It was two good reasons for me not liking the road, I think. But more and more I think of it, it was a bit of denial. The two reasons were acceptable and not quite enough for me to make it such motives. I didn’t even care about the cloud, or the dusty field, or the slope, or the bumps.

The reason why I don’t like walking down there was because I felt it was a bit lonely walking there alone. It made the road seems far enough. The funny thing was I never think it was that long when I walked along with you; the distance just shrinks and the time flies by.

It was because of you.

I yielded and sighed, but continued walking there.

* * *

There were kids playing hide and seek when I pass through there. Oh, how I missed the time when I played the game every afternoon with my friends when I was a child. I saw one hiding at the back of the pick up. He watched me moved alongside the car, put his finger in front of his finger and made a quiet ‘Sssh!’ to me. I smiled. But then I thought if the seeker saw me smiling, he may be interested with the back of the pick-up. I look around, the seeker was in front of me, but he didn’t look at me. He was looking the other direction, so I just look forward again to save the hiding kid.

The sound of laughing, running steps, and yelling from behind followed me into the alley, making reverberation voices as if they were for me. The rough-plastered walls didn’t absorb them at all. The voices kept replicating to direction I walked. Or maybe they were following me intentionally?

I took the right turn and kept walking until I saw your door, opened. I saw you in there, sitting in the sofa. You look pretty with your dress and perfectly fine with your astonishing smile.

So, you were waiting for me.

I didn’t know since when but I noticed that all the voices were gone, completely disappear.

* * *

‘I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?’

‘Sorry for what? There’s nothing to apologize for.’

‘I’m sorry for the day when I canceled the meeting.’ You looked me into the eye, and somehow it was shivering me.

I smiled, ‘It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. It was a grief though.’

‘Aw, I’m sorry dear, really. Just stop pretending it was okay, I know it’s irritating you.’

‘Okay, okay. I forgive you if you give me a kiss.’

‘I’ll give you thousand kisses.’

All of sudden, you kissed me. The moment just lasted for a second, but it was enough for making me feel the warm emotion flowing from your lips to mine. I was surprised; I didn’t see the kiss coming.

‘So, am I being forgiven now?’ You look at me again.

I, sat there beside you, still in the stunned position, gave you the strange look. I still didn’t believe how you had kissed me.

Did she just kiss me?

It was a shocking certainty, legitimating the facts that love has come and spread it wings once again. Yet, I still sat there with that stupid I-don’t-believe-it looks.

You chuckled, laughing at me.

‘Ha ha, what’s with the looks? And am I being forgiven or not?’

‘…I was waiting for the next nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine kisses actually.’

‘Ha ha,’ you kissed me again.

‘Okay, I forgive you. Nine-hundred-and-ninety-eight kisses more, if you don’t mind?’

You laughed then put your hands on my cheeks. Once again you give that loving look that made me as frail as thin glass then suddenly shattered and broke into pieces. It was the indication of a love symptom. And both of us were infected.

‘You’re a really funny guy, don’t you know that?’ (peck) ‘And I like you.’

‘Fair enough, since I like you to.’

Nine-hundred-and-ninety-seven kisses to go.

* * *