How high is the sky? That’s the question that I’ve always tried to answer. All my life I’ve searched for an answer. A friend of mine told me that there is no definite answer; the boundary between the atmosphere and space is so fuzzy. When I asked a child this question, he answered me y pointing to the clouds. This amused me for a moment. To a child the sky is as high as he could see. That’s a proof how simple a child’s mind works. For adults, the sky is way beyond what we could see. For some, the sky reaches the most distant star. None of this, however helped me find the answer. Then one day, he came.
I was walking around the park when suddenly he bumped into me. I stumbled and fell to the ground. Hem mumbled sorry and reached out his hand. I took it and he pulled me up. My first impression was that of an angel. He had the most brilliant eyes that seem to stare right into my soul. Brown, if ever you’re wondering. Usually I would’ve shouted myself hoarse because of what happened but my anger seemed to melt into embarrassment which made my face suddenly hot.
“Are you OK?” he asked me, worried.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said although it feels like my hips are broken.
“Look, I really sorry, OK?” he said, almost crying.
“I’m fine,” I insisted.
“Listen,” he said suddenly while glancing around. ”can I ask you a favor?”
In spite of myself, my brow rose. Hey, you just shove me to the ground! Now you’re asking me for a favor?
“Please,” he said almost sensually that it made my knees quake. “I need someone to tour me around the city because, you know, I’m new here.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed.
“Please,” he said yet again. “it would really mean a lot to me.”
“Excuse me, don’t you realize what just happened?!” I said, evading the request. I’m not easy to get.
“I said I’m sorry, alright?” he said exasperated. “I was hurrying to talk to you then I stumbled and bumped into you.”
“Hhnnmm …” I was still buying my time.
“So, will you tour me?”
“No.”
But the next thing knew, I was with him the whole day. We’ve been around the city, gone to malls and the museum. It was hard not to like him. He seemed more interested about me than the sights. He was sweet and, oddly enough, knows pretty much about me. When I asked him how this was so, he said
“Well, it shows in you,” followed by a smile.
He explained that he was rather good in reading a person’s body language and the reason he asked me to be his “tour guide” is because he knew I’m a local.
“There is this certain spring in your steps,” he explained, ”that told me you’re comfortable with the place and you don’t look around that much which means you’re too familiar with the place.”
He also knew that I’m a big fan of the Jonas Brothers.
“I saw how your pupils dilated when you saw their poster.”
“So, basically, I can’t hide anything from you?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes, but neither can I.”
“You sound like we’re very good friends.”
“Is there any reason why we couldn’t?” he asked with a very knowing smile.
That’s when our story became a love story. A week has passed and we are together everyday. And in that short time I knew I love him. I’m not easy to get, I stand to that but what can I do? If you love someone why would you wait for long? He understands me. He was the one of the very few who really did. And I think I understand him too. Not as much as he understands me but enough to know I love him. The longer I’m with him, the more open he became. He told me about his sorrows, his pains, and the things that make him angry. I played the role of confidant. I know most of his pains as I feel them myself. He promises me that we will be together everyday for the rest of my life. I know it’s a very big promise but for Love, nothing is too big.
Then one day, someone called me while I was waiting for him at our meeting place. She said she was the sister of him, whom I love. She told me about what’s bothering him. She said he told her not to tell me because it would surely break my heart. She told me my love had cancer. Of course I knew then that she was lying. How he had cancer? He was healthy. Sick People looked barren and down cast. He was full of life and happiness and love – love for me. How can she tell such lies! No, he is OK and he is coming to meet me again. I waited and waited. He was late. It must be because of the traffic. Then after about five hours of waiting, about eight in the evening, she called again.
“He’s dead,” she said.
My world suddenly stopped turning. Suddenly, I found myself on the harbor near the park. During the last minutes of my life I realized that to reach the sky, all you have to do is take steps backwards.
