Say Hello to the Broken-Hearted (5 page)

“Oh ok then….So
are you asking me to come along with you?”

“
Ahh…sure you can come along if you wish.”

“Just kidding, I
wanted to see if you would be ashamed to introduce me to your friends.” She replied with a light laughter in her voice.

“Oh come on girl! I thought I already made it clear that
I don’t give a FUCK what anyone has to say about us, not my friends, not my brother, not my parents, no one!”

“
I know John, you’re the audacious maverick.” She affirmed.

“Yes! You know the only reason we are still hiding is…”

“I know baby. Just a little bit longer Cuz. Continue to hang in there for us.”

“I have made up my mind
, and I am sticking with you cousin. I want you so bad it would make me a fool to turn away from you now.”

“Thank you.” She softly noted.

It’s certainly a divine blessing when two people come together in a bid to ascertain unconditional love. Everything you do is worth the risk and at the end of the day if it’s meant to be, nothing is more phenomenal.

“Hey, ill check in with you tomorrow, ok babe?” John stated.

“Ok, have fun…later!”

“Bye.”

The dial tone resonated and sequenced into a conjuration of thoughts of how the guys would react at the news that John Steelburg the guy that most college girls literally drool over by just one sexy soul searching stare is dating his cousin by blood.

The day was as cruel as yesterday and it made no promise of rain. However, the wind from the sea provided a tolerable restitution. The blue everlasting ocean stretched the distant and subdued behind the forest on both ends. The horizon greeted the
skies and created an infinite omnipresence which contrasted the rushing waves of water that pounce the shores at timely intervals.

He walked on to the white sand in a bid t
o captivate the mystic serenity of having water rushing on to his feet, and a soft zephyr caressing the rest of his body.

He heard a shout coming from the far left
, and to his surprise it was the guys calling him from an open gazebo.

As he approached the steps of the gazebo he was greeted by cheers, laughter and a light beer from
Nickson Graham.

Nickson
was quite the drinker that didn’t know his limit at all. All it took was one sip from the first bottle to get him started and by the time he reached the bottom of the seventh, he was already a sailor dancing the plank. Nickson was a well-rounded and jovial person. The faithful type. He still had the same girlfriend since the ninth grade of high school, and undoubtedly he was the only one seated around the table that could be sworn for in a court of law or anywhere else that he had never cheated on his girlfriend. As fidelity would have it, he would never. He however would definitely make a drunken husband but a very good one at that. He was just an average looking guy, with a huge heart. The world needs more like him.

“Welcome John!” Donald
Robinson approached him with open arms for a friendly embrace.

“Ok, ok, that’s enough!” John proclaimed in a bid for freedom from his suffocating gesture.

Donald Robinson was a six foot seven inch, two hundred and fifty pound giant comprising of seventy five percent muscles and twenty five percent of whatever it was that made him up.

He was a delicate and warm individual, but his larger than life structure gave him an undeserving title. The
guys called him ‘K.O.W’ (King of the world). Not so intimate people took the pronunciation as ‘COW’, but nevertheless he was cool with the attachment. The only problem was it didn’t afford him a girlfriend since he started college, or maybe it was a typical case of being nice gets you everything except her.

Alas,
there was David ‘Romeo’ Barrett. As the name suggested, he was quite a charmer. He was tall and handsome having about six feet in height of hard brown shaded titillating body that was beyond heaven and earth sexy.

He smirked as he cornered his eyes at John as he circled the table towards him. The two were the closest of friends of them all
, yet they were staunch rivals of each other.

John stood behind Romeo, made a smirk from the left corner of his mouth and uttered.

“You’re an ass you know that!”

“And together we make the hole!” David replied, stood and gave him a warm embrace.

“I miss you man!” John declared with a pat to his back.

“
It’s nice to see you John, it really is. It feels like an entire year since we got a break from the hellhole.” David acclaimed and ushered John to the chair on the other side of the table so that he directly faced him.

The fragrance of already cooked food captivated the surrounding air. The music provided a soothing melody above the sound of waves drumming the shorelines
, and the long overdue conversations of reminiscence, jeering and laughter scintillated the afternoon.

“So Donald, how has the ladies been treating you, any luck?” David teased.

“Well you know, I met this girl….”

“Donald is an utter waste of living matter!”
Nickson interjected and the others had a loud outburst of laughter.

“Hold on! Wait a minute!” John interjected, “We all due respect
, but Nickson you have no right, no right whatsoever to call anyone an utter waste of matter. You have been with Ashley Williamson since the past four years and you are still a virgin choir boy!” He reminded and the laughter continued. “So for the rest of the evening, please remain quiet.”

“Here Here!!” They all cheered except
Nickson who seemingly had felt the intended embarrassment from the friendly bantering.

“Now as you were saying Donald.” John offered.

“Well, I have been talking to this girl at school for about three weeks. Her name is Emily Simpson, a junior, you guys wouldn’t know her. She is very good looking, nice ass and all…”

“But…”
Nickson abruptly interjected.

“Hey
Nickson! For the last time! Please be a good student and be quiet!” John silenced him.

“…She is a born again Christian.” Donald finished.

They all paused and stared at him with startling disbelief.

“Have you lost your
mind!” David emphasized.

“And here I was thinking I am
the worst of us.” Nickson blurted out.

“Are you in love with her Donald?” John subtly asked.

“I can’t say I am not...” Donald affirmed.

“Oh Lord no!”
David cried and bowed his head in disappointment.

“Come on David,
it’s not that bad. She is a charm and she is so beautiful you know!” Donald convinced.

“Just listen to yourself.
Pathetic!” David resented, “By the way, has she yet told you that there will be no sex before marriage?”

“Yes she did…”

David shook his head.

“Actually she resolved it on the second day over lunch.
She stood and tipped to my chest height, protruding her pointer finger at me and said,

“I’ll have you know
, I am a child of God and I will not have sex before marriage, you hear me sir!”

“And
what was your reply?” Nickson asked flatly.

“
I am in love with her.” Donald affirmed.

“You have made the biggest mistake of your life!” David dissuaded, “Your youth will never forgive you of this.” Just look at
Nickson and his sorry ass!”

“You have a point,” Donald laughed, “But that!” He pointed at
Nickson, “Is a terrible tragedy!”

They laughed. The jokes at him just never cease
d to bring Laughter. He was indeed a chore boy for Ashley. If she had called right then and asked him to come get her, he would jumped to the task and left them hanging.

“Hold on David!” John intervened, “Donald has a point. I mean
, what are we all looking for here?” He asked, “Aren’t we all looking for love at the end of the day?”

“What are you talking about John?” David asked rhetorically. He
understood the question. It just wasn’t easy to fathom coming from John.

“I mean
, do we decide who we fall in love with or when we fall in love?” John proclaimed, “Love hits us with our eyes closed David. It’s just for us to open our eyes and believe it.”

“Oh come on!! This is hog
wash” David proclaimed, “Have you met someone John?”

“Yes, I met someone
, but that has no bearing on what I said.” John replied.

“Yes it does.” David reiterated, “A few weeks ago you would have never said something like that…who
is she John?”

John took a sip of the beer he had in hand and stared steadily into David’s eyes.

“She is my cousin.” John stated.

Suddenly a spit of liquor mixed with saliva came spurting across the table.
Nickson could not swallow the alcohol as the laughter forced its way out. That was followed by a boisterous outburst of uncontrollable giggling from Donald. David was the only one who remained speechless and serious. He knew John too well to know when he was making a joke from when he was being dangerously grave.

The
laughter rippled out and an iceberg silence quivered the moment lasting for over five minutes.

“John
have you lost your fucking mind!!” Donald shouted.

“Hey! Hey!” John yelled, “I was just here defending you remember?” John silenced him.

“And here I was thinking I am…”

“You are still the worst
Nickson!” John frankly added.

“I may be the worst but I’m not a cousin fucker!”
Nickson responded with a dirty smirk lining his face.

“We have not gotten
there yet!” John reiterated.

“But you are going to?” David asked.

“It’s not even about that.” John added.

“I DON’T EVEN
FUCKING KNOW YOU ANYMORE John” David shouted and stared at him with mean fierce eyes.

That instantly registered with John quite well.
In fact, that was all he needed to hear. He had already made up his mind. They would either accept it or lose him.

John stood, poured the rest of his beer to the sand and left without uttering another word. They didn’t go after him in a bid to dissuade him. They sat there and babbled and he could care less.

After all, blood is thicker than water and love redefines it all.

Chapter 7

The
rain had blessed the territory at the break of day and the humidity had lingered into midday, making it the most humid and comforting of all the summer days seen thus far. It was the perfect weather to be relaxing under, or even to just rock in a pivoted chair and absorb the rare tranquility.

“Hello!” She answered.

“Hey Karla! Get dressed. I am coming to pick you up in an hour.” John replied.

“
Ahh…where are we going?” She enquired.

“You will know when we get there.”

“Ok then.”

“Great! See you in an hour.” John asserted.

John Steelburg drove up to the gate of Karla Steelburg’s house and tooted the horn of his mother’s two thousand and six, white Toyota Corolla.

She fashioned a blue spaghetti strap
dress that lengthen to just above her knees. It did a definite job of reminding him that she was indeed an exquisite and expensive piece of art.

“Leonardo Da Vinci.” He uttered as he opened the front passenger door of the car for her.

“What?” She asked.

He turned the key in the ignition and shifted the gear into d
rive.

“The guy who painted the Mona Lisa.”
He signaled

“I am still at lost.”

“You look ravishing.” John affirmed and continued the journey.

“Thank
you.” She added and smiled.

“Did anyone see you leaving?”

“I seriously doubt that. I was the only one there when you came.” She replied. “I still have no idea where I am going though.”

“Don’t worry. Just trust me.
” John demanded, “And I will need you to put this on when we get close to where we are going.”

He pulled out a black blind
fold and placed it in her lap.